Gear Review: Sherpa Thamel Hard Shell Jacket
Light on the wallet and on the back...and perfect for hunting salamanders.
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Backcountry Ski Packs
I am looking for a hydration pack for day ski trips this winter–need to attach skis, shovel, probe, food, and a few pieces of clothes.
Gear Review: Aerobed Pakmat Camping Air Mattress
If you're going to sleep in the frontcountry, you might as well spoil yourself.
Prof. Hike: The 10 (Un)Essentials
Gear, gizmos, and doodads you never should buy
Everest Gets 3G Cell Phone Service
Private company installs eight cell towers on Nepal side of Everest.
Ask A Bear: Will A Flashlight Make You Mad?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Fall/Winter Gear Guide: Best Winter Trips
We traveled to Fjordland and discovered that nothing compares to skiing glacier-clad mountains above deep-water fjords. Plus: 20 winter adventures, from California to New York.
Top 25 Winter Trips: United States
Find the best skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and winter camping trips in the U.S.
Cure For the November Hiking Blues
Northwest editor Michael Lanza drops beta on his favorite fall trips
Fall Gear Guide: Norway Gear Test
Follow the editors as they test gear on Norway's Folgefonna Glacier.
Best Winter Trips: 10th Mountain Division Huts, Colorado
Get backcountry spoils--snorkel-deep pow on remote Rockies peaks--with frontcountry comforts (warm fire and hot toddies, anyone?) in this famed hut system. More than 350 miles of trails wind through prime winter terrain, connecting the 31 full-service cabins.
Best Winter Trips: White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Few places serve up fierce, unpredictable winter weather quite like Mt. Washington, the 6,288-foot capstone of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Battle hurricane-force winds--and 20-plus feet of annual snowfall--while tackling the East's best mountaineering, or choose from hundreds of miles of snowy trails for a lower elevation romp.
Gear Review: Zerogoo Fuel Injector System
A gel/water system for those hard efforts when stopping and refueling isn't an option.
Best Winter Trips: Teton Range, Wyoming
Towering 7,000-plus feet above Jackson Hole, the Tetons wrest more than 30 feet of snow from passing storms and pile it thick on road-accessible slopes.
Sponsored By REI: Merrell Capra Glacial Ice
Check out jsrashkin's author page.
Sponsored By REI: Vasque Breeze 3.0 GTX Mid
Check out jsrashkin's author page.
DIY Pack Upgrade
I am considering retro-fitting my old Kelty external frame backpack with new shoulder straps. Should I also replace the hipbelt?
Best Winter Trips: Mt. Rainer National Park, Washington
The granddaddy of the Cascades looms above Seattle like a great white beacon for snow junkies. The mountain's 25 major glaciers hold enough ice to bury Manhattan 150 feet deep, and some of the planet's highest recorded snowfalls guarantee powder for all. Paradise, the park's winter epicenter, has year-round road access.
Norway: Tested
Traverse a Glacier: On Norway's west coast, ancient ice scapes offer an otherworldly adventure.
Trail Chef: Backcountry Birthdays
Toasting to the day of your birth in the backcountry isn't complete without a proper dessert. Or three.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: REI Sahara T-Shirt
Made from 50% recycled polyester (and 50% virgin poly) the Sahara has a relaxed fit, a soft cottony feel, and no-fuss styling.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Tubbs Xplore Snowshoe Kit
Anyone on your holiday lineup looking to launch into snowshoeing? Tubbs has packaged up three essentials into this smart, well-priced starter kit.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: REI Flash 65 Backpack
Whether your loved one is into fast-and-light weekend trips, long-and-overloaded weeks, or a combination of the two, this pack is up for the job.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: GoPro HD Hero 960 Video Camera
Got a budding videographer on your list? Check out this wearable pocket-size HD video camera.
Holiday GIft Guide 2010: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent
An ultralight, two-person tent that's livable.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Arc'Teryx Alpha SV Glove
If you're looking for the ultimate splurge gift for your skier, ice climber, or mountaineer, you can't go wrong with this glove.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover
A perennial favorite of BACKPACKER editors, the Nano Puff is a no-brainer layer that your gift-ee will use 12 months a year.
Gear Review: Motorola Talkabout Radios MR350R
An off-beat gift that will please any family that hikes, bikes, or skis together.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Marmot Aegis Jacket
This 14-ounce shell is equally at home on the trail or around town, thanks to its reliable weatherproofing, performance features, and plush niceties.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Kelty Cosmic Down 20° Sleeping Bag
Want to fly business class on a coach fare? Gift the Cosmic.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Jetboil GreenKit with Flash and CrunchIt
Update the kitchen of your favorite backpacker with this all-in-one set that cranks out hot drinks faster than a Starbucks barista.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Victorinox Flash 2GB Ruby
We can't think of anyone who wouldn't love this James Bonds-ian little gizmo.
Backcountry Birthdays!
Toasting to the day of your birth in the backcountry isn't complete without a proper dessert. Or three.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Solar Sleeping Pad
Give the gift of good sleep to your winter camper or mountaineer.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: The North Face E-Tip Glove
Here is a lightweight glove ideal for 3-season hikers, cross-country skiers, cold-weather cyclists, or runners who want to stay connected to their gadgets.
Winter Camping Skills: Bring the Right Cooking Gear
Don't forget these essentials when you're headed into the cold.
Winter Camping Skills: Plan Your Menu
Use these tips to plan perfect winter camping meals.
Winter Camping Skills: Melt Water
There are two basic ways of melting water: passive and active.
Winter Camping Skills: Build a Camp Kitchen
Site your stove a few steps from your tent, so you can conveniently melt snow or brew drinks. If you're camping in the same spot for several days (and in deep snow), dig out a snow kitchen.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Mammut TR1+Ambient Light Set
All backpackers carry a headlamp in their pack, but many often hesitate to carry a mini-lantern–this smart two-fer solves the problem.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: I/O BIO Contact 1 Boy Short and Top
Active ladies need active undies, and this ensemble fits the bill and still looks cute.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: The StickPic
For the photo-happy folks on your gift list, the StickPic is the ultimate stocking stuffer.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010: Navigation Devices
Stay on track with the best GPS units. Plus, awesome navigation apps.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: MiiR 600ml Water Bottle
These days, water bottles are all the rage. Our office has literally been inundated them, and this stainless steel bottle has risen to the top for several reasons.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Fozzils Solo Pack
A fun and functional four-piece kitchen set that includes everything you need to dine in ultralight style.
3 Top Navigation Apps
Stay on track with these three navigation and hiking apps.
Hike New York’s Northville Placid Trail, 130 Miles Through The Adirondacks
Explore the Adirondack's valleys along New York's Northville Placid Trail, the most historic long-distance trail you've never heard of.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010: Ski Gear
Find your perfect A.T., tele, or Nordic setup.
Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Bison Tap Cap Belt
Drop one of these utilitarian, yet cool-looking, belts into any guy's stocking and he will love it.
Best Hikes Ever: Willow Gulch, UT
Explore resurrected sandstone slots.
Best Hikes Ever: Olympic Traverse, WA
Go from rainforest to glaciers.
Best Hikes Ever: Redwood Creek Trail, CA
Feeling small among the world's tallest trees.
Wyoming Hikes
Go high and wide in Wyoming's untamed range.
Best Hikes Ever: Boundary Waters, MN
Immerse yourself in Minnesota's liquid wilderness.
Long Trail Hikes
Traverse the first long trail in Vermont.
Best Hikes Ever: Sabino Canyon Trail, AZ
Hike to a natural day spa.
Best Hikes Ever: Four Pass Loop, CO
See some of the Rockies' most iconic mountains.
Best Hikes Ever: Bucking Mule Falls Trail, WY
Watch a waterfall cascade from the sky.
Best Hikes Ever: Southern Traverse, AK
Tackle an epic adventure in the far north.
Best Hikes Ever: Wonderland Trail, WA
Circumnavigate the West's most majestic mountain.
Best Hikes Ever: North Vista Trail, CO
Aim upward for majestic views over an ancient canyon.
Best Hikes Ever: Ben Avery Trail, AZ
Trek a desert landscape under a purple sun.
Best Hikes Ever: Gospel Hump Loop Trail, ID
Find private valleys, mountain passes, and riverside campsites.
Best Hikes Ever: Duffer Peak Trail, NV
Ascend a remote summit pyramid far away from civilization.
Best Hikes Ever: Jenkins Mountain Trail, NY
Skirt lakes to soaring Daks views.
Best Hikes Ever: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, AK
Find deep solitude where the continent crashes into a frigid ocean.
Best Hikes Ever: Falls Hollow Trail, VA
Hike through waterfall spray to a rarely summited grassy bald.
Best Hikes Ever: Chupadera Mountain Trail, NM
Rise from the desert floor to an airy, see-all perch.
Oprah Goes To Yosemite
The Queen of All Media dips a toe in camping to get more people of color out to national parks
The Best of BACKPACKER – November 2010 Table of Contents
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Prof Hike: Where the Wild Things Are (and Aren't)
Why you don't need to worry about snakes, spiders, and bears...and what you should worry about instead
Rab Neutrino 400
An affordable, high-performance sleeping bag that keeps you warm and dry in the harshest of elements.
Rab Alpine 600
An affordable, high-performance sleeping bag that keeps you warm and dry in the harshest of elements.
Rab Neutrino 600
An affordable, high-performance sleeping bag that keeps you warm and dry in the harshest of elements.
Best. Hikes. Ever.
We've covered 245,591 miles of trails in our 37-year history. Here are our 20 all-time favorite trips, plus—shocking!—20 routes we never covered.
Best Hikes Ever: Grand Island Loop, MI
Hike along bluffs and fern forests in total solitude on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010: Mountaineering Gear
Head high with an axe, crampons, and more.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010: Cameras
Upgrade your outdoor images with a rugged pocket cam, a pro-level DSLR, and more.