Andrew Skurka is a professional backpacker and author of The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide.
The Spot X retails for $250, weighs 6.7 ounces, and features a 2.7-inch dot-matrix illuminated screen and physical QWERTY keyboard. It looks like an orange BlackBerry with an oversized antenna.
The Big Agnes Insulated AXL Air is a very lightweight and comfortable sleeping pad that is best suited for weight-conscious backpackers who want quality sleep in the backcountry.
The Packa excels for hiking on-trail in calm weather and cool to warm temperatures. It seems tailor-made for conditions on the Appalachian Trail.
A loop through Yosemite could just be the finest high-altitude thru-hike in the country.
Andrew Skurka tested the Osprey Exos/Eja backpack while guiding overnight trips in Rocky Mountain National Park. These are his thoughts.
Don't let the wildfires get you down. Here are some tips on hiking safely during dry season.
Second only to gear, food is the most difficult thing for backpackers to get right.
The La Sportiva Bushido II is mostly the same as the first generation but with a few nice tweaks.
Need a simple and inexpensive, yet hearty and delicious dinner recipe for your next backpacking trip? Try this one.
Instead of slogging around mountains at a slow pace for endless hours, I went in the opposite direction: flat, fast, and short.
While inspecting the Tiger Wall closely and using it for several days in the field, I began to admire Big Agnes' vigilance in reducing its weight—not that I agree with all of its decisions.
Among the conditions that I consider, the weather—specifically temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind—has an outsized role on my preparations.
Core 13 Clothing is a deliberate collection of garments that can be mixed and matched to create appropriate layering systems for all three-season trips, whether that be the Smokies in April, Wind...