| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Master the Steeps
You love mountains, but your legs don't. Here's how to fix four common problems caused by high-angle hiking.
The Manual: How to Shoot Wildlife Photography
Find and frame animals perfectly with this wildlife photography primer.
Build a Thru-Hiker Body at Home
Here's what 2,000-plus miles does to your system–and how to get the same results at home.
Trail Chef: Backcountry Tiramisu!
You heard us right: Wow your campmates with this classic gourmet dessert made right outside your tent.
Trail Chef: How To Cook Pancakes...With Beer!
Our Trail Chef shows you how to make no-mess backcountry pancakes using–you heard us right–beer.
Trail Chef: How To Cook A Fish...On A Rock!
If you've caught a fish in the backcountry but forgot the pan, don't despair: Trail Chef shows you how to improvise a skillet with a rock. Also, learn Trail Chef's Spicy Southwest Marinade--perfect for any food with fins.
Any Tips for Dealing with Calluses?
After long, multiday trips, I get calluses on the bottoms of my feet. Lately they have been very painful. I've had this problem before and the pain went away after a two-day rest--but it's not going away now. Can you help?
Will Vinegar Purify Water?
I've heard that bleach and iodine tablets are only good for water purification for six months. What about white vinegar? Will it purify water?
Burning Soles But No Blisters
I have a burning sensation in the soles of my feet when I am long-distance hiking, but no blisters. Do you have a solution?
THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE
Food & Nutrition
Dirtbag/Gourmet: Camp Potatoes Recipes
Transform boring old instant potatoes into spicy, hearty meals.
BACKPACKER Trail Chef Video Center
From beer pancakes to on-the-go tiramisu, our resident Trail Chef will have your mouth watering in no time.Health & First Aid
BACKPACKER First Aid Center
From splinting a broken leg to duct taping a bloody wound, the BACKPACKER First Aid Center is an invaluable resource for backcountry first aid.
Which Water Treatment is for You?
Fast, hassle-free, ultralight,–we explore five different water treatment scenarios and the right system to use.Survival
Yellowstone Rescue Dogs: Could This Dog Save Your Life?
Kristin Bjornsen hikes into the Sierras to meet Gus, a new breed of highly trained rescue professional that's already patrolling Yosemite for lost and injured backpackers.
Save Your Life With a Cell Phone
Don't leave it in the car–mobile phones are the latest essential rescue gear.Fitness
Master the Steeps
You love mountains, but your legs don't. Here's how to fix four common problems caused by high-angle hiking.
Build a Thru-Hiker Body at Home
Here's what 2,000-plus miles does to your system–and how to get the same results at home.Navigation
Plot an Off-Trail Route
Try these 10 tips for cross-country travel.
How to Do Everything - Hiking
From navigation to staying dry to predicting the weather, our primer will have you dialed.General Skills
The Manual: How to Shoot Wildlife Photography
Find and frame animals perfectly with this wildlife photography primer.
Stay Comfortable in Any Weather
Sunny and 70 is nice, but makes for a mighty short hiking season. Hit the trail all year long by learning how to thrive–not just survive–in wet, cold, hot, and windy conditions. Here are 115 guide-approved tips.
Dirtbag/Gourmet: Camp Potatoes Recipes
Transform boring old instant potatoes into spicy, hearty meals.
BACKPACKER Trail Chef Video Center
From beer pancakes to on-the-go tiramisu, our resident Trail Chef will have your mouth watering in no time.
Camp Cooking Tips and Tricks
We'll show you how to be the ultimate trail chef in no time with these tips.
Gear: Backcountry Cookware
Just because you're in the backcountry doesn't mean you don't need cookware. Here, some essentials to make you king of trail kitchen.
Drinks For the Trail
From cocktails to coffee, these recipes and tips will keep you quaffed no matter what.
Snacks for the Trail
Need to recharge with something tasty? These savory snacks will do just that.
Dessert Recipes for the Trail
Finish your meal off right with these treats for the trail.
Dinner Recipes for the Trail
Whip up a four start meal with these trail side recipes.
Breakfast Recipes
Start the day right with these out-of-the-ordinary breakfast treats.
Recipes: Perfect Pancakes
Batter up for these trail-ready pancakes.
BACKPACKER First Aid Center
From splinting a broken leg to duct taping a bloody wound, the BACKPACKER First Aid Center is an invaluable resource for backcountry first aid.
Which Water Treatment is for You?
Fast, hassle-free, ultralight,–we explore five different water treatment scenarios and the right system to use.
Sleep Better Now: Improve Your Backcountry ZZZ's
Our restless guinea pig snooze-tested the latest science and gear to bring you a simple plan that's guaranteed to improve your backcountry ZZZ's.
Backcountry Tooth Care
Treat dental problems–from minor to major–with these tips.
Survive This: Frostbitten Feet
Frostbite is bad news. Learn how to safely treat frozen feet.
How to Do Everything - First Aid & Health
Close a wound, remove a tick, prevent poison ivy rash, and more essential tips.
The Cure: First Aid For Fido
Dogs can get hurt on the trail just like you. Here's how to treat 5 common problems.
Keep Your Feet Happy
Long-distance runner Russell Secker feels your foot pain–and he knows how to get rid of it.
How to Prevent Blisters
Sweaty feet, thick socks, and sturdy boots are a blister cauldron. Learn four easy ways to keep your feel clean, dry, and blister free.Health News: Breathe Easy
What to know about hiking with asthma
Yellowstone Rescue Dogs: Could This Dog Save Your Life?
Kristin Bjornsen hikes into the Sierras to meet Gus, a new breed of highly trained rescue professional that's already patrolling Yosemite for lost and injured backpackers.
Save Your Life With a Cell Phone
Don't leave it in the car–mobile phones are the latest essential rescue gear.
Life-or-Death Decisions
Survival depends on more than dumb luck–to live to see another day, you must correctly navigate a tricky series of choices. Here's how to do it when the consequences couldn't be higher.
When Disaster Strikes! 5 True Survival Stories
Read these real-life tales from five survivors who made it out alive, and learn what they did wrong–and right.
Man Versus Rock
A staged photo op in the Tetons results in a near-crushing.
Fighting Death on Mt. Foraker
Stunned by the loss of his friends, a stranded climber struggles down one of Alaska's toughest peaks.
Never Fear: How to Beat Backcountry Phobias
Don't let groundless phobias ruin–or even prevent–your backcountry adventures. Here's a foolproof plan for overcoming your terrors.
Master the Steeps
You love mountains, but your legs don't. Here's how to fix four common problems caused by high-angle hiking.
Build a Thru-Hiker Body at Home
Here's what 2,000-plus miles does to your system–and how to get the same results at home.
Hike Forever: Ultimate Hiking Workouts
The secret to long-term health and fitness? Reap backpacking's many benefits–a strong heart, lean muscle, superior endurance–through every stage of your life. Here's how.
The Winter Workout
Follow this winter workout and conquer the steeps come spring.
Custom Training: Exercises for Every Body Type
Get stronger and hike longer with a workout that matches your physique.
Flex Time: Trail-Specific Stretches
Yosemite National Park wilderness ranger Mark Fincher shares his secrets for staying fit and healthy
No-Excuses Fitness Training Tips
Having trouble getting motivated? These soldiers toughen you up with their custom can't-quit tips.
Tune Up: Improve Your Balance
Gymnasts can land backflips on balance beams four inches wide. Their secret: training barefoot.
Climb Higher
With the right preparation–and a little help from a half-dozen friends, two exotic techno-gadgets, and one very sweaty hypoxic chamber–can a sea-level-dwelling rookie climb the highest peak in Colorado?
Train Smarter
Get trail-fit in six weeks with this simple exercise plan.
Plot an Off-Trail Route
Try these 10 tips for cross-country travel.
How to Do Everything - Hiking
From navigation to staying dry to predicting the weather, our primer will have you dialed.
How to Navigate in the Snow
Solve winter routefinding challenges with these expert tips.
Next Level: Navigate Cross Country
3 key skills for getting off the trail without getting off course
How to Choose a Campsite
A NOLS veteran offers tips on balancing comfort, safety, and Leave No Trace principles.
GPS 201: Using Advanced Navigational Tools
Don't be daunted by a thick owner's manual. Unlocking your unit's advanced navigational tools is easier than you think.Reading Topo Maps: Understanding Map Symbols and Colors
Dotted, dashed, and curvy. Red, blue, and brown. All these colors and styles criss-cross a topo map. Learn what they mean.Learn How to Stay On Course
By understanding your terrain, knowing your pace, and reading the map regularly you can stay on course wherever you are.Navigation 101: Understanding Your Compass
If you don't know what triangulation is, read this article.Reading Topo Maps: Understanding Contour Lines
Topo maps just look like a children's drawing if you don't know what contour lines are.
The Manual: How to Shoot Wildlife Photography
Find and frame animals perfectly with this wildlife photography primer.
Stay Comfortable in Any Weather
Sunny and 70 is nice, but makes for a mighty short hiking season. Hit the trail all year long by learning how to thrive–not just survive–in wet, cold, hot, and windy conditions. Here are 115 guide-approved tips.
Fall Foliage Photo Special
Learn how to take the perfect fall foliage photo with our tutorials and slideshows.
Scary Hikes and Trails: the Reading List
With these books on haunted trails and creepy creatures, you'll be ready for a spooky hike in no time.
How to Start a Fire With Fungus
Chaga, or "tinder fungus" and other natural firestarters abound in the backcountry–you just have to know where to look for them.
The Manual: How to Explore a Slot Canyon
Explore these redrock mysteries safely with expert tips on gear and technique.
Ultralight Done Right
Want to hike farther with less effort this summer? It's easy–just cut your pack weight in half with our foolproof 33-tip plan.
The Boy Scout Quiz
Could you earn a merit badge in wilderness travel? Better ace this test, taken straight from the Scouts' own backpacking manual.
Are You Smarter Than a Boy Scout?
Scoutmasters wrote the book on camping, and built an army of pack-toting teens. But do the troops truly rule when it comes to outdoor skills? We pitted three Scouts against three average readers to find out.
How to Do Everything - Hiking
From navigation to staying dry to predicting the weather, our primer will have you dialed.
Tools & Experts
Gear Chick
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
Backpacking 101
Trip-planning tips, gear lists, safety advice, and other essential wisdom every hiker ought to know.
Get Started
Survival 101
With 12 instructional videos, blogs, and an archive of essential knowledge, you'll get top-notch guidance from the pros who know.
Learn to Survive
Medicine Man
Our wilderness medicine guru talks first-aid, health, and emergency management.
Get Schooled
Survival Blog
Go deep into the backcountry with Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe and get an unfiltered dose of all things survival.
Are you tough enough?
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
Trail Chef: Backcountry Tiramisu!
You heard us right: Wow your campmates with this classic gourmet dessert made right outside your tent.
Trail Chef: How To Cook Pancakes...With Beer!
Our Trail Chef shows you how to make no-mess backcountry pancakes using–you heard us right–beer.
Trail Chef: How To Cook A Fish...On A Rock!
If you've caught a fish in the backcountry but forgot the pan, don't despair: Trail Chef shows you how to improvise a skillet with a rock. Also, learn Trail Chef's Spicy Southwest Marinade--perfect for any food with fins.
Find the Outdoor Equipment You Need
TIP 13: Train Heavy
Wearing a weighted pack on your training hikes burns more fat and builds stamina.
BACKPACKER Food & Recipe Center
The ultimate trail-ready archive 
for all your recipe needs.
GearFinder
Find all the outdoor equipment you need. 
Fix-It Center
Make your gear last forever 
with this ultimate DIY guide.
Backpacker's Gadget Guide 2009
The latest gadgets for technophobes, technogeeks,
and everyone in between.
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