Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
The fifth iteration of the “Hiking Books Guide” has been updated and expanded to include more than 90 works divided into eight categories: 1. Educational; 2. Guidebooks; 3. Humour; 4. Inspirational; 5. Literature; 6. Memoirs; 7. Philosophy, and; 8. Ultralight. Read More …
Note: Katabatic’s Holiday Sale is running until December 2. All quilts are 15% off, while Jackets and Bivys are 20% off. I picked up the Katabatic Alsek 22°F quilt in 2018. Over the last six and a half years, I’ve Read More …
UPDATED (November 25, 2024) As many folks will be aware, the Black Friday Sales season is now in full swing. This is a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about during 2024. Read More …
Gear cupboard spring cleaning. A combination of culling, gifting, tidying, reminiscing, donating, restoring, “yeah-no, yeah-no……I’ll decide on that one later,” and more reminiscing. During a recent shakeup, among the dusty MSR Whisperlite Stoves, indestructible Thermarest CCF mats, bombproof Macpac Pursuit Read More …
I hiked Greenland’s Arctic Circle Tail (ACT) in early September 2022. The total distance was 200 km (124.4 mi), including the 35 km (21.7 mi) “Icecap” extension between Point 660 and Kangerlussuaq. Overall, temperatures were fairly typical for that time Read More …
There is no universal blueprint as to how you should backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs, and levels of experience. That being said, one thing upon which everyone can agree is that hiking is substantially easier and more Read More …
I’ve never considered myself to be a gearhead. I use gear to hike, not the other way around. That said, if you spend enough time backpacking over enough years, chances are you’ll accumulate the type of equipment necessary to help Read More …
The Swift X is a highly customizable lightweight backpack from Six Moon Designs. Made with either Liteskin or X-Pac material, it has a maximum volume of 56 L and tips the scales anywhere between 27 oz (0.8 kg) and 40 Read More …
(Note: This year’s list contains many of your old favourites, along with 20 new additions. I realize that December 24 is very late for a Christmas gift post, but what the hey, this article has never really been about the Read More …
The Cordillera Blanca Traverse is a backcountry hiking route through one of South America’s highest and most beautiful mountain ranges. Measuring approximately 400 km (249 mi) in length, elevations during the hike ranged between 3,133 m (10,279 ft) and 5,201 Read More …
The Berlin High Trail (Berliner Höhenweg in German) is an ambulatory gem of the Zillertal Alps and one of Austria’s finest multi-day treks. Measuring 86 km (53 mi), and with a total elevation gain of 6,605 m (21,670 ft), I Read More …
Updated and expanded since the last edition in 2019, “Books for Hikers and Backpackers” now includes more than 70 works separated into eight categories: 1. Educational; 2. Guidebooks; 3. Humour; 4. Inspirational; 5. Literature; 6. Memoirs; 7. Philosophy, and; 8. Read More …
A couple of years ago I published an article titled 30 Signs You May Have Taken Ultralight Backpacking too Far. It was a (mostly) tongue-in-cheek take on those that may have imbibed a little too much on the UL Kool-Aid. Read More …
As many of my US readers will be aware, the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales are now in full swing. This represents a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about during the pandemic. Read More …
A frameless backpack is a core element of any ultralightweight backpacking strategy. Since the beginning of the 2000s, they’ve been my backpack model of choice for the majority of hiking trips that I’ve done. The following article contains a rundown Read More …
As many of my US readers will be aware, the Labor Day sales are now in full swing. This represents a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about during the pandemic. Over Read More …
From the late 1980s through to the end of the 1990s, I exclusively used hiking boots on all of my backpacking trips. They were waterproof, durable, grippy on slippery surfaces, and provided protection and stability for my feet and ankles. Read More …
The Cascadia is Brooks’ signature trail running shoe. A well-cushioned, neutral support shoe with reliable traction, I’ve hiked in every version of the Cascadia since the 3rd edition was released in 2008. Over the years Brooks has made a lot Read More …
As many of my US readers will be aware, the REI Anniversary Sale is now underway. This is a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about while stuck indoors during the lockdown. Read More …
Since the early 2000s, I’ve applied ultralight principles to all of my backpacking trips around the globe. From deserts to jungles and from alpine regions to arctic tundra, lightening and simplifying my load has made a significant difference to the Read More …