Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
Since 2014, I’ve used three different pairs of Patagonia Baggies (both the 5″ and 7″ models), all of which are still going strong at the time of writing. During this period, I’ve covered more than 5,000 hiking miles (8,047 km) Read More …
The Altiplano Traverse is an approximately 600 km (372 mi) backcountry route across Bolivia’s Altiplano region. A singular landscape of salt flats, volcanoes, fantastical rock formations and coloured lakes, I completed the journey over 16 days in August, 2017. My Read More …
In August, 2017, I hiked an approximately 600 km (373 mi) route across Bolivia’s Altiplano region. An otherworldly landscape of salt flats, volcanoes, fantastical rock formations and coloured lakes, it was a trip that had been bouncing around my noggin Read More …
As many of my US readers will be aware, it’s Members Rewards time at REI. That means that in addition to the release of the annual dividend earlier this month, from March 22 to April 8, they are offering members Read More …
When it comes to thru-hiking its important to have a sleeping bag (or quilt) that meets both your individual needs, as well as the dictates of the environment/s into which you are venturing. The challenge is finding a model that Read More …
The Southwestern Horseshoe (SWH) is an approximately 1800 mile (2896 km) backcountry route from Arches National Park to Albuquerque. It passes through three states, five national parks and combines lengthy segments of the Hayduke, Arizona and Grand Enchantment Trails. I Read More …
Since receiving a prototype of the Tarptent Aeon Li in December, 2018, I’ve put about 550 miles (885 km) on the shelter. Most of these came on the Australian Alpine Walking Track (AAWT), but additionally I’ve also done some shorter Read More …
Over the past few years, the most popular articles on “The Hiking Life” website 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 …
The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britain’s toughest long distance walk. Stretching approximately 230 miles (370 km) from the Highland hub of Fort William to the remote lighthouse of Cape Wrath, it is an unmarked and sometimes Read More …
For hikers that enjoy tarping and cowboy camping, ultralight bivy sacks represent an excellent supplementary option for your sleeping system. Weighing in at between 4.5 and 7.5 oz (0.13 – 0.21 kg), they add approximately four to eight degrees of Read More …
“If you can’t ride two horses at once you shouldn’t be in the circus.” ~ James Maxton (1885-1946) One of the principal ways in which a hiker can lower his or her pack weight is by using multipurpose gear. A Read More …
Scotland’s Isle of Skye is a place steeped in myth, legend and natural beauty. Tales of giants and shape-shifting water horses are woven together with stories of dramatic mountain ranges and coastlines. It is an island that engages and inspires Read More …
Let me begin this long overdue post with an apology to my readers. I just arrived home after six weeks of hiking around the Scottish Highlands and Norway’s Lofoten Islands. Before departing I had planned to put up a quick Read More …
The article below is a follow-up to last year’s most popular post, The Thru Hiker’s Gear List. In a nutshell, it’s a compilation of gear recommendations from 11 of the most accomplished and experienced long distance hikers in the United States; Read More …
Every year I receive a handful of emails about poncho tarps. In particular, whether or not I think they represent a viable shelter and rain gear option for thru-hiking. The short answer is yes, but with some fairly large caveats. Read More …
Every once in a while I receive emails about hammocks and thru-hiking. It is a subject about which I know very little. That being the case, I asked a hiking buddy of mine with extensive hammocking experience, to put together 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 …
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 …
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 …