Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
In late summer 2023, Kate “Swept Away” Pickett and I trekked around Iceland’s Hornstrandir Peninsula and completed a north-to-south traverse of the country. The hikes covered approximately 120 km (75 mi) and 600 km (373 mi), respectively. Temperatures were generally Read More …
The Hornstrandir Peninsula is Iceland’s most remote wilderness region. Located in the rugged Westfjords, this pristine nature reserve has no roads, no permanent residents (at least of the bipedal variety), and is accessible only by boat during the summer. While Read More …
“How-to” books can sometimes be a bit dry and jargon-heavy. With some notable outliers such as Mike Clelland’s Ultralight Backpacking Tips, hiking texts are usually no exception. That’s why when the folks at Wiley – publishers of the iconic For Read More …
Jotunheimen is arguably the most aptly named of Norway’s 47 National Parks. In the local language, it translates to “land of the Giants.” Encompassing an area of 1,151 sq km (115,100 sq mi), the park features the country’s 23 highest Read More …
From late April to early June this year, Kate “Swept Away” Pickett and I completed an approximately 800 mile (1,287 km) hike across southern Utah. We began our journey on the Nevada border WSW of Enterprise and finished seven weeks Read More …
The Trollheimen Mountains of central Norway are one of the country’s most diverse mountain ranges. Located in the transition zone between marine and alpine environments, Trollheimen features ancient woodlands, lush river valleys, crystal-clear mountain lakes, and jagged rocky peaks. Complementing Read More …
While primarily known for its rich ancient history and idyllic beaches, Crete is also home to one of the Mediterranean’s most rugged and beautiful mountain ranges. Towering above the Aegean Sea, the White Mountains (“Lefka Ori” in the local tongue) Read More …
My most recent visit to Bolivia’s Altiplano was in 2017. The raison d’etre of that journey was a 600 km/373 mile traverse of the region, which featured multi-colored lakes, the world’s largest salt flat, and a memorable finish on top Read More …
The fifth iteration of the “Hiking Books Guide” has been updated and expanded to include more than 90 works divided into eight categories: 1. Educational; 2. Guidebooks; 3. Humour; 4. Inspirational; 5. Literature; 6. Memoirs; 7. Philosophy, and; 8. Ultralight. Read More …
Note: Katabatic’s Holiday Sale is running until December 2. All quilts are 15% off, while Jackets and Bivys are 20% off. I picked up the Katabatic Alsek 22°F quilt in 2018. Over the last six and a half years, I’ve Read More …
UPDATED (November 25, 2024) As many folks will be aware, the Black Friday Sales season is now in full swing. This is a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about during 2024. Read More …
Ilulissat is Greenland’s tourism capital. Located on the island’s west coast, 250 km (155 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, its UNESCO World Heritage Listed Icefjord attracts visitors from around the globe. For those seeking more in the way of Read More …
(Editor’s Note: Rather than the usual excerpt, it seems like the entire content of the following post was sent to subscribers’ inboxes. From what I can tell, a glitch happened with the subscription plugin during a recent update. The issue Read More …
For hikers of a superstitious bent, the prospect of trekking through the Balkan’s Accursed mountains may evoke more than a little trepidation. And up until fairly recently, this nervousness would have been wholly justified due to the fact that the Read More …
Gear cupboard spring cleaning. A combination of culling, gifting, tidying, reminiscing, donating, restoring, “yeah-no, yeah-no……I’ll decide on that one later,” and more reminiscing. During a recent shakeup, among the dusty MSR Whisperlite Stoves, indestructible Thermarest CCF mats, bombproof Macpac Pursuit Read More …
During the website’s recent hiatus, I hiked, traveled, dabbled in extreme ironing, and wrote two books. The first of those titles was Wanderlust Nordics: Exploring Trails in Scandinavia.* Released late last year, it’s a 300-page coffee table book that showcases Read More …
Bookended by two of the Faroe Islands’ most enchanting villages, the trail between Saskun and Tjørnuvík is one of the archipelago’s classic walks. Located on Streymoy Island, the route traverses a scenic pass and showcases an unforgettable collection of cascades, Read More …
I hiked Greenland’s Arctic Circle Tail (ACT) in early September 2022. The total distance was 200 km (124.4 mi), including the 35 km (21.7 mi) “Icecap” extension between Point 660 and Kangerlussuaq. Overall, temperatures were fairly typical for that time Read More …
Approximately 80 percent of Greenland is covered by a vast ice sheet. The remaining 20 percent of this ironically named island is a coastal corridor that is mostly ice-free during the summer months. It is here, among the sparsely populated Read More …
At the northernmost tip of the Faroe Islands lies a towering sea cliff by the name of Enniberg. Looming 754 m (2,474 ft) over the North Atlantic Ocean, it is said to be the world’s highest sea-facing promontory and, thanks to Read More …