Hiking The Sierra High Route
On this burly, 210-mile traverse, which crosses 33 passes and barely touches established trails, you can find Alaska-sized scenery, complete solitude, and just enough risk to keep things interesting.
All Content
Keep Your Feet Happy
Long-distance runner Russell Secker feels your foot pain–and he knows how to get rid of it.
Prime Your Pump
You can't hike with a bum ticker–follow these heart-healthy strategies to stay on the trail longer.
Better to the Last Drop
A hiker cannot live on water alone. Next time out, try these coffee, tea, and wine updgrades.
Recipes for the Trail: Fish Feast
4 hook-and-cook dinners just waiting to be caught
Next Level: Prep a Fish for Dinner
Add fresh-caught trout to the menu with these 6 easy steps.
Start Smart: Team Paddling
Improve your speed and efficiency by synchronizing your strokes.
Reader Tips: Big Burn
Need to start a fire fast? Try a flammable cupcake.
The Specialist: Plan Away Pounds
Shed useless pack weight, not luxuries
Casting Call
Fly-fishing is part meditation, part ultralight technique (catch, don't carry, your dinner), and all fun.
Memorial Season Mayhem
SAR News from Dumb to Inspirational
Cobras on the loose in North Carolina!
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Everglades Burn Not All Bad
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On Everest: Climber Death And Record Summits
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
3 Bright Birds
Of all the North American bird species, few stand out more than this trio of flyers. Their vivid plumage makes them some of the easiest springtime wildlife to spot.
Should Mount St. Helens become a national park?
New legislation could make the volcanic monument a national park. But is that a good thing?
See More: Deer
Learn the difference between elk, white-tails, and mule deer.
Danger Signs: Burn Zones
Here are the top three wildfire dangers and how to avoid them.
Nuclear-Free Hiking
How Cold War weapons sites are becoming America's most unusual new preserves.
Trip Doctor: Best National Park Bus System
Tired of commuting in a car around our national parks? Catch the best backcountry bus.
Trace Canada's Spine
Hike the best section of the Great Divide Trail.
Paddle and Hike Voyageurs National Park
With a thousand islands and countless passages, this little-visited treasure is a watery maze. Here's the way in–and out.
May 2008 Table of Contents
Check out The Backpacker Editors's author page.
Best Damn Weekend Ever: Washington's Kaleetan Lake Loop
Only an hour from Seattle, this Cascades gem offers killer Rainier views.
Trip Finder: Wildflowers
Trek the best spring blooms from the Ozarks to the Olympics with these two, three, and four day treks.
Where Can I Catch America's Largest Grillable Trout?
Looking to catch and eat the big one? Try paddling Arkansas' Little Red River.
Top 3 White Mountain Treks
No, not the famously wind-whipped peaks in New Hampshire. Explore some of the country's lesser-known Whites with these accessible spring summits in Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska.
Quick Fix: Great Smoky Mountains NP
Check out the steepest trail, the best swimming hole, and the wildest vista in America's most popular national park.
Land of the Lost: Native American Artifacts in Utah's Range Creek
Utah's Range Creek hides the most intact Native American artifacts in the United States. Get there now–while you can still play archaeologist.
Sherpa Summits Everest A Record 18 Times
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
The Porters' Progress
Two Everest-scaling Sherpas face their biggest challenge yet–surviving suburban America.
June 2008 Reader Photos
Check out these top shots from readers like you.
August 2008 Reader Photos
Waterfalls and sunsets rule in this summer batch of BACKPACKER reader photos.
May 2008 Reader Photos
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
GSI Outdoors
Solo. Stag. Unattached. Everything's more macho when you do it alone, but you still deserve a little comfort. An even-heating pot, insulated mug, a strainer lid, room for stove/fuel and a welded sink. We promise we won’t tell.
Space Kangaroo Helps Check Climate Change
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Phoenix Hiker Survives Bee Attack
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Survive This: Swarming Wasps
Forget all the rules about freezing or making yourself big. When faced with these angry beasts run for cover.
February 2008 Table of Contents
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April 2008 Table of Contents
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Dynafit Feline EVO Ghost Trail Runner Review
Mountain runner has superior grip.
Low Arctic Ice Makes Northwest Passage Real
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Google Ocean Brings the Stoke
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Beckham, Bono To Climb Kilimanjaro; Apocalypse Begins
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Steppin' Out
I'm on assignment for a week
Water Fight; The Sequel
Record heat creates avalanche rescue and multiple river fatalities in the Pacific Northwest
"He's eating my brains. I can feel it."
Canadian Brent Case describes a chilling, and leisurely, bear attack
New Clean Air Rules Threaten National Parks
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Politicians, Park Service Clash Over Deer Shooting
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Nature Forces Community To Go Green
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
News Flash: Obesity Contributes to Global Warming
No, I'm not kidding
Water Fight!
When choosing which forces of nature to oppose, the smart call is to avoid showdowns with H20
March 2008 Table of Contents
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Fires and fire prevention both increase carbon
New study suggests we're damned if we do, don't
Utah Hikers Go To Pot
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Today's Funny: Bear searches for food…inside backpacker
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Polar Bears: Now 100 % More Endangered!
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Backpacker's April Issue Now Online
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I Present to You: The Universe
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Vitamins: Good or Bad?
There is no straight answer to the benefits of taking supplements
The Growing Geoweb
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Uluru: Australia's Cursed National Park?
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Want to Save Endangered Species? Eat Them
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Olympic Torch Leaves Hefty Carbon Trail
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'Storm Over Everest' Doc Airs Tonight on PBS
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Where Is Where?
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Poisoned penguins join parade of cute global warming victims
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Keen Announces STAND: UP Green Contest Winners
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Rock Star: Brett Dennen
Once a guide and counselor near Yosemite, up-and-coming musician Brett Dennen is now taking his backcountry jams to the masses.
Backpacker Editors' Choice 2008
The year's best packs, boots, tents, jackets, and sleeping bags. Period. Plus, a never-die headlamp, a life-saving beacon, a back-saving ultralight chair, and more innovative, trail-tested gear.
Carbon-Neutral Costa Rica: How I Lost 5,400 lbs While Packing for the Trip of a Lifetime
In search of a guilt-free adventure in the tropics, Jason Daley discovers the line between saving the world–and seeing it.
The Helmet King
Safe or Scary?
Barefoot = Injury Free*
Got chronic back pain or knee pain? Try losing your shoes
Web Exclusive: The Rebirth of Santa Cruz Island
Dive into the Channels Islands with exclusive on-the-scene video, photos, and trip reports.
Channel Islands National Park
View photographer Michael Darter's outtakes from his trip to Santa Cruz island for the July Adventures story "Return of the Natives" (Photos by Michael Darter, www.michaeldarter.com)
Channel Islands Adventure
Join associate editor Shannon Davis as he hikes and paddles through Channel Islands.
What do the outdoors sound like?
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Appalachian Trail Shooter Strikes Again
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Next Level: How To Lead A Group
From planning to execution, we've got 11 ways to become a better leader both on the trail, and off.
Hot Springs: Soak Here Now
6 more must-dip pools from Alaska to Hawaii