Outdoor Retailer Roundup: Three-Season Hiking From The Inside Out
Staying cool, smelling fresh, packing light, and looking good come together in this Summer OR hiking ensemble assembled by our Reader Reporter.
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Outdoor Retailer Roundup: Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) 101
Our Reader Reporter checks out all the basic gear you need to get started with the hot new sport of stand-up paddleboarding, including socks, a board, and a paddle.
Outdoor Retailer Roundup: Paddlesport Goodies
Our Reader Reporter made a splash with the paddling and watersport accessories she found at Demo Day, including a paddle, a rain-proof pack, and an accessory to make your paddleboarding a breeze.
Outdoor Retailer Roundup: Ski Boards and Knives, oh my!
Our Reader Reporter finds herself on the cutting edge of a new sport, and then finds a literal cutting edge.
Outdoor Retailer Roundup: Fired up
It's demo day! From gadgets that charge your phone while you cook to sandals that move with your toes, see what our Reader Reporter scouted out at Jordanelle State Park.
Heroes: Margaret Fuller, 77
This trailblazing granny wrote the book on Idaho trails–and still hikes daily.
Survive an Animal Attack
Don’t be prey. Learn where you’re likely to encounter North America’s deadliest predators.
Survival Lab: Emergency Water
Without a drink, a hiker can die in as little as a day. We tested three techniques for conjuring H20 out of thin air. Plus: 5 easy ways to stay hydrated in hot climates.
Troubleshoot This: Burned by Boiling Water
Check out Kristy Holland's author page.
Out Alive: Hammered by Falling Rocks
After an off-trail slide tosses two hikers down a slope, they’re trapped by their injuries.
Gear: Car Camping
Ultra Luxe Load the trunk this Labor Day with weight-is-no-object comfort gear.
Gear Review: Kelty LumaSpot Lantern
Check out Tracy Ross and Rachel Zurer's author page.
Gear Review: REI Camp Kitchen
Check out Tracy Ross and Rachel Zurer's author page.
Gear Review: Eureka Curvy Low Rider Chair
Check out Tracy Ross and Rachel Zurer's author page.
Gear Review: Sierra Designs Yahi 4
A car camping tent that's spacious, but easy to set up and carry.
Gear Review: Primus FireHole 300
A souped up camp kitchen
Gear Review: Brunton Resync
A wallet-size battery pack
Gear Review: MontBell Highland
A warm, packable down sweater at an affordable price.
Gear Review: Boreas Lagunitas
A dayhike/bike/travel/commute pack
Gear Review: Scarpa Tech Ascent
The ultimate boot for the long approaches and class 3+ scrambles.
Gear Review: Hilleberg Anjan 3
An alpine tent that's light, compact, and brawny enough for storms.
Gear Review: Sweet Dreams
Boost comfort and convenience–and your zzzz’s–with these three sleeping accessories.
Gear Review: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xtherm
A sleeping pad that's light enough for summer yet warm enough for winter.
Gear Review: Slumberjack Lone Pine 20
A $90 starter sleeping bag.
Gear Review: Western Mountaineering Alder 25
A lofty, hoodless, semi-rectangular down bag.
Gear Review: L.L.Bean Katahdin PrimaLoft Synergy 20
A synthetic sleeping bag with warm, generous cut.
Gear Review: Columbia Reactor 25
A synthetic bag with a Omni-Heat liner.
Gear Review: Feathered Friends Osprey 30
A pricey, but super light, sleeping bag
Gear Review: First Ascent Karakoram 20
Check out Will Rochfort's author page.
Field Test: Three-Season Sleeping Bags
Upgrade your bed: No matter what your budget or performance preferences, our testers found the perfect bag for all your spring-through-fall trips
The Long Way Home
When Karl Bushby set out to hike 36,000 miles across four continents, he vowed he would only return to his native England on foot. Which could be a real problem if he ever wants to get there.
Trail Mix: West
Your region's go-now guide
From the Field: West
Our trail scouts' top local hikes
Rip & Go: Heather & Maple Pass Loop, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WA
Orbit an alpine lake on the edge of North Cascades National Park.
Top 3: Wine Country Hikes
Raise a glass to the fall colors and comfortable weather of harvest season.
Life List: Walking Safari, Kruger NP, South Africa
Trek among giraffes, rhinos, lions, and elephants in one of the world's premier wildlife parks.
Survival Lab: Set up a Transpiration Bag
If you don't have any water, you may need to wring it out of the land around you. Find out how as Ted teaches you how to use a transpiration bag. If you don't have any water, you may need to wring it out of the land around you. Find out how as Ted teaches you how to use a transpiration bag.
Survival Lab: Build a Backcountry Solar Still
Have a puddle of putrid water--or nothing to drink besides your own pee? Drop Dead Ted shows you how to build a backcountry solar still that'll make pure water out of just about anything wet.
Survival Lab: Harvest Dew
Drop Dead Ted's demonstration and tips for collecting water from moisture-covered leaves and grass.
Going, Going…Gone?
Wolf howls have echoed across Isle Royale National Park for decades. But with the once-widespread predators down to a single pack, the time to go hear--and maybe spot--them is now.
Mountain Map: New Mexico – Sandia Mountains
Explore Albuquerque's backyard mountain range.
Best Day: Horseshoe Canyon
Wind through an isolated gorge with ancient art.
Best Weekend: Taylor Canyon to Upheaval Canyon
Circle through giant gorges and sleep at a riverfront campsite.
Best Week: Chesler Park to Salt Creek Canyon
Hit up the park's highlights--slickrock scrambles, mesa-top views, and hoodoo-dotted canyons--on this seven-day trek.
Grand to Grand Ultra – Win a free race entry!
Grand to Grand Ultra is a 160-mile stage race from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim to the highest point in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument--and we have a free race entry to give away!
From The Field: East
Our trail scouts' top local hikes
From The Field: Central
Our trail scouts' top local hikes
From The Field: West
Our trail scouts' top local hikes
Canyonlands Adventure Guide (2012 National Parks Series: Part 4 of 6)
Our field scouts scrambled up airy ledges, trekked to giant arches, and dropped into deep gorges to bring you the best dozen trips in this slickrock paradise.
September 2012 Table of Contents
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Summit Fever: The Sierra Challenge
When 37 hardcore hikers set out to scale 10 of the Sierra's highest and remotest peaks in a single Herculean, 10-day, 154-mile push, it will be an all-pain, 54,000 feet of gain kind of adventure.
Help with Hotspots!
Is there anything I can do to ease the pain of a hot spot?
Trail Mix: Central
Your region's go-now guide.
Meet the Gear Testers: Kristin Hostetter
BACKPACKER's fearless gear editor since 1994, few (if any) know outdoor gear like Kristin Hostetter.
Trail Mix: East
Your region's go-now guide.
Trail Mix: West
Your region's go-now guide.
Packing Prudently
That’s a tough, but not impossible, task, Theo. Generally speaking, I’d consider 35 liters to be more of a day- or day-and-a-half pack at most, not a multiday pack.
Get Live Updates From Outdoor Retailer!
Get live updates on the latest and great gear starting on January 22, 2013.
2012 Winners of the Gear Tester Contest
BACKPACKER announces the winners of the Summer 2012 Gear Tester Contest
Buying the Right Kind of Canister.
I am getting ready to buy a lightweight canister stove. Is there a guide for which stoves use which fuel bottles?
Grand Ambitions
BACKPACKER editors start training for the 160-mile Grand-to-Grand Ultra, the first backpacking stage race in North America.
Campground Grillin'
When you're camping close to the car, there's no need for freeze-dried. Feast like royalty at your next frontcountry campout with these nine field-tested grilling products designed for the outdoor gourmand.
High Country Fly Fishing Gear
If you're hiking deep into the mountains where lakes abound, you're missing the boat if you don't catch your supper. Here are seven items that perform and pack well for excellent backcountry fly fishing..
Test Kitchen: Sausage Recipes
Camp-friendly salami, summer sausage, and jerky recipes
Survival Lab: Signaling Devices Roundup
Drop Dead Ted explains the basics of rescue signaling and picks his favorite survival whistle from his testing lineup.
Survival Lab: Use a Signaling Mirror
Backpacker's survivalist everyman, Drop Dead Ted, explains how to aim and signal for help with a reflective mirror.
Use Your Camera to Paint With Light
Watch night-sky photographer Ben Canales explain how to use light to make more dynamic photos.
Create an On-the-Go Blister Cure
When stiff heavyweight hiking boots or ski boots give you painful heel blisters, moleskin just isn't thick enough to relieve the pressure. MacGyver your way to relief with this clever remedy.
How (And How Often) Our Editor Cleans Her Hiking Boots
Is there any special way I should wash my boots or can I just treat them like any other shoe?
Ultimate Mess Kit
A half-dozen items made to enhance your backcountry dining experience.
Top 3: Beach Campsites
Fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves in these remote sandy spots—no boardwalks allowed.
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.
Life List: Buckskin Gulch, Utah/Arizona
Yes, all wilderness is sacred. But this mystically beautiful slot canyon is holier than most.
60 BACKPACKER Readers to Climb Mt. Whitney
Bookmark this page for ongoing updates about our 2013 expedition benefiting at-risk urban teens.
Survival Lab: Vital Signs
When you’re lost or injured, you need a foolproof way to get your rescuers’ attention. Ted’s testing team tried more than 25 devices—here are their ratings of 9 top tools.
Troubleshoot This: Stalked by a Cougar
Cougar attacks are vanishingly rare, but that doesn't mean they never happen.
Out Alive: Trapped by Rising Water
Five hikers fight a raging river before attempting a dangerous bushwhack to safety.
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.
Heroes: Rue Mapp, 40
This culture activist is bringing diversity to the outdoors.
Make a custom map for your next adventure
We've partnered with myTopo to bring you the best in maps for your backcountry pursuits.