Skills

Rainshell or fleece? Know at a glance with this wireless weather station.

You can bake this yummy treat even at altitude, and you and your mates will be fighting over the last crumbs.

Rethink gin. With heavy pine needles and balanced, exotic flavors, this spirit may be the perfect backcountry compliment you've written off.

10 reinventions of trailworn dinner recipes. Plus some easy breakfast and dessert options.

Overall top-scorer: This wallet-saver meal is super easy to make but packs dynamite flavor.

BACKPACKER readers submitted scores of simple, delicious recipes. Here are 21 taste-tested favorites.

Switch things up with this easy twist on a classic staple.

Hit the ground hiking with this off-season checklist.

It may seem obvious but there's a right way and a wrong way to strap on those trekking poles. Get it right with this simple tutorial for maximum comfort and utility.

Trekking poles are a boon for security on sketchy terrain, and they'll keep your knees alive over hard-charging decades of hiking. To get the most benefit on flats, uphills and downhills, use adjustable-length poles and adjust them correctly. Here's how.

Having boot trouble on the trail? You might be able to save your day, and your feet, just by using these simple lacing solutions. Combine them as necessary to get the comfort you want.

If Miss Manners backpacked, she'd agree with us.

Even the best backpack isn't comfortable if you don't fit and adjust it correctly. To start: Pick a pack that's the proper gender and general size for you. For example: women's small or men's medium.

Poles can prevent falls and stress injuries, particularly on rough terrain with big loads. But, the constant 'click click' can drive you nuts. They leave poked holes in soft trails, and on rock slabs trek pole tips skate dangerously. Here, a simple fix.

Pitching a tent is almost always about versatility. Instead of tying guys and auxiliary stake-out loops permanently to your tent, using convertible guylines and rock out loops. Here's how:

Ideal for family outings plus has everything but the kitchen sink

Complete kitchen in an easy to pack compact package

Just because you're 10 miles into the wilderness doesn't mean you should miss out on holiday drinks.

Ring in the New Year with this twist on the classic champagne cocktail featuring pomegranate and brown sugar.

The 10 essentials packing list was designed to ensure that hikers could a) respond positively to an accident or emergency, and b) remain safe if forced to spend one or more nights out. Here they are, along with some specific suggestions.

Hike farther, faster, and pain-free with these training tips and exercise.

Try this exercise to give your lower back the strength you need.

Nothing's worse on the trail than knee pain. Prevent and cure it with this exercise.

Tackle big miles with this essential exercise.

Want legs that handle any terrain. This is the exercise.

Get core strength with this key exercise.

Fill up with this savory and surprising dish.

Check out these delicious one-pot dishes.

Take a break from gels with these fruity and peanut-buttery pick-me-ups.

A hearty, creamy soup that will fill you up in the backcountry.

Red quinoa adds a nutty kick to savory herbs and veggies

These filling flapjacks have a pleasant crunch and natural sweetness.

A yummy desert or breakfast cooked over the campfire.

Our new iPad app brings the skills you need right to the palm of your hand with monthly digital issues. Subscribe now!

If you prefer a flask to a cocktail in the backcountry, give these fine Scotches a chance to warm you from the inside out this winter.

Fuel up with these belly-warming meals.

Pick up these book titles from BACKPACKER Magazine and be prepared for your next outdoor adventure.

7 subscribers who inspire, lead, volunteer, and more

After testing 23 canned craft beers from across the country, we narrowed it down to our top choices--simply the best craft canned beers for backpacking.

Pack these tasty treats for fast energy on the trail.

For your next backcountry lunch, don't just munch on an energy bar. Try one of these tasty options.

A top-ranked dessert in the 2004 REI/BACKPACKER Camp Cook-Off

May 2000 readers' favorite

March 1982 readers' favorite

First-place entrée winner of the 2004 REI/BACKPACKER Camp Cook-Off

Temper our recipe for Earthworm Patty Supremes with a little Drunken Choc-Berry Fondue. Plus, other recipes and cooking skills.

Take care of yourself in the backcountry with these tips and laugh (or at least smile knowingly in the face of 10 common wilderness threats.

A propane system that takes camp cooking to a whole new level.

Box wine is back in a big--and quaffable-- way. Here are our favorites for the trail.

Learn to make the classic cold weather cocktail and get a primer on a new version that's sure to impress your tent-mates

Gear, gizmos, and doodads you never should buy

Toasting to the day of your birth in the backcountry isn't complete without a proper dessert. Or three.

Don't forget these essentials when you're headed into the cold.

Use these tips to plan perfect winter camping meals.

There are two basic ways of melting water: passive and active.

Site your stove a few steps from your tent, so you can conveniently melt snow or brew drinks. If you're camping in the same spot for several days (and in deep snow), dig out a snow kitchen.

A fun and functional four-piece kitchen set that includes everything you need to dine in ultralight style.

Why you don't need to worry about snakes, spiders, and bears...and what you should worry about instead

Head high with an axe, crampons, and more.

Quick tips for your transportation of choice.

Meet our four cold-weather experts.

Pack this essential kit to handle your unpredictable gear mishaps.

Don't leave home without these winter camping essentials.

Our pros tell you how to set up a deluxe–yet weatherproof–winter basecamp.

Life's too short to be a three-season hiker. Follow these expert tips on staying warm, picking your route, and cooking savory meals--and add winter's deep solitude and frozen dreamscapes to your adventure calendar.

The gear, techniques, and recipes you need to whip up five-star meals in cold climes

Carry in comfort, from dayhikes to hut trips.

Warm up with these tasty backcountry winter cocktails!

Try these 6 kitchen tips, excerpted from BACKPACKER'S new book, Campsite Cooking: Cookware, Cuisine, and Cleaning Up. Plus, cold-weather tips from the pros.

Fast, filling, and yummy macaroni and cheese is comfort food wherever you pitch your tent.

If you chase big fish, you need a 9-weight fly rod to carry along on your adventures. BACKPACKER reviewed five rods that fit the bill.

And if prepared properly, it'll be quite tasty and good for you, too.

Plus: Pesto Pasta with a Kick recipe

Dig quickly and easily with this all-aluminum shovel.

A great lightweight axe for mountaineering.

Keep your pack light with this twin rope.

These lightweight crampons will keep you safe without the added weight.

It tastes delish. (Yes, really.)

Take our etiquette quiz to find out if you're genteel or a heel.

Everything you need to stay sated in the backcountry.