| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Save Money on Your Trailhead Drive
Are you blowing big bucks driving to your favorite hike? Use these gas-mileage-boosting tips so you can get to more trailheads for less money.
Make a Sleeping Bag Liner
Add 10-degrees of warmth to your sleeping bag with this simple DIY project.
10 Steps to Raising Kids Who Love the Outdoors
You want your kiddos to enjoy the outdoors – camping, hiking, biking, etc. – as much as you do. Northwest editor Michael Lanzas has 10 tips on how to accomplish that – and have fun along the way.
Make an Alcohol Stove
Learn how to create a lightweight, functional backcountry stove for less than a few dollars.
Winter Skills: Tips for Packing Camp Food
Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter on packing the right foods for winter camping
Water (Treatment) Wars
Is an ultraviolet light, like a SteriPen, better for treating filtered water than iodine tablets?
Sipping on Snow
If you melt snow for drinking water in the winter, do you need to boil it for purification?
Tugging at ticks
What’s the best way to remove and treat a tick bite? My recent attempt severed the head, which required a hospital visit to remove.
THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE
Food & Nutrition
Backpacker-Friendly Chocolate
Cocoa packs high energy and healthy antioxidants, and our testing revealed the best-tasting, most-meltproof varieties for the trail.
Master Class: The Gym Free Fitness Plan
Use this no-cost, do-anywhere training program to enhance hiking strength and speed this spring.Health & First Aid
Instant Upgrades
Revive waterproof jackets, salvage a wet map, get better backcountry sleep, and organize your gear. By Sarah Maurer
Peakbagger Skills
Tips for overcoming jetlag, gathering beta, and getting your summit gear to foreign peaks in one piece.Survival
Instant Upgrades
Revive waterproof jackets, salvage a wet map, get better backcountry sleep, and organize your gear. By Sarah Maurer
Multisport Maniac Skills
Learn these skills for trips that involve more than just hiking.Fitness
Master Class: The Gym Free Fitness Plan
Use this no-cost, do-anywhere training program to enhance hiking strength and speed this spring.
Events Worth Training For
Want to set a big goal to give your training more focus and direction? Sign up for one of these mettle-testing trail events.Navigation
Navigating in the desert
Tips from our experts and readers about traveling in deserts and canyon country
Master Class: Read the Wilderness
Use nature's signs to orient yourself, pick your path through varied terrain, and predict the weather.General Skills
Make a Sleeping Bag Liner
Add 10-degrees of warmth to your sleeping bag with this simple DIY project.
10 Steps to Raising Kids Who Love the Outdoors
You want your kiddos to enjoy the outdoors – camping, hiking, biking, etc. – as much as you do. Northwest editor Michael Lanzas has 10 tips on how to accomplish that – and have fun along the way.
Backpacker-Friendly Chocolate
Cocoa packs high energy and healthy antioxidants, and our testing revealed the best-tasting, most-meltproof varieties for the trail.
Master Class: The Gym Free Fitness Plan
Use this no-cost, do-anywhere training program to enhance hiking strength and speed this spring.
Easy-as-Pie Backcountry Chocolate
Need some inspiration for killing a serious backcountry chocolate craving? Look no farther, you've clicked into a chocoholic's dream.
Events Worth Training For
Want to set a big goal to give your training more focus and direction? Sign up for one of these mettle-testing trail events.
Test Kitchen: Cooking Trail Eggs
We cracked dozens of eggs to find the perfect camping prep. Here's how to pack them efficiently, use them in trail-worthy recipes, and clean up quickly.
Cooking Backcountry Eggs
Don't be afraid of cooking this superfood in the backcountry.
Test Kitchen: Cheese
From Gouda to good old string cheese, we tested 20 types to find the trail-worthiest.
Test Kitchen: Salami
We sampled 50 jerkies, salamis, and summer sausages to find the tastiest and longest-lasting. Here’s how to choose, use, and make trail-worthy meats.
Camp Friendly Cheese
Jimmy Kennedy of Cabot Cheese shares four scrumptious camp-friendly, cheese-centric delicacies that will surely satisfy. Plus: Watch our how-to video about making a cheese wax candle.
Test Kitchen: Sausage Recipes
Camp-friendly salami, summer sausage, and jerky recipes
Instant Upgrades
Revive waterproof jackets, salvage a wet map, get better backcountry sleep, and organize your gear. By Sarah Maurer
Peakbagger Skills
Tips for overcoming jetlag, gathering beta, and getting your summit gear to foreign peaks in one piece.
Build Trail-worthy Ankle Strength
Four moves that'll help you make an injury-free transition to lightweight hiking shoes.
Expert Panel: 11 Pro Tips
Pro Tips: Boost Performance, Planning, Safety, and More
Blister Wars
Don't get sidelined by these common and painful foes. Fight back with these tips and tricks for preventing and treating any kind of hot spot problem.
Backpacker Bible: Never Get a Blister
Your body is a temple? Then your feet are the altar. Treat them right, and enjoy every hike from the first mile to the last.
Ski Strong: Beat Blisters
Outsmart stiff boots and constant heel lifting with these anti-friction tips.
The Manual: Stay Healthy at Altitude
Play it safe against altitude sickness.
Prof. Hike: Leave Blisters in the Dust
Blisters are the most common on-trail injury, but blisters are also easy to prevent.
How-To Slideshow: Learn to Tape a Sprained Ankle
This low-bulk bracing is used by sports trainers and wilderness medics to stabilize weak ligaments and discourage further injury. You can apply all sorts of extras like pre-wrap liners, ankle pads, and skin adhesive, but here's the down and dirty trail version.
Instant Upgrades
Revive waterproof jackets, salvage a wet map, get better backcountry sleep, and organize your gear. By Sarah Maurer
Multisport Maniac Skills
Learn these skills for trips that involve more than just hiking.
Winter Survival Guide: Camp
Humans weren't built to sleep on snow. Defy nature and sleep soundly with these winter camping tips.
Winter Survival Guide: Cook
In and out of the wilderness, food is important for survival. Don't screw it up with these winter cooking tips.
Winter Survival Guide: Travel
Hiking through the snow is beautiful, but not exactly easy. Use these tips to make your winter traverse all the more pleasant.
Winter Survival Guide: Prepare
The best defense is a good offense. Employ these tips before you ever leave home.
Winter Survival Guide
Our five-part plan to staying warm and well-fed in cold weather.
Bear Grylls: Master of Disaster
Q&A with Guest Editor Bear Grylls
Insect Indicators
What bugs can tell you about finding your way.
Camp Friendly Cheese
Jimmy Kennedy of Cabot Cheese shares four scrumptious camp-friendly, cheese-centric delicacies that will surely satisfy. Plus: Watch our how-to video about making a cheese wax candle.
Master Class: The Gym Free Fitness Plan
Use this no-cost, do-anywhere training program to enhance hiking strength and speed this spring.
Events Worth Training For
Want to set a big goal to give your training more focus and direction? Sign up for one of these mettle-testing trail events.
Fitness Excuse Busters
Mountain guide and author of Fit by Nature John D. Colver offers up these hints for staying motivated and fit no matter what your excuse.
Mileage Master Skills
Going the distance? Use these tips to ease big-mile trips.
Limit Pusher Skills
Always looking for a way to go farther and faster? Get ready with these tips to take your hiking to the next level.
Build Trail-worthy Ankle Strength
Four moves that'll help you make an injury-free transition to lightweight hiking shoes.
Backpacking Fitness
Boost performance and be a better backpacker with these fitness- and strength-building moves from our experts.
Build Backpacking Muscles
Strengthen three key areas - shoulders, ankles, and core - this winter so you can tackle tougher trails next spring.
Yoga for Backpackers
Ease post-hike pain and prep muscles for the next day.
How to Walk
Yes, there's a better way to put one foot in front of the other. Improve your stride, trek farther, and end leg and back pain with our guide to the new science of healthy hiking.
Navigating in the desert
Tips from our experts and readers about traveling in deserts and canyon country
Master Class: Read the Wilderness
Use nature's signs to orient yourself, pick your path through varied terrain, and predict the weather.
Winter Survival Guide: Travel
Hiking through the snow is beautiful, but not exactly easy. Use these tips to make your winter traverse all the more pleasant.
Winter Survival Guide
Our five-part plan to staying warm and well-fed in cold weather.
Master Class: Find Yourself on a Map
The best way to avoid getting lost? Always know your location. Study up on these key techniques for identifying terrain features, translating GPS data to a map, and triangulating your position.
Make a custom map for your next adventure
We've partnered with myTopo to bring you the best in maps for your backcountry pursuits.
Manually Adjust Declination
Change declination to navigate more accurately over long distances.
Apps and Maps
From GPS data to navigation apps and printed maps, we have you covered and can get you ready for your next adventure.
Adventure Upgrade: Navigate Off Trail
Open up a new door to adventure–by leaving the well-trod route behind.
BACKPACKER Map Maker iPad app
Plan hikes and backpacking trips, plus other outdoor adventures like never before on detailed, interactive topo maps and aerial photos.
Make a Sleeping Bag Liner
Add 10-degrees of warmth to your sleeping bag with this simple DIY project.
10 Steps to Raising Kids Who Love the Outdoors
You want your kiddos to enjoy the outdoors – camping, hiking, biking, etc. – as much as you do. Northwest editor Michael Lanzas has 10 tips on how to accomplish that – and have fun along the way.
Instant Upgrades
Revive waterproof jackets, salvage a wet map, get better backcountry sleep, and organize your gear. By Sarah Maurer
What Kind of Hiker Are You?
Find your personality type and trips that match your adventure style.
Fitness Excuse Busters
Mountain guide and author of Fit by Nature John D. Colver offers up these hints for staying motivated and fit no matter what your excuse.
Adventure Travel Skills
See more wildlife, climb more peaks, and hike more miles with these tips that'll help every adventure traveling backpacker raise their game.
Wildlive Lover Skills
See more wildlife--and capture it better on film.
Mileage Master Skills
Going the distance? Use these tips to ease big-mile trips.
Family Traveler
Read these tips to make your kids more comfortable on the trail.
Peakbagger Skills
Tips for overcoming jetlag, gathering beta, and getting your summit gear to foreign peaks in one piece.
Tools & Experts
Ask A Bear
Our resident bruin expert answers all your burning ursine questions in this weekly feature.
Ask Him a Question
Survival 101
From essential bear safety to how-to slideshows on creating a survival bracelet, get all the worst-case-scenario info you
need.
Learn to Survive
Professor Hike
Get a degree in outdoorology as the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking answers all your
essential questions.
Head to Class
Backcountry Bartender
Looking for the perfect spirit to sip fireside? Look no further than these picks from our resident.
Shake it Up
Recipe Center
Become a culinary expert with our comprehensive guide to cooking up a backcountry feast.
Get Cooking
Gear Pro
Pose your burning gear question to Kristin Hostetter and she'll drop some knowledge on how to fix, mend, improve, and more.
Read the Latest
Medicine Man
Our wilderness medicine guru talks first-aid, health, and emergency management.
Get Schooled
Gear Checklists
Make sure you remember everything for your next outdoor adventure by use the same checklists that Backpacker editors have used for years.
Get Packing
Ultimate Fix-It Guide
Learn how to make your gear last forever with our guide to the 55 most common repairs and maintenance musts.
Do it Yourself
MASTER YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERTISE WITH OUR TIPS
Make an Alcohol Stove
Learn how to create a lightweight, functional backcountry stove for less than a few dollars.
Winter Skills: Yurt Living 101
Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter gives the scoop on winter yurt living
Winter Skills: Tips for Packing Camp Food
Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter on packing the right foods for winter camping
TIP 9: Check the Weather
Most weather reports don't apply to backcountry or mountainous terrain. Gather specific information by calling ranger stations, checking guide books, and researching monthly climate trends.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide
261 reviews and camping tips
Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.
Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
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