Deep Dive Review: Mystery Ranch Bridger 65
A reliable workhorse that will last for years
Author
Corey Buhay
Corey is a Colorado-based writer and editor specializing in outdoor adventure journalism. She was formerly a Backpacker skills and survival editor.
My Stories
Editor’s Choice: Deuter Arcontact Ultra Pack
This pack bridges the gap between ultralight and ultracomfy
The Best Backpacking Packs of 2022
Shoulder the load and make miles with these trail-ready rucksacks
How to Be the Slowest Hiker on the Trail (and Own It)
You don’t need to “get in shape” to enjoy hiking season. Here’s how to savor it from the start.
A Guide to Gear Closet Spring Cleaning
Ditching the baggage and streamlining your life can be easier said than done.
The 6 Best New Daypacks for Every Kind of Hiker
From short hikes to long runs that push the definition of a dayhike, these six packs will be your constant companions.
Welcome to the Jungle: Hiking Panama’s Parque Internacional La Amistad
A hike through Panama’s Parque Internacional La Amistad highlights wonders, both of the natural world and within the hikers themselves.
Sleeping Bags: How to Buy, Repair, and Maintain Them
It’s not just a bag. It’s a lifetime’s worth of beauty sleep. Learn what features you need, shop accordingly, and keep your bag in good repair, and it’ll keep you sleeping soundly.
Backpacking Tents: How to Pick the Perfect One for You
Home is where you stake it out. Understand the ins and outs, pick the right shelter, and treat it like you would your bedroom.
Backpacks: An Owner’s Manual
Understanding suspension and construction is key to finding the right fit—and proper maintenance and repair will ensure your load-hauler lasts thousands of miles.
How to Make Hiking Fun When Hiking Sucks
Bad weather, horrendous blisters, endless hills—it’s all fun if you look at it the right way.
How to Train for Hiking When You Hate Working Out
Kickstarting a workout habit starts with reexamining your motivations.
16 Ways to Be (and Feel) Less Gross on Your Next Backpacking Trip
Stay fresh, whether you’re out for a few miles or a few thousand.
Pack Showdown: Osprey Aether 65/Ariel 65 vs. Gregory Baltoro 65/Deva 60
Two heavyweights of the pack world go head to head.
A New Study Finds America’s Busiest Search and Rescue System Is at Risk of Collapse
Growing numbers of hikers, bikers, and skiers are leaving Colorado SAR teams strapped. One new study offers some radical ideas
Someone Is Poisoning Dogs With Drugged Hot Dogs on Idaho’s Hiking Trails
Authorities are searching for the person responsible for killing one dog and sickening three with ibuprofen-laced meat.
Reservation Systems Could Save the National Parks Experience. Here’s Why.
Overcrowding is destroying our parks. Timed entry systems can save them.
My Worst Hike: Maggots, Food Poisoning, and a Missing Tent on the John Muir Trail
The John Muir Trail was my dream hike—until a bout of food poisoning turned it into a nightmare.
Fail: We Ran Out of Food—Except for Mustard
Backpacking rule number one: Pack enough to eat.
Bears Ears is Still in Limbo—and Oil and Mining Companies are Circling
With Biden’s oil and gas moratorium derailed, Bears Ears is back on the chopping block. Here’s the latest.
In Some National Parks, It’s Literally Too Hot for Helicopters to Fly
With record-breaking heat grounding helicopters, the future of search and rescue—and park access—could be in danger.
What We’re Testing Now: One of The Best Water Filters We’ve Ever Used
Finally: A filter good enough to make you stop dreading water duty.
Weekly Obsession: This Massage Ball Erases Aches—and Won’t Weigh You Down on Long Hikes
It’s better than a foam roller, and way easier to fit in your pack.
Open Up the Wilderness by Learning to Hike Off Trail
A new kind of adventure starts where the maintained trail ends. Advance your hiking game and take on the unknown with these tips for route-planning and navigation. Then, practice footwork skills for safer, more efficient mountain travel.
The 6 Best Backpacks for Hauling Heavy Loads
Got a gear-heavy trip coming up? These packs have got your back.
Kelty Coyote 65 / Coyote 60
Best value large backpack
Deuter Aircontact Pro 70+15 / Aircontact Pro 65+15 SL
Most durable large backpack
Helly Hansen Capacitor
Best organization of any large pack
REI Co-op Traverse 60
Most versatile large pack
Fjällräven Kajka 65
Most eco-friendly large pack
Mystery Ranch Terraframe 65
Best suspension of any large pack
These 6 Waterproof Packs Will Keep Your Gear Dry on The Trail
Don’t let a little rain ruin your hike. These waterproof packs will keep your gear safe and dry, mile after mile.
This Camp Coffee Gear Will Make You a Backcountry Barista
Check out Corey Buhay's author page.
The 13 Best Hiking Backpacks of 2021
Our testers found load haulers for every trip and hiker. Pick your favorite and start making your packing list.
The North Face Flight Training Pack 12
The best backpack for trail running of 2021
Matador Beast18
The most packable backpack of 2021.
Arc’teryx Aerios 30
The best backpack for organization of 2021.
Exped Verglas 30
The most weatherproof backpack of 2021
Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27
The lightest backpack of 2021
Patagonia Altvia Pack 36
The most eco-friendly backpack of 2021
Gregory Katmai 65/Kalmia 60
The most comfortable backpack of 2021
Granite Gear Perimeter 50
The best backpack for big and tall backpackers of 2021
Deuter Futura Air Trek 60+10/Futura Air Trek 55+10 SL
The biggest backpack of 2021
Kelty Asher 55
The best bargain backpack of 2021
Lowe Alpine Cholatse 52:57 /Cholatse ND 50:55
The most durable backpack of 2021
Osprey Talon Pro 30/Tempest Pro 28
The best all-around backpack of 2021
These Trails Have Some of the World’s Worst Weather. Here’s Why You Should Go Anyway.
Get in touch with your wild side in some of the worst weather the Lower 48 has to offer.
Shells: An Owner’s Manual
There will be times when only a thin layer of fabric protects you from Mother Nature’s fury. Choose the right shell and take care of it.
When You Wipe With the Wrong Leaves
Just because there’s no poison ivy around doesn’t mean you’re in friendly territory.
8 Badass Older Hikers Who Proved It’s Never Too Late to Hit the Trail
A little creak in the joints didn’t stop them. Emotional maturity, discipline, and life experience helped these eight badass older hikers thru-hike as well as—if not better than—any younger trekker.
These 19 Backcountry National Park Campsites Are the Best in America
Picking the best campsites in the national parks is a hard task, but these 19 backcountry sites are the cream of the crop.