Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
Hypothermia is subnormal body temperature that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. It is most often caused by exposure to cold weather. Other factors that may contribute to the onset of hypothermia include over-exertion, Read More …
The Dusky Track is one of New Zealand’s toughest hikes. Measuring approximately 84 km (52 mi) from beginning to end, it crosses two mountain ranges, three valley systems, and includes some of the wettest, muddiest and buggiest conditions you are Read More …
I view backpacking equipment as a means to an end. And that end is to have the safest, most enjoyable experience I possibly can while out in the wilderness. With that philosophy in mind, I look for five basic attributes in Read More …
All of the works listed below have a place in my library at home. They represent a mixture of educational and philosophical texts; with a sprinkling of humour, poetry and social commentary thrown into the literary mix. The books are Read More …
Over the past two years, I have used the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL in a wide range of environments around the world. Testing grounds have included Bolivia’s Altiplano and Cordillera Real, multiple trips in Tasmania’s rugged Southwest Wilderness, Wyoming’s Read More …
“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know.” ~ Ernest Hemingway The sleeping bag is perhaps the most cherished item in a thru-hiker’s kit. After a long day on trail, is there Read More …
Over the past couple of years, the most popular articles on “The Hiking Life” haven’t been about outdoor skills, backpacking equipment or trip reports from exotic locales. Nope, they’ve been about crappy hiker gifts that you can pick up for Read More …
From the 1980s through to 2003, I exclusively used sleeping bags. From 2003 to 2011, I tried a couple of different types of quilts, but being a side sleeper who occasionally tosses and turns, I was never entirely satisfied with Read More …
Click here for more details & images from the traverse of Bolivia’s Cordillera Real range. I hiked the 150 mile (241 km) CRT in August of this year, which is “dry” season in the Bolivian Andes. It is also winter, however, Read More …
I first visited Bolivia’s Cordillera Real in 1996. During that trip I distinctly recall thinking that it would be cool to return in the future, and put together an extended route spanning the entire range. As is sometimes the case Read More …
When choosing a backpack for a long-distance hike, you want something that is functional, lightweight, comfortable, durable, and preferably with a proven track record. No one wants to splash out $200 to $300, only to find their purchase coming apart Read More …
The Ausangate Circuit is a classic Andean trek that features glaciers, hot springs, turquoise lakes, and traverses four high altitude passes. Despite the fact that it boasts some of the finest mountain scenery in Peru, it receives only a fraction Read More …
“With disturbing frequency, backpackers die in the mountains during the first snows of the season. Avalanche danger, hypothermia and obliterated trails are a threat to your life. Snow has closed the PCT in Washington as early as mid-September. In a Read More …
These days the internet is full of backpacking blogs and websites. When coupled with a multitude of online hiking forums, advice is never more than a click or two away. However, not all advice is created equal, and the fact Read More …
I recently returned from a two-month hiking trip to Peru and Bolivia. Due to the subfreezing conditions, I was going to encounter, before setting out I decided to leave behind my beloved Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, and opt instead for its thicker Read More …
When most people think of hiking to Machu Picchu, the first name that comes to mind is the Inca Trail. And justifiably so. For decades that classic trek was the sole focal point for anyone looking to arrive at the Read More …
Over the next six weeks, Ryan Sylva and I will be hiking a series of trails and routes in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes. Read More …
On July 22, 2017, Paul “Mags” Magnanti and I became hiking guidebook authors (woohoo!). Specifically we released the first two books in the Quick and Dirty Hiking Guide series. They are titled, 12 Classic Hikes in Colorado and 12 Classic Read More …
In early October, 2016, Greg “Malto” Gressel and I completed a traverse of Wyoming’s spectacular Teton mountain range. Beginning at the Phillips Pass Trailhead (#3001) on HWY 22 just outside of Jackson Hole, we continued north from the Tetons into Read More …
At the end of September last year, Greg “Malto” Gressel and I spent the best part of a week hiking in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. The relatively late start date was due to an unavoidable work commitment. Well aware that Read More …