The Trailhead

Our community for knowledge, gear, and transformational backcountry experiences.

ONE HUNDRED DIVIDED BY EIGHT: DEEDRA ZEEH IN THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL'S 100-MILE WILDERNESS
Words & Photos by Deedra Zeeh What do you tell others about a 100-mile walk in the woods? How do you describe it? Do you tell them that you feel more alive than you have in years? Do you tell them that there were days you hated it and convinced yourself you would never go back? Do you tell them about the distinctive sites,…
INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW ELEVATE 22 TECHNICAL DAY PACK! HOW CREATIVE ADVENTURERS CARRY THE DAY
Put your thinking caps, helmets, or bandanas on, Trailheaders! The new Elevate 22 technical day pack is here to accept your proposals for sunup to sundown action! Built with a blend of the ultralight, super durable, and 100% waterproof made-in-the-USA Dyneema© Composite Fabrics we trust and love, this 17.9 oz (size…
APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS 2023, YOU SAY?! JOSH SHEETS HAS THE DEETS! (AND SPECIALS!!)
Words from Josh “Soulslosher” Sheets @Josh_Sheets, Photos from HMG Starting on Friday, May 19th, and running through the weekend, Damascus, Virginia, will once again host one of the most legendary thru hiker gatherings of each and every year – APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS! Our pal and past AT thru hiker Josh Sheets will be there…
APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS 2023 DEAL OF THE DAY: 15% OFF ALL PACKS!
Words from Josh “Soulslosher” Sheets @Josh_Sheets, Photos from Tommy Corey & HMG Howdy, all! Let's get the big info you've all been waiting for out of the way right outta the gate! We’re in Damascus, Virginia, for Appalachian Trail Days 2023, reveling in the joy, honoring the commitment, and goin’ gonzo for gear with AT…
Finding Trust On Unsure Footing
Lately I've been coming up against a challenge related to the alpine that actually occurs before I ever have the chance to step foot on snow or ice. It does, however, have just as much baring on my safety and experience as any other choice I make during a climb. The challenge is a simple one that I have yet to find a…
WHY DOES AUSTRALIA HATE SWITCHBACKS SO MUCH?! A Friendly Introduction to Backpacking Down Under
So you’re finally balling out on that big antipodean holiday to come visit me. It’s an honor! Feel free to crash on this lovely couch for as long as you want, it’s got your name all over it. And what’s that? You’re thinking of hitting some trails while you’re here? Hell yeah, glad to hear it. There’s so much wild nature to…
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR LOCATION: INTRODUCING NATIVE LANDS, NATIONAL TRAILS
We recently received this press release from the Partnership for the National Trails System about a new free resource called Native Lands, National Trails. Read on below to learn more about the project, and visit the map linked at the bottom to see the historical native regions that some of the most iconic trails in the…
FEEL THE RHYTHM! TEN TIPS FOR THRIVING OUTSIDE THIS WINTER
Words and Photos by Taylor Bracher When the going gets cold, Taylor Bracher gets moving, continually building on a skillset that allows her to enjoy her Alaska Winters to the maximum. Wherever you experience your cold time of the year, the tips and tricks she shares in this post can help you put an end to the idea of…
THE HORROR OF SESAME SEEDS: HIKERS, LYME DISEASE, AND TIPS TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Words & Photos by Matthew Morelli They are tiny; they are everywhere. Drop your guard a little while exhausted in the backcountry or just while walking your dog at the park, and it can have life-changing implications. Lyme Disease is a bacterium carried by deer ticks that, at their biggest, reach the size of a sesame seed.…
PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS! YOGA TO INCREASE POWER AND STAMINA FOR SUCCESSFUL OUTDOOR PURSUITS
Words & Video by Katherine Englishman // Photo by Joe Klementovich No matter what it is, every outdoor pursuit requires a certain amount of strength to do it and enough stamina to see it through. We all have varying levels of skill, ability, and of course, different objectives in mind. However, the essence of feeling…
KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GAS: HOW TO RESUPPLY (AND EAT) LIKE A CHAMP ON A THRU HIKE, PART 2
Words and Photos from Eloise Robbins Tell anyone you hike long distances, and one of the first questions they'll ask you is about food. What do you eat? How do you carry all of your food for five months? (Spoiler alert, you don't.) How much does it weigh? And aren't you hungry? Food is one of the most challenging things to…
A LOVELY TRIBUTE TO A VISIONARY: JOSH SHEETS HIKES THE BENTON MACKAYE TRAIL
Words and Photos by Josh “Soulslosher” Sheets @Josh_Sheets Benton MacKaye Trail – Thru Hike, April 2023 - 300 miles of pristine Southern Appalachia wilderness Imagine a trail that starts on Springer Mountain and winds its way through the Southern Appalachians. It is marked with white [diamond] blazes and traverses the…
DO IT FOR THE TOOTSIES: YOGA TO RELIEVE FOOT PAIN WITH KAT ENGLISHMAN
Words and Video by Kat Englishman Photo: Joe Klementovich (@klementovich) You’re halfway through mile eight with four more to go until you get to camp, where you can tear off your hiking shoes as fast as humanly possible. With every step, there seems to be a new spot on your foot that yelps in pain as you hike, and all you…
KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GAS: HOW TO RESUPPLY LIKE A CHAMP ON A THRU HIKE, PART 1
Words & Photos by Eloise Robbins Tell anyone you hike long distances, and one of the first questions they'll ask you is about food. What do you eat? How do you carry all of your food for five months? (Spoiler alert, you don't.) How much does it weigh? And aren't you hungry? Food is one of the most challenging things to…
SO, YOU'VE GOT A THRU HIKER IN YOUR LIFE. NOW WHAT?
Words and Photos from Tina Haver Currin With longer days, hotter afternoons, and the dreaded arrival of biting insects, late spring is once again sliding into summer—which also means it’s thru hiking season. Northbound (NOBO) hikers are at least a few weeks into their treks, while southbound (SOBO) hikers are likely…
LET’S MEET IN THE MIDDLE: HIP STABILITY AND STRETCHING FOR THE TRAIL
Words and Video by Kat Englishman, Photo by Joe Klementovich One of the quintessential ailments of a hiker and backpacker is feeling tight in the hips, hamstrings, and lower back muscles. It makes sense that these would be hurtin’ when you think about the effort it takes to walk uphill and back down again. The body works…
RETIRING INTO ULTRALIGHT: A SHAKEDOWN ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL FOR SOME ELDER GO-GETTERS
Words, Photos, and Video from Garrett Martin The adventure set in the thru hike community is known for its generosity and concern for its fellow backpackers. One gesture that demonstrates this beautifully is when one hiker offers to share their experience and wisdom by doing a "Shakedown" for another hiker. Having a…
A LIFE OF MILES: JEFF GARMIRE HAS SOMETHING QUICK TO SAY ABOUT THE FKT
Words & photos by Jeff Garmire Thirty thousand miles and always counting, give or take a few yards or inches, all done on foot. Jeff Garmire (@thefreeoutside) is still heading out whenever he can to "make up for 2020." Some of these miles were racked up diesel engine-style, nice and steady, all day long. Some were covered…
ZAC BOSTON'S GUIDE TO HIKING THE MAINE 4,000-FOOTERS IN SEVEN DAYS, MAYBE LESS
Words and Photos by Zac Boston One of our favorite local dudes, Zac Boston, is nothing if not goal oriented. Just before leaving for a southbound hike of the Appalachian Trail, he was kind enough to share this awesome “how-to” about summitting all the 4,000-foot peaks of Maine in a way that fits in nicely with modern, busy…
CAPTURING THAT CRISP AUTUMN LIGHT: TIPS FOR SHOOTING PHOTOGRAPHY IN FALL
Words & Photos from Michael DeYoung A person can have all the top-of-the-line backpacking gear. However, good equipment doesn’t guarantee a smooth and successful adventure, nor does it compensate for experience, knowledge, and judgment. The pursuit of excellence in photography is no different. Real growth as a photographer…
HERE’S A LAUNCH IN THE TRUEST SENSE! THE NEW RIVER RESCUE THROW BAG!
We’re stoked to present the latest version of our River Rescue Throw Bag, long a favorite of packrafters and paddlers everywhere, with improvements that make it the best yet! The River Rescue Throw Bag is built with ultralight, super-tough, 100% waterproof Dyneema Composite Fabrics, and it contains 65 ft of Ultraline Water…
SMOOTH OPERATOR: HOW TO MAXIMIZE BACKPACKING EFFICIENCY WITH GARRETT MARTIN
Words and Photos by Garrett Martin Hyperlite Mountain Gear Superbud, Garrett "Pricepoint" Martin (@somedudewalking), has picked up a thing or two about using time wisely on his thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and this summer's journey up the Pacific Crest Trail. When life is about constant movement, shortcuts and…
SAVINGS YOU CAN FEEL: TINA CURRIN'S TOP TIPS FOR GETTING ULTRALIGHTER ON THE CHEAP
Words and Photos by Tina Currin If ultralight backpacking has a reputation for anything, it's tiny gear at a hefty price. Dive into any heady discussion with ultralight enthusiasts and you'll eventually find someone running calculations of cost per ounce; that is, how much they're willing to spend to reduce their load by…
A MULTIMODAL MASTERPIECE: SKIRAFTING UTAH WITH MIKE CURIAK
Words, Photos, and Video from Mike Curiak @mikesee What do you call a guy that devises some of the most creative omniterrain traverse ideas going? And that willingly and silently carries more than his share of group gear? Who breaks trail all day, and when you finally drag your ass into camp he's already melting snow for…
FOR EVERY SEASON, THERE IS A THING: PACKING FOR FALL HIKING WITH REBECCA SPERRY
Words and Photos by Rebecca Sperry In 2015, I started hiking solo and vowed that I would never hike once the seasons began to change. By 2016, I was buying microspikes and researching cold-weather gear and haven’t looked back. There is no off-season for hiking, so long as you have the proper equipment and good…
MAKE WAY WHILE THE SUN'S SHINING - A SELECTION OF FAVORITE DAY HIKES
Even though we are known for designing and producing ultralight backcountry gear that lets you get away for a long while, let’s face it, the hustle of modern life cares not for how long you’d always like your escapes to last. You need to get your outdoor fix within the time you’ve got, and a great day hike – if only…
THE OTHER KIND OF THRU HIKER FUNK: ADAPTING TO LIFE AFTER THE TRAIL
Words & Photos by Garrett Martin Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, and everything in the following article is anecdotal and from my own experiences and opinions. There are many other articles and resources on Post-Trail Depression, and if you feel like I might have missed something or undervalued some aspect of life…
Far and Wide
The next couple of years are shaping up to be wild ones! First off, I will absolutely never complain when life feels difficult to plan, because I believe monotony is the fastest way to forget large portions of your life. To help me find some structure, and potentially to learn about some great opportunities I'd otherwise…
Looking for feedback on an App I am building: Don't Forget The Spoon
I have been working on a building out a Hiking mobile app called Don't Forget The Spoon. The idea came to my wife an I while sitting in the cold snow in Yosemite National Park, the night before hiking up Clouds Rest. We had a long days worth of hiking in the cold to get to our campsite, set up and were ready for a nice…
PASSAGE GRANTED: HIKING PRECIPITOUS BLUFF IN TASMANIA WITH SHAUN MITTWOLLEN
Words and Photos by Shaun Mittwollen A tangled mess of Scorparia stifles forward progress at all costs pushing back with springy woody branches. Outside the spring flowering season, the plant is as unappealing as it sounds, with stiff leaves that penetrate bare skin like tiny hypodermic needles. Underfoot viscous mud bakes…
Bivvy Chat
Hi, all— Avid and happy ground cloth user here looking to (potentially) get into the bivvy lifestyle on the CDT. What I've noticed, however, is that folks often use a ground cloth underneath a bivvy with a DCF floor. Can anybody explain this to me, outside of preventing the inevitable wear & tear? I use a HMG DCF ground…
WITH SPRING COMES UNICORNS: AN ODE TO BACKCOUNTRY SKIING’S BRIGHTEST SEASON
Words and Photos from HMG Friends and Contributors: Shaun Mittwollen, Taylor Bracher, Ian Provo, Brett Davis, and Kaitlyn Boyle Spring just hits different on the slopes! We reached out to friends to get their take on what makes this time of year so special for backcountry skiing, and the following love fest spells out all…
A FRENCH ALPS DISPATCH: SKIING WITH CROISSANTS, ESPRESSO, AND THE POPE
Words and Photos by Jessica Normandeau @jessnormandeau Between the conception of an idea and its actualization, a lot happens. In the case of skiing, it’s often a lot of walking, and in the case of French skiing, it’s often a lot of walking in ski boots. I’ve never seen a culture so happy going about their lives in ski…
Ok how about anyone trying: INFINIT?
1/ 10/23 Anyone try infinit meal replacement? Thanks.
MIND OVER MILEAGE: FINDING FORTITUDE ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Words and Photos by Max Kiel Fortitude /ˈfȯr-tə-ˌtüd: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage I'm not going to lie; my time spent thru hiking the Appalachian Trail pushed me to close my psychological limits. Day after day, week after week, month after month, I…
YOU’RE ENTERING A WORLD OF PAIN: JEFF GARMIRE TALKS ABOUT THE CAVE WHERE IT DWELLS
Words and Photos by Jeff Garmire Thirty thousand miles and always counting, give or take a few yards or inches, all done on foot. Jeff Garmire (@thefreeoutside) is still heading out whenever he can to "make up for 2020." Some of these miles were racked up diesel engine-style, nice and steady, all day long. Some were…
GETTING TO WORK OUT IN THE FIELD: STRETCHING ON TRAIL WITH KAT ENGLISHMAN
Words and Video from Kat Englishman, Photo by Joe Klementovich When it comes to stretching, repetition is a really, really, good thing. I don’t think that most people need to be convinced that just doing something once will bring change or noticeable results. I’m not posture-shaming here, but much like the forward carriage…
AN APPALACHIAN TRAIL EXPERIENCE IN FOUR PARTS: MAX KIEL GETS INTO THE BEST SECTION HIKES
Words and Photos by Max Kiel If you're a backpacker or a regular reader of this blog, you have probably heard of the Appalachian Trail before. You may have even hiked on the trail at some point. If so, then what comes to mind when you think of the Appalachian Trail? Is it the rugged, mountainous landscape of the White…
CASH RULES EVERY TRAIL AROUND ME: A GUIDE TO FINANCING A THRU HIKE
Words & Photos by Garrett "Pricepoint" Martin Every year, bright-eyed hiker hopefuls set out on our long trails to conquer the beast and accomplish a thru hike. Some prepare for years, some prepare for months, and some don't prepare at all. By definition, a thru hike means completing a hiking trail from one terminus to the…
FINDING DIFFERENT GEMS IN THE GRAND CANYON: THE HERMIT-BOUCHER LOOP WITH PETER BUGG
Words and Photos from Peter Bugg @bugglife Over the past few years, I’ve been making an active effort to accept when plans have to change. Sometimes, you don’t get to do what you wanted to, but if you can let go of your frustration, you’re likely to have an equally good time doing something else. This was precisely the…
APRIL GIVEAWAY! #THIS IS PACKRAFTING!
Packrafting just might be the ultimate way to travel. Imagine throwing everything you need for a few days in a pack, along with a boat, a life vest, a dry suit, a paddle, and all the safety gear you need for being on the water. Now imagine carrying all this gear with you into the mountains. You’re searching for water; a…
A LIFE OF MILES: PUSHING FORWARD WHEN THE TRAIL GROWS COLD
Words & Photos by Jeff Garmire Thirty thousand miles and always counting, give or take a few yards or inches, all done on foot. Jeff Garmire (@thefreeoutside) is still heading out whenever he can to "make up for 2020." Some of these miles were racked up diesel engine-style, nice and steady, all day long. Some were covered…
Q&A: TWO FRIENDS PACKRAFTING THRU KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
Words & Photos by Nathan Shoutis and Thomas Kinsley Thomas and I started packrafting in the early days of Alpacka Rafts – around 2005- when it was still a one-woman operation working out of a garage in Eagle River, Alaska. We first met on the south end of Kodiak Island, Alaska, working at a remote field camp for Fish and…
AN ALASKAN ODYSSEY BY WHEEL AND WATER
Words by Bjorn Olson Howdy, Trailheaders! I wanted to introduce myself along with the rest of the small team that will be joining me this fall on a previously un-attempted fat bike and packraft trip through an intriguing and rarely visited corner of Alaska. Our little cadre of three will be made up my girlfriend who is,…
YOU DON'T NEED AN ANKLE TO PACKRAFT
Photos by Jessica Kelley One of three recipients of the Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award, Jessica Kelley followed a circuitous broken-ankle led journey through a variety of modes of wilderness travel to finally hatch her own 1,300-mile bike and packraft trip in Alaska. Can we have an introduction to who you are – the…
A DESERT FISH OUT OF WATER
Words & Photos by Rich Rudow What a South Westerner learned on a week-long Appalachian Trail section hike from Rangeley to Caratunk, Maine. Roots. Millions, and millions of roots. Within 100 yards of leaving the trailhead at the Highway 4 crossing of the Appalachian Trail (AT) outside of Rangeley, Maine, I realized that…
STILL ON THE LOOSE
Words by Brad Meiklejohn A recent news story described me as “an aging adventurer.” After my initial indignation, I checked the mirror and seeing age 58 reflected, I had to agree. Better distinguished than extinguished, I suppose. We are all getting older. I never thought that I would live this long. I’ve been a skier,…
LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER: A HIKE UP MOUNT MARCY
Words by Max Kiel @Max_Kiel_Trail , Photos by Dan Oliver @danofosho and Max Kiel Many outdoor enthusiasts might view winter as an off-season of sorts. Several feet of snow cover our favorite trails, sub-freezing temps make it hard to find motivation to leave the couch, and limited daylight hours make adventures more…
TOE-TO-TOE WITH THE DEVIL: A DUEL WITH THE MOST DIFFICULT TRAIL ON THE EAST COAST
Words and Photos from Max Kiel @Max_Kiel_Trail Located in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, the Devil's Path has gained a reputation of being a particularly challenging and dangerous traverse. Even the name in itself is intimidating. Not many people have heard of the Catskill Mountains before, as they often get…
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AVOCADO TOAST AND PIZZA: NEVADA’S TOIYABE AND TOQUIMA MOUNTAIN RANGES
Words and Photos by Scott Nechemias @snechemias In an early June, I found myself putting an ice ax on my pack in 87-degree heat. It actually got hot to the touch just in the time I took my pack out of my car and made my final few minutes of preparation before starting my hike. An interesting week was about to commence. "If…
HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR PEOPLE? JOIN A GROUP ON THE TRAILHEAD!
Introducing Groups! Want to get even more in the weeds or woods about the things you love to do outside? Find like-minded members that want to go there, too! We’ve created a few to get things rolling, but if there’s something specific you’d like to start that you don’t see here, making a group of your own is easy! Start by…
The O-Circuit in Torres del Paine
This past February, my partner and I backpacked the O-Circuit in Torres del Paine, Patagonia. I asked a few questions in the trailhead leading up to it and got amazing answers from some of you. For anyone interested in doing this trek, I wrote a detailed blog post about the trip with everything you need to know. Here is…
AND NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE WEATHER. INTRODUCING METEOROLOGIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER, MICHAEL DEYOUNG
Words & photos by Michael DeYoung (@michaeldeyoung) I’m Michael DeYoung, and I am a former Air Force meteorologist. For the past 30 years, I have been a travel and adventure photographer with a commercial career that’s seen thousands of publication credits in magazines, books, calendars, and advertisements. Two years ago,…
AND NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE WEATHER: A LITTLE CONVERSATION WITH THE CLOUDS
Words & photos by Michael DeYoung (@michaeldeyoung) Former Air Force meteorologist and professional photographer Michael DeYoung continues his series about the weather with a deep dive into the clouds. They hold a lot of useful information you can use in the midst of an adventure if you know what to look for. Grab a…
METEOROLOGICAL CRYSTAL BALLS: HOW TO GET ACCURATE FORECASTS FOR BACKCOUNTRY LOCATIONS
Words & Photos from Michael DeYoung (@michaeldeyoung) Spencer Glacier, like most Alaska glaciers, is disappearing. I've seen dramatic shrinking in my lifetime (I've been photographing the same glaciers for 30 years) just as I have of other nearby, accessible glaciers such as Portage. This gorgeous tucked away gem's…
AND NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE WEATHER: DECIPHERING MOUNTAIN MYSTERIES
Words & photos by Michael DeYoung Former Air Force meteorologist and professional photographer Michael DeYoung continues his series about the weather with a look at the complexity of forecasting what’s going on in the mountains. Like all his posts, this one’s highly detailed and busting with information you can use to grow…
AND NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE WEATHER: UNDERSTANDING THE WONDERFUL, WILD, AND WACKY DESERT
Words and Photos by Michael DeYoung A backpacker on the eastern Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon National Park starts hiking before sunrise to avoid heat stress later in the day. The Tonto is largely shadeless, and on this day in late April, afternoon temperatures soared into the 90s. The presence of only high clouds doesn't…
REUNITED WITH RIBBONS–BACK INTO THE REAL WORLD ON CANADA'S GREAT DIVIDE TRAIL
Words & Photos from Eloise Robbins If any trail could heal my soul, it would be this one. Wild and remote, the Great Divide Trail follows the squiggly line on the border between British Columbia and Alberta for over a thousand kilometers. It showcases some of the best scenery in the Canadian Rockies, maybe in the entire…
WATER FILTRATION! TRAIL TESTIMONIALS FROM TINA CURRIN
Words and Photos from Tina Currin @tina Like lots of people, my very first thru-hike was also my very first extended backpacking trip. Sure, I had gone on weekend trips and car camped like a boss, but I never went anywhere for long enough that I couldn’t haul in water. Water’s one of those things that’s somehow free and…
Unbounding into Spring
Two years ago I hiked a 135 mile route crossing the Columbia Plateau along the John Day River. This April three hikers will be thru hiking the route. When they finish and I have the benefit of their feedback I'll publish the full route and guide here! I went out with Chris "Foggy Mountain" Pechous for a weekender so he…
IT’S SPRING! WHAT’S THE WORD ON THE TRAILS NEAR YOU?
Photo: @michaeldeyoung Sure, it might just be a date on the calendar, but dang, if it doesn’t provide a little mental boost! With the official change of the season declared, noted, stamped, what-have-you, pulling out the Rubbermaid tubs of gear becomes less wistful and more hopeful–it won’t be long now, or not as long-ish,…
What's a clean way of attaching accessory straps to the Southwest 70?
The new unbound 40 back pack has lots of daisy chain attachment points to hook an accessory strap on. Where do you all do it on a pack without the daisy chains that looks clean? This is mainly for foam pads in winter time but could be anything else too bulky to go inside - so the strap attachment should be fairly secure.
WHO’S HUNGRY FOR A NEW GIVEAWAY? LET’S EAT!
As evidenced by the number of page views our food posts get here on The Trailhead, many of you are always thinking ahead to your next meal! We’ve got a new giveaway going that will take care of the thinking part, AND the cooking part–all you’ll have to do is EAT YOUR WINNINGS! Make sure to enter our Backcountry Food…
THOUGHTS FOR FOOD FROM A TRIPLE CROWNER: HOW QUADZILLA FUELS UP FOR THE BIG MILES
Words and Photos from Jack "Quadzilla" Jones (@Quadzilla) It’s probably your number one job on trail–eating! It’s likely the number one topic of daily conversation amongst The High Mileage Set, too! But what kind of fuel do you need to hike 8,000+ miles? Jack “Quadzilla” Jones shares what’s all in a day’s work as he…
AN ULTRALIGHT APPROACH TO SURVIVING HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENTS
Words & Photos by Matt Wordell and Zach Voss Our names are Matt Wordell (@mhwordell) and Zach Voss (@retroscope). We’re based in Boise, Idaho. We travel to remote areas around the world with leading Volcanologists to assist research projects, capture photos and video, and produce short films and other content for use by…
A SWING AND A HIT: FAT BIKING AND PACKRAFTING FROM KOTZEBUE TO POINT HOPE, ALASKA
Words and photos by Bjorn Olson @Bjørn Kim and I stopped riding our expedition-loaded fat bikes so I could point my camera at a weather-worn and information-filled sign. “Welcome to Kotzebue,” it read. “An Eskimo village 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle.” We had flown to the village a few hours earlier, assembled our…
TRAVERSING THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS WALKING TRACK IN WINTER WITH THE OATES
In the winter of 2018, Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ambassador Mark Oates and his twin brother Andy tossed ski-laden Porter packs over their shoulders and set out to complete the Australian Alps Walking Track. It wasn't their first time having been introduced to it at the tender age of 18 and again fifteen years after that.…
FEELIN’ F.A.B. - EXTREME NORDIC SKIING ON THE ALASKA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS SKI CLASSIC
Words by Taylor Bracher // Photos & Video by Taylor Bracher & Emily Sullivan, on Ahtna and Upper Tanana Athabascan Lands “Holy!... Shit!” Emily yells out in short spurts between deep breaths. “It’s just as bad as I remember!” It is too difficult to discern if she’s laughing or crying. Probably both. We walk across the icy…
A FLOW THROUGH THE BOB
Words Ian Provo / Photos by Sean Kerrick Sullivan, Ian Provo, & Neil Provo A few summers ago, my brother and I set out to recreate our first grand adventure. It had been 10 years since our first DIY, self-supported, extended trip through the wilderness, and we were eager to see how we had progressed in that time. In 2008,…
UNDERSTANDING FREEDOM BY WAY OF THREE MAGAZINES AND TWO LITTLE BELLS
Words & photos by Tina Currin It was only three months into our grand living-in-a-van experiment when my husband, Grayson, and I decided that it was high time to visit Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. After years spent languishing at our desk jobs and shoving a handful of repetitive running routes into the…
WHAT IS THE EXPIRATION DATE OF ADVENTURE?
Words & Photos by Brett Davis It seems like in this modern age that everything has an expiration date, and that those dates are getting shorter and shorter and shorter. It used to be, so I am told, that when one bought an appliance back in the day (1940’s, 50’s, 60’s) that they could count on it lasting for more than ten…
NOTHING MISSING
Plans put on hold. Frenzied weekends or meticulously stacked PTO hours all idling but raring to jump into action. WE NEED ACTION! "How is that these other adventure peers are out there getting after it? What am I missing out on this time?" Many of us are climbing the walls, having heartbreaking stare-downs with gear, and…
UltaMid 2 Basecamp Logistics?
Hey, all. New UltaMid2 user here; looking forward to putting it through its paces this year! Currently planning to use the lashed-together trekking pole set-up for the UM2 (I've also got the full-insert I'll use as needed). My question is this: I do a lot of mountain climbing and lighter mountaineering; sometimes I use…
HUT TWO, THREE, FOUR: A MASSIVE WINTER TRAVERSE IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS
Words & Photos by William Peterson @will_peterson Shortly after completing the White Mountains Direttissima, a friend came to me proposing a single day White Mountains Hut Traverse. Connecting the eight AMC High-Huts is a 54-mile endeavor with around 18,000 feet of vertical gain, and it covers some of the most rugged…
"THE THIRD PLACE" - WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GEAR SHOP?
Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington, Vermont There's just something about having a killer gear shop nearby. They're the places where you can resupply or satiate your relentless need for a new bit-o-kit, but they're also community spots where you can mingle with like-minded enthusiasts that spend time exploring some of the…
WHO'S THRU HIKING THIS YEAR? WHAT'S THE PLAN?
It's that time of year here in the US when mileage-hungry backpackers are getting ready to put long hours of research, testing and retesting setups, and hard-earned savings to work for the next five to six months. It's the beginning of thru hiking season! Daydreams will become realities, muscles will learn new tricks, and…
BEAR IN MIND: TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL AND RESPECTFUL ENCOUNTERS WITH BEARS
Words & Photos by Bjorn Olson @Bjørn – Additional photos from Steve “Doom” Fassbinder and Luc Mehl Bears are intelligent animals. A bear’s mannerisms are highly individual and may change with the day, through the seasons, and over the course of their lives. These variables make them very interesting to observe, but also…
TAKING THE ROUTE NOT TRAVELED: A STARTER GUIDE TO WILDERNESS BACKPACKING
Words and Photos from: Samuel Martin, Eddie "Oil Can" Boyd, and Matt "Chili Mac" Morelli The best way to truly get off the beaten path is by starting with no path at all. Wilderness backpacking is appealing to many for the solitude it offers whether alone or with friends, the adventure aspect, and the opportunity to trek…
DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH–HOW TO AVOID DEHYDRATION AND ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Words by Eddie “Oilcan” Boyd Avoiding Dehydration and Altitude Sickness On Trail There I was, 14 miles into my Appalachian Trail thru hike. I had just packed everything up for the third day of hiking and was about to leave Hurd Brook lean-to when I unexpectedly threw up my breakfast. The two days before had been extremely…
THE UNBOUND 40 PACK GOES DARK!
In case you missed it, the made-for-the-rigors-of-thru-hiking pack, the UNBOUND 40, is now available in black! For those that want to hit the trail in stealth mode, now's your time to shine! Kinda.
ONE LAST HIKE WITH A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND
Words and Photos by Sarah Strattan The jar of Chandler's ashes had sat on my shelf for months now. I've seen people keep their loved one's ashes in urns, proudly displayed above a fireplace or similar location, but this just felt weird for some reason. For one thing, it wasn't the ashes of a human but rather those of our…
52 WEEKS: HIKING NONSTOP THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT
Words and Photos by Rebecca Sperry @sockedinhikes In the summer of 2015, I discovered hiking. It was simple–I wanted to go hiking one day, and my husband didn't, so I went by myself and got hooked. The sense of empowerment that I felt from setting out solo and the confidence that it gave me was tangible as I descended my…
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: A TREK THROUGH PERU'S AUSANGATE CIRCUIT
Words & Photos by Dan Oliver @danofosho "Hola, cuanto a Upis?" "Trienta cinco." "Si bien, vamos!" And like that, I'm saddled up on the back of a motorcycle heading to a trailhead deep in the mountains of southern Peru. After a few tough sections of rocky roads with steep inclines, we flatten out, and the driver lays the…
HAVE CAMERA POD, WILL TRAVEL: A SEASON CAPTURING IMAGES IN WILD PLACES
Words by Matt Morelli / Photos by Matt Morelli and Sam Conley I was making my way down the trail, bounding with excitement as I moved through the great halls of granite that are the Wind River Range of Wyoming. A small group of day hikers was on an ascent, and I stepped off to let them by, noticing the incredibly capable…
THE FULL BULL
Words & Photos by John Baker Several years ago, I stumbled across a trip report of this place, and it sounded like one of the most awful yet amazing missions I had ever heard of. I read a few more trip reports which made it look just as brutal. To be clear, I am an average paddler on my best days, and the guys who wrote…
PUTTING IT ALL OUT THERE AND GETTING IT BACK TOGETHER ON THE COLORADO TRAIL
Words and Photos from: Lauren "Yardsale" Jones They call me Yardsale. An obligatory trail name gifted to me due to the ridiculous mess I make at camp with my clothing strewn about on branches, logs, and tent nevertheless with constant respect to Leave No Trace practices. As a Colorado resident, Yardsale also shows up when…
PACKRAFTING BELIZE: CAVES, WATERFALLS AND REMOTE JUNGLE PADDLING IN THE LAND OF THE MAYA
Words & Photos by David Plante I’ve been fortunate to have paddled many rivers in the Canadian North over the past three decades using hardshell canoes, folding canoes, oar rafts, SOAR boats, and kayaks. Two milestones happened this past year- I retired after 35 years as a veterinarian and discovered ultralight backpacking…
Book Review: "The Barefoot Sisters: Southbound"
The snow is pouring from the sky, it’s mid March, and thru-hiking season is underway on the east coast of the United States. Although I would give just about anything to see Daffodils poking up through the soil, the weather in New England has decided not to participate in spring this year. Rather than lamenting over this,…
WILD TRAILS
Words & Photos from Brad Meiklejohn As we turned up the valley leading to the pass, the low level of anxiety that had been in the background for three days moved to the front of my mind. The pass appeared difficult on the map, perhaps impassable without ropes, which we were not carrying. If we couldn’t get over the pass,…
FOR ITS OWN SAKE: CAMPING AS AN END AND NOT A MEANS
Words & photos by Huw Oliver From the first time I saw one as a child, sleeping bags held a strange kind of fascination for me. I remember asking to sleep in one of my parents’ bags indoors, thinking that somewhere in that tube of squishy warmth, there was a portal to somewhere else, somewhere more exciting than my…
STRAIGHT BACK THROUGH THE SIERRA NEVADA, MORE OR LESS
Words & Photos by Katelin Reeser @katethewild We stood confidently before the iconic range that lay just beyond the desert, The Sierra Nevada. Once again, we would become awe-inspired by the golden light, the plentiful water, and the soaring granite. It was our second time hiking through the Sierra. The first time, we were…
Q&A: THE NORTH WOODS FROM AWAY – AN ULTRALIGHT CANOE TRIP IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Words from Hansi Johnson, Tyson and Kendra Perkins, Neil and Ian Provo, and Brendan Lauer. Photos by Hansi Johnson and Ian Provo Spring 2021, Hyperlite Mountain Gear HQ: "Remember that survey we sent out a while back? We got the answers sorted. Turns out that one of the most common responses to 'second favorite activities'…
A STUFF SACK PILLOW, AN ARTIST, AND AN ALBATROSS MEET ON MIDWAY ATOLL
Words, Artwork, & Images by Eric Baker I'm sitting in the middle of a seabird colony on Midway Atoll, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Albatross. Oblivious to my presence, they're caught up in their frenzied social interactions with one another. Un-paired birds gather in small groups to practice their elaborately…
THOUGH YOU MAY WANT TO COWBOY CAMP
Words and Photos by Tina Haver Currin @tina I made a mistake last week. A big mistake. Here on the Pacific Crest Trail, rain has been sparse, and tent sites frequently provide nothing if not a difficult pitch—think soft sand or lumpy lava rock. As such, most (ok, most ultralight) hikers routinely do something called…
SUBJECTIVE DANGER ON ARIZONA'S MOGOLLON RIM TRAIL
Words and Photos by Scott Nechemias (@snechemias) It was a slow, continuous slide on a 35-degree angle towards the bottom of a mud pit nestled underneath an overhang of red rocks in Sycamore Canyon, the first water source I had seen in 15 miles. Unfortunately, accessing it might involve never returning to solid ground.…
THE SITUATION IS THE BOSS, MAN: GETTING ALL THE BUTTONS PUSHED IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS
Words and Photos by Rebecca Sperry @sockedinhikes Onward we go with our The GRATEFUL DEAD documentary "Long Strange Trip" inspired series. In it, Steve Parish–perhaps their most infamous roadie–described the period during the "Wall of Sound" era that featured the PA and speaker system that was the size of a small town. He…
OATSPIRATION: FOUR FUELING FIXES FOR YOUR REPACK FROM HILLARY PRIDE
Recipes, Words, and Photos by Hillary Pride (@eatswithpride) Oats are a staple in many a backpacker’s kit for good reason. They’re cheap, widely available, versatile, and a reliable source of filling fuel. But if all ya got is that same old oats recipe you’ve been eating every day, things can get a little routine and push…
CLEARLY UNKNOWN: THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AESTHETICS OF ARTIST GEOFF MCFETRIDGE
Words by Geoff McFetridge, Photos from Geoff McFetridge and Ely Phillips Top Photo Courtesy of Ely Phillips Artist Geoff McFetridge is one of those lucky individuals that has known from a young age just what he wanted to be. That early start got him a gig at 24 years old as the Appointed Art Director of the Beastie Boys…
THE SITUATION IS THE BOSS, MAN: STRAIGHTFORWARD CANYON ADVENTURING*
(*Some Penalties May Apply) We’re marching forward with our The GRATEFUL DEAD documentary "Long Strange Trip" inspired series. In it, Steve Parish–perhaps their most infamous roadie–described the period during the "Wall of Sound" era that featured the PA and speaker system that was the size of a small town. He reflected on…
A QUICK PITCH FOR SAFETY ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Words & Photos by Eloise Robbins Over the last hour, dark clouds had rolled in. They spread across the sky like a bruise. Thunder had turned from a distant rumble to a roar that rattled my molars. Sheets of rain already obscured the other side of the valley. The storm was almost on top of me. Paradoxically, I’d spent the…

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