| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Recipe: Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Super quick and full of flavor. Perfect for a fast and easy meal.
Dirtbag/Gourmet: Savory Southwest
Black beans and a heaping dose of flavor make for tasty, fiber- and protein-rich meals
Go Higher with Tips from Senior Editor and Professional Mountain Guide Shannon Davis
Tackle that big mountain with tips from our in-house mountain guide
Pick the Perfect Pack: Measure Your Torso Length
One of the most critical pieces to finding the ideal backpack is your torso length. Backpacker Gear editor Kristin Hostetter shows you how to get started.
High-Flying Thyroid
Can altitude increase the effect of thyroid medications? I recently hiked four days in the Grand Canyon and had an experience which felt like an overdose of my thyroid meds. I skipped a dose and all the symptoms went away, even after climbing another 3,000 feet. What's up?
Cotton Head
The day after a long, tough, hike I often feel like my head is filled with cotton and like my eyes won't fully open. What can I do to prevent or cure this? I drink a lot of water, but that doesn't seem to help.
Is Wicking Wicked?
I was recently introduced to "wicking" blisters--putting material under the skin to drain the fluid. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder, but I couldn't recall any mention of "wicking" blisters in my training, and I didn't find any in the Wilderness Medical Institute's training book. I think it is a great way to get a very bad infection. What do you think?
THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE
Food & Nutrition
Recipe: Quinoa Taco Salad
Gourmet Southwestern salad, perfect for that light afternoon meal.
Recipe: Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Super quick and full of flavor. Perfect for a fast and easy meal.Health & First Aid
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.Survival
Backpacker Bible: Make Fire
When disaster strikes in the backcountry, don't pin your hopes on prayer. Your ability to spark a flame could be the difference between survival and six-feet-under.
Escape Plan: Cross Summer Snow
How to safely traverse a small, seasonal snowfield.Fitness
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.Navigation
Photo by Maps and GPS for the basic user
Navigation Webinar: Go Farther with Maps and GPS
Master essential navigation skills and turn into an interactive backcountry explorer.
Adventure Upgrade: Navigate Off Trail
Open up a new door to adventure–by leaving the well-trod route behind.General Skills
Navigate in Low Visibility
Leapfrogging, following benchmarks, and more.
The Manual: Rough Road Driving
Don’t get stuck in the mud. Learn to evaluate road hazards, overcome obstacles, and navigate the unpaved passages between your front door and your next adventure.
Recipe: Quinoa Taco Salad
Gourmet Southwestern salad, perfect for that light afternoon meal.
Recipe: Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Super quick and full of flavor. Perfect for a fast and easy meal.
Dirtbag/Gourmet: Savory Southwest
Black beans and a heaping dose of flavor make for tasty, fiber- and protein-rich meals
Adventure Upgrade: Cook Like a Pro
Pack and prepare a week's worth of mouth-watering meals.
Recipe: Smoky PB Chicken Chili
Peanut butter is the secret ingredient to this smoky chili
Recipe: Pumpkin Peanut Soup
A can of pumpkin makes for an interesting trail soup
Ski Strong: Stay Fueled
Conquer cold with proactive hydration and calorie-packed nutrition.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide: Desserts
Fast-and-easy desserts for the trail.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide: Lunches/Snacks
Knock off more miles after a tasty trail-side lunch.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide: Breakfasts
Fuel a long day on the trail with these tasty breakfasts.
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.
Survive This: Frostbitten Feet
Frostbite is bad news. Learn how to safely treat frozen feet.
Everest Contaminated by Toxic Metals
New research reveals high levels of arsenic and cadmium in the mountain's snow and soil. Plus: Should you worry about similar pollution in North America's high country?
The Biggest Winner: Why Backpacking Burns Fat
Your body is an engine. It runs on a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and a very small amount of protein. And it's a finely tuned engine, using the best fuel for every need.
Lighten Up: Losing Weight by Hiking
Make one simple resolution–to hike more in 2011–and we guarantee you'll lose that spare tire around the middle. Here's the proof, the plan, and the inspiration.
Backpacker Bible: Make Fire
When disaster strikes in the backcountry, don't pin your hopes on prayer. Your ability to spark a flame could be the difference between survival and six-feet-under.
Escape Plan: Cross Summer Snow
How to safely traverse a small, seasonal snowfield.
Survival: Save Yourself in Whitewater
Hard-won-lessons and tips about whitewater kayaking from the front lines of survival.
Prof. Hike: Don't Get Lost, Have a Backup Plan
Bad things happen to good hikers. Everyone should have a smart back-up plan--or two.
Rip & Live: Survive Desert Extremes
Triple-digit temps by noon. Freezing at night. Scarce water. The desert is as dangerous for unprepared hikers. Give yourself an edge and learn to survive this hostile territory while backpacking.
Prof. Hike: Rely on Yourself, Not on Your Phone
Join the effort to make mobile phones safer for the trail.
Prof. Hike: This Post Might Save Your Life
How your cell phone calls for help even when you don't have service
Ask A Bear: Bags vs. Canisters?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Prof. Hike: The Instinctive 127 Hours
Why Aron Ralston's survival required more than a multi-tool
Ask A Bear: Are You A Good Swimmer?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
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.
Tough Guy Challenge Week 4
We're down to the last two weeks of our five-week Tough Guy Challenge. Are you still hanging in there?
Tough Guy Challenge Week 3
Week three of our five-week challenge will have you navigating obstacles and increasing mileage.
Tough Guy Challenge 2011
Think you're a tough guy (or gal)? Take our five-week challenge and enter our video contest for a chance to prove it.
How to Do Everything - Banish Blisters, Build Lung Power, and More.
Hike farther, faster, and pain-free with these training tips and exercise.
How to Do Everything - Become a Mileage Monster
Hike farther, faster, and pain-free with these training tips and exercise.
Hiking Exercises: Beef Up Your Lower Back
Try this exercise to give your lower back the strength you need.Hiking Exercises: Cure Outer-Knee Pain
Nothing's worse on the trail than knee pain. Prevent and cure it with this exercise.
Photo by Maps and GPS for the basic user
Navigation Webinar: Go Farther with Maps and GPS
Master essential navigation skills and turn into an interactive backcountry explorer.
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.
The Manual: Plan a Trip with GPS
Learn how to plot your own digital adventures with precision--then print the maps and prep your GPS.
BACKPACKER MAGAZINE APPS
From the iPad to the iPhone and Android, check out these BACKPACKER mobile apps.
Winter Hiking: Navigate Through Snowscapes
The land changes come winter, and so should your route finding techniques.
Survival: Off-Course With No Map or Compass
Uh-oh, you forgot to download free maps at Backpacker.com, and now you're lost in the woods without any navigational tools. Smart! Now follow these rules to get found.
The Manual: Travel Off-Trail
Navigate across scree, snow, and rivers without getting blocked or lost.
The Manual: Plan an Expedition
Go big with these expedition trip planning tips.
Navigate: Forests and Mountains
Skirt forests and mountains with ease with these tips and gear.
Navigate in Low Visibility
Leapfrogging, following benchmarks, and more.
The Manual: Rough Road Driving
Don’t get stuck in the mud. Learn to evaluate road hazards, overcome obstacles, and navigate the unpaved passages between your front door and your next adventure.
Gear Guide 2012: Rip & Equips
Don't go shopping until you've read these comprehensive guides to buying and fitting the right pack, boots, bag, and tent.
Backpacking 101
Learn the basics of backpacking - from what to pack, how to plan a trip, first aid, survival skills, what to eat, and basic how-to.
Travel Like a Pro
Adventure Travel Tips for Backpackers
Travel Like a Pro: Stay Healthy
Start with up-to-date vaccinations–for chicken pox, MMR, tetanus, and hepatitis A, B, and C–then tear out this cheat sheet to preventing six common adventure-travel risks.
Travel Like a Pro: The World's Best Budget Finds...
Don't miss these affordable services, local haunts, and cultural highlights recommended by adventure-travel experts. Plus, bargaining 101.
Travel Like a Pro: Travel Comfortably
Reduce the physical stress of getting there–and enjoy the ride.
Travel Like a Pro: How to Pack Your Duffle
Carry more, protect your pack, and ease transit.
Backpacker's Bible: 10 Skills Every Backpacker Must Know
We've created a plan to help you upgrade your trail time in all the ways that matter: bigger views, more solitude, easier miles, and more. Don’t hang up your boots until you’ve mastered this definitive list of 10 skills and life-altering experiences.
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
My Profile
Join Now
Most recent threads
The Political Arena
Healthcare costs for American families increase
Posted On: May 24, 2012
Submitted By: Kevins89notch
Submitted By: Kevins89notch
MASTER YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERTISE WITH OUR TIPS
Go Higher with Tips from Senior Editor and Professional Mountain Guide Shannon Davis
Tackle that big mountain with tips from our in-house mountain guide
Skills 101: Bushwhacking
Navigate through unruly terrain with these helpful tips
Pick the Perfect Pack: Measure Your Torso Length
One of the most critical pieces to finding the ideal backpack is your torso length. Backpacker Gear editor Kristin Hostetter shows you how to get started.
TIP 24: Heavy Loads
Putting on a heavy pack? Rest it on your knee, then pass one arm through a shoulder strap.
International Travel
From Nepal to New Zealand, we have stories and tips to help you plan the perfect 'life list' trek abroad.
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Navigation Center
Learn how to orient a map, navigate any terrain, and the ins-and-outs of GPS devices.
BACKPACKER's Free Smartphone GPS App
Record and share you adventures with our new, free navigation app. Plus, discover thousands of GPS-enabled hikes in national parks and major cities.
Backpacker Expeditions
Backpacker Expeditions will challenge your outdoor fortitude and indulge your passion for discovery. Powered by:
