I’m as guilty as anyone of obsessing over gear. I geek out about reviews and pride myself in having the right pair of skis for every condition (read: too many). But in 28 years of playing outside, working in outdoor retail, and as Outside’s former video production manager, I’ve learned that it’s not …
Wound Management While wounds are a pretty common and often less serious injury, but in the backcountry things can swiftly change. Learning how to …
Andrew Skurka surely has one of the world’s best jobs: He’s essentially a professional backpacker. Or adventurer, maybe. When he’s not writing books …
By Michael Lanza From the rainforest of the North Cascades and Olympic National Park to New England, from the Tour du Mont Blanc to New Zealand (lead …
You’re hiking along a trail and you suddenly realize you’ve lost it. Stop where you are and try to remember how you got where you are. Can you …
Master these 19 essential skills to have the absolute best seven days in your deer camp history. DAY 1 → Hunting Skill Find a Good Spot to Hunt You’ve …
When your short hikes are breezy 10-milers, and you rack up 30+ miles each and every weekend, you tend to get picky about what you put on your feet. …
By Michael Lanza I doubt that I had any typical routine when arriving at a campsite on my earliest backpacking trips; like many backpackers, I …
Mike Hanback has a passion for hunting whitetails and mule deer. He has been hunting since the age of 6. He targets ten states and two Canadian …
Take a pre-dehydrated weight: using the food scale, weigh a serving for one person of your cooked and prepared meal before you dehydrate it. Be sure …
Ensure quality sleep A good sleeping pad will totally transform your sleep. If you have a spacious tent, a raised camp cot will also make for a …
You love nature and you want your four-legged fury friend to enjoy it with you. After all your dog is your best friend. However, hiking with dogs …
There are lots of obvious things you need when backpacking with dogs. Maybe a dog backpack (I highly recommend THESE by Groundbird Gear), a leash …
I was taught basic orienteering and map reading by a grizzled Eagle Scout. He was the head of a little archaeology crew I was in, performing a …
Even what seems like the most benign hiking trail can result in a twisted ankle, pulled muscle, or worse if you don’t prepare properly. The most …
Pack animals make wilderness glamping possible The folding table turned out to be a bridge too far. Each of the llamas was supposed to be able to …
Oh, the great outdoors. It seems as though everyone’s finally starting to understand how great Mother Nature actually is. Or at least, young people are. According to this recent report, 12.5 million kids, teens, and young adults in the U.S. are stepping away from screens and into the wilderness …
The Grand Canyon’s Most Difficult Named Trail Steve Larese Much of the Nankoweap Trail skirts cliffs that are hundreds of feet high. Here, Dewey Surby …
When it comes to packing for a day on the trail, there is a certain art to getting everything you need inside your pack and organized for ease of …
The military has spent years studying the best way to move under a load (aka “rucking”). Here are 5 military rucking rules that translate well to …
You’ve convinced the kids that you’re going to have a great day hiking, but then the reality of a long, hot day starts to sink in. Having a selection …
Reflecting on some of my earliest backpacking adventures, I sometimes wonder how I managed to survive. For example, over the Christmas / New Year’s …
Have you ever wondered which trail in your state is the most popular? Are you looking for new places to hike when visiting other places? If so, than …
Since 2008, the number of people hiking and backpacking in the United States has risen by nearly 50 percent. It’s easy to see why: The sport appeals to everyone from casual outdoorspeople and aspiring adventurers to endurance athletes and longtime dirtbags. You can crush big distances in a short …
