Skills

Staying warm does require extra calories when hiking in the winter.

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll love this on-trail Cherry Cobbler.

A gourmet meal designed for the backcountry.

Packing the kitchen for a weekend away? We'll help you pare down.

Punch up boring noodles with ginger and garlic.

Break out of the boring one-pot routine.

Boost your on-trail protein intake with this tasty dish.

Easy ways to take protein on the trail without involving meat or overly fortified energy bars.

From the power cinch to the clove hitch, here are four knots every hiker should know.

A fast, simple way to make silky fondue that's easy to clean

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

This LNT-inspired Dry Sack helps you keep it clean in large groups.

It's skis! It's a snowboard! It's a splitboard!

First-aid tips, survival gear, what to do if..., plus dangerous hikes (and a few scary stories).

A handy knot that's instantly undone for tie-and-go uses. It's also a key component of the trucker's hitch.

The normal hitch for tightening tent guylines without using hardware.

The best knot out there for tightening and releasing cords that will be heavily loaded. It's perfect for cinching down gear, tensioning horizontal spans of rope, or getting a large tarp tightly pitched.

A readily adjustable rope-end knot for trees and large objects, but tougher to visualize than its mid-rope version.

If you don't want a rope to slip, or you want to create tension, tie a quick clove hitch and attach it to something like a tree branch or carabiner.

A fast-to-tie knot for tying off to tent stakes, dock posts, broken tree branches, and carabiners. It's easily adjustable for tension on either end.

Our readers send so many lovely pictures it's hard to pick a winner. These are the ones we loved but didn't pick for publication in the August 2010 issue.

Tying a figure 8 mid-rope allows you to securely attach to a particular spot in the line. You can make hand or footholds this way, that can be easily untied after bearing weight. Learn to tie a figure 8 by watching our slide show series on knot tying.

How 10 grassroots innovators are helping kids get active outdoors

Learn how to properly tie one of the simplest and most versatile knots known to man.

This version of the overhand knot is stronger with lower-creep, yet easily-untied. This knot is perfect for securing everything from guylines to climbing harnesses.

After a long day on the trail, I am in no mood for gourmet slicing and dicing. Here's a delicious, sweet, and savory dish that lets you leave your cutting boards at home.

Learn how to tie the potentially life-saving bowline knot and more with these step-by-step photo tutorials.

A half hitch is an overhand knot tied around departing cord. It's the simplest way to secure a bowline waist loop for critical uses like climbing.

Fill up on these protein-rich meals.

Turned around in the backcountry? Here are 33 essential tips to remember if you or your partner goes missing.

This gourmet dish combines dehydrated ground beef, fresh cherry tomatoes, and arepa flour for a protein-filled meal.

Chicken, cheese, and avocado–what more do you need?

How to choose an effective, safe sunblock.

Get in your best hiking shape with trail running. It strengthens the right muscles, builds cardio fitness, and can be done all year–better yet, it hardly costs a dime.

In a Utah mash-up of adventure racing and wilderness medicine, everyone wins.

Spice up your backcountry menu with this flavorful and satisfying Asian staple.

In 20 minutes, you can have Asian in the backcountry.

Spice up ramen noodles with this easy Thai dish.

Learn to identify three families of clouds and you'll be able to forecast rain, sun, and deadly storms.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Enter our 2011 "Your Best Shot" photo contest for a chance to win a Crumpler camera pack.

Whether you want to make a slick family-trip memoir or a movie worthy of a film festival, shooting high-quality video takes more than pushing "record." Sign up for our webinar and our expert team will show you how to shoot like a pro.

Just like at home, there's clean-up to do after every meal in the backcountry. Here's how to get your dishes clean.

No sink? No problem. Here's a step-by-step guide to backcountry dish scrubbing.

Test your knowledge of cloud types, and how you can use them to predict the weather.

Maximize your thermos's heat retention capacity with these easy preheating steps.

No one takes a to-go cup on the trail. Unless it's one of these hardy thermoses or hot/cold bottles.

These are some of our favorite wildlife photos you've submitted to the Reader Photo Contest.

Everyone gets it. But the BACKPACKER editors aren't afraid to take their hats off and flaunt it. Check out this slideshow complete with details on how to submit your own (or an unsuspecting friend's) horrible camp hair pics.

Become an official BACKPACKER Map Correspondent and get FREE GEAR!

Suffer no more: instant cheesecake for the backcountry.

Claim a corner of your garage or basement to create this ultimate setup for storing, maintaining, and repairing gear.

Your pre-trip shopping just got a whole lot easier.

Take the hassle out of menu planning with these fast meals.

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don't leave camp without inhaling one of these tasty options.

Upgrade any camp dinner with this medium-bodied wine.

A fork, knife, and spoon for the green and ultralight crowd.

The four Herbal Oats granola bar varieties are all-natural, preservative-free, and delicious.

What does it mean to be utterly, hopelessly, truly lost? In this video series, author Jim Thornton takes you step by step through his bid to find his way out of the Frank Church Wilderness.

These bear canisters have been making bears sad since 1982.

Pots for the masses–and the ages.

Get all-day protection without the greasy white tint with this chemical-free sunscreen.

This sweet and savory sandwich is a staff favorite.

The best instant coffee ever

A disposable grill for backcountry feasts

Supreme stickiness on rock in a lightweight hiking shoe

Kids will love this dessert.

Dress up any meal with these condiments.

A great two-pot cookset

A ceramic coated cook pot with a fry pan lid

The perfect solo cookset

The ultimate winter camp shoe

An all-natural sunscreen with bug repellant

Stop blisters in their tracks.

Build this light, affordable kit to repair any backwoods blowout.

Upgrade your navigation skills under the tutelage of BACKPACKER's map editors.

Learn the proper belay and safety technique for scrambling on steep terrain.

Just getting started? Master these basic rules to improve all of your pictures.

Wilderness paddler Mike Stavola sets a record on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.