Backpacker Magazine May 2015 Table of Contents

Features

Your Daily Tread
Lace up your boots: Here’s our new list of must-do hikes within a few hours’ drive of 12 major American cities. Edited by Casey Lyons

Kindergarten Can Wait
Thru-hiking a 2,000-mile trail might be one of the toughest feats of endurance in the outdoors. Just don’t tell this five year old. By Bill Donahue

The Upgrade: Gear Closet
Big space or small, get organized with these expert tips. By Maren Horjus

Catch Me If You Can
Our man journeys to the maze-like canyons around Navajo Mountain on the trail of a Diné headman who evaded the U.S. Army and became a legend. By David Roberts

The Play List

This month’s top trips and picks

The Experience: First Night of the New Season
It might be chilly—but you won’t regret it.

Done in a Day: Adrenaline Hikes
Thrill seekers will love these four scrambly trips.

Life List: Scotland’s Top Long Trail
Wander through the legendary highlands.

Insider’s Guide: Great Basin, NV
Ancient pines and alpine lakes await in America’s quietest national park.

Weekends
Hike part of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail in North Carolina, create your own path in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, and explore South Dakota’s badlands.

Skills

Stay Dry in a Storm
Enjoy spring rain with these expert tips.

Cheat Sheet: Navigation
8 ways to stay on track

Pass/Fail: Make a DIY Pack
Sewing your own gear is about as hard as it sounds.

Trail Chef: 3-ingredient Meals
Easy has never been so tasty.

Photo School: Wildlife Portrait
Zoom in on animals.

Survival

Out Alive: Hypothermic
An Alaska hiker pulls through a blizzard—barely.

Saved By: Trees
Make shelter, fire, and more with this abundant resource.

Den Mother: Snake Bite
Handle backcountry venom.

Gear

Hydration Packs
6 field-proven picks

Hammocks
Ultralight to ultra-stormproof

Field Notes
Tester picks and tips

Cover

Cathedral Peak, Yosemite National Park, CA, by Grant Ordelheide.