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Backpacker's editors and testers have best testing the best gear on the market for decades—and these are our all-time faves.

No one likes having to jump through a bunch of hoops just to hike a popular trail or visit a national park. But with more and more areas reaching their carrying capacity, it’s time to consider our options.

Located off the coast of the Everglades, the Sandfly Island Loop is an intro to sea kayaking that even beginners can do.

The frameless Mustang Survival Highwater 22L is the best of frameless backpacks and drybags in one slick package.

They’re big, scaly, and have a massive set of jaws. But as long as they take a few easy precautions, hikers and kayakers can coexist peacefully with gators.

Want a national park to visit while the weather is yucky everywhere else? This is your place. Download this playlist for maximum vibes.

A new agreement between the federal government and the New Mexico State Land Office will make it easier for hikers to travel the southernmost section of the CDT.

From a gadget that’s a fork on one end and a spoon on the other to a titanium utensil that will survive the apocalypse, there are dozens of different sporks on the market. But which is the best?

Explore mossy gorge trails, ancient sandstone caves, and morel-filled forests in this unexpected hiking paradise.

A double helicopter rescue on Telescope Peak and a lost hiker on Wildrose illustrate that winter can be as hazardous as summer in this legendarily broiling park.

Nothing says “I love you” like charcuterie and mountain views.

Pushing your limits will yield more views, better fitness, confidence, and, perhaps, perspective.

Getting lost on the trail after dark is a nuisance. As two dayhikers in Big Sur discovered this month, doing it without a headlamp can become an emergency.

During 2019’s superbloom, visitors to Walker Canyon near Lake Elsinore behaved so badly that city officials decided to completely shut down hiking trails rather than risk a repeat.

Why even bag it if you’re not going to carry it out?

Data of Sasquatch sightings in a new preprint finds a strong correlation with bear population density

Want to really impress your hiking partners? Drop a few of these terms around the campfire.

Just as cozy with remarkable technology? Consider me a convert.

Last January, Carl Stanfield set out to break the world record for the most miles ever hiked in a year. In failing, he found his temporary limit—and, he hopes, a renewed version of himself.

With record low temperatures, unbelievably strong winds, and unusual weather patterns likely to drop the stratosphere to the level of the summit, it's a bad weekend to climb Mt. Washington.

For years, our editor thought toe socks looked dumb and were useless on the trail. After spending a winter testing them out, he's ready to admit that he was wrong about at least one of those things.

With trail use booming, burying your toilet paper just doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s time to get over the ick and start carrying it out, says our writer—or ditch it altogether.

We're taught from a young age to fight our fears. But in the outdoors, sometimes the smart thing to do is to respect them instead.

The national park has announced it will bring back its ticketing program for Old Rag this year.

The government reinstated Obama-era protections near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

New Hampshire is one of the only states in the nation that regularly makes hikers it deems negligent pay for their own rescue. Now, legislators are considering suspending their driver's licenses if they don't pay. It's a dangerous policy, our editor says.

Down booties, gossamer-thin wind jackets, and struggle-free snowshoes: Here’s what our editors brought with them on their winter adventures.

Faced with risk and loss in the mountains, our writer grapples with what it means to lead a life well-lived.

Hint: He never stopped hiking.

Hikers who had their trips canceled by Covid closures will get first crack at a new date—though others may be able to score a cancellation.

Get ready to get fed on winter adventures with these cold-weather cooking tips.

From curries to seafood soup, these gourmet meals will warm you to your core.

Yes, really. Taking your cat hiking is easier than you think. Just follow these trail-tested tips.

You don’t need to be fluent in hiker lingo to hit the trail—but it does help to understand guidebooks, trip reports, and your fellow trekkers around camp.

From powdered eggs to fresh apples to entire sausages, here’s the chow that keeps us going.

Why people keep running into trouble on the highest peak in Los Angeles County

Should the Yonder replace your Nalgene?

Washington's Hoh Rainforest is one of the few remaining landscapes in the world that's free of human noise—if you don't count the Navy jets tearing above it, that is. Hiker and veteran Chris Marvin goes on a pilgrimage in search of silence.

This is the best way to view the North Cascades.

“Conditions are amazing right now,” says Cory Goehring, lead naturalist for the Yosemite Conservancy, the park’s nonprofit partner. “Yosemite has transformed into a winter wonderland.”

You hike year-round. Why can't your dog? Make sure they're dressed, fed, and prepared for the weather, and your best friend can enjoy the snow by your side.

Dartmoor National Park was the only place in England or Wales where hikers could camp freely without landowner permission. A lawsuit just changed that.

These ten routes will show you that nature never stops bustling, no matter how much snow is on the trail.

Dry out your sleeping bag so it will keep you warmer longer.

Going minimalist can heighten anxieties about staying safe in the backcountry. Here’s how to let some of them go.

Some of our favorite gear is garbage. And that's why we love it so much.

Bro, I'm straight up not having a good time.

But there’s still hope it will reopen sooner.

Regular hiking trips are the key to contentment, as one outdoor journalist discovers on a trip in his backyard.

How one hiking photographer got the perfect shot in Florida's Gulf Islands.

After fatal accidents on the trail, there are always a handful of hikers ready to tear apart the victims' choices—or even suggest they deserved their fate. What would it take to get us to choose compassion?

There were only 22 deaths in the park between 2007 and 2018.

With the snowpack double the average so far, thru-hikers could face tougher travel in the mountains and more dangerous river crossings this year.

There's no "wrong" way to hike, and this year, we're proving it.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area Closes at least seven sites, while Redwood National Park shuts down and Yosemite braces for a blizzard that could drop four feet in the high country

James Alan Cattley was reported missing on December 12, but may have disappeared months earlier.

More people are going ultralight than ever before—and there's more gear out there for them, too. Three ultralight gear pros take the temperature of the rapidly growing category.

Guidebook author Tami Asars hikes to write about it. Here's what she can teach us about hiking with intention, detail, and purpose.

A pair of hikers had to spend the night on a mountain when their rescue helicopter wasn't able to return for them.

Getting injured isn’t the end of the world (we promise). Here’s how to keep from spiraling.

New year, new adventures: Add these long trails and dayhikes to your 2023 bucket list.

Senate Bill 168 gave SAR volunteers legal immunity and—hopefully—the money they need to keep hikers, climbers, and paddlers safe.

A slow walk through the woods has psychological and physiological benefits—and it could teach you a few things about hiking, too.

Big adventures don’t need big price tags.

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.

Long-distance hikers love to reach towns and binge. I temporarily gave up the cycle, and maybe it changed my life.

For new year trail inspiration, we turned to some of the most adventurous hikers we know.

Wintry parking lots and cumbersome ski gear have finally met their match

Pocket-laden shorts, an old Timex watch, and a half of a Gatorade bottle were his keys to success.

From what to buy to what to leave behind, our ultralight columnist offered up essential advice this year.

Washing your face or bowl with Dr. Bronner's? Sure. Using it to cure congestion? Maybe. Using it as toothpaste? Hmm.

Which down alternative does the best job of keeping you warm without weighing you down?

The backpacking community is a tenacious one. From alligator attacks to danger in the national parks, these 7 stories made our hair stand on end—and taught us a few things about how to stay alive when things go south outdoors.

Take a walk in another hiker’s boots in these insightful pieces.

Cautionary tales from the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society

Which of these popular aprés accessories burns brighter?

This bruin’s journey across four states is a reminder that hikers and campers should be extra careful with food and trash