Skills

A hiker's conservation sin leaves him lost. Author: BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors Publish date: Dec 11, 2018 “When I was young and hiking the Appalachian Trail, –Nostalgic in Nederland Dear Nostalgic, When starry-eyed thru-hikers say that everyone brings a piece of the trail home with them, they don’t mean it literally. You know the code: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. While the AT is pretty hard to miss in most places, in others, blazes are the only means of wayfinding, and they’re often already fewer and farther between than most hikers would prefer. Chipping one off a tree is about as helpful a move as uprooting a trailhead sign (albeit easier to fit in a toplid). So next time you want to remember your time on a trail, take a photo. Or, you know, do what those other thru-hikers probably did and get a calf tattoo. Your Penance We haven’t heard about any mass lost-persons events in the AT’s … [Read more...] about Leave No Trace Confessional: I Cut an AT Blaze Off a Tree

We've created a plan to help you upgrade your trail time in all the ways that matter: bigger views, more solitude, easier miles, and more. Don’t hang up your boots until you've mastered this definitive list of 10 skills and life-altering experiences. Author: The Backpacker Editors Publish date: Dec 10, 2018 There are a few skills every backpacker needs to know, like pitching camp and making fire. But to really get the most out of your trip, you need to learn the intangibles too, like finding solitude and getting on the trail more. Here, we've pulled it all together into one concise guide. Stay Dry Learn how to cope with relentless rain, and you can experience some of the Earth's holiest places—Alaska! Patagonia!—in comfort. Read the Full Article 1 / 10 Want to master the basics of backpacking? Sign up for our Backpacking 101 class at AIM Adventure U.  … [Read more...] about Backpacker’s Bible: 10 Skills Every Backpacker Needs to Know

You can do it! Here’s how—with tips from Scott and Jenny (and Raven and Evergreen) Jurek. Author: Lisa Jhung Publish date: Dec 6, 2018 Scott and Jenny Jurek have spent the majority of their adult lives pursuing trail adventures, from Jenny’s multiple ultramarathons to Scott’s seven consecutive wins at the and speed record (since broken) of the Appalachian Trail —an adventure chronicled in the book North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail, released last spring . The Jureks now have some extra company on the trail: their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Raven and 9-month-old son Evergreen. When Raven was just three months old, the family hiked rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon. And these days, with toddler Raven and baby Evergreen, the Jureks do (mostly short) hikes regularly in the Boulder, Colorado, foothills and in the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness. Even when the local hills are snow- and ice-covered , the foursome … [Read more...] about How to Go Winter Hiking with Toddlers

Author: Heather Weidner Publish date: Dec 3, 2018 In summer 2018, I was climbing with one of my best friends and long-time belayer, Elizabeth, in Peru. We were in Pitumarca, a limestone crag at nearly 14,000 feet of elevation. I was attempting to make the first ascent of a steep, thirty-five meter, tufa-ridden 5.13 bolted line with a thin and tricky boulder problem near the top. I had figured out all the moves and was ready to give it a redpoint whirl. I began up the fourth-class start with confidence, about to clip the first bolt twelve feet-up, when I felt my juggy hand-holds loosen from the wall. In slow-motion, the entire start of the climb came off in my hands and I began somersaulting backward down steep rock and snow. I tumbled like a rag-doll; time slowed. I was in a washing machine of rock and sky, glimpses of grey then blue, certain this was my end. Elizabeth had me on belay from a small ledge at the base of the climb—but she wasn’t clipped in to … [Read more...] about The A+ Belay: Making the Grade, One Life at a Time

Nothing provides comfort like chocolate—whether it's in a savory soup or a warm mug on a cold night. Author: Nick Cote Publish date: Dec 3, 2018 Tortilla soup Take a note from the mole playbook. Serves 2 2 oz. freeze-dried chicken ¼ cup ancho chile powder ¼ cup dried onion flakes ½ cup freeze-dried corn 1 oz. Mexican chocolate   (such as Ibarra; 1 oz.  is about 1.5 servings) 8 oz. can of tomato sauce 1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano 4 bouillon cubes (or enough for 4 cups) 1 cup tortilla chips 1 avocado At home: Pack tortilla chips in a zip-top bag (it’s okay if they break). Combine all dry ingredients in another bag. Pack avocado separately. In Camp: Empty the zip-top bag of dry ingredients into a pot with 4 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all ingredients are rehydrated, about 15 to 20 minutes. Top with tortilla chips and diced avocado and serve. Weight 10 oz. … [Read more...] about 3 Chocolatey Recipes for Your Next Backpacking Trip