Katie Herrel

Backpacker Reader Reporter Whit Vogel is gearing up for the jammed packed Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013.

Snake through swamplands in Congaree NP, see fireworks atop Vermont's highpoint, catch a firefly light show in the Smokies, and grab nine more early summer trips.

Hike the border country in Big Bend NP, bring your kite on an Illinois hike, see bison duel in Wind Cave NP, and go on nine more adventures.

Trek past eight lakes in Lassen Volcanic NP's high country, check out the newest national park. hike the Wonderland Trail in Rainier NP like a pro, and more.

Starting August 1, 2013 we're challenging our readers to hike 1,000,000 collective trail miles! Find out how you can participate.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Join Backpacker magazine photo editor, Genny Fullerton, and Backpacker contributing photographer, Steve Howe, on a four-day, three-night backpacking photo safari where you'll learn what it takes to shoot images worthy of publication.

Here are the ten finalists from the latest photo contest. Vote for your favorite to help us choose the winner. The winning photo will be published in Backpacker's September's issue and the winner will receive a Tamron zoom lens*.

A team of BACKPACKER and CLIMBING staffers head to the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado June 6-9, 2013.

In which our pilgrims are redeemed by wise men. Part II of a serialized E-novella.

A quick photo spraydown from the Sierra Nevada's king mountain

I'm allergic to down, but I like its compressibility. But do you know anyone who makes a hypoallergenic down sleeping bag or am I stuck with synthetics? 

It is finally here, we are taking our Boy Scout troop in the AT thru the GSMNP. The only question now is how to keep teenage boys motivated to complete the 76 miles?

Paddle an Outer Banks island, hit a new trail in Tennessee, stargaze in Pennsylvania, and grab nine more adventures.

Sample a section of Missouri's Ozark Trail, harvest Minnesotan morels, see endangered sea turtles in coastal Texas, and more.

Get your waterfall fix in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, find solitude in Wyoming, check out a new Denver-area state park, and tag more spring hikes.

Skip the new wrench sets and the flower ties.

Bear Grylls has had his share of close scrapes with wildlife, yet he's always managed to come out alive. Would you? Take this quiz to see how you measure up.

The Great Walks are New Zealand's premier walking tracks. They take the walker on an incredible journey through some of the best scenery in the country.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Do I really have to buy my girlfriend a women's-specific pack if it seems like a men's would fit?

Here are our favorite pictures from this month's photo contest. Vote for your favorite to help us choose the winner. The winning photo will be published in Backpacker's August issue and the winner will receive a Tamron zoom lens*.

I'm pretty skinny and when I tighten my hipbelt I end up with lots of extra strap flapping around. Can I just cut this extra stuff off?

If I alter a pair of waterproof pants, how can I make the new seams waterproof?

TNF is looking for an energetic intern available to work on an exciting upcoming event with North Face athletes. Deadline for applications is April 16, 2013, so do it now!

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Here's our favorite pictures from this month's photo contest. Vote for your favorite to help us choose the winner. The winning photo will be published in Backpacker's June issue and the winner will receive a Tamron zoom lens*.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

2013 is a yearlong celebration of BACKPACKER readers, with dream trips, gear makeovers, and other great prizes. Meet the lucky readers just like you who have already won this year.

Tromp through a Florida cypress swamp, find solitude on a Catskills peak, look for rare Carolina blooms, plus 9 more.

Snag a dozen great winter trips, including a texas Hill Country overnight, a Lake Superior snowshoe, and a hike to Apostle islands ice caves.

Soak in a New Mexico hot spring, spot wintering bighorn sheep in the Winds, hike to a lost California oasis, and more.

In celebration of our readers, we have designed a second tour (in addition to our popular Get Out More Tour) that will launch in 2013, the GEAR and GO TOUR.

Our second-annual Adventures Denver is a family friendly day of fun in the outdoors trying out new gear and activities...for free!

On June 22, 2013 we'll help bring the outdoors to life with our popular Central Park adventure day!

Here's our top ten favorite pictures from this month's photo contest. Vote for your favorite to help us choose the winner. The winning photo will be published in Backpacker's May issue.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Katy Welter searches out her favorite new footwear among hundreds of pairs on the OR Show floor.

Gerben Scherpbier is on a quest for the ultimate backcountry ski gear, and versatility is key.

Becca Stubbs explores the floor in search of the gear she'd most love to run through the wringer.

Snow is falling in the mountains around Salt Lake, so Dave Harding hits the floor with one thing in mind: ski accessories

Katy Welter seeks out winter cooking gear and finds the latest innovations put to new use.

Amid $900 jackets and $3,000 tents, Gerben Scherpbier finds new backpacking gear for under $35.

Becca Stubbs searches for this year's best haulers for around town and on the trail.

Dave Harding tracked down more of the show's coolest new haulers, from ultralight ski packs to ones that'll help you prepare for the zombie apocalypse.

Gerben Scherpbier scours the show floor for the warmest winter layers from head to toe.... and then he throws axes.

More people are bringing electronics into the backcountry, and those devices need POWER. Dave Harding checks out some fun new ways to recharge.

Katy Welter covers electronics debuting at the OR Show.

Becca Stubbs is on a quest for the warmest of next year's sleeping bags, pads, and tents.

Backpacker Reader Reporter Katy Welter gears up and tries out a new sport: snowshoe running.

Becca Stubbs tries sweet skis and some high-tech new safety gear at the Outdoor Retailer 2013 All Mountain Demo Day.

Backpacker Reader Reporter Gerben Scherpbier just couldn't get enough of the gear at the 2012 OR Summer Market, so he's back for another go.

Backpacker Reader Reporter Becca Stubbs shares stories about her path into the outdoors and some unconventional gear use.

I'm on a budget. Why shouldn't I substitute a $10 pool float for a sleeping pad that costs $100 or more?

What is a good backpacking soap that's environmentally friendly?

What’s the best way to patch a burn hole in my hiking pants and make sure it will not expand any bigger?

What can my husband and I do to protect our wedding rings when we are backpacking?

Our newest gear tester, Dave Harding, is packing his bags and waxing his skis in preparation for this winter's Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.