Hiking and Backpacking
Archive
Summer Buyer’s Guide tester Billy Brown currently has an office, a closet, and a garage overflowing with next year’s light hikers. The founder of Trek Tech blog and his testers have run about 120 boots through the ringer over the past year. In other words, he…
Hiking even a short section of the Appalachian Trail can seem a daunting prospect. After all, the AT is a 2,184-mile footpath is comprised of flat sections, scrambles, steep inclines, challenging descents and more. You might wonder whether you have the strength or stamina to even venture a hike. “Having…
Because not only do children adapt to wild places—faster, sometimes, than adults—they thrive in them. They need them. We all do.
The team behind Google Street View is going off-road, and they're turning to you for help
Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia have the biggest mountains among the 14 states on the Appalachian Trail. The southern portion of the Appalachian Trail. Although the promise of southern temps might draw spring break hikers to Georgia, sleet and snow are common here in March. Georgia is better hiked in…
The Appalachian Trail is one of 11 National Scenic Trails and—along with the Continental Divide and Pacific Crest trails—one of three popular, near-border-to-border treks in the U.S. The New England portion of the Appalachian Trail. Through-hikers on the AT have a roughly 2,180-mile journey in front of them. However, the…
Although it might seem that backpackers are free spirits who fly by the seat of their pants, most experienced hikers will tell you that good planning is what determines a good trip. Here’s what you need to know before tackling a long-distance hike, such as the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, or…
Kicking off the New Year at a kid-friendly adventure resort.
Sixteen-year-old Noah Graham was lying down during a late-summer camping trip when he felt jaws clamp down on the back of his head. He reached back and touched a Wolf’s face.
The Sonora Pass Café—and its chef—takes trail magic to new heights.
There are some things you just can't leave home without. We're not just talking about your smartphone—there are more important things in life, especially if you're headed outside.
Who needs muesli and mulled wine? The U.S. hut scene is gaining ground. These DIY trips put you in the best of the backcountry.
Every year, scores of Into the Wild fans tackle a dangerous river crossing to visit the last home of Alaska's most famous adventure casualty. Why are so many people willing to risk injury, and even death, to pay homage to a controversial ascetic who perished so young?
Into The Bus: An intimate tour of the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142, where the late Chris McCandless was discovered
Recharge dead batteries off the grid with these portable power plants
Do family vacations that are meant for learning about other cultures devolve into the wild mistreatment of historical sites? These guidelines aim to help you help them see what's so special about all things ancient.
How the federal government tried to ruin my 30th birthday (and how I didn’t let them).
April Showers or Labor Day deluge—new gear to keep you dry
Not to be vulgar, but I get gassy whenever I go somewhere above 7,000 feet. Please say it’s not just me.
One thing you shouldn’t leave behind with your foolhardy youth: the great American dirtbag road trip. Mark Jenkins explains how to do it right.
What are the coolest and most unexpected uses of duct tape in the outdoor world?
Finding gear in my size is impossible. What are the best products for bigger guys?
Everything you need to plan the perfect Grand Canyon summer escape
Don't touch that wild water until you've used at least one of these methods
We compare the best carriers for bringing your kids into the outdoors.
The outdoors can be deadly if you're unprepared. But these gear items will help you make it home alive—even if everything else goes wrong.
Next-gen satellite phones make it easier than ever to stay connected
The less you carry, the more fun you'll have. Cut down your weight with these easy ideas.
I want to hike up a live— or at least dormant—volcano. Where can I go without getting scorched?
Don’t let a minor malfunction ruin your big trek. Learn to patch a sleeping bag, glue together a boot, and make four more simple repairs that everyone should master before setting foot on the trail.
I work on trails to help my local mountaineering club. Is there anything light enough to carry along in my backpack?
For more than a century, Western climbers have hired Nepal’s Sherpas to do the most dangerous work on Mount Everest. It’s a lucrative way of life in a poor region, but no service industry in the world so frequently kills and maims its workers for the benefit of paying clients. The dead are often forgotten, and their families left with nothing but ghosts.
Sure, it’s the biggest state in the union. But that doesn’t mean every adventure in Alaska has to be an expedition. These six day-hike-friendly trails will give you a taste of the Last Frontier’s wild beauty and still get you back in time for last call.
Over the past five years, nine new national monuments have joined the ranks of America’s protected lands. But Michael Brune, the man who heads up the Sierra Club, would like to see more. Elizabeth Hightower Allen joins him, his family, and a pack of rambunctious llamas on a tour of New Mexico’s highlands.
Norway has everything the alps does—towering mountains, five-star restaurants, loads of culture. You also get fjords, glaciers, epic whitewater, and a few thousand polar bears.
I’m a fan of the Grand Canyon, but I’ve visited there a few times now and I’m looking for something new. Where can I find a canyon that puts the Grand to shame?
I like to celebrate post-trail with a few high-quality adult beverages. Where would you recommend for an avid hiker who’s also a beer nut, a wine lover, and a liquor snob?
I’m headed to Hawaii, but lying on the beach is not my thing. What hikes would you recommend?
Who needs headlamps? From a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico to a Japanese trail lined with glowing mushrooms, these ten hikes are at their best when it's dark out. Pack your camera (leave the flash at home) and prepare to be amazed.
No one wants to be stuck in a yoga studio when the weather is nice. The solution? Take your practice to the trails.
Outside reviews the best gear in the Summer 2013 Buyer’s Guide, including the Rab Maverick.
I’m headed across the pond to Great Britain, and I’d like to do some hiking while I’m there. What are my best best for logging some trail time?
How do you teach a boy to love the wilderness when you’re terrified of what might happen out there? Hiking with his ten-year-old son, William Broyles confronts his memories of Vietnam–and one very large grizzly. (And three other great essays on fatherhood, from Jack Hitt, W. Hodding Carter, and Anthony Doerr.)
And we mean "trips" in the literal sense. Our contributors share their most-loved, go-to spots across the U.S.
I’ve done some climbing and mountaineering in the Lower 48, and I’ve been thinking about attempting Denali. What kind of prior experience do I need to tackle The High One?
I'm planning on heading up north this summer to do some hiking in Alaska and the Yukon. Where should I go?
How do you predict the weather at the top of the world? Ask a highly unconventional meteorologist.
Carl Zimmer walks into the woods to find out why these tiny beasts are skyrocketing in number—and outsmarting scientists with every bite
We may never know how 21-year-old rafter Kaitlin Kenney died on the Colorado River, but we will never forget why she went
I want to hike part of the Appalachian Trail with my 16-year-old son this summer. We plan to go for a week. What are the best stretches for a trip like this?
I'm getting ready for a two-month trip around Asia and I need luggage that can hold up to serious abuse. What do you recommend?
The new country of South Sudan is blessed with oil, water, and a safari bonanza: one of the largest, most stunning animal migrations on earth. But without roads, laws, or infrastructure, can Africa’s youngest state turn potential into stabilizing profit? Patrick Symmes joins the adventure.
Travel to these destinations for tons of open space—and it's all yours
Huston just left the country for his expedition to Ellesmere Island
I’m looking for a pair of quick-drying pants for hiking in the slush and rain over the next few weeks. I need to look presentable if we stop at a brewpub on the way back. What have you got for me?
Several near deaths on the world’s highest peaks have shed light on a dangerous trend in mountaineering: rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs, particularly the powerful steroid dexamethasone
I want to climb one of the Seven Summits and have narrowed the list to Aconcagua or Kilimanjaro. I’m in excellent shape and an experienced hiker, but not a mountaineer. Which one would you recommend?
To fulfill a longtime dream and honor the memory of a fallen hero, a Turkish-American software engineer decides to circle the earth by bike and rowboat, powered solely by his own muscle, lungs, and heart. A little obsessive? Maybe, but look closely at the journey of Erden Eruc and you’ll see something else: one of the most incredible adventure stories of our ti
Or, why you just need to disconnect every once in a while
Problem: Stress, temper tantrums, teething, nighttime waking, worry, and overscheduled days. Solution: To spend some time sleeping—and living—outdoors, away from digital distractions, at least once a month.
John Davis paddling in Congaree National Park. Photo: Susan Baycot Climate change, development, ranching, and oil and gas exploration tend to get a lot of ink when it comes to threats to wildlife in the Western United States. But wildlife corridors are another vital factor,…
Taking the bus to Mother Nature.
The Outdoor Retailer show is just around the corner. And new product announcements are rolling in fast. Here's a quick look at some of the most promising bags we'll see in outdoor stores this summer and fall. BOREAS BOOTLEGGER: This 3-in-1 adventure bag, the “Russian Dolls” of day…
You’re reading it here first. In a few days, Black Diamond Equipment will unveil its new collection of clothing to media and retailers at the Outdoor Retailer Trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah. The clothing has been under development for two years,…
I just read about how two climbers died on Aconcagua from altitude sickness. I have plans to go to Everest Base Camp this year. Altitude sickness isn’t a concern there, is it?
Five-year-old William “rides the bump.” Photo: Peter Sullivan We had a dry start to winter here in Santa Fe, but by the time this picture was taken, on December 29, there were four inches of snow most everywhere in town. Just not on…
FalconGuides just announced the first 12 titles in a new line of interactive outdoor guides the company developed in partnership with Inkling, a platform for interactive learning. For the price of the download, readers get expert content optimized for iPhone, iPad, and Web, with…
Hydration packs aren’t always the most exciting subject. They have a reservoir to hold your drink, they stash your tools and food and your gear. They often have straps that, sure, can draw your load in toward your body, but they sometimes flap and snap and…
In 1973, Lowe Alpine was born in climber Greg Lowe’s garage. Greg and his brother Mike Lowe started the company to make the gear that Greg needed for alpine climbing, ice climbing, and expeditions that simply…