Jackson Sims-Myers

Jackson Sims-Myers is a contributor to GearJunkie. Based in Utah, Jackson has been writing about and photographing his adventures for three years.  Before that, Jackson worked as a backpacking and hiking guide in southern Utah and currently works as a technical canyoneering guide near Zion National Park. A desert rat at heart, he spends his time canyoneering and rock climbing, hiking high routes in the mountains, trail running, and practicing photography.

Title: Contributor
Email: jacksonsimsmyers@gmail.com
Location: Virgin, UT
Social Media: @wowiwalk

Expertise

• Topics of Expertise: Thru-hiking, fastpacking, backpacking, outdoor gear, slot canyoneering
• Years in This Expertise: 5
• Number of Products & Number of Hours Expert Has Tested: Over 7,000 miles hiked, countless products

Education & Certifications

• Education: Prescott College
• Years of Writing: 5
• Certifications: WFR, NREMT, Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Technician
• Previous Publications: Author at The Trek

Experience

Before joining the team at GearJunkie, Jackson spent the better part of the last seven years hiking long-distance trails and high routes in the United States while building a career as a wilderness guide in Southern Utah. 

He grew up in Michigan, mountain biking, going on family camping trips, getting lost in the woods, playing team sports, and running. Jackson moved to Northern Arizona for college, where he fell in love with the desert, rock climbing, and trail running. He began working in outdoor education, leading multi-day science camps for elementary and middle schoolers.

In 2018, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and has continued to thru-hike trails and high-routes, accumulating over 7,000 miles on hiking trails in the U.S. and Australia. After the PCT, he got a job guiding backpacking trips in Southern Utah, kickstarting a life as a career guide leading wilderness trips backpacking, hiking, slot canyoneering, canyoning, white water rafting, and climbing.

Career Highlights

• Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail and five other technical high-routes
• Completing the Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup
• Five years of canyon guiding in Utah and Australia

A Word from Jackson Sims-Myers

A dirtbag and thru-hiker at heart, I’ve spent a lot of my adult life chasing adventure on thru-hikes and backpacking and climbing trips. During my travels, I started writing short pieces about my thoughts and experiences as a creative outlet and realized that writing deepened my experience with the objective and the people connected to the journeys. On the AT in 2021, I bought my first camera and started learning how to shoot. It’s important to me to write honestly about my experience, to love the experiences and gear I love, but not leave out the less-than-wonderful details. I’m proud to celebrate the full story of successes and failures, good and bad.