Skills

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.

The body does weird stuff on the trail. We rounded up the experts to answer our burning questions about hiker physiology.

A home dehydrator might be the handiest kitchen tool you never knew you needed. Upgrade your backcountry cooking with these drying (and rehydrating) tips.

You've learned the basics and know enough to keep yourself safe. Want to take the next step toward honing your backcountry skills? Maggie Slepian explains why hitting the trail alone is the way to do it.

For his 3-day, fastest known time-setting hike of the JMT, Jeff Garmire had one rule: bring as little as he could carry and still make it to the finish.

Check out Christopher Tedeschi's author page.

Keep your cool in the backcountry—no matter how high the mercury climbs—with these key lessons from one of the hottest places on Earth.

Hikers around the globe can agree on one thing: Snacks are essential.

Thru-hiking is for everyone—but if you really want to build your life around the trail, some careers make it easier than others.

You don't have to spend hours and hours on the trail to get prepared for your next big hike. It's more efficient to train with a loaded pack.

When there’s nothing to write home about, you might be doing it right.

Everything you need to find a last-minute backpacking adventure before the leaves turn and the air turns frosty.

Next time you have to resupply your gear, make one of these swaps to reduce your waste and impact on the planet.

Bigfoot seems to pop up in a lot of places, but he sure is elusive when it comes to having his photo taken.

Catch the Perseids with these smart skywatching tips.

Despite their eponymous appearance, cow chips, a rich cookie, taste divine.

Wildfire season is getting longer and more intense. What does that mean for backpackers who have to breathe the smoke it generates?

Whether for breakfast, lunch, or an after-dinner treat, these make-ahead crepes add a touch of class to any campsite.

Hatchets, saws, and axes have a place—and it's not in the backcountry.

Check out Lee Welton's author page.

From "good old raisins and peanuts" to trail mixes spiced with hot peppers, Michigan cherries, beer nuts, and dried carrots, the ultimate backwoods snack comes your way, courtesy of Backpacker readers.

Want to make your hike better? A little time before you depart will save you a lot of hassle later.

Backpacking really isn’t that complicated. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Bad weather. A heavy pack. Blisters. Bears. Hazards big and small can sabotage any trip. Avoid common mistakes with these 100 tips and tricks for planning, hiking, and camping, and make your first—or next—trek problem-free.

Check out Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan's author page.

Check out Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan's author page.

Read these tips from expert soloists to gauge your readiness and learn how to enjoy an unfettered adventure.

Use long exposures to reveal the beauty of celestial motion.

Stop settling for the same blah menu. With these tips, all hikers can prepare trailside Michelin-star-worthy meals. Even the lazy ones.

Knowing how to prevent and treat burns should be in every backpacker's toolkit.

One hiker combines her loves of cooking and backpacking.

If your feet ever become numb while hiking, don't worry. This common hiking ailment has a few potential causes and easy fixes.

Leapfrogging, following benchmarks, and more.

Dogs can get hurt on the trail just like you. Here's how to treat 5 common problems.

Snakes and heat shouldn't keep your little one locked inside all summer. Here's how to keep them safe in the backcountry.

If you haven’t snagged a reservation to the growing list of timed-entry parks, it might seem like a trip there this summer is out of the cards. But fret not—we found some legal ways to visit.

Hiking big miles every day can make your legs tired and crispy. Not if you've prepared. Here's how to develop invincible trail legs.

You don’t need to “get in shape” to enjoy hiking season. Here’s how to savor it from the start.

And what to do when you get athlete’s foot on your pack.

Dayhikes are wonderful, but you’ve decided to make the leap and sleep outside. No car, no campground, just you, your hiking partner, and a tent. Here’s how to pull off your first backpacking trip without a hitch.

Bring home dreamy after-dark images of your starlit camp with these pro-level tips.

Add four low-carb recipes to your trail cookbook

Not satisfied with stopping at the river’s edge? Unlock new wilderness with this lightweight waterfaring setup.

Ditching the baggage and streamlining your life can be easier said than done.

You really want more granola? Get your carbs in a tasty, new way.

Don't let a small scrape send you off trail for some antibiotics. You can prevent getting an infected cut with these tips.

Short answer: It depends. Here’s everything that goes into your regular hiking pace.

Yes, it's time-consuming and expensive. But you don't want to be unprepared when a wilderness emergency strikes.

Sometimes you're compatible as friends, but not hiking partners. These tips will preserve your relationship and keep it off the trails, for good.

No, you don't have to hang up your pack for good. Recovery is possible, but here's what you have to prioritize before hitting the trails.

Whether you're a Mountain House fanatic or dehydrate your entire menu yourself—here's how to keep your energy levels stable on trail.

We've been warned against hitchhiking our entire lives—but on a long trail, sometimes it's the best option.

Irrigation is the most important step you can take to prevent a cut from going south.

Most thru-hikers are careful about LNT rules—but a few scofflaws can make us all look bad.