A Long Life For Your Boots
Insiders' tips to keep your hikers on the trail longer.
Gear Reviews
Gear Reviews
Find the best backpacking gear with help from our expert reviewers and gear testers at Backpacker. We review the best backpacking gear on the market, from sleeping bags, to cookware, to backpacks, to the best hiking boots, in the most rigorous trail conditions imaginable so you can find the perfect setup for all your adventures.
At Backpacker, we take our responsibility to provide readers with fair and accurate gear advice seriously. When you make a purchase through our site, we may earn a commission.
Find the best backpacking gear with help from our expert reviewers and gear testers at Backpacker. We review the best backpacking gear on the market, from sleeping bags, to cookware, to backpacks, to the best hiking boots, in the most rigorous trail conditions imaginable so you can find the perfect setup for all your adventures. At Backpacker, we take our responsibility to provide readers with fair and accurate gear advice seriously. When you make a purchase through our site, we may earn a commission.
Sun Solutions
Winter sun damage can be just as bad as in summer.
How To: Boot Cleaning
Take care of your hiking boots and they'll take care of you.
Fixing A Blister
A simple blister remedy gets you back on the trail fast.
Break In Your Boots
Log some easy "city" miles in your new hiking boots before that epic trip.
Tarps: High And Tight
Setting up a tarp? Follow these techniques depending on the situation.
Alaska's Glaciers: Going With The Floes
When gently paddling amidst the mini-icebergs that grace Prince William Sound, you ponder one question: why walk?
Protect Your Pack Food
The inside of a pack is a rough place for poorly packaged food. Protect your grub so it emerges intact.
Juan Of A Kind: Vancouver's Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
Vancouver's Juan de Fuca Marine Trail offers the best of both worlds in a challenging and surprising 29-mile ramble.
Snowshoe Camping, Northwest-Style
When temps warm but the going's still snowy, strap on snowshoes to reach Washington's hidden camping gems.
Fixing An Inflatable Sleeping Pad
A few simple precautions will prevent punctures and preserve the foam in your self-inflating pad.
Water Filter Maintenance
Tips to keep water filters filtering.
Sizing A Sleeping Pad
Thickness, length, width, and weight options make choosing the right pad more involved than you might think.
Rainy-Day Camping Games (Beginner Skills) (Skills)
Beat the rainy-day blues by playing sleeping-pad chess or checkers.
Choose The Right Bivy
Finding a bivy that's just your size makes all the difference on colder nights.
Layering For Winter
How to dress smart and stay warm when Old Man Winter blows in.
'Seams' Dry: Weatherproof Your Tent (Skills) (Weather)
Learn how to weatherproof your tent -- before it rains.