Gear Articles tagged ‘backpacking’
By: Beth Lopez | March 21st, 2011
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Wish your Monday would go away? We do too. But at least we can offer some pleasantly gear-centric diversion; take a look at this week’s product questions from our customer community on Backcountry.com. We whipped up some answers, and we’d love your two cents too.
Keen Klamath Mid Boot
Hi Gear Freaks,
I recently bought these boots to take backpacking in the canyons of Utah. I wore the boots around for 3 days prior to going and felt the tongue was uncomfortable at first but no other problems arose. I have wide feet and high arches and love all my other Keen shoes. As a gal with large feet I often buy men’s shoes.
After hiking seven miles on the first day over rocky and sandy terrain my arches were very painful. It just got worse from there. I don’t know if it’s the boots or the backpacking. Has anyone had a similar experience or suggestions to improve this problem. Otherwise I love the boots.
-Outdoorsy CO Gal
A: Hey, Outdoorsy Gal. As a trail runner and hiker, I can definitely empathize with your pain. Sometimes you find a brand that usually works for your foot shape, but even then, there can be some anomalies within that brand. Maybe your Keen sandals and walking shoes fit your feet well, but these boots are constructed differently because they’re intended for a different purpose—long hikes. Read More …
Tags: backcountry skiing, backpacking, hiking, q&a, skiing
Posted in Gear Guide, Q&A |
By: Adam Riser | March 7th, 2011
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Q: Will this rack work with a thru axle design on the front forks?
By: W.Ward 
4 days ago
A: Unfortunately, this rack will only work with standard drop-out designs. Since you’re like I am and you run a through-axle fork, your only option is to either get a different rack or buy a through-axle fork adapter. Yakima and Thule both make them, and you can get them in any size out there. It’s not as easy as using a rack like the Thule Sidearm, which is designed to work without forcing you to remove the front wheel at all, but it will do. It’s also handy to have one of these adapters when you’re shuttling with friends, since your pals’ racks may not fit your bike. Read More …
Tags: backpacking, bike racks, climbing, gear guide, skiing, softshells
Posted in Featured, Gear Guide, How To, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |
By: Beth Lopez | February 28th, 2011
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Once again, to celebrate the blessed arrival of Monday, we dug into our community’s questions on Backcountry.com and formulated a few replies in hopes of helping the gear-glut masses make the right selection. Take a gander, and please feel free to join the conversation in the comments below or on the products’ Backcountry.com pages.
Arc’teryx Bora 80 Backpack
Q: I am just starting in backpacking and i am looking for a pack. some people in my family have told me this is the pack to go with but are there lighter options with the same durability and is it worth the money and is it truly a great pack? –maughanwe
A: Good question, because buying a backpack is a major purchase—perhaps the most important and expensive one you’ll make—as you get into backpacking. Firstly, I’ll say that yes, if you can afford it, an Arc’teryx backpack would be a fantastic choice. Arc’teryx makes top-quality backpacks that weigh very little, are comfortable, and are smartly designed; they’ll stand up to an incredible amount of wear and tear, so your investment will be a good one. That being said, you need to consider several questions as you decide which particular model is the right one for you. Read More …
Tags: backpacking, backpacks, fleece, layering, q&a, rain jackets, snow boots
Posted in Gear Guide, Outdoor Articles |
By: Justin Mool | September 10th, 2010
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Falafel & Couscous
It’s been a while since our last Camp Chef, and with backpacking season winding down, we’re squeezing in one last recipe to add to your arsenal: falafel and couscous. This vegetarian recipe is tasty, lightweight, and easy to prepare. It’s perfect for overnight or weekend trips when you don’t want to go the superlight-freeze-dried route, but don’t want to carry a bunch of foodstuffs either.
This recipe feeds two hungry backpackers.
Tags: backpacking, backpacking recipes, Camp Chef, food, recipes, vegetarian recipes
Posted in Camp Chef |
By: staff | September 8th, 2010
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Lake Colden, Adirondacks
Labor Day has come and gone. To many, this marks the end of summer. Call us old fashioned, but we go by the ol’ Gregorian calendar: there are still officially 15 days left of summer (the equinox falls on the 23rd this year). To confirm our autumnal denial, we’ve compiled a list of six end-of-summer destinations. So take a sick day and enjoy the last days of summer.
Read More …
Tags: backpacking, camping, hiking, trip reports
Posted in Outdoor Articles |
By: staff | August 24th, 2010
2 Comments »
Pacific Crest Trail Map - Courtesy: www.pcta.org
We start our Thru-Hike Favorites on the West Coast, in the appropriately named Goat Wilderness (we couldn’t resist). But before elaborating on what we consider to be the best section of the Pacific Crest Trail, a little background: Read More …
Tags: backpacking, pacific crest trail, thru hiking, weekend hikes
Posted in Featured |
By: staff | August 20th, 2010
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De-Funk Your Tent
Is there something funky growing on your tent fly? Does your old tent smell like barf? Well, don’t break down and buy a new tent just yet (although with the Backcountry.com Semi-Annual Sale going on, it’s quite tempting). There are a few things you can do to rejuvenate your home away from home. Read More …
Tags: backpacking, camping, tent cleaning, tents
Posted in How To |
By: Patrick Kailey | August 5th, 2010
1 Comment »
The most important point to take away from on-trail nutrition is this: eat! Calories fuel everything your body does, including heat production. Packing an energy bar on a day hike could make the difference between being cold and developing hypothermia if you’re caught in the dark. Here are some basic guidelines to staying energized on the trail. Read More …
Tags: backpacking, food, nutrition
Posted in Featured |
By: Adam Riser | August 4th, 2010
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A week after this picture was taken, Ben's tent was still holding strong despite seven straight days of torrential rain in the Northwest Territories.
The storm won’t stop, the water’s rising in your tent’s aptly named “bathtub floor,” and it’s only a matter of time before a pole snaps or a stake rips out of the ground, and you find yourself in serous trouble. If you would have taken the time to rig your tent properly, you would be enjoying your 178th card game in a row. Instead, you slacked. And now you’re scrambling to hold things together.
The world’s strongest tent is just an expensive kite if it’s pitched poorly. I’ve seen tents full of gear flung into crevasses, tossed into trees, and blown out of sight across desert plateaus. I’ve also seen a tent ripped to shreds in a mountain storm while the one next to it was unharmed. How you pitch your tent determines whether you sleep peacefully or spend all night hoping your shelter doesn’t disintegrate.
Tags: backpacking, camping, expeditions, how to repair tents, tents
Posted in How To |
By: Justin Mool | July 26th, 2010
1 Comment »
While the pavement melts in the city of salt, cool air and wilderness are under two hours away: the Uinta Mountains. Hiking, rock climbing, fishing, kayaking, overnight or week-long backpacking—the Uinta Mountains deliver. So if you’re thinking about making a pilgrimage to the Rockies, the Uintas are a great alternative to the higher traffic areas to the south and north (see: Colorado, Jackson Hole). Read More …
Tags: backpacking, fishing, hiking, Trip of the Month, uinta mountains, utah
Posted in Trip of the Month |
By: Genevieve Mount | June 23rd, 2010
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- Grizzly bears will also usually move along if they sense a human nearby. Try to make your presence known as often as possible when you travel through grizzly territory. Human noises work best, so try to keep a conversation going, or shout “Hey, bear! Coming through!” if you see signs of a bear in your vicinity.
- When surprised, grizzlies attack more often than black bears, but the same “threat” mentality applies. Back away, speaking in a strong but soothing voice, showing the bear that you mean it no harm. Read More …
Tags: backpacking, humor, outdoor survival, video
Posted in How To |
