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Want to Go Snowmobiling? Get This App.

Want to Go Snowmobiling? Get This App.

Wes Siler

A Backpacker Tests Zoleo's New Satellite Communicator

A Backpacker Tests Zoleo's New Satellite Communicator

Andrew Skurka

How to Plan a Successful Backpacking Trip in 7 Steps

How to Plan a Successful Backpacking Trip in 7 Steps

Andrew Skurka

This App Wants to Open Up 410,000 Miles of Off-Roading

This App Wants to Open Up 410,000 Miles of Off-Roading

Wes Siler

Archive

Your assignment is to download maps in Gaia GPS for offline use. This will preserve the app’s functionality, even in the backcountry without reliable cell service.

You Should Be Downloading Your Trail Maps

Here's how to use Gaia GPS to save your route so you never get lost again

Andrew Skurka

May 31, 2020

Alaska’s Arctic coast gave me reason to learn how to use GPS. In this featureless and frigid landscape, a GPS was faster and more reliable than map reading and dead reckoning.

Test Yourself: How Well Can You Navigate?

A checklist of essential skills, concepts, and definitions

Andrew Skurka

Apr 8, 2020

From a high point above Tablelands in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, legendary thru-hiker and guide Brian Robinson (left) discusses the proposed route with members of his group.

This Skill Will Help You Be an Expert Navigator

Your mindset is your most important tool in the backcountry

Andrew Skurka

Apr 4, 2020

The author’s preferred system of navigation equipment: a magnetic compass, GPS watch, smartphone with a GPS app (plus a charger on longer trips), and two pens

The Gear You Need to Navigate in the Backcountry

How to build a system of equipment that will offer direction in wild landscapes

Andrew Skurka

Mar 24, 2020

Backcountry Ski Repair Kit

Everything You Need for a Backcountry-Skiing Repair Kit

When things go wrong on a ski tour, this is what you should have in your pack

Joe Jackson

Mar 20, 2020

This close-up reveals how much topographic detail is compressed onto these maps. The map of Utah (rear) is at a scale of 1:75,000, or more than one mile per inch; the map of Alaska (front) is 1:250,000, or four miles per inch. These maps are most useful when planning a trip and may be sufficient in the field only for on-trail itineraries.

A Backpacker's Guide to Maps

What types to bring, where to find them, and how to make your own

Andrew Skurka

Mar 19, 2020