Free Gear Fridays: Hyperlite Mountain Gear + Alpacka Raft Package
Calling all ultralight backpackers and packrafters: This is your chance to win some epic gear from Hyperlite Mountain Gear and Alpacka Rafts.
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The 10 Best Hikes You’ve Never Heard Of
These backpacking trips in the United States deserve John Muir Trail-level hype and Narrows-style recognition — but no one knows yet. Ditch the crowds on these weekend adventures that have been solitude glutton-approved.
Fast & Clean: Katadyn BeFree 3L Gravity Filter First Look
Katadyn’s newest gravity filter is easy to set up, filters water quickly, and collapses so you hardly notice it in your pack. We tested it in rocky mountain streams for this first look review.
Backpacking 101: A Guide to Getting Out There
Backpacking is an excellent way to get away from the crowds, access more remote destinations, and wake up to epic vistas. Here’s our guide to getting out there.
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Best In Weight Class? Gregory ‘Optic’ & ‘Octal’ Backpacks
The Gregory Optic 48 delivers the obvious benefits of an ultralight pack with a high ratio of features and function for its weight.
Backpacking Big 3: Get Core Gear On Sale
The core of any backpacking kit, the term “big three” refers to a backpack, tent, and sleeping bag+pad. Check out these picks, on sale now!
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Camp Meals On Sale: Stock Up for Backpacking
Planning hikes this summer? Score deals on dehydrated meals, hydration, and bars during REI’s anniversary sale.
Free Gear Fridays: Eureka! Midori Two-Person Tent Giveaway
Win a Eureka! Midori two-person tent in this week’s Free Gear Friday giveaway! Click to enter now.
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Patagonia ‘Unbounded’: Documentary Reveals Wild Controversies
One film crew trekked for four months through one of the most rugged trails in the world. Their goal? To uncover the greatest threats to the Patagonian people and wilderness.
Review: The Shower Pouch Is a Bigger, Better Body Wipe
Don’t just spot-clean the dirtiest bits, get a head-to-toe scrub down with the Shower Pouch — a pH balanced, vegan, hypoallergenic body wipe.
Review: Osprey’s Sub-2-Pound Levity and Lumina Backpacks
Two of Osprey’s most anticipated packs, the Levity and Lumina, hit the market this spring. We got our hands on a Levity 45 to see how the ultralight pack holds up.
Ancient History, New Trail: The Epic 400-Mile Jordan Trail
The Jordan Trail just opened in 2017. It weaves through desert backcountry, lush canyons, and more than 52 villages.
Lean-To Shelter: First Look At ‘High Side’ Tent
Bigger than a bivy, but tighter than a traditional tent, the 2018 ‘High Side’ shelter shoots for the weight-to-space sweet spot.
Ultralight Titanium Tool Digs Perfect Poo Holes
The forests are full of people, and people are full of poo. Address a gross problem with Vargo’s 1.2-ounce Titanium Dig Dig Tool.
Jack Wolfskin: 9 Tips For Better Backpacking
With dozens of straps, buckles, zippers, and pockets on a good backpack, it can be easy to get lost on what it’s all for. We’re here to help.
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Zimmerbuilt: My Custom Pack, Hand Sewn In The USA
Want a backpack made to perfectly fit your body with exactly the features you desire? Chris Zimmer will sew one just for you.
Ultra-Heavy Backpacking: Hunter’s Video Reveals Bottomless Pack
How much is too much to pack? How about this much?
2,000-Mile Test: Granite Gear Crown2 Backpack
We packed, hefted, and hiked with the Granite Gear Crown2 for a five-month test along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Toughest Climbing Pack: Dyneema 2400 Porter Reviewed
Made from fabric that is ‘stronger than steel,’ the Hyperlite Dyneema 2400 Porter is light, streamlined, and just about perfect – except for the price.
2,650 Miles Of Packing It Out: Trail’s End
On 9/29/16, the Packing It Out duo completed all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. In total, they removed over 720 pounds of trash from the trail. Here is their final report.
First Look: Thule’s 2016 Technical Backpack Line
People know Thule for its vehicle racks. But the Swedish brand has a burgeoning backpack line.
Did An Unknown Hiker Just Break Every A.T. Record?
Her story seems inconceivable, but an unknown hiker claims to have bested Karl Meltzer’s day-old record on the AT, and she claims to have done it self-supported.
Ultra-Runner Karl Meltzer Breaks Appalachian Trail Record
It took 45 days, 22 hours, and 38 minutes, but today (Sunday, September 18, 2016) ultra-runner Karl Meltzer broke the record for the fastest supported thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.
Batteries Required: PCT Hikers’ Favorite Apps, Gadgets Off-Grid
Manage business and communicate electronically from the trail. The Packing It Out crew explains how they’ve written nearly a dozen stories, filed photographs, and stayed productive from the PCT.
First Look: Expanding ‘Flex Capacitor’ Backpack From Sierra Designs
Designed with renowned adventurer Andrew Skurka, the Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor expands outward for a pack that ranges from 40 to 60 liters.
Light & Fast: 14 Ultralight Backpacking Tips
For backpackers, going ultralight is easier (and less expensive) than you might expect.
‘Pacific Crest Trail’ Crew Update: 720 miles, 530lbs of Trash
With nearly a pound of trash per mile, the ‘Packing It Out’ crew finds that the Pacific Crest Trail definitely needed a good cleaning.
Thru-Hike Health: Backpacking Tips To Go The Distance
Walking thousands of miles with a loaded backpack informs new ways to stay healthy on the long trails in backpacking, some of which apply to everyday life.
Interview: Gene Epsy Recalls 1951 AT Thru-Hike
In 1951, Gene Espy became just the second person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Oh, how times have changed.
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Two Months In The Desert: ‘Ace And The Desert Dog’
Sixty years old, Ace Kvale set out on a 60-day wilderness trek with his dog.
Huge PCT Cleanup Begins: Goal To Remove 1,000 Pounds Of Trash
A group of four young thru-hikers heads north today from the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail on a mission to clean 1,000 pounds of trash off the classic American trail.
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