Gear Review: Backcountry.com Stoic Jacket
This "magic coat" is great for changing conditions.
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Gear Review: Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot
This featherweight pot is great for solo pasta lovers.
Gear Review: Gerber Crucial Multitool
This midsize multitool lacks excess.
Gear Review: Gregory Palisade 80 Pack
This big-load pack carries heavy weight with ease.
Grand Canyon To Planes: Shhh!
The FAA teams with the National Park Service to reduce airborne noise pollution in Grand Canyon NP.
Firefighter Shoots at Bicyclist for Riding Unsafely
Just another example of why helmets save lives
Gear Review: The North Face Adversary Trail Runner
Traveling trail runners will be all over this The North Face shoe.
Gear Review: Columbia Firelane Mid Boot
This midcut hiker is great for wet conditions.
Gear Review: La Sportiva Exum Pro Boot
This boot earned our best all-around mark, and fits a wide range of foot shapes as well.
Behind the Scenes: BACKPACKER At The TODAY Show
Gear editor Kristin Hostetter gives us the backstage dirt after appearing on NBC's TODAY Show
Gear Review: Scarpa Axis Boot
This fast and light boot weighs in at 1 lb. 11 oz.
Gear Review: Oboz Sawtooth Boot
If you're hiking rugged terrain, this $100 boot is for you.
3D Flyover: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Explore homesteads and winding ridgelines on this classic 50-mile trek.
The Smokies' Homesteads: Exclusive Google Flyover Video and Tracklog
Marcus Woolf explores history and wilderness during a six-day trip through the Smokies.
Yosemite Rescue Dogs: Could This Dog Save Your Life?
Kristin Bjornsen hikes into the Sierras to meet Gus, a new breed of highly trainedrescue professional that's already patrolling Yosemite for lost and injuredbackpackers.
Speak Up: Snowmobiles In Yellowstone?
Interior Secretary Salazar asks for public comment before deciding whether to limit snowmobiles in Yellowstone
Bear Beats Bear Canisters
One smarter-than-average bear in the Adirondacks figured out how to beat canisters—and she's teaching other bears, too.
Fly Fishing For Great White Sharks
A San Diego angler catches a 6-foot juvenile great white on a fly rod
Video: BACKPACKER On The TODAY Show!
Gear editor Kristin Hostetter takes Meredith Vieira through the latest family camping gadgets.
Trail Chef: How To Cook Pancakes…With Beer!
Our Trail Chef shows you how to make no-mess backcountry pancakes using–you heard us right–beer.
Trail Chef: How To Cook Pancakes…With Beer!
Our Trail Chef shows you how to make no-mess backcountry pancakes using–you heard us right–beer.
SPOT announces new improvements to their beacon
Smaller, lighter, more powerful, new functions, better attachments
BACKPACKER On The Today Show!
On Monday, Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter talks family camping gear with Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira!
Outdoor Retailer: The Wrap-Up
Associate editor Shannon Davis shares remembrances and reflections on the circus that was Outdoor Retailer 2009.
Outdoor Retailer: Dollars for Socks
Darn Tough Vermont Socks donates cash to maintaining Appalachian Trail
Professor Rescue: Q & A with SAR Statistician Robert Koester
By crunching numbers on the thousands of lost hiker cases in the backcountry each year, Robert Koester hopes to keep you on track.
August 2009 Table of Contents
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Outdoor Retailer: The Sights
OR, so far, in pictures
Step Away From The Bison
Yellowstone visitor gets gored by bison after getting too close.
Outdoor Retailer: Pacific Outdoor's Fabric Zip-Top Bags
Don't throw out Ziplocs--upgrade to Pacific Outdoor's fabric zip-top bags
Outdoor Retailer: The Concert
BACKPACKER's green editor Berne Broudy rocks the mic for the Conservation Alliance anniversary party.
Trail Chef: Make Pancakes … With Beer!
Learn how to make ultrafluffy, brewski flapjacks the easy way, plus two more camp pancake recipes.
Party Peaks
Ten perfect summits for your next group hike
Can I Get Altitude Sickness Below 10,000 Feet?
After I return, I'm somewhat tired, short of breath and sickly feeling for days after. I'm in great shape. Any ideas?
Navigation Newbie: What Equipment Do I Need?
I'm a navigation newbie. Basically, I just head to the trailhead, look at the map there, and go. Is there essential, basic navigation equipment that I should have at all times, even on a dayhike?
GoLite Goes Greener
The company launches a complete line of eco-friendly packs and sleeping bags.
Outdoor Retailer: Demerit Badges
Nothing commemorates your outdoor failures like these Scout-style patches.
Outdoor Retailer: Schoeller Coldblack
Schoeller's Coldblack fabric makes dark materials just as heat-reflective as light colors.
Outdoor Retailer: The Rocket Tent
Brooks Range introduces a minimalist tent full of space-age fabrics.
How Do I Treat Heat Exhaustion?
What are the best options for treating heat exhaustion in a remote area (no cell phone service) with no one else around? Is there something I can add to my first aid kit that would help?
Are Trekking Poles Necessary?
Trekking poles are not for every occasion.But, man, my poles sure saved the day (and my knees and ankles) when I descended from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River.
Outdoor Retailer: Klymit Argon-Inflatable Gear
Argon inflatable clothes and sleeping pads—will they work?
Outdoor Retailer: Columbia's Mobex Pack
Can a leaf inspire new ideas for hauling your gear? Columbia pack designers say yes.
Bad Air Bad For Parks
Air pollution threatens plants and animals in 16 national parks
Outdoor Retailer 2009: Start Your Engines
BACKPACKER arrives in Salt Lake City the biggest gear show of the year—the mighty OR.
Eagle Scout Fined $25K For Rescue
An Eagle Scout injured on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire has one month to pay for his rescue
The Big Trip
Thoughts on adventure organization from the depths of packing hell
Grand Canyon Uranium Mining Blocked
Interior Secretary Salazar stops mining claims on 1 million acres of land near Grand Canyon National Park
Home Front Part 3
The Energy Audit
Walmart Announces Green Labeling
Vendors who sell at Walmart will now have to know and share their products' ecological impact.
10 Climbers Die On Japanese Mountains
Freak storm strands and kills climbers on guided tour
Mountain Lion vs. Man With Chainsaw
Like you need more—start reading now.
Gear Test: The Shirt Off Our Backs, Part 2
Associate Editor Shannon Davis learns to love his outdoors-centric bowling shirt
Birdwatchers: They're Everywhere!
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines 1 in 5 Americans are birdwatchers
Trail Chef: Olympic Granola Bar Review
A healthy, hearty trail bar for big appetites
Tent Terminology Revealed
Could you explain what "minimum weight," "packaged weight," and similar terms mean?
Does Sunscreen or Bug Repellent Attract Bears?
Q: Does using sunscreen or bug repellent attract bears?
Really Lost Hikers and Slow Evacuations
Striking case histories from Australia and the slopes of Mount Terror
Python Posse
Florida assembles big-snake wrangling team to handle pythons-gone-wild in the Everglades
Putting Endangered Species On Ice
National Park Service, American Museum of Natural History team up to cryogenically freeze threatened animals
Family Camping: Tips & Stats
How many miles, and how heavy a pack, can your kid handle? Plus, big tents, first aid, and newbie adults.
Even Santa Needs Rescue
Hiker trapped by quicksand admits he "made mistakes"
Family Camping: Fun Food
Meal-by-meal tips to please the whole family
Family Camping: How to Pull it Off
87 tips for making your next family trip easy, fun, and comfortable
Family Camping: Good for the Whole Family
Why a life outdoors is so important for your kids–and for you.
Backpacker's Guide to Family Camping
A realistic, hassle-free handbook for taking kids outdoors
Climbing Everest With A Daypack
'Skyrunner' Christian Stangl breaks ascent records by climbing with, well, almost nothing
June Issue Now Online!
Our entire June issue is free and available here.
Obama Picks National Parks Director
Longtime park service worker Jon Jarvis brings controversy with his nomination
Bad Economy Equals Faster Runners
Job losses translate to better athletic performance among American marathoners
BACKPACKER.COM CLUBS
Welcome to our list of clubs, environmental groups, retail shops, and other groups who are using our map tools to plan and share trips, to save wilderness areas, or to meet other hikers.
Time-Saving Recipes: Kendall Katwalk Chicken and Dumplings
Scenario: The camp cupboard is bare, but the fridge is full of leftovers. Solution: These tasty dumplings.
Time-Saving Recipes: Alpine Pasta
Scenario: You want to eat gourmet, but only have 10 minutes to shop. Solution: This pasta dish featuring salami and diced 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes.
Time-Saving Recipes: Ramen Foo Yung
Scenario: No grocery in sight, only a gas-station convenience store Solution? This tasty Ramen meal
No! Not The Bees!
Swarming bees shut down popular camping spot in Joshua Tree
June 2009
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Video: Wild Lion Man
South African animal behaviorist gets up close and personal to study wild lions
Sleep Easy: Find Your Perfect Gear
Whether you're looking to go ultralight or stay cool on a hot summer night, here's the gear that will help you sleep comfortably.
Gear School: Water Filters
Remove most micro-nasties, draw water from barely-there puddles, and quench thirst fast with the versatile pump filter.
Canned Heat: Stove Reviews
Tiny. Featherweight. Simple. Affordable. From the windy peaks of Colorado's Rockies to the icy summits of New Hampshire's Presidentials, these canister stoves kept us fat and happy.