Culture
Backpacker
MOUNTAIN MYSTERY
Pam Bales’ solo hike in October 2010 turned into a daring rescue of a fellow hiker. But she was left with more questions than answers.
4 min |
November - December 2020
Backpacker
Wild Buffet
Reap the bounty of nature’s pantry by learning to identify and responsibly harvest wild edibles on the trail or in your neighborhood.
3 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
YOU'VE GOT ALL DAY
Even on a lowkey dayhike, good gear can be the difference between a forgettable outing and a fun one.
2 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
Weightless Warmth
Banish worries about pack space and morning shivers on your next cool-weather trip with these packable puffies.
7 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Minko Nikolov, 32, suffered a near-fatal lightning strike while scouting a bouldering objective in Rocky Mountain National Park in August 2019.
4 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
Nurture IN NATURE
Does raising an outdoor kid prepare him for the real world?
10+ min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
PADDLE THE DESERT
Can a group of novice packrafters make it out of Canyonlands in one piece?
4 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
ALMOST FAMOUS
Thanks to COVID-19, big-name national parks are drawing larger crowds than normal this year, leading to busy trails and hard-to-get permits. So skip ‘em and set your sights on these sleeper alternatives instead. Not only will you still nab beauty to rival any national park, but there’s a good chance your social distancing will extend for miles and miles.
10+ min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
NO MAN'S LAND
In a remote corner of Montana, hikers and activists clash over the future of a grizzly bear population hanging on for dear life.
10+ min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
MATERIAL LOVE - PRECIOUS CARGO
How a stroller saved my outdoor sanity.
2 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
Frontcountry Fortresses
For trips that don’t take you far from the car, these tents will let you rest your head in spacious comfort and style.
4 min |
Fall 2020
Backpacker
Fall From a Cliff
When Shaina Maytum was 21, a slip in the desert left her broken, alone, and unable to move.
5 min |
May - June 2020
Backpacker
The Living Forest
We know our forests are special places. But for the Native Americans who have lived among them for centuries, they are more than that. Trees are family members that give, heal, provide, protect, and nurture. Trees are sacred. Listen to the trees.
10 min |
May - June 2020
Backpacker
Dayhike a Marathon
Does “go big or go home” hold up on a dawn-to-dusk mission?
4 min |
May - June 2020
Backpacker
The Ultimate Uphill Training Guide
Don’t let off-season rust hold you back. Get in the best trail condition of your life by incorporating this workout, which simulates the challenges of the trail, into your training routine to strengthen your legs and help you crush the climbs.
3 min |
May - June 2020
Backpacker
The View at The End
Three scientists chronicle life, death, and the last stand of the Grizzly Glacier.
10+ min |
May - June 2020
Backpacker
Footwear
From ultracomfy trail runners to mountaineering crossovers, here’s the season’s best backcountry footwear.
7 min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
Save The Desert
Bears Ears is a desert paradise. It's up to all of us to keep it that way.
7 min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
2020 Editor's Choice Awards
Like you, we routinely seek out the wildest places as the settings for our big trips.
10+ min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
SHELLS
From featherweight hardshells to do-it-all softshells, here are the best products for staying dry on the move in the backcountry.
7 min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
BAGS & PADS
Whether you sleep hot or cold, up high or down low, there’s a system here that will unlock the ZZZs.
7 min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
PACKS
Hauling packs is what we do. Here are the season’s best models, for everything from summit bids to thru-hikes.
8 min |
March - April 2020
Backpacker
Train Up to Trail Legs
Can our writer get in the best hiking shape of his life—without hiking?
4 min |
January - February 2020
Backpacker
The Hiker Who Never Left
When CDT thru-hiker Cionnaith “Lucky” O’Dubhaigh stopped to resupply in Lake City, Colorado, he was just looking for a short rest. Instead, he stayed and turned his new home into one of the best trail towns in the country.
10+ min |
January - February 2020
Backpacker
PINNED TO A MOUNTAIN
Mountaineers Yevgeniy Krasnitskiy (39), Vasily Aushev (35), Constantin Toporov (37), and Rus Khasbulatov (33) survived a days-long storm on Mt. Rainier in June 2019. As told by Yevgeniy Krasnitskiy to Corey Buhay
4 min |
January - February 2020
Backpacker
KIDNAPPED* ON THE TRAIL
A would-be thru-hiker hit the Pacific Crest Trail to change her life. She knew about the natural hazards. It was the human threat she never saw coming.
10+ min |
January - February 2020
Backpacker
Catalonia Dreaming
Last fall, a BACKPACKER team traveled to northeast Spain to explore one of Europe’s undiscovered adventure centers: Catalonia. We planned a route to hopscotch through the best of the peaks and foothills on a seven-day trek that crossed mountain passes, ancient villages, and pastoral countryside. Everyone came away with a favorite story to tell. By the Editors
8 min |
November - December 2019
Backpacker
The Vampire Trail
Immerse yourself in ancient myths and one of the last refuges for Europe's wolves on a hike throughthe Transylvanian Alps
10+ min |
November - December 2019
Backpacker
Warm Up From The Inside
Get toasty from the inside out with these hot beverages.
2 min |
November - December 2019
Backpacker
How To Tune Up Your Knees
Creaky knees? Strengthen your joints with supine leg lifts to prevent pain and buckling during long descents with heavy loads. Bonus: Your ankles and hips will benefit, too. Perform this circuit with 3- to 5-pound ankle weights.
2 min |