Add to your outdoor wilderness skills arsenal with expert advice and survival tips from Backpacker Magazine. We cover it all: how to get in shape for hiking, pre-trip planning, backpacker-friendly recipes, how to raise backpacking kids and more!
Add to your outdoor wilderness skills arsenal with expert advice and survival tips from Backpacker Magazine. We cover it all: how to get in shape for hiking, pre-trip planning, backpacker-friendly recipes, how to raise backpacking kids and more!
If you’ve never forgotten an important piece of gear, you will someday. Here’s how to make do without your tent poles, sleeping pad, and more—and how to decide when it’s time to give up and go home.
With smoke choking much of the US, we sourced some expert tips for staying safe on the trail.
Follow these tips to help you get into the zone and unlock your true potential.
Make sure you never get lost again by mastering the underappreciated art of navigating with a compass and map.
Scanning the closet but not sure what to pick? We've got you covered from head to toe. Here's what to wear hiking in every season.
Yes: You can make pancakes on literally any stove, including a Jetboil. And you don't need a frying pan to do it, either—just a mug and this trick.
If your hands and fingers swell up while hiking, don't worry. This common hiking ailment has several potential causes and easy fixes.
Creaky joints? Learn how to strengthen your knees with these supine leg lifts, best performed with 3- to 5-pound ankle weights.
Writer and outdoor adventurer Elisabeth Kwak laces up her HOKA Anacapas and embarks on a challenge that helps her redefine success and discover a new identity as an outdoor athlete
Ramp up your speed for hiking, trail running, and reaching the views faster with this all-in-one cardio and stabilizing workout.
Don't let a poorly-loaded backpack put a damper on your next adventure in the backcountry. Learn how to pack it the right way—with efficiency, convenience and comfort in mind.
Social media is full of ridiculous “camping hacks” that won’t help you do anything but create a bunch of extra garbage. Embrace these editor-tested tricks for staying comfy in the backcountry instead.
Don’t want to run out of cash midway through your dream thru-hike? You need to spend some time figuring out your finances up front.
Reap all the physical and mental advantages of mindfulness without ever setting foot inside a class.
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?
A rainy trip doesn’t need to be a miserable trip.
Mental toughness is more than just pushing through pain to reach the summit. It’s also about learning to walk the tightrope between confidence and humility.
You don't need to be an Olympic athlete to go hiking. But a little bit of physical prep will go a long way toward making sure you have a safe, fun, and successful trip. Get ready for your next hike with this easy-to-follow fitness advice from Backpacker.
You already know packing more stuff isn’t always better. These tasty, three-ingredient, simple backpacking recipes apply that same philosophy to your menu.
Food trends and tastes have changed over the last 50 years—and backpacking fare is no exception.
Want to improve your next trek, guaranteed? Master these key skills for hiking, climbing, and camping in comfort.
We narrowed down the best of the best of America’s favorite trail snack.
Your big adventures are right around the corner. Is your cardiovascular strength up to snuff?
Your tent will withstand anything with these tips.
Erratic, joy-filled exercise could make you a fitter—and happier—athlete.
You hate oatmeal? We don't blame you. It may be the easiest trail breakfast, but more often than not, it also ends up as a tasteless, textureless goop that hikers have to choke down. But suffer no more: These 10 trail-tested oat recipes are easy to make (just mix the ingredients in) and will satisfy even the pickiest eater.
As multiuse trails get more crowded, we can all do our part to avoid conflict.
Are you in good shape but still struggling with steep hikes? The culprit could be how you're breathing.
To keep trekking when you have the trots, feed your body the right fuel.
Record-setting thru-hiker Jeff Garmire suffered for years before discovering he had exercise-induced asthma—but the struggle taught him a thing or two about sticking with it.
A double dose of chocolate and spice will keep your taste buds hopping this winter.
For one hiker, the secret to recovering from a chronic overuse injury was falling in love with hiking in the muck.
Does your back feel beaten-up after a long day toting a pack? These simple tactics from trainer and guide Jason Antin can help fight the pain.
Learn how to battle the aches and pains of hiking with an expert's tips for staying healthy.
One-way hiking means never seeing the same spot twice, but you need to have your car shuttle logistics dialed. Follow these 10 tips to shuttle like a pro.
Nothing says “I love you” like charcuterie and mountain views.
Pushing your limits will yield more views, better fitness, confidence, and, perhaps, perspective.
From curries to seafood soup, these gourmet meals will warm you to your core.
Yes, really. Taking your cat hiking is easier than you think. Just follow these trail-tested tips.
You don’t need to be fluent in hiker lingo to hit the trail—but it does help to understand guidebooks, trip reports, and your fellow trekkers around camp.
From powdered eggs to fresh apples to entire sausages, here’s the chow that keeps us going.
You hike year-round. Why can't your dog? Make sure they're dressed, fed, and prepared for the weather, and your best friend can enjoy the snow by your side.
There's no "wrong" way to hike, and this year, we're proving it.
Getting injured isn’t the end of the world (we promise). Here’s how to keep from spiraling.
A slow walk through the woods has psychological and physiological benefits—and it could teach you a few things about hiking, too.
Big adventures don’t need big price tags.
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.
Winter backpacking doesn't have to be about suffering. For cheerful cold-weather trips, we can learn something from the Danes.
Most of us won’t make it to either pole in this lifetime. But we can still learn some tricks from those who have.
Nothing says down-home comfort better than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Assemble these easy recipes at home to upgrade a classic drink.
Want to ensure a fun, productive, and injury-free spring? Try these drills, which you may already know from your high-school sports days.
Travelling a long trail end to end isn't the only way to thru-hike.
'Tis the season for a wintry multisport adventure. Here’s how to take to the ice safely.
Hiking for your tree is your family’s new favorite holiday tradition.
Still settling for those tasteless supermarket white button mushrooms? Expand your palate with these ’shrooms found in the U.S.
No more running out of gas in the middle of cooking with these methods.
Go from shivering basketcase to four-season badass in eight easy steps.
Digging, lifting, and sawing in the hot sun take a toll on the body.
Hiking is hard, but it shouldn’t be painful. Focus on the fun by achieving all-around fitness and preventing common aches.
Prepare your mind and body ready to fend for yourself in the backcountry.
Here’s how to prep your body for linking big days.
You don't need to white-knuckle your way through your dream high-altitude trip. Here's how you can feel your best.
Shorter days are no problem with these night hiking tips.
Some advice doesn’t age well. It’s time for an upgrade.
Backpackers were once big on making their own gear. Do those projects hold up today?
Beginner hikers often overpack and overprepare. But as Maggie Slepian learned the hard way, experienced hikers have their own special way of messing up.
Stop picking between your fitness and your free time. These aerobic conditioning workouts are just as effective and take less than an hour.
Humans, like trees, grow best in damp soil.
As defenders of all things outdoors, we can’t let Paul Hollywood’s weird marshmallow hockey pucks stand.
The market is flooded with various styles of filter. Here’s how to pick.
We all use the trails—but very few hikers take the time to help keep them clean, safe, and maintained. Here's how you can join them.
These easy breakfast ideas let you fuel up and break camp without firing up the stove.
Yes, you might have to get up early. But put in the effort to fit some trail time into your vacay, and you'll have a chance to sample hikes you might otherwise never do.
As winter approaches, the air gets harsher and harsher for our delicate lip skin. Protect it with these tips.
A pounding skull can ruin a hike, unless treated properly.
Feeling achy and serotonin-depleted after a couple months on the trail? This gym workout will help you out.
If hikers five decades ago could make their own gear, so can you.
Can our scout coax his feline friend into becoming a true trail companion?
Do these exercises regularly to widen your range of motion to feel your best on the trail and avoid injuries.
As hikers, we spend a lot of time in nature. Impress your hiking partners with these answers to commonly asked questions.