CATEGORIES

Build A Fire On Snow
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?

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4 mins  |
November - December 2019
Trapped In Quicksand
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.

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4 mins  |
November - December 2019
Trek and Toast
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.

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2 mins  |
May 2017
Mercy Rule
Backpacker

Mercy Rule

Sometimes, the only thing better than camping is not camping.

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3 mins  |
May 2017
Out Live : Flooded
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.

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5 mins  |
August 2017
The Great Wide Open
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.

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3 mins  |
June 2017
Make Hiking Great Again
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.

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3 mins  |
June 2017
The Big Wild
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.

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6 mins  |
June 2017
How a Disastrous Fall Led to a Record-Setting Thru-Hike
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. 

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5 mins  |
May 2016
Heading to a Greek Island With No Reservations
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.

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10+ mins  |
December 2015
How To Safely Get Unlost While Hiking
Backpacker

How To Safely Get Unlost While Hiking

After losing the trail, can this wayward hiker find her way back?

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5 mins  |
February/March 2016
They Call This Work? 12 Amazing Careers in the Outdoors!
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.

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10+ mins  |
February/March 2016
If You Build It, Will They Hike?
Backpacker

If You Build It, Will They Hike?

You can now discover the other Caribbean on Dominica's new long trial. But should you?

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10+ mins  |
February/March 2016
The Schism of Youth Scouting Programs in America
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?

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10+ mins  |
September 2015
Backpackers Paradise - Yosemite In September
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?

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10+ mins  |
September 2015
Ali Kenney
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.

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2 mins  |
May 2018
Where Nobody Knows Your Trail Name
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.

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7 mins  |
December/January 2017
monumental crisis
backpacker

monumental crisis

president obama is creating national monuments at an unprecedented rate. will that be enough to save america’s last best places?

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2 mins  |
november 2016
Tested: This Year's Best Outdoor Gear!
Backpacker

Tested: This Year's Best Outdoor Gear!

Once a Mumbai boy, the former electronics baron (Akai TV and baron electronics) and his wife give us an exclusive glimpse into their beachfront mansion on Nurai Island a breathtaking property off the coast of Abu Dhabi Kabir Mulchandani.

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10+ mins  |
April/May 2016
In Deep
Backpacker

In Deep

Discover one of many secrets hidden in new Bears Ears National Monument. Just be prepared for a lot of swimming on this trip through the Black Hole of White Canyon.

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3 mins  |
June 2017
Learn Minimalist Fly-Fishing
Backpacker

Learn Minimalist Fly-Fishing

How much gear does an angler need?

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4 mins  |
May 2017
Survival
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.

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4 mins  |
May 2017
The Long Way's Round
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.

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10+ mins  |
May 2017
Tour de California
Backpacker

Tour de California

Walk from the coast into the last of the Golden State’s grasslands by way of a lost route.

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3 mins  |
May 2017
Terra Incognita
Backpacker

Terra Incognita

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

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3 mins  |
May 2017
In the Deep Dark: Stargazing
Backpacker

In the Deep Dark: Stargazing

When you're swallowed by night, the star show begins.

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1 min  |
May 2017
Cloud Control
Backpacker

Cloud Control

Embrace the elements to create captivating images

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2 mins  |
May 2017
Survival Guide - Top Tips From A Veteran Ranger
Backpacker

Survival Guide - Top Tips From A Veteran Ranger

On the eve of his retirement, Bil Vandergraff, Grand Canyon's most experienced search-and-rescue ranger, sits down for a career debriefing and explains why you should absolutely hike in wet cotton and never leave home without cold pizza.

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9 mins  |
October 2015
The Teddy Bear Needs A Hug
Backpacker

The Teddy Bear Needs A Hug

In Louisiana, a fight is brewing over the country's most endangered Bruin. 

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10+ mins  |
February/March 2016
Solve An Argument On The Trail
Backpacker

Solve An Argument On The Trail

Can a backpacking trip help a couple work out their differences?

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4 mins  |
January 2018