Skills

Can two hikers keep their feet happy while splashing through creeks for days?

Even with no agenda, a spontaneous day trip serves up many rewards

This backpacking staple can do more than make sandwiches.

Follow these guidelines so you don't have to cut your trip short.

Tomatoes: tasty food, lousy fireworks.

Cook and imbibe better by learning how to shop, transport, and use your spirits, wine, and beer.

Leave the freeze-dried meals at home and treat yourself to a gourmet trail meal with our most popular recipes.

The best backpacking game is the one you don't have to carry.

Capabilities vary widely. Use these questions to make the best choice for your needs.

Nothing quite says "warm weather" like wild snake orgies. Here's everything you never wanted to know about trailside tangles of slithering serpents.

Find your way the old-school way by mastering the map.

Follow these tips to make sure you and all the essentials get where you’re going.

Avoid common mistakes with these tips and tricks for planning, hiking, and camping, and make your first—or next—trek problem-free.

Is there a trickier piece of gear to buy than hiking boots? Pick the wrong shoes, and you could find them rubbing you raw deep in the wilderness. Avoid common footwear-buying mistakes and find your perfect pair with our buyer’s guide.

How to make it more bonding than battle zone.

Strengthen your legs for early-season hikes, which often involve postholing in lingering snow up high and crossing run-off swollen rivers down low.

Out of every 100 people who attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, 73 will give up. Beat the odds—and save your budget—by following these rules from a gear shop owner who sees thousands of hikers every season.

Use these tips and trips to find backcountry peace and quiet, no matter where you live.

Navigation tips from an Appalachian Trail pro.

Finding adventure inside and outside will keep the kids entertained all season long.

Choosing which foods to eat in the wild can either make or break you.

For versatility and affordability, nothing beats a tarp. With an 8-by-10-foot piece of nylon, some paracord, stakes, a trekking pole, and a little ingenuity, you can make a shelter to withstand any weather.

One backpacker shares her secret to maintaining a decades-long hiking streak.

Prepare the first meal of the day at home and you'll start hiking sooner—and have on-the-go snacks.