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.

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.

YOU'VE GOT ALL DAY

Even on a lowkey dayhike, good gear can be the difference between a forgettable outing and a fun one.

Weightless Warmth

Banish worries about pack space and morning shivers on your next cool-weather trip with these packable puffies.

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.

Nurture IN NATURE

Does raising an outdoor kid prepare him for the real world?

PADDLE THE DESERT

Can a group of novice packrafters make it out of Canyonlands in one piece?

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.

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.

MATERIAL LOVE - PRECIOUS CARGO

How a stroller saved my outdoor sanity.

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.

Fall From a Cliff

When Shaina Maytum was 21, a slip in the desert left her broken, alone, and unable to move.

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.

Dayhike a Marathon

Does “go big or go home” hold up on a dawn-to-dusk mission?

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.

The View at The End

Three scientists chronicle life, death, and the last stand of the Grizzly Glacier.

Footwear

From ultracomfy trail runners to mountaineering crossovers, here’s the season’s best backcountry footwear.

Save The Desert

Bears Ears is a desert paradise. It's up to all of us to keep it that way.

2020 Editor's Choice Awards

Like you, we routinely seek out the wildest places as the settings for our big trips.

SHELLS

From featherweight hardshells to do-it-all softshells, here are the best products for staying dry on the move in the backcountry.

BAGS & PADS

Whether you sleep hot or cold, up high or down low, there’s a system here that will unlock the ZZZs.

PACKS

Hauling packs is what we do. Here are the season’s best models, for everything from summit bids to thru-hikes.

Train Up to Trail Legs

Can our writer get in the best hiking shape of his life—without hiking?

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.

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

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.

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

The Vampire Trail

Immerse yourself in ancient myths and one of the last refuges for Europe's wolves on a hike throughthe Transylvanian Alps

Warm Up From The Inside

Get toasty from the inside out with these hot beverages.

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.