The Trailhead

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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. Ev

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