Backpacker

Many people set out to complete a thru-hike because they are searching for something. It could be they’re fulfilling a lifelong dream; it could be that they’re feeling dissatisfied with the routine of day-to-day life and they want to figure out what else is out there. It could just be that they want to learn something about themselves that they can’t at home. Whatever your re...

The human body is a marvel: You can walk along a rocky trail, eyes on a distant mountain peak, while your mind wanders. When you’re in a hiking groove, each step feels like you’re on autopilot. That is, until a dip in the trail comes out of nowhere and takes you down in a tangle of trekking poles and scraped knees.

The mechanism responsible for those moments of success...

A grizzly broke a hiker’s arm on a popular trail in Glacier National Park on May 28, the National Park Service said in a press release on June 2. This marks the second time in a month that a bear attacked a visitor to the park.

In

Just how bad of a year is the Colorado River in for? The numbers are stark: In a webinar this May, the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center predicted that the waterway will provide just 13 percent of the water it ...

Cold-soaking—or rehydrating food without the use of a stove—is an increasingly popular strategy among ultralight backpackers. The good: Instead of lugging around a full kitchen setup and fumbling with cookware at camp, you can simply toss your food into a jar of water on the trail and arrive at camp with dinner fully hydrated.

The bad: If you don’t nail your timing, yo...