Are AI Exoskeletons the Future of Hiking? To Find Out, I Became Robohiker.
A longtime backpacker hits the trail with the help of AI-powered motion assistance and wonders: Will these gadgets change hiking forever?
Author
M. John Fayhee
M. John Fayhee has been writing for Backpacker since 1986. His 13th book, “A Long Tangent: Musings by an old man & his young dog hiking every day for a year,” was released last fall by Mimbres Press. He lives in Silver City, New Mexico.
My Stories
I Used To Avoid Group Hikes. Here’s Why I Joined A Hiking Club Anyway.
What happens when a lifelong solo backpacker decides to try sharing the trail?
With the “Minor League” Triple Crowns, Anyone Can Be a Thru-Hiker
No time to hike the Triple Crown? These trail trios are epic adventures for every type of backpacker.
Meet the Thru-Hiking Brewers Who Started a Beer Business in a Backpack
When Alexa Tubbs met Matt Leef on the CDT, he was brewing beer in a soda bottle. Now, the two own Open Space Brewing, a hub for hikers and beer-lovers.
Inside the Ultralight Cult of Durston
The X-Mid trekking pole tent and other groundbreaking ultralight designs have earned Durston an unmatched fanbase, with a 14,000-person Facebook group and in-jokes about stickers and sage at the center of it. M. John Fayhee dives into lightweight backpacking's most devoted "cult."
What I’ve Learned from Hiking America’s First Wilderness Area
The Gila Wilderness, in southern New Mexico, turns 100 this year. A longtime local hiker reflects on a legacy of conservation that reaches far beyond its boundaries.
No, Seriously—Go Hiking in Oklahoma
With both "eastern-style" and "western-style" mountains, Oklahoma is a little-known hiker paradise.
Hike the State Parks: 14 Fantastic Destinations Backpackers Need to Know
Let the crowds stampede the national parks—in the U.S., you’re never far from state lands that boast sublime beauty, natural seclusion, and endless adventure. These 14 just scratch the surface.
On an Epic Trip Through Mexico’s Copper Canyon, I Discovered My Limits the Hard Way
One hiker finds his limits in Mexico's Tararecua Canyon.
Opinion: This is Why We Backpack
One reason we love backpacking is because it’s hard—but those lessons shouldn't end when we get back to the car.
The Time I Almost Lost an Eye on the Appalachian Trail
An AT thru-hiker invites friends along for a comedy of horrors.
What Happens When You Hike Every Day for a Month?
With a high school reunion coming and a gut to lose, our writer tries to remake himself on the trail.