Skills

All you need is a pair of dumbbells to prepare your quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders, and core for ski touring this winter.

It’s February, which means you’d better start reserving campsites for August now. We have a few tips for you.

Whether you want to hike 25 miles in a day or simply focus on the scenery and not your sore legs, getting fit before you hit the trail will improve your every step. We asked the pros how to get healthy—and stay that way.

All calories are not created equal. Learn the right way to fuel your big-mile ambitions.

Reality check: Hitting the gym is the quickest way to hike farther, easier, faster, and pain-free. Get into a routine—or take yours to the next level—with these smart workouts for three different levels.

To reach the best places in the backcountry, you have to rely on your own two feet.

Oxygen feeds your muscles. Manage your heart rate and breathing and you can hike (almost) forever.

Recruit your arms to overcome terrain challenges or just give the legs a break.

The muscles of your torso and back work hard to carry the load comfortably mile after mile.

Protein helps your body maintain muscle mass, prevents next-day soreness, and sustains energy. Pack it in with these filling, recovery-boosting recipes.

Training the calves can reap huge benefits for knee and ankle health. These three calf exercises will help keep your lower body injury-free.

Sculptural rock formations and otherworldly passageways await when you descend below the rim. Here’s how to do so safely.

From location to decoration and everything in between, these tips will make your campsite the most tricked-out on the mountain.

In the backcountry, a rolled ankle can spell trouble. Learn how to tell minor sprains from major injuries and what to do if you’re hurt.

Looking to climb some glaciated peaks this winter? These snow anchors will keep your rope team secure above drops or high-angled slopes.

From Gouda to good old string cheese, we tested 20 types to find the trail-worthiest.

Gauge your cardiovascular fitness to hone in on your training goals.

Creaky joints? Learn how to strengthen your knees with these supine leg lifts, best performed with 3- to 5-pound ankle weights.

Many of the skills involved with long hiking also lend themselves to going faster on trails.

Through thick and thin, health and injury, long slogs and zero days, your trail family will be there for you.

No workout can mimic the challenge of a thru-hike, but you can minimize initial soreness—and the risk of injury—by smart training. Start a fitness program at least eight weeks before your hike.

It’s not all in the legs. Strengthen your upper body to boost your balance and better control your poles and pack on rough terrain.

Whether you want gas station-fast or cafe-gourmet, there's a way to do it right.

If you feel knee pain while hiking, don't ignore it. With these tips from a physical therapist, you can remedy and prevent injury.

Burning fuel in confined spaces can lead to lethal carbon monoxide poisoning.

This tempo workout strengthens your tendons and ligaments while creating long-lasting muscle endurance for injury-free hiking in season.

Winter is the perfect time to learn how to track animals. Get started with these tips.

Don't let your water bottle turn into ice on the trail. Keep it flowing with these tips.

An expert personal trainer shares tips on a post-hike recovery regimen that'll keep your trail legs strong.

Tasty enough for food bloggers, but portable enough for the trail: These homemade hiking snacks will quickly replace any pre-packaged bars from the store.

We collected all of your burning questions and consulted our field experts on everything from winter gear to screaming barfies to hibernation.

Secure permits before they sell out, convince your boss to give you time off work, make a foolproof meal plan, and more.

Wow your friends with this campfire cooking trick.

Many backpackers depend on their phones as cameras, GPS devices, e-readers, and more. Keep yours running for longer with this advice.

Sunny, warm days can actually be bitterly cold. The culprit? Wind chill. Here's how to calculate real-feel temps for windy hikes.

Get a headstart with these workouts that hit every major muscle group.

Stay upright no matter how icy or snowy the trail conditions get this winter. The key: carefully select what you're wearing on your feet.

Hiking isn’t just for the young. Take care of yourself and your body, and you can spend the rest of your life on the trail. It helps to have a plan: Avoid injuries and stay strong with this age-group-by-age-group guide to trail fitness.

Build your fitness foundation with this essential physiological info, tips on eating right and exercises for staying in prime hiking shape.

Get trail-fit fast! This 4-week program was designed specifically for hikers by trainers Melissa Racouillat of San Francisco's Stone Clinic and Darren Flagg of Boulder's Animal Strength Human Performance Lab.

Use these proven exercises to get in the best hiking shape of your life.

Hike your way through your golden years with these specially-crafted fitness tips.

Get into the winter spirit with 11 custom recipes for the most classic backpacking dessert.

Get ready for the long fitness haul with these skills, workouts, and essential info.

Don't get stuck in the mud. Learn to evaluate road hazards, overcome obstacles, and navigate the unpaved passages between your front door and your next adventure.

It's like the old saying goes: there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Get ready for whatever nature throws at you with this guide to layering strategy.

Check out Zoe Gates's author page.

In 5 months, a new class of thru-hikers will start the trip of a lifetime. If you hope to be one of them, there are a few things you should start doing now.

More than half of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers reported dealing with a bout diarrhea along the trail. Here's what you need to know to avoid the trots.

Can't sleep? Fight back with these six tips.

Guarantee yourself a great adventure– every time–by adopting these proven routines for planning and pulling off the perfect trip.

Everyday activities can put a strain on the complex muscles in your shoulder. Give them the care they need with these postures.

Don't let an asthma attack ruin your hike. Breathe easy with these tips.

Class up your camp with these backpacker's crepes.

Don't fear the freeze: Learn to love the cold and feel the whole winter wilderness open up to you.

Sunny and 70 is nice, but makes for a mighty short hiking season. Hit the trail all year long by learning how to thrive—not just survive—in wet, cold, hot, and windy conditions.

Make a home for the night wherever there's snow with these blueprints to snow caves, trench shelters, and quinzees.

The Best Tips to Prepare You for Your High Elevation Vacation

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a painting? Nikki Frumkin walked us through watercolor art for backpackers.

Choosing which foods to eat in the wild can either make or break you. If you're starving and don't know what's safe to eat, follow this protocol.

Instant sweet potatoes and mini marshmallows make this a unique twist on pizza.

Cold injury can lead to disability or even gangrene and amputation. But advances in its treatment over the last few decades could be a big help.

Instead of gorging on pasta, backpackers should focus on consistency in nutrition, says Adventure Performance Training’s founder and head coach James Fisher.

Roasted marshmallows aren’t just for s’mores: Use them to top this delicious, easy berry treat.

They were nearly America's national bird. This November, celebrate the humble turkey in its natural habitat.

Take the holidays outdoors with this easy, delicious menu.

Getting outdoors to give thanks doesn’t have to mean dehydrated meals.

There’s a lot of first aid advice out there, and take it from a doctor: Not all of it is good.

Learn the easiest way to hang a bear bag and keep your camping snacks safe from rummaging paws.

Ending too many hikes with sore, wobbly legs? Trekking poles can help you make it that extra mile.

Hikers are all about leg strength, but don’t forget about training your arms and shoulders in order to avoid aches on the trail.

Backpacking rule number one: Pack enough to eat.

Rushing rivers pose one of the backcountry’s biggest threats. Do you know how to cross safely—or when it’s best to not cross at all?

Barre, the strength training regimen derived from ballet, could be your key to improved stability and injury prevention on the trail.

What's a surefire way to ruin a hike? A selfish hiking partner.

Why settle for just one pastime? Add a sport that’s simultaneously exciting and relaxing to your backpacking trips by catching your first trout.

Build strength for loaded backpacking hill climbs and descents.

One hiker reflects on the backpacking lessons she learned during a particularly memorable first overnight.

Getting ill on the trail happens, and it can be scary. Here's how to prevent sickness and ride it out when it happens.