Terms & Conditions

We live in a fascinating modern world with some very peculiar experiences from which we need to protect ourselves. In the spirit of a creating a fair and mutually-beneficial relationship between you—the consumer of this site’s content and myself—the creator of it, I’ve laid out my policies and expectations in clear language with an effort toward maximum transparency. My policies can be summed up in a simply and apply to you as much as they do to me:

Be a Kind, and responsible adult.
Be Fair. Don’t be a dick.
Let’s not make the lawyers rich.

Hack Your Pack (HYP, We, Me, and I) will operate within these guidelines. You (you) will to. Continued usage of this site means you agree to follow them too. Here’s how it works:

Privacy

Privacy is extremely important in modern life. I take yours very seriously.

Cookies & TRACKING

I use SquareSpace analytics and Google Analytics to better understand what content my readers are interacting with. This means cookies. (Hello, EU users!) This allows me to slowly improve the quality of my content to provide you a better service. I do not share or sell this data with/to anyone.

Email List

I hate spam. You hate spam. We all hate spam. If you sign-up for the mailing list, I will NEVER trade, share, or sell your address to anyone. Ever. I will store your address during the time you are subscribed. If you unsubscribe, I will discard your address.

Contact Forms

When you reach out to me through a contact form on this website, it submits to my gmail. I will retain your name, and the associated email address for the purposes of responding to you, and continuing the conversation.

Privacy in the Comments

Don’t write private stuff in the comments. It’s not smart to put personally identifiable information (PII) in a comment on a website. Comments are public. It’s like posting it on bill board on the interstate. (Ok, maybe more like a back country road. But one day this site will have as much traffic as I-95 at rush hour!)

Community

Comments

Don’t write mean shit. This site exists to help people learn. Learning means taking risks, failing, and growing from it. It is meant to be a constructive forum for ideas. I want you to express yourself, but you should do so respectfully so that others can benefit from your wisdom and not be offended by your tone of voice or ego.

Don’t be a victim. This site exist to help people learn. Learning means challenging your assumptions, considering the viewpoints of others and expanding your own comfort zone. In the same way that I ask readers to be constructive in their criticism, I also request you be open minded to the thoughts of others, and not reactionary. If I or another reader gets something wrong or says something that offends you, don’t spaz out. Engage in a productive discussion so we can all grow. Share why our point of view is wrong. Help us understand why you’re offended. We all need to understand each other more and get angry less.

Dispute Resolution

All disputes will be solved with hand-to-hand single combat. I’m just kidding! Let’s try to work out any differences verbally, like adults through email. If you can’t do that, then we’ll have to escalate to suits and officialness, but that takes time and costs money. Currently I am making fuck-all running this site, so I’d rather go the fast/affordable route. Deal? Good.

ADvertsing & Sponsorship

As I mentioned above, this site is currently grossing an unbelievable $0 per year. I don’t advertise on the site. I have no relationships with brands. I have 100% editorial integrity. Now, realistically I hope to one day make money doing this so I can quit the day job and be a hiker dirt bag forever. So eventually there may be advertising or some minor selling of the soul. However, I hereby vow to retain 100% editorial integrity. Any sponsorship or advertising will be clearly marked. If I review a sponsor’s product and it sucks, you’ll know. I pull punches for nobody!

Copyright

I write, shoot, and edit all of the content on this site. It’s 100% original. I know being a creator takes a lot of hard work, so I don’t violate the copyright of others. If you believe you have a copyright claim against this site, you’re probably incorrect. However, inline with my lawyer-free policy, go ahead and shoot me a friendly email so we can discuss your concern like grown-ups. Similarly, please respect the thought, time, and effort I put into running this site and don’t violate my copyrights.

Fair USE

Fair use is a cornerstone of journalism and essential to a healthy content creation ecosystem. Sadly too many people don’t understand what it means. Here’s a quick summary: There are exceptions to copyright that allow material that is usually protected to be reproduced when it is used for commentary and criticism or for parody. An example of this would be copying a small section of an article in order to discuss it. Here’s a great article summarizing Fair Use.

Bottom line here, is please don’t initiate copyright action against instances of Fair Use on this site. In return, I will respect your usage of my content when performed under the criteria of Fair Use.

Edits and Revisions

I may modify these terms in the future without notice. However, if I suddenly decide to abandon the core principle of treating my readers the way I want to be treated and suddenly become a raging dick… Rest assured, I will send out an email notice announcing this, and then you can, and should rip me one on the Internet.

Did I miss anything?

We’re building the track as we go here, so I’m sure I’ll have to add to this list. Curious about policy or anything not covered here? Drop me a line on the contact form and we can discuss it.

See? That’s what I mean about being open, transparent and fair. Let’s make the world a better place.

Now, go read some articles, or get out there on the trail!

All Posts

Hiking Trail Etiquette

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.

Gear List: Pacific Crest Trail

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.

Thru Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

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.

My 5 Favorite Fitness Recovery Devices

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.

How to Avoid Getting Blisters

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.

Why hikers say “Cotton Kills”

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.

Gear Tip: DIY Ultralight Water Scoop

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!

Review: Ferrosi Pants by Outdoor Research

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.

How to Poop in the Woods

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.