Somewhere before my bus broke down in Australia, I was called a flashpacker. Despite being on the road for 18 months, it was the first time I’d heard the term. A flashpacker is someone, unusually in their mid 20s to early 30s, who travels like a backpacker but has more disposal income as well as electronics such as a camera, Ipod, or laptop. They also expect better accommodation and amenities. Read More...
The high mountains of Colorado still had a lot of snow in mid June. In fact, the Arkansas river was close to flooding here in Canon City, despite there being no rain in weeks. The snow melt was enough to raise it to its highest level in years. But my friend Mike and I were still hoping to go backpacking up high. Read More...
Why solo backpacking? To be honest, one of the reasons I sometimes go alone is simply that it’s tough to find people to go with, especially on short-notice. So reason number one is just the sheer necessity. But that is not the only reason to enter the wilderness by yourself. Read More...
When backpacking, habits matter. A better sleeping bag may keep you a bit warmer, and a cell phone or GPS unit definitely makes a trip safer, but the things you regularly do while on the trail are just as important. Here are six habits you should develop for wilderness travel. Read More...
As pack weights get lighter and going into the wilderness gets safer, backpacking also is getting more and more expensive. How do you save money without giving up the ultralight equipment and safety gear? Let’s look at a few different ways. Read More...
What kind of sleeping bag should you get? That depends on how you will use it. Of course, it also depends on what your budget is. So decide what you can spend, and then consider the following six questions before you go shopping. Read More...
What goes on in the mind of an ultralight backpacker? A reporter for a backpacking magazine asked me this in a recent interview. I’ve gone backpacking in winter conditions with as little as eleven pounds total on my back, so I do think light. In fact, there are some basic questions that seem to automatically come to mind when I am either planning a backpacking trip or looking at gear. I suspect other lightweight backpackers ask themselves the same things. Read More...
Those who like to travel light in the wilderness are always looking for the lightest backpacking food they can take. Of course, light doesn’t mean crackers or other things that have little weight for their volume. When hiking you need calories above all, so the lightest foods are those that provide the most calories for the weight. Here are some to consider, as well as two other ways to cut the weight of the meals you carry with you. Read More...
Nothing can ruin a hike or backpacking trip as quickly as foot blisters. The pain can be intense, and walking further on blistered feet can cause them to get worse, or to break and get infected. So how do you just avoid them altogether? Here are ten things that have worked for others. Read More...
You may be planning a once in a lifetime trip or just a couple of days in the country, which ever it is it is useful to master the art of rucksack packing. Since you can fit a lot in a rucksack it is important to have some order in the contents. Items which you may need during the day should be at the top, and the whole rucksack should be packed with comfort in mind. Since rucksacks are quite large and you can fit a lot into them, it does not mean that you have to take the kitchen sink. If however, you are determined to take everything you could possibly need, then rucksack packing is even more important for you. If you are not sure what to pack a good technique is to imagine your trip and then you will be able to see what you think you will need. Read More...