Experts

Mountain guide and author of Fit by Nature John D. Colver offers up these hints for staying motivated and fit no matter what your excuse.

Why are European tent floors more waterproof than American ones?

I am getting ready to buy a lightweight canister stove. Is there a guide for which stoves use which fuel bottles?

One of my leather hiking boots has a cut across the toe box. It is not deep, but it is enough to cause tearing in the leather. Is there a way to close this cut?

I have an Osprey Ariel 55 backpack and am going on a trip that requires hard side bear vaults. Will I be able to get everything including the BV in my pack, and if so, how do I carry the BV?

I have a down parka that says "dry clean only". Do you think it would be fine to wash it as I do my down sleeping bag?

Is there anything I can do to ease the pain of a hot spot?

That’s a tough, but not impossible, task, Theo. Generally speaking, I’d consider 35 liters to be more of a day- or day-and-a-half pack at most, not a multiday pack.

Is there any special way I should wash my boots or can I just treat them like any other shoe?

What’s the best way to remove and treat a tick bite? My recent attempt severed the head, which required a hospital visit to remove.

What is the best way to find a slow leak in a self-inflating sleeping pad?

Get your gear ready for hiking season with these tips from gear editor Kristin Hostetter.

Can bears and other critters be a problem at night even if all our group has for food are, say Clif Bars - or any other similar kind of energy/protein bars?

Can sleeping bag liners be used as ultralight sleeping bags?

Do I really need to buy a tent footprint? Or are the newer tents tough enough that you don't need one?

I'm new to backpacking, should I buy all my gear then buy my pack? Or, should I buy my pack first? I will be doing some long distant hikes and some weekend hikes too.

Are there any "tricks" to keeping water liquid on an extended winter outing?

Is my sleeping bag's performance affected by what I wear when I sleep?

Can altitude increase the effect of thyroid medications? I recently hiked four days in the Grand Canyon and had an experience which felt like an overdose of my thyroid meds. I skipped a dose and all the symptoms went away, even after climbing another 3,000 feet. What's up?

The day after a long, tough, hike I often feel like my head is filled with cotton and like my eyes won't fully open. What can I do to prevent or cure this? I drink a lot of water, but that doesn't seem to help.