I’ve never considered myself to be a gearhead. I use gear to hike, not the other way around. That said, if you spend enough time backpacking over enough years, chances are you’ll accumulate the type of equipment necessary to help Read More …
The Swift X is a highly customizable lightweight backpack from Six Moon Designs. Made with either Liteskin or X-Pac material, it has a maximum volume of 56 L and tips the scales anywhere between 27 oz (0.8 kg) and 40 Read More …
(Note: This year’s list contains many of your old favourites, along with 20 new additions. I realize that December 24 is very late for a Christmas gift post, but what the hey, this article has never really been about the Read More …
The Cordillera Blanca Traverse is a backcountry hiking route through one of South America’s highest and most beautiful mountain ranges. Measuring approximately 400 km (249 mi) in length, elevations during the hike ranged between 3,133 m (10,279 ft) and 5,201 Read More …
In the summer of 2014, I put together a traverse of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. One of the world’s highest and most beautiful mountain ranges, to the best of my knowledge, it was the first time that such a trek had Read More …
Updated and expanded since the last edition in 2019, “Books for Hikers and Backpackers” now includes more than 70 works separated into eight categories: 1. Educational; 2. Guidebooks; 3. Humour; 4. Inspirational; 5. Literature; 6. Memoirs; 7. Philosophy, and; 8. Read More …
A couple of years ago I published an article titled 30 Signs You May Have Taken Ultralight Backpacking too Far. It was a (mostly) tongue-in-cheek take on those that may have imbibed a little too much on the UL Kool-Aid. Read More …
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. Read More …
It’s been almost a year since I last posted on The Hiking Life. Even by my sporadic publishing standards that’s a long time between drinks. Indeed, it’s gotten to the point where I’m regularly receiving messages from readers asking if Read More …
A frameless backpack is a core element of any ultralightweight backpacking strategy. Since the beginning of the 2000s, they’ve been my backpack model of choice for the majority of hiking trips that I’ve done. The following article contains a rundown Read More …
The Stubai High Trail (“Stubaier Höhenweg” in German) is one of the most beautiful treks in the Austrian Alps. Linking together eight characterful mountain huts, this horseshoe-shaped route around the Stubai Valley oscillates between breathtaking passes and enchanting valleys, while Read More …
From the late 1980s through to the end of the 1990s, I exclusively used hiking boots on all of my backpacking trips. They were waterproof, durable, grippy on slippery surfaces, and provided protection and stability for my feet and ankles. Read More …
The Wonderland Trail circles Mount Rainier, the highest peak in Washington (14,411 ft / 4,392 m) and the most glaciated mountain in the contiguous United States. During its 93 mile (150 km) course, it passes through a diverse collection of Read More …
Located in Canada’s remote Yukon Territory, Kluane National Park and Reserve is home to the country’s highest mountain (Mount Logan – 5,959 m /19,551 ft), one of North America’s densest concentration of grizzly bears, and the largest non-polar icefield in Read More …
Since the early 2000s, I’ve applied ultralight principles to all of my backpacking trips around the globe. From deserts to jungles and from alpine regions to arctic tundra, lightening and simplifying my load has made a significant difference to the Read More …
In the southwestern corner of New Zealand’s North Island lies a lonely mountain by the name of Taranaki (aka Egmont). Rising some 2,518 m (8,261 ft) above sea level, it is recognized as one of the world’s most symmetric volcanoes, Read More …
Stretching along the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island, the Thorsborne Trail is widely recognized as one of the world’s finest coastal walks. Part of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, over the course of 32 km (19.9 mi), the track Read More …
Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is the sixth smallest country in the world. Famous for its private banks and castles, this tiny Alpine principality is also home to a classic hiking trail by the name of the Liechtenstein Panoramaweg Read More …
Overall I was happy with my gear selections for the Long Crossing. During the seven day trip we encountered inclement weather over the last day or two, but for the most part conditions were excellent. Nighttime temps at some of Read More …
Just off the coast of northern Norway in the Arctic Circle lies a legendary archipelago by the name of Lofoten. A combination of deep fjords, windswept beaches, jagged peaks and picture-postcard villages, its staggering beauty has long been celebrated in Read More …