Backpacking Articles and Videos
Whether you’re planning a weekend summit trip or a month-long trek on the Appalachian Trail, Trails.com has all the backpacking information you could possibly need to see your next trip from start to finish. Covering rail trails, trail-less excursions, and scrambles, as well as offering reviews on gear, Trails.com is your index for the backcountry. Learn to read a topographic map, clean sap off a jacket, pack a backpack, travel light or just pick out hiking boots -- all the information is at your fingertips.
There are plenty of outdoor adventures that involve hauling a lot of gear into remote locations; for example, rafters and kayakers need to get their gear to the river. Many climbers establish a base camp, which means a lot of tentage and other eq...
Packing a backpack properly will help to evenly distribute your load and will make for a comfortable, secure trip. When it comes to sleeping bags, it will depend largely upon the type of backpack that you're using. Internal frame packs are design...
Planning your food for a seven-day backpack should be at the top of your checklist. Without proper food stores you can find yourself fairly miserable halfway into your trip. Eating properly will keep you in good energy and prevent fatigue and in...
The Swiss Army Knife is a traditional accessory for outdoor enthusiasts. It is sturdy and reliable for multiple everyday tasks. The knife appears rock-solid in its construction, but is actually fairly easy to take apart. Hobbyists do this to cre...
Hiking is more than just a walk in the park. Depending on the length of your hike and the terrain, you stand to burn a serious number of calories. Replenishing the calories you lose can keep your energy level up and make your hike more enjoyable....
One of the most popular hikes in Maine's Baxter State Park, the 3.3-mile Chimney Pond Trail is a gradual ascent to the shores of Chimney Pond, at the bottom of Mount Kathadin's South Basin.
Replacing the blade of a standard pocket knife may take a little dexterity, but it's usually a straightforward process. Many pocket knives have easy-to-remove screws that allow you to separate the handle, or scales, of the knife and access the bl...
When backpacking on multiday trips, hikers find it more practical to carry a backpacking water purifier than carrying extra water. With a water filter, the hiker makes potable water out of any water source. This allows him to carry just enough wa...
Bears need not deter you from bringing quality foods into the backcountry. Camping in bear country requires knowledge and specialized equipment such as bear-proof canisters to prevent larcenous bruins from eating your lunch.
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) extends 2,650 miles from British Columbia, Canada, to Mexico, passing through Washington state, Oregon and California and exposing the beautiful high deserts, glaciers and volcanic peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Casc...
The name Remington is associated with quality firearms and hunting rifles, but the company also has a long history of producing quality pocketknives. The history of the Remington pocketknife is a high-caliber investigation.
Barlow knives, made famous by Mark Twain in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," are among the best-selling knives of all time. Popular, unique and as American as apple pie, Barlow knives trace their roots and history back hundreds of years.
Hiking out into the wild backcountry with nothing but what you carry on your back is a wonderful pastime, but when back pain creeps into the picture, backpacking can become a forced march.
Knives have been around since the stone age. But what about the folding pocketknife? Seeming to be a modern incarnation of its fixed-blade cousin, the history of the pocket knife goes back thousands of years.
Backpacking and camping are popular activities enjoyed all over the world. A key aspect to enjoyable camping is having a tent that is comfortable and will keep you dry. Beyond the obvious components of tent materials, quality and size, tent stake...
From the deserts of Arizona to the coast of Maine, and from California's Sierra Nevada to Michigan's Great Lakes, the U.S. is a country of diverse topography and great outdoor opportunities. Many long-distance trails reflect America's various lan...
If you are serious about walking or running, using a pedometer or an accelerometer is a way to measure your progress and keep pushing yourself. Pedometers measures the distance one has traveled; some will estimate the number of calories burned. ...
Wenatchee Ridge is in the Wenatchee National Forest, near Leavenworth in Washington State. It is accessible by Stevens Pass, which joins the western and eastern parts of the state, through the Cascade Mountains. Wenatchee Ridge is close to severa...
Trail mix has long been an essential snack of outdoor enthusiasts and city-dwellers alike. Because trail mix is so customizable, the nutritional value of each batch varies widely. Like so many things in life, you get out of trail mix exactly what...
With its world-renowned scenery--including a famous concentration of "14ers"--and widespread network of parks and wildernesses, Colorado is a mecca for backcountry enthusiasts.
Portable camping stoves are a necessity for backpackers because state and national parks generally prohibit open campfires outside of designated areas. Many of these stoves rely upon disposable metal fuel canisters. What to do with these canister...
There is no better way to learn to appreciate natural beauty than through a backcountry trip. Whether you want to spend a week living by your own power in the most remote reaches of the world or would prefer a more laid-back chance to see the wil...
Europe is blessed with an extensive network of long-distance hiking trails. Usually, these are national trails that have been extended and linked together into a trans-continental route. This web of paths makes it plausible to tour all of Europe ...
Sleeping in a two-person tent can be an exercise in diplomacy; there's usually only just enough room for you each to set up your sleeping bags side by side. Sometimes you can't even sit up straight without hitting your head on the inside of the tent.
Yorkshire is home to some of the most picturesque countryside in England, centered on Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is a place of quaint villages, hedge rows, heather and wildflowers and secluded river and creek valleys. Two of the best long-...
