Want to graduate from casual day hiker to mountaineer? Here are five peaks that give a full-value taste of different aspects of mountaineering without requiring a lifetime of learning beforehand.
MoreYou’ve got to rest well to play well. Follow these 12 essential tips to make sure you sleep well under the stars.
MoreThe mountainous terrain around Estes Park, CO is stunning. High alpine meadows stretch on for miles in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the forests and canyons throughout the area offer something to marvel at in every direction. I spent two…
MoreThere is a wise old saying that holds the secret to finding the “perfect” camping mattress. Want to hear it? Cool, it goes like this: Finding the perfect camping mattress is understanding that there is no such thing as the…
MoreFinding the right camping mattress can be like searching for the Holy Grail. Maybe you’re a backpacker chasing the perfect combination of warmth and weight. Or perhaps you’re a car camper hunting for that ultimate “feels like my bed at…
MoreMotivation to get outside during the off-season can fall as low as the mercury on a chilly November evening. But with a little planning and a few comfort-enhancing tricks, shoulder-season can be the perfect time of year for an adventure. Check out…
MoreSeven Fall Camping Tips That crisp autumn air in your nostrils, the soft crunch of fallen leaves, the golden glow of an early sunset, less people, fewer bugs…camping in the fall is the best. Whether embarking on a late-season backpacking trip…
MoreYou might be quietly sobbing over the end of summer, but fear not. As nearly any backpacker will tell you, fall is really where it’s at. The colors are spectacular, the crowds a bit thinner, and the temperatures so perfect,…
MoreMy best friend Heidi and I laid all the gear on the living room floor while August, Heidi’s two year old son, danced through the piles, asking if he could eat the snickers bar that was going into our food…
MoreThe art of a responsible backcountry campfire is right up there with the art of the backcountry poo. Both are incredibly enjoyable, in their own unique ways, and both are more frequently practiced poorly than we all might like, leaving…
MoreThe parallels between backpacking and relationships are innumerable, if not completely contrived for the sake of this introduction. For instance, take Paul Simon and me. We’ve never been in a relationship, but he thinks there are 50 ways to leave…
MoreThere are a bunch of reasons glaciers have found a home here in the Northwest, draped heavily on the shoulders of our beloved Cascades, and snow events like we just had are one of them. Multiple feet of snow fell…
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