Skills

Use a few everyday items to keep your doggo and yourself hiking happy.

Our scout bucks conventional wisdom and guns for a 14,000-foot summit by sundown—instead of sunrise.

Be your own beer master with this guide to matching trail meals to craft brews.

Yes, yogurt. Laurie March, author of A Fork in the Trail: Mouthwatering Meals and Tempting Treats for the Backcountry, serves up her three favorite yogurt-based recipes.

Leave it to the pros to have the outdoor world figured out. These tips are what turn hikers into guides—and guides into heroes. Learn from their experiences with gear, skills, and people.

How do you find the best secret spots to take a dip? When is it OK to go naked? Backpacker answers all your summer swimming questions.

These five animals are looking for love this month. Hit the trail to watch them go wild.

Nail a once-in-a-lifetime shot with these tips from professional photographer Lucas Gilman.

You’re an adult: Eat like one. Upgrade your mac and cheese by swapping fluorescent powder for old-world flavors, veggies, and spices.

Train like a pro to perform like one. Bryan Pope of Earth Native Wilderness School recommends these exercises with high reps and low weight to build the strength and endurance of a mountain guide.

No oven? No problem. Here’s how to put cookies, muffins, and brownies on the menu.

Escape crowded summer picnic grounds and head to the backcountry—without having to settle for freeze-dried fare. Follow these tips and recipes for your best BBQ yet

Don't fall for these food fibs.

Get your babe into the woods.

Your kids are old enough to remember this. Make some magic.

These kids are ready to become genuine trip partners.

In a season of change, a new mom finds comfort on the trail.

A young climber rewrites the relationship with his dad.

Some parenting dogma is made for breaking and the backcountry is the place to do it.

The best trail is the one you build. Take the work out of trail work and look like you know what you’re doing with these tips.

Is it possible to have the real thing on the trail?

Tasty, fast, easy: What makes tacos great at home also makes them great on a backpacking trip.

Going on a long hike is complicated under the best of circumstances—but kids and a partner open up a whole new world of challenges.

Trading your boots for a boat? Heed these hints to makes sure you’re never up a creek without a paddle.

OK, so you blew off your preseason training plan. Now what? Start the season right with this 10-minute-a-day workout, and you’ll be ready for the trail in no time.

We can't promise that they're all good. But these five trail cocktails are all memorable.

When you’re swallowed by night, the celestial show begins.

Never choose between comfort, safety, and views again. Here’s how to have it all.

Got a camp full of hangry hikers? After years of leading teens, BACKPACKER staffers, and his own family, Editor-in-chief Dennis Lewon has fed more than his share. Here are his favorite easy-prep appetizers.

It's good for your dog—and good for you, too.

Want to take your pups hiking? Keep them safe—and make them good ambassadors for caninekind—with these basic training tips.

Maximize comfort, convenience, and fun by scouting out your campsite with care.

Your miniatures already love to explore. Help them do it with this checklist from Hike it Baby.

Fight the sedentary lifestyle and get a move on with these exercises and essential skill.

Take good care of your sleeping bag, and you could use it for years to come.

Thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, or another long path? Make the most of your time before you blast off.

A little TLC will keep your hiking boots in shape for years to come.

Want to check an epic hike off your life list? Start ticking off these boxes and make it happen.

Have the thru-hike itch, but don't want to ditch your career? A short long trail may be just what you need.

Upgrade a cold campout with a recipe that warms the insides.

An outdoor jaunt with Fido could turn into the hike from hell if you’re not on the lookout for these possible hazards.

These hiker-friendly meals—with the right ratio of carbs/fat/protein—belong on any trail menu.

Put in enough miles, and feet hike on their own.

The trail can be a challenging place for parents and kids. Set aside your expectations of how a hike should go and learn what you can.

Months on the trail can throw even the most prepared body out of whack. Follow these hard-earned tips from thru-hikers so these six common hiking injuries and illnesses don’t kill your trip.

Seven rules to keep you going all day, every day.

Tent, igloo, or quinzhee? Our testers head out into the cold to settle the debate.

Can our PCT thru-hiker give up hot meals for 2,650 miles?

Quitting your job for the trail doesn't necessarily spell doom for your career.

They don't charge for their help—but that doesn't mean you don't owe them.

Keep yourself (and your supplies) from freezing this winter with tips from Philip Werner, an Appalachian Mountain Club leader and founder of sectionhiker.com

You don’t need to be an English major to make poetry part of your next hike.

Start spring in better shape than ever by working on your weaknesses.

Sometimes it’s the fastest way. Often it’s the prettiest. And in places like the Great Lakes region, ice creates temporary routes only winter adventurers get to explore. Stay safe with tips on assessing ice and preparing for self-rescue.

How do you turn cheap packages of instant noodles into priceless backpacking meals? Step 1: Throw away the seasoning packets. Step 2: Follow these recipes from Chef Glenn McAllister.

Trekking poles reduce impact on joints and help prevent falls on tricky terrain—but only if you use them right. Jayah Faye Paley, creator of training seminars and materials on the topic, offers these tips for getting the most out of your sticks.

In a bind? Turn to humankind’s oldest tool.

Don Buchanan (trail name: Don Viejo), then 85, spent a night on a ledge in California’s San Gabriel Mountains on January 25, 2014.

Upgrade your photos with tips from professional outdoor photographer Adam Barker.

Upgrade your next trek with these homegrown recipes from Backpacker readers and fans.

Education and recreation meet on these campuses, with thriving outdoor programs and nearby trails and mountains.

An ancient path to Nirvana leads a Buddhist monk up a mountain—again and again and again. Can backpackers learn anything from his example?

You already know our magazine's pages are full of survival tips. But you probably didn’t know the pages themselves can help in survival. Put your mag to use in an emergency with these 9 hacks.

Yes, there's a better way to put one foot in front of the other. Improve your stride, trek farther, and end leg and back pain with our guide to the new science of healthy hiking.

Humans did it for thousands of years. But is barefoot walking right for you? The experts sound off.

Are you dealing with aches and pains? The problem could be right on your feet.

What do you do when you find yourself committed to a non-hiker? Sweeten the deal for them with these strategies.

Five easy lessons for getting the most out of your time on the trail

Put your coals to use—and skip the dirty dishes—with these creations from Marilyn Haugen, author of 150 Best Recipes for Cooking in Foil.

Cold and wet conditions make starting a fire— just when you really need one—frustratingly difficult. Stay warm with these tips from Mountain Scout Survival School founder Shane Hobel.

The difference between a dull through-the-door shot and one that gets shared and liked is all about what’s included—and what’s not. Here’s how to elevate your technique.

Improve your photos, learn new techniques, and master the art of outdoor photography.