The backpack is your suitcase for the wilds. Aside from what you are wearing, everything else you will wear, eat, sleep in, and use for all activities will be in your pack. Some things need to be more accessible than others, and the pack needs to be weighted for comfort since it will be on […]
More on Overnight Camping
For hikes that involve an overnight stay in the wilderness, preparing for a campout is the next step up into enjoying the outdoors even more. Campouts are a special time of connecting with nature and deepening friendships with your camping companions. To those who haven’t done much or any camping, it may sound like a […]
Backpacking and Camping
The next step up from hiking is backpacking, an adventure that blends hiking with backcountry camping. Backpacking broadens horizons to longer and more remote locations for a richer, more immersive outdoor experience. Key distinctions from day hiking are the length of the excursion and the size of your pack. A backpack needs to have life’s […]
Drinkable Hiking Water, Even from Muddy Sources
There are several ways to obtain water from natural sources on a hike: rivers, streams, lakes, tarns (high-mountain ponds) and even creeks and waterfalls. The problem with all of them is the probability the water is a carrier of Giardia (see article on Hydration, A4), so the water must be purified before drinking. To purify […]