Skills

Add to your outdoor wilderness skills arsenal with expert advice and survival tips from Backpacker Magazine. We cover it all: how to get in shape for hiking, pre-trip planning, backpacker-friendly recipes, how to raise backpacking kids and more!

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Learn How to Use a Compass and Never Get Lost Again

Leah Qiu

Beginner Skills

How to Pack a Backpack for a Hiking Trip

Daniel Nelson

Skills

The Cure for Your Fear of Heights? More Heights

Amelia Arvesen

Water Sports

How to Canoe Camp

Eugene Buchanan

Latest in Skills

Backpacking Fitness

Exercising Like My Dog Made Me a Better Hiker

Erratic, joy-filled exercise could make you a fitter—and happier—athlete.

Corey Buhay

10 Oatmeal Recipes That Even Oatmeal-Hating Hikers Will Love

BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors

Can We Please Just Share the Trail?

Zoe Gates

Want To Hike Better? You Need To Breathe Better

Robyn Fog

What to Eat When You Get Diarrhea on the Trail

Buck Tilton

Think You Can’t Hike Fast With Asthma? Think Again.

Jeff Garmire

The Secret to This Perfect Camping Hot Chocolate? Cayenne Pepper.

Crystal Sagan

Mud Hiking Season is Almost Here. Here’s How to Embrace It.

Corey Buhay

Back Pain Is a Backpacker’s Worst Enemy. These Exercises Fight it.

BACKPACKER Editors

You Love Steep Hikes—But Your Legs Don’t. Here’s How to Deal.

Pete Rognli

Planning a One-Way Hike? Master the Art of the Car Shuttle.

Corey Buhay

Romance Your Outdoor Valentine With a Backcountry Picnic

Zoe Gates

We All Want to Hike Farther. Here’s How to Actually Do It.

The Backpacker Editors

The Secret to Beating Cold Temperatures? Hot Spices.

Backpacker Contributors

So You Want to Hike With Your Cat

Adam Roy

47 Hiking Terms Every New Backpacker Should Know

Zoe Gates

The Food That Backpacker’s Editors Always Bring on the Trail

BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors

How to Winterize Your Hiking Dog

Kristy Holland and Rachel Zurer

How To Snag Some of The Most Popular Hiking Permits in 2023

Emma Veidt

The Bad Hiking Habits We’re Keeping in 2023

BACKPACKER Editors

The Injured Hiker’s Guide to Staying Sane

Corey Buhay

Forest Bathing Is Your Ticket to Wellness—and Better Hiking, Too

Emma Veidt

How to Save $1,000 on Your Next Backpacking Trip

Zoe Gates

Want to Hike Better? You Need to Learn to Walk Better.

Annette McGivney

Want to Make Your Next Hike Cozy AF? Embrace the Art of Hygge.

Peter Moore

I Went Winter Backpacking With a Polar Explorer. It Changed How I Hike.

Zoe Gates

3 Super-Simple Gourmet Hot Cocoa Recipes for Backpackers

Karen L. Garmire

Try These Four Drills This Winter For Complete Spring Trail Fitness

Kaelyn Silva

Ask a Thru-Hiker: Should I Flip-Flop?

Liz "Snorkel" Thomas

Backcountry Skating Is Your New Favorite Winter Sport

Zoe Gates

Skip the Christmas Tree Farm and Go to the Forest Instead

Zoe Gates

How to Start Foraging Mushrooms Without Dying or Accidentally Tripping

Emma Veidt

Got a Partially-Filled Fuel Canister? Here’s How to Measure It.

Zoe Gates

How to Trick Yourself Into Liking Cold Weather

Corey Buhay

Building a Trail is Hard—and Dangerous—Work. Here’s How Crews Stay Safe.

Christopher Tedeschi

How to Suffer Less On The Trails

Rowan Smith, Zoe Gates

Hike Solo (and Keep Your Sanity)

Casey Lyons, Marissa Lyons

Get Fit for Your First 100-Mile Backpacking Trip

Marcus Shapiro, Peter Moore

Crush a High-Altitude Trek

Eli Bernstein, Zoe Gates

How to Get Fit for Hiking Fast

Kristin Smith, Robyn Fog

Try Night Hiking Once and You’ll Fall in Love With it Forever

Zoe Gates

Course Correction: Backpacker Owns Up to Our Worst Advice

BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors

I Tried to Sew My Own Ultralight Tent. Here’s How it Went.

Nick Cote

The Most Experienced Hikers Make the Dumbest Mistakes

Maggie Slepian

Tired of Exercising For Hours? Try These Quick Cardio Workouts

Lee Welton

How I Fell in Love With Hiking in the Rain

Corey Buhay

The Great British Baking Show’s S’mores Are a Crime and We Need to Talk About It

Adam Roy

What Type of Water Filter is Right for You?

Zoe Gates

How to Pay Your Trail Dues

Mary Beth “Mouse” Skylis

Don’t Cook Breakfast In Camp. Try This Instead.

Zoe Gates

How to Sneak a Hike Into Your Non-Hiking Vacation

Adam Roy

Ending Every Backpacking Trip With Chapped Lips? Here’s Why.

Emma Veidt

Headaches on the Trail? Here’s How to Deal

Christopher Tedeschi

Feeling Sore After a Long Hike? Time to Hit the Gym.

Lee Welton

Make Your Own Retro Backpacking Gear With These DIY Projects

Backpacker Contributors

Can You Take a Cat Backpacking? I Tried it and Found Out.

Adam Roy

5 Exercises To Improve Your Muscle Mobility

Kaelyn Silva

How Do Trees Talk? We Found Answers To All Your Nature Questions.

Corey Buhay

Is Hiking Good for Your Health? We Got an Expert’s Opinion.

Corey Buhay

The Secret to Eating Better in the Backcountry? Master the Dehydrator.

Megan McDuffie, Michael van Vliet

Want to Build Your Backpacking Skills? Hike Alone.

Maggie Slepian

What’s in a Record-Setting John Muir Trail Speed Hiker’s 4-Pound Pack?

Jeff Garmire

How to Treat Allergic Reactions in the Backcountry

Christopher Tedeschi

What Hiking in One of the World’s Harshest Deserts Taught Me About Surviving Heat

Mark Jenkins

The Best Hiking Snacks from Around the World

Zoe Gates

Ask a Thru-Hiker: What’s the Best Job if I Want to Hike More?

Liz "Snorkel" Thomas

Get Stronger and Faster With Loaded Pack Training

Lee Welton

Your Life List Hike is Overrated

Corey Buhay

It’s Not Too Late For An End-of-Summer Trip. Here’s How to Nab One.

David Gladish

When You Can’t Breathe the “Fresh Air”

Christopher Tedeschi

5 Easy Swaps You Can Make to Be More Eco-Friendly On The Trail

Emma Veidt

The 10 Most Convincing Bigfoot Sightings

Lauren Kent

How to Watch This Year’s Biggest Meteor Shower

Adam Roy

These No-Bake Trail Cookies Taste Delicious and Look Like Literal Sh*t

BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors, Mike Wagner

The Secret to These Backpacking Crepes? Pre-Make Them.

The Backpacker Editors

Going Camping? Leave the Hatchet at Home

Alisha McDarris

Skip the Weight Machines and Do These Exercises To Hike Stronger

Lee Welton

The Ultimate Trail Mix: 14 Hikers Share Their Recipes

Kristin Hostetter, Susan Newquist

14 Things All Backpackers Should Do Before Hitting The Trail

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

43 Essential Skills to Take Your Backpacking Trip to the Next Level

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

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