Readers' Choice Mountain West: Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain NP
Get big payoffs on an easy hike.
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Readers' Choice Mountain West: The Colorado Trail
Thru-hike America's highest trail.
Readers' Choice Mountain West: Gunsight Pass, Glacier NP
See the park's famed glaciers from a high mountain pass.
Readers' Choice Midwest Hikes: Nachusa Grasslands, IL
Explore a vast, trail-free prairie.
Readers' Choice Midwest Hikes: Aurora Borealis Isle Royale NP, MI
See the country's best light show.
Readers' Choice Midwest Hikes: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, OK
Bushwhack into what very well might be the quietest spot in America.
Readers' Choice Midwest Hikes: Effigy Mounds National Monument, IA
Climb to views of the mighty Mississippi River.
Readers' Choice Midwest Hikes: Ice Age Trail, WI
Thru-hike one of the country's least-known National Scenic Trails.
Midwest Reader Map Team
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Garden of the Gods Illinois to Lusk Creek Canyon
Hike the River-to-River Trail over rugged ridges, through narrow canyons, and into small caves.
Roll That Beautiful Bear Footage
A film crew relays all the Alaskan bear footage you'll ever need
Funny Video: Return of the Best Backpack Ever!
Hilarious Archwood Flextrek 37 Trillion pack now features 'Clic Method' technology
Some of My Favorite Things
In which I answer a reader question from last week's survey
2010 Reader Test Team
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Green Gear: Mountainsmith Zoom Recycled
it holds your point and shoot and more
Gear Review: Therma-a-Rest Haven Top Bag
With just 700-fill-down, a warmth-trapping hood, a radical, weight-saving design and no zipper-- or pad straps--that's innovation.
Gear Review: Nunatak Arc Specialist Sleeping Bag
Stuffed with 800-plus-fill down, the Arc Specialist is a hoodless, mummy-shaped bag that's warm right down to its 32 F degree rating.
Gear Review: Jacks 'R' Better Stealth Sleeping Bag
Check out 2010 Reader Test Team's author page.
Gear Review: Feathered Friends Merlin Sleeping Bag
Check out 2010 Reader Test Team's author page.
Gear Review: Wild Things Superlight Alpinist Jacket
Forget the frills: This shell provides superior breathability with lightweight, all-season protection
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Gear Review: Leatherman Micra
This tiny multitool packs a big punch.
Gear Review: Aquamira Water Bottle and Filter
Hate hoses? This bottle/filter combo is perfect for ultralighters in wet places
Gear Review: The North Face Paramount Convertible Pants
These tough pants excel (and look snazzy) in all seasons.
Gear Review: High Sierra Summit Backpack
Enjoy features galore without emptying your wallet with this light-duty pack.
Gear Review: Lowe Alpine Tour Attack 40 Backpack
This winter winner performs best on cold-weather hikes, climbs, and ski tours.
Gear Review: ALPS Mountaineering Orizaba Backpack
Obsessive-compulsive packers will appreciate this pack's organization options.
Gear Review: The North Face Ligero 50 Backpack
This comfortable pack offers stability on tough and uneven terrain.
Gear Review: GoLite Lite-Speed Backpack
This best-overall pack's simple design will win over ultralighters and traditional backpackers alike.
Reader Recipe: Cashew Chicken
A spicy Asian dinner with satisfying crunch.
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.
Lunchbox's Disaster Roundup, 01-08
The beloved star of our in-book feature "The Predicament," Lunchbox the Cadaver Sniffing Dog, brings you a round-up of this week's outdoor predicaments, disasters, and near-misses
Backpacker Photo School: Zoom Burst Photography
Have a little fun with your zoom lens using this easy, artsy photo technique.
Reader Recipe: Ravioli au Beurre
Fresh pasta in less than five minutes.
Readers' Best Advice: Our Most Prolific Tipster Ever
Reader Leon Nelson has shared literally hundreds of tips gleaned from his 60-plus years on the trail. Here's a sampling of his best.
Readers' Best Advice: Gear Tips
Check out BACKPACKER readers's author page.
Readers' Best Advice: Better Bear Bagging
Check out Cheryl Knapp's author page.
Trail Chef: Lime-Curry Couscous
A spicy, sweet–and easy!–vegetarian treat
Readers' Best Advice: No-Fail Firestarters
Check out BACKPACKER readers's author page.
Readers' Best Advice: Camping Tips
Check out BACKPACKER readers's author page.
Readers' Best Advice: Hiking Tips
Check out BACKPACKER readers's author page.
Reader Essays: Grandpa's Lesson
William G. Godlove discovers that even a short hike can last forever.
Reader Essays: Wilderness Served
James Dammar dishes up some brotherly love on Isle Royale.

Reader Essays: Great Smokies Solitude
Greg Hoover shares his secrets for finding quiet on the busiest trail in the country's busiest park.
Reader Essays: Timber!
Jon Heaton and his son survive a deadly Yellowstone windstorm.
Reader Essays: If Clark Griswold Went Camping …
The trip would start like this, imagines Wayne Wright.
Reader Essays: Going in Circles
Reece Price finds himself lost and alone in the desert.
Reader Essays: The Ridge of Defeat
Barrie Imhoff tempts fate in Glacier National Park.
Reader Essays: Bullfight!
John Joy goes fist-to-nose with an invasive species.
Reader Essays: My First, Worst Trip
New to hiking? Brian Simpson 
has a foolproof plan for doing it all wrong.
James Franco Is Aron Ralston
'Spider-Man' star will step into Ralston's climbing shoes for Danny Boyle's biopic
Gear Test: Best Staff Gifts!
Our staff picks the best outdoor gifts they gotand a few worth re-gifting
America’s Worst Trail: A Love Story
Is the reward always equal to the effort? Uh...maybe, says this bloodied, bruised, and bandaged reader.
Ask A Bear: How Should I Handle A Mama Black Bear With Cubs?
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Inspirational BACKPACKER Readers
Meet five of BACKPACKER's most inspirational heroes–they're also readers.
January/February 2010 Table of Contents
Check out BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors's author page.
How Can I Warm Up My Feet in My Sleeping Bag?
How do I get rid of cold feet while in my sleeping bag in the middle of the night? The rest of my body is fine but my feet are freezing.
Caption This Photo! Week 12
This wee lad is now a BP editor.
Mystery Photos: An Alaskan Fish Story
Editor in Chief Jonathan Dorn heads deep into the Alaskan backcountry and comes back with the ultimate fish story in this gallery.
Gear Test: Exped Alpine Trekking Poles
Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter reviews the Exped Alpine...from the base of the Eiger.
Exploring Alaska's Castner Glacier
Witness the effects of climate change on this challenging trek in the Delta Mountains.
Hike of the Day: Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland
Escape on a 5-mile loop through Catoctin Mountain Park, where healthy hardwoods, unique fungi, and a host of fauna conceal this area's industrial past.
Dirtbag Camping…Alaska Style!
Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe dispels a few camping myths and drops some dirtbagging tips in this primer.
Mystery, Alaska: A Fish Story
Editor in Chief Jonathan Dorn heads deep into the Alaskan backcountry to fish the most bountiful streams in the world.
Rab Summit Mountain Bivi
Existing model
Rab Summit Superlite Bivi
Existing model
New Year's Resolution: Learn to Use Your Safety Gear
With tales, and links to user manuals for map, compass, common beacons and GPS receivers
Rab Neutrino 600
It packs down as small as a summer bag and weighs just two pounds
Rab Alpine 600
It packs down as small as a summer bag and weighs just two pounds
Rab Neutrino 400
It packs down as small as a summer bag and weighs just two pounds
Summitting the Arctic's Mt. Chamberlin
Forty years after his own adolescent ascent of Mt. Chamberlin, John Harlin III returns with his 13-year-old daughter Siena. Photos and captions by John Harlin.
New Movie: '180 South'
New trailer retraces the footsteps of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and North Face founder Doug Tompkins' 1968 road trip to Patagonia
Fact Or Fiction: The Answer!
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Fact Or Fiction: Hello, 2010!
This week's weird outdoor news--plus one faker.
Hike of the Day: Hackberry Spring near Phoenix
Hike saguaro-covered hillsides to a small desert spring on this 5.2-mile loop encircled by mesas and red sandstone cliffs.
2010: A Quick Pulse Questionaire
In which I ask readers: What the hail do you people want?
Two Weeks on the Mekong
December in Laos
No Holiday Rest for the SAR Crews
2009's Odometer Turns Over With a Flurry of Incidents
Trail Chef: Bread & Toppings Á La Mode
This super sandwich will feed all your hungry revelers.