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A beginner’s guide to backcountry etiquette that will help you learn how to take care of nature as well as to be respectful of others who seek to enjoy it so that you’re not a backcountry asshole.

What gear do you need to hike the Pacific Crest Trail? This post breaks down gear selections for everything from clothing, to food prep, to shelter along with region-specific additions or alternates.

I quit my job, stuffed my pack full of lightweight gear and too many electronics, kissed my girlfriend goodbye, and headed West to hike 2650 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Follow the entire adventure from the deserts of California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and into the Cascades.

Stiff joints and sore muscles can keep even the fittest hiker off the trail. To recover faster I turn to these devices to help keep my muscles limber and injury-free so I can spend more time hiking.

Blisters are a common injury that affects both novice and experienced hikers in surprising numbers. These insidious and painful little bastards form—and become an issue—when hikers ignore the warning signs. So that’s what we’re looking at today: How to detect the warning signs of, and avoid creating blisters when hiking or backpacking.

Have you heard hikers recite the phrase “Cotton Kills” with a sort of blind devotion reminiscent of a fully brainwashed member from a religious cult? Have you ever wondered what the heck they were talking about? In this post, we’ll look into the thinking behind that blanket statement, examine the why cotton is a fabric that is dangerous to use in the backcountry. We'll also look at what fabrics are most ideal to wear and why.

Sure, the gram weenies and ultralight all stars rocking their Pa’lante packs, with their sub-five-pound base weights will scoff at the title of this post. They’ll boast how they don’t need a scoop for their water, because they use a leaf. Or they’ve perfected the art of sweeping their dirty water bladder through a half-inch deep stream 1000 times to get half a liter of water. But, for the rest of us, who value a bit of practicality—albeit at the expense of an entire ounce—here’s an easy, and cheap way to make a durable water scoop that nests with your water bottle like a Russian doll. It takes up virtually no space and adds a mere ounce to your ultralight hydration system. Let’s get started!

If the thought of shopping for a hiking pant makes you roll your eyes, then we have something in common. For me, finding the perfect hiking pant is an exercise in frustration. Several years ago, I stumbled on the Ferrosi Pant by Outdoor Research, and I’ve been in love with it since. In this review, I’ll dig into the features of this pant… you already know I think it’s great, so keep reading if you want to know why.

Let’s face it, if you want to spend any serious amount of time in the backcountry, at some point you will have to poop in the woods. I remember hating when nature called on me—while I was in nature. I found it inconvenient and uncomfortable to squat. But mostly I suffered from an intense fear that after relieving myself I would look down only to realize I had pooped right into the crotch of my pants.  I’m not kidding, for a long time this was a huge fear. I’d been backpacking for seven years and still hated pooping in the woods. However, after only a couple weeks on the Pacific Crest Trail, I very quickly became a pro-level backcountry defecator. Many of the techniques I figured out I wish I had learned about years earlier, so hopefully this article helps you.