Hiking is not that complicated, step one pace forward and repeat. However, there is a lot comes around when hiking. Lets go over those skills for backpacking. When you are just starting out hiking I recommend to do just that, start hiking. Look around for hiking trails near you and toughen up your feet and get used to walking all day. Start out with as much as your comfortable with walking and branch out to hiking with full gear on. That is the base skill that you need to get down, getting used to walking with all your gear on your back. Topics covered in this article. Planner and statistic…

Hiking and camping go hand in hand, setting up a comfortable home away from home has a big part in making you feel comfortable out in the wilderness or even a campsite. In this article I take you through my steps for it. Order of business while setting up camp Pick the right spot Get out and sweep the spot and your surroundings Set your tent up Get your sleeping spot in order Relax and decompress Picking the right spot to set up camp for the night In order to pick the right spot for setting up your tent you need to take in account a couple of idea’s. First…

Putting a tarp under your tent is needed for several reasons, most of all it is to make your tent bottom last longer and cleaner. Should you bring one? Yes! Here is why. it does not matter if you are camping on a camp site or stuck out in the middle of the woods. A tarp or tarpaulin underneath your tent makes sense in any situation. You have several different options to choose from when looking for one. In this article I will share my different favorite ways and how to make one yourself on the cheap! Added protection from sharp stones and abrasion This is the main reason that…

Getting a good nights sleep is very important when out hiking, a good sleeping pad is a big part of this. In this article I go over the different options out there. Whether you are going to sleep under a tarp, a tent or in a bivy bag or hammock. A sleeping pad will make a big difference on the comfort and cold insulation from the ground or air in a hammock. How to choose a sleeping pad for hiking You have a bunch of different options to choose from and they can be split up in the following order: Self inflating style sleeping pads Self Contained inflating style sleeping…

You could just crawl into your sleeping bag while out hiking, but there are some steps that you can take to make your night more comfortable and the mornings easier. In this article I will go over the steps that I always take while hiking with a tent or even staying in a hostel with noisy Pilgrims. And some of the stuff that I have seen from fellow hikers and backpackers. Getting to camp and setting up After a long day of hiking the first thing you want to do is plop down and take a rest. I say take that rest but don’t overdue it. The longer you sit…

Water and rain are the enemy while out hiking and backpacking. If your sleeping bag gets soaked your in for a tough and dangerous night. In this article we will cover protecting your gear from rain and water. Hiking is an outdoor activity, unsurprisingly you can get wet while exposed to the elements. Keeping your gear dry is essential to keeping your hiking trip fun and safe. It is true that at some point after a week of solid rain you will never be truly dry. But there are certain steps and precautions you can take to minimizing it as much as possible. Sort of backpack It depends on the…

Getting your backpack and gear straightened out is one thing, but being consistent in repacking it and your gear everyday can be a challenge. Here is how I always repack my backpack while on multi day hiking trips. Once you have your entire gear list straightened out and squared away after a couple of outings it is important that you remain consistent in repacking it everyday. When you do not do this and stuff everything in your backpack the following day you will have a tougher time setting up camp, reaching gear you need when you need it and you will be slower than everyone else getting up and going…

Deciding what to take with you hiking is a question everybody has. In this article we decide for what base weight you need to strive towards. The base weight of your backpack while hiking is important to keep as low as possible. Because you have a bunch of stuff to carry extra. Base weight of a backpack does not contain the following items: Drinking water Stove fuel Food The more you take on your back the more difficult its going to be to go long distance hiking. Generally speaking you should take only 10% of your body-weight on your back to avoid most problems out hiking. If you are a…

The sun can be a dangerous enemy while hiking, your outdoors all day so walking around with no protection on will leave you badly sunburned. Here is how to protect yourself! Wear a long sleeved shirt The button up shirts that Colombia and other brands have like Royal Robins are great to wear while hiking. With their built in sun protection and long sleeves you can still look fashionable or go out to dinner while wearing your hiking shirt. When you don’t put an undershirt on the shirts also ventilate like no other shirt. A great benefit for the hotter days. The hiking that I do is usually in my…