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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.
Beginner's Guide to Winter Camping: A Four Part Series
Rocky Mountain Editor and survival blogger Steve Howe dispels gets you out of the house on your first winter camping trip with this four-part how-to guide.
Your Best Advice: Reader Tips
Backpacker readers share their hiking, camping, gear, bear bagging, and firestarting tips.
Backpacking 101: Picking the Right Jacket
Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe helps you pick the right jacket for any weather condition or exertion level.
Dirtbag Camping...Alaska Style!
Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe dispels a few camping myths and drops some dirtbagging tips in this primer.
Mountaineering 101: Putting On Crampons
Live from Alaska's Castner Glacier, Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe shows you the basics for putting on crampons
How Can I Prevent Swelling in My Hands and Feet?
I went to Nepal this year and trekked thru the foothills of the Annapurna. After hitting one of the highest points of the trek, I started swelling in my hands, feet, and face. What exactly can I do to prevent this in the future?
Should I Avoid Certain Trees in a Lightning Storm?
I hike in the Midwest and I was told that in a lightning storm that it's best to stay away from hardwoods like hickory trees and oak trees. Is this true?
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?
THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE
Food & Nutrition
Top Chefs: Reader-Submitted Recipes
We taste-tested a stack of your recipe submissions–everything from pasta to pub food. These four winners emerged as the best of the bunch.
Reader Recipe: Backcountry Thanksgiving
A simple dish from two thru-hikers.Health & First Aid
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual
Treating injuries miles from the ER is an essential skill. But don't pack a medical text: Instead, learn what really matters. Wilderness Medicine Institute cofounder Buck Tilton boils down a lifetime's worth of experience into 62 tips every hiker should know. Read it, save it–and go forth to save lives.
Protect Your Vision in the Backcountry
Here's how to prevent–and treat–three common backcountry eye problems.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
Injury-Proof Your Legs
Loosen up–and stay pain-free–with resistance stretching.
Master the Steeps
You love mountains, but your legs don't. Here's how to fix four common problems caused by high-angle hiking.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
Beginner's Guide to Winter Camping: A Four Part Series
Rocky Mountain Editor and survival blogger Steve Howe dispels gets you out of the house on your first winter camping trip with this four-part how-to guide.
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.
Top Chefs: Reader-Submitted Recipes
We taste-tested a stack of your recipe submissions–everything from pasta to pub food. These four winners emerged as the best of the bunch.
Reader Recipe: Backcountry Thanksgiving
A simple dish from two thru-hikers.
Reader Recipe: Sweeter S'mores
Think the classic campfire treat can't be beat?
Reader Recipe: Queets Valley Shepherd's Pie
Classic, pubworthy flavor for camp.
Reader Recipe: Ravioli au Beurre
Fresh pasta in less than five minutes.
Recipe: Easy Pad Thai
Craving something Asian on your next trek, but don't want to put in a lot of effort? Try this easy Pad Thai.
Dirtbag/Gourmet: Thai Food
Bring takeout to the trail with these flavorful Asian noodle dishes.
Recipe: Spicy Pad Thai with Chicken and Veggies
For authentic takeout on the trail, try this spicy Pad Thai.
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.
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual
Treating injuries miles from the ER is an essential skill. But don't pack a medical text: Instead, learn what really matters. Wilderness Medicine Institute cofounder Buck Tilton boils down a lifetime's worth of experience into 62 tips every hiker should know. Read it, save it–and go forth to save lives.
Protect Your Vision in the Backcountry
Here's how to prevent–and treat–three common backcountry eye problems.
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual: What to Pack
Construct a solid emergency kit with these medical must-haves.
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.
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual: Animal & Insect Bites
Though we love backcountry wildlife (well, mostly), sometimes we get no love back. Read up on what to do when Mother Nature bites.
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.
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.
Injury-Proof Your Legs
Loosen up–and stay pain-free–with resistance stretching.
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
Tune Up: Improve Your Balance
Gymnasts can land backflips on balance beams four inches wide. Their secret: training barefoot.
No-Excuses Fitness Training Tips
Having trouble getting motivated? These soldiers toughen you up with their custom can't-quit tips.
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?
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.
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.
Beginner's Guide to Winter Camping: A Four Part Series
Rocky Mountain Editor and survival blogger Steve Howe dispels gets you out of the house on your first winter camping trip with this four-part how-to guide.
Your Best Advice: Reader Tips
Backpacker readers share their hiking, camping, gear, bear bagging, and firestarting tips.
Winter Camping: Camp & Trail Skills
Learn how to choose between a tent and a snow cave. Plus the best ways to travel in the snow.
Cold Comfort: Winter Camping Guide
No crowds, no bugs: Winter camping holds rewards aplenty– once you master the gear and skills required to thrive in frigid climates.
Winter Camping: Gear & Clothing
Your complete guide to choosing, fitting, and using essential winter gear.
The Basics of Backcountry Ski Touring
See more–and have more fun–this winter with these gear and technique trips.
Winter Camping: Safety & Survival
Assess your winter climbing risks with this handy chart.
The Manual: How to Shoot Wildlife Photography
Find and frame animals perfectly with this wildlife photography primer.
Fall Foliage Photo Special
Learn how to take the perfect fall foliage photo with our tutorials and slideshows.
Tools & Experts
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
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
My Profile
Join Now
Most recent threads
The Political Arena
Lawmaker Calls Hunting, Fishing 'Rights'
Posted On: Feb 09, 2010
Submitted By: Bill NC
Submitted By: Bill NC
Trailhead Register
How's Your Winter Weather Out There?
Posted On: Feb 09, 2010
Submitted By: double cabin
Submitted By: double cabin
MASTER YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERTISE WITH OUR TIPS
Backpacking 101: Picking the Right Jacket
Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe helps you pick the right jacket for any weather condition or exertion level.
Dirtbag Camping...Alaska Style!
Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe dispels a few camping myths and drops some dirtbagging tips in this primer.
Mountaineering 101: Putting On Crampons
Live from Alaska's Castner Glacier, Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe shows you the basics for putting on crampons
Find the Outdoor Equipment You Need
TIP 74: Warm Batteries
Cold air saps battery juice. Keep those AAs warm in your pockets, inside your pack close to your torso, or in your sleeping bag at night.
BACKPACKER Food & Recipe Center
The ultimate trail-ready archive for all your recipe needs.
GearFinder
Find all the outdoor equipment you need. 
Photo & Video Center
Essential gear, instruction, and more.
Backpacker's Gadget Guide 2009
The latest gadgets for technophobes, technogeeks,
and everyone in between.
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