Culture
Backpacker
Build A Fire On Snow
The solitude of a winter night beckons. But will our writer’s attempts to stay warm be a roaring success or a sputtering failure?
4 min |
November - December 2019
Backpacker
Trapped In Quicksand
Ryan Osmun, 35, took a wrong step while hiking in Zion National Park in February and spent 10 hours stuck in the mud. As told to Zoe Gates.
4 min |
November - December 2019
Backpacker
Out Live : Flooded
Before we had time to pull our rope, a curtain of water exploded out of the slot canyon 300 feet above and crashed on top of us.
5 min |
August 2017
Backpacker
The Great Wide Open
Lolo National Forest, Montana In the stretch of mountains spanning northwest Montana up to the Idaho border, trout swim legendary rivers like the Blackfoot and the Clark Fork; wolverines, grizzly bears, and moose amble through the evergreen forests; and locals complain it’s too crowded if there’s one other car at the trailhead. In short, it’s paradise— especially in early summer, when wildflowers bloom and before August’s wildfire season rolls around.
3 min |
June 2017
Backpacker
Make Hiking Great Again
Putting one foot in front of the other isn’t the most extreme activity, but damn if the original outdoor pursuit isn’t the sexiest.
3 min |
June 2017
Backpacker
The Big Wild
All backpackers must visit Alaska at least once - it's a rite of passage. But where to go in this sprawling state? We asked pro photographers, guides, and rangers for their top picks. They delivered trips for every skill level and budget.
6 min |
June 2017
Backpacker
How a Disastrous Fall Led to a Record-Setting Thru-Hike
Time slowed as my momentum gained. An eternity separated me from my fate. This couldn’t be real. That’s when I passed out.
5 min |
May 2016
Backpacker
Heading to a Greek Island With No Reservations
A sure way to make a two-week vacation more exciting? Bring a backpack but no plans. On a Greek island trek, Senior Content Editor Rachel Zurer learns the best adventures are the ones you don’t expect.
10+ min |
December 2015
Backpacker
How To Safely Get Unlost While Hiking
After losing the trail, can this wayward hiker find her way back?
5 min |
February/March 2016
Backpacker
They Call This Work? 12 Amazing Careers in the Outdoors!
If you’ve dreamed of a career in the outdoors, now’s the time to make it real.
10+ min |
February/March 2016
Backpacker
If You Build It, Will They Hike?
You can now discover the other Caribbean on Dominica's new long trial. But should you?
10+ min |
February/March 2016
Backpacker
The Schism of Youth Scouting Programs in America
When the Boy Scouts decided to admit openly gay youths in 2013, a group of dissenting leaders struck out on their own and formed Trail Life USA, an "unapologetically Christian"scouting organization. The schism raised a question: Is there a right way to get kids outdoors?
10+ min |
September 2015
Backpacker
Backpackers Paradise - Yosemite In September
For backpackers, there's nothing better in the entire park system. How much of it can one hiker see in a week?
10+ min |
September 2015
Backpacker
Trek and Toast
Napa isn’t the only place where you can find good wineries next to good trails. Pair these easy-payoff dayhikes with a well-deserved vintage.
2 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Mercy Rule
Sometimes, the only thing better than camping is not camping.
3 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Ali Kenney
Ali Kenney jokes that she has “a lot of commas” in her job. She watches trends in the global market, engages consumers on climate change issues, crafts Burton’s sustainability goals, audits manufacturers for sustainability, human rights, and fair labor practices, and more. Kenney is widely respected in the outdoor industry for the environmental strides Burton has made under her leadership. We caught up with her to find out how she got where she is.
2 min |
May 2018
Backpacker
Where Nobody Knows Your Trail Name
Few blazes, fewer trail angels: Canada’s Great Divide Trail offers a rare chance to go back in time and experience the birth of a thru-hike.
7 min |
December/January 2017
backpacker
monumental crisis
president obama is creating national monuments at an unprecedented rate. will that be enough to save america’s last best places?
2 min |
november 2016
backpacker
survival
my dad’s fists slammed into the thick animal, but the bear wouldn’t leave.
5 min |
november 2016
Backpacker
Link 10 Peaks In A Day
A seasoned mountaineer battles a storm and his ego during a single-day attempt of New Hampshire’s Presidential Traverse.
4 min |
August 2017
Backpacker
Extreme Attraction
What draws us to the planet’s outer edges? On a trek from the Lower 48’s lowest point to its highest, MARK JENKINS looks for answers.
10+ min |
August 2017
Backpacker
The Sharpest Tool In The Shed
What does it take to keep the Pacific Crest Trail clear of debris for decades? A guy like Pickaxe Pete.
6 min |
August 2017
Backpacker
Safe Foraging
Everything looks good when you’re starving. Let Den Mother tell you what’s really on the menu.
2 min |
August 2017
Backpacker
Learn Minimalist Fly-Fishing
How much gear does an angler need?
4 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Survival
About halfway through our trip, I was solo hiking when I must have stepped onto a game trail. I don’t remember the moment, but I remember stopping and allowing the severity of my situation to sink in. I had no idea where I was.
4 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
The Long Way's Round
Sacred trails the world over help hikers discover deeper truths about the world and themselves. But what truly makes a path transformative? ELISA BETH KWAK - HEFFERAN treks a new 170-mile loop in Montana in search of the pilgrimage she needs.
10+ min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Tour de California
Walk from the coast into the last of the Golden State’s grasslands by way of a lost route.
3 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Terra Incognita
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
3 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
In the Deep Dark: Stargazing
When you're swallowed by night, the star show begins.
1 min |
May 2017
Backpacker
Cloud Control
Embrace the elements to create captivating images
2 min |