Skills

Rice and pasta are nice, but if you want variety, add some millet, kasha, or quinoa to your trail menu.

Here's a quick tip for finding blazed trails.

Keep fresh and cool with this clothing tip from one of our readers.

Eight reasons to pack baking soda on the trail.

Keep scrapes clean with lightweight cleaning pads.

Your daily cups of java seem innocent-until you hit the trail and don't get your normal caffeine buzz for a couple of days.

Think crypto comes only from polluted water? Your healthy camp mate could be a carrier.

Texas reader says plastic-coated wire ties are essential item for backcountry emergency kits.

How to improve your tolerance for cold and enhance your outdoor performance.

Your 3 million sweat glands can make for a sweaty, smelly hike.

Body odor can get pretty bad on the trail. Here's how to make sure you never again hear the words, "What's That Smell?"

Tuck a folded square of aluminum foil in your pack and it may come in handy as a...

With a few precautions, expecting hikers can hit the trail.

Here's our guide to environmental etiquette while horsepacking.

Follow this cover-up advice before you head into the desert.

Your finger got crushed between a rock and a hard place. Here's what to do.

New trail-tested advice for shading your face from the sun.

Hikes with a lot of elevation gain and loss are prime for getting tendinitis in the Achilles tendon.

We're not saying you need a pedicure, but a toenail trim doesn't hurt on the trail.

Tired of freeze-dried? Try hardtack and corn dodgers for a tasty change of pace.

Should we pave the wilderness and install escalators for the disabled? No, says a former backpacker.

Wind chill can nip noses or lead to frostbite. Here's what you should know.

Startling research reveals the backcountry melts tension.

This vegetarian burger recipe will suit your palate and clean-up the environment.

Here's what to do if you're caught near a wilderness wildfire.

Rice takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, so no wonder it's such a tasty, versatile trail food.

In a strange way, music and wilderness go hand in hand.

Where not to be during lightning.

Use streams, snow, rivers, and ponds as chilling grounds for enticing backcountry desserts.

Telling time without a watch is just a few digits away.

When it comes to punching up a bland menu,there's a whole world of flakes, granules, and sprinkles waiting to be tried.

Sea kayaking might not be difficult, but follow these tips to make the most of your ocean voyages.

Follow these tips to make the most out of the northern night skies.

Crossing rivers can be treacherous -- unless you know what you're doing.

Make sure you know how to stay safe in the mountains.

Sore shoulders after lugging a pack? Try this exercise remedy.

A tool tube answers the age-old packing dilemma: Where do I put the long, skinny stuff?

Suffer a bone-related injury and one of these high-tech splints will quickly become your best friend.

Eggs on the trail, stoveless oatmeal, and other breakfast miracles from readers.

The wind can save you from bugs or drive you mad. Here's how to enjoy the benefits and avoid the downside of a good stiff breeze.

Whether it's old and dirty or fresh off the store shelf, your first-aid kit should be able to handle any emergency.

Learn what the white stuff means.

Use these tools if you're hankering to learn the secret of snow.

That's essentially what the outdoors is, so use those cold temps to carry tasty foods that wouldn't stand a chance in summer.

Finish foot fungus fast -- and naturally.

Scientists now believe that the navigationally challenged can retrain their brains.

Winter activities demand more of your body's energy.

When the ground is frozen or 3 feet under snow, use these backcountry bathroom techniques.

Know what to look for and you can simply pick one up off the ground.

Tofu has been much maligned, but the simple truth is that it's tasty, nutritious, and an ideal trail food.

Or anything else, for that matter, once you use this easy-to-make stove platform.

A personal perspective on healing back, joint and other body pains.

Shaky on logs or rocks? Try these exercises to steady your feet.

It's tasty, nutritious, and will survive being crammed in a pack. Might pasta be the perfect trail food?

If rock hopping or log crossing triggers panic, maybe you need to fine-tune your balancing act.

If you've had a knee injury, follow these exercises before you hit the trail again.

Make your own backcountry insurance policy.

How to build a shelter if you get stuck in the backcountry.

Got a first-aid kit? Great. Now add these over-the-counter medicines and it'll be perfect.

Cooking tips from readers.

Stronger foot muscles can end ankle sprains and aching arches.

Test to see if your "shocks" -- the arches of your feet -- are blown.

In every backpacker's life, there comes a time when you stare awestruck at a mountain and wonder, "What's it like to climb that sucker?"

Time it right and you can harvest fresh greens every day of your trip.

Rather than tearing open an envelope, wouldn't you rather slice and dice something fresh?

Stay calm, have a bite to eat, and remember there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

Use these specific stretches to alleviate muscle pain.

Boil, pour, stir, eat. Camp food doesn't get any easier than this.

Nothing cramps your style like a knotted muscle. Here are simple ways to stay pain-free.

Choose your fuel wisely to keep your engine running strong.

What you can and can't fix: How to breathe new life into tired old faithfuls.

Break down your calorie intake for maximum energy on the trail.

Fish hooks can be painful and dangerous -- here's how to get 'em out.

No joint is more prone to injury than the knee. Here's what to do when faced with a backcountry blow-out.

The big hinge in your leg is essential to hiking -- here's how the knee gets you over the pass.

Why shoulder a heavy load when you can easily slide it along behind you?

When pack weight drags you down, homemade Sherpa straps can help ease the burden.

Take an advanced wilderness first-aid course and you'll never have to say "I didn't know what to do" to the next-of-kin.

If your feet are a source of backcountry air pollution, here's how to keep them smelling sweet.