November 2012 Table of Contents
FEATURES
THE HIGH LIFE
Your dream trip: big views, a light pack, and a soft bed. Find it on one of the world’s best hut treks, from New Hampshire’s White Mountains to New Zealand’s Fiordlands. By Michael Lanza
Water-repellent down. A light-yet-spacious all-season tent. A hyper-breathable shell you can pack year-round. And more. After months of testing, we found 14 innovative products guaranteed to upgrade your winter.
GREAT SMOKIES ADVENTURE GUIDE
Hike the Southeast’s biggest park in its best season, when the colors come out, the bugs fade away, and summer crowds are long gone. Our scouts deliver step-by-step directions for the best week, weekend, and dayhikes. By Peter Rives and Andrew Matranga
HEROES
Ken John – Helping Homeless by Distributing Used Outdoor Gear
TRIPS
Life List: Source of the Amazon
Our scout ventures deep into the Andes to see the birth of the world’s greatest river.
Mountain Map: San Gabriels
Find solitude high above Los Angeles.
Top 3 Ghostly Hikes
Trek to these backcountry burial grounds—if you dare.
Local Hikes
West Make a late-season hike to an aspen-dense Colorado mesa, spot bears in the Beartooths, explore gypsum dunes, and discover more fall must-hikes.
Central Camp lake-side in Arkansas, summit 800-foot Nebraska bluffs, see Wisconsin’s best foliage (alone), and dayhike near Dallas. Plus: 8 more autumn hikes.
East Wander Kentucky’s Land Between The Lakes, see a South Carolina swamp (without the bugs), hike through four states in one huge day, and more.
SKILLS
Master Class: Read Nature
Sharpen your wilderness-watching techniques to hike safer and smarter.
Instant Upgrades: Expert Tips
Reduce knee pain, stop headaches, stay dry, and find great campsites.
Test Kitchen: Eggs
Get field-proven tips and advice for carrying and cooking this protein-packed food.
SURVIVAL
Out Alive: Deadly Widowmakers
Learn from a reader’s life-threatening sprint through a forest of falling trees.
Troubleshoot This: Damp Wood
Maximize your spark’s potential with a tinder bundle that will burn anywhere.
Survival Lab: Build a bivy
Our man in the field tests three shelter-building techniques. Plus: reviews of the best emergency bivies.