Books are a contentious item among ultralight backpackers. Sure, a little entertainment can help pass long hours in the tent during storms or help you settle into camp at night. But reading material ...

How we reported this story: We tracked down and interviewed Warren Sherick Jr., the artist behind the sculptures that have caused controversy on the PCT. We also reached out to Erin Collier, the ...

How we reported this story: We spoke to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s director of visitor use management about the organization’s ongoing plan to remediate damaged camping areas and evaluate ...

One hiker’s hack is just another hiker’s smart idea. Backpack for long enough and you’ll find yourself with your own bag of tricks—smart moves that make things easier, lighter, cheaper, or just more ...

Fat Bear Week, the annual March Madness-style competition that lets viewers vote for the fattest brown bear in Katmai National Park and Preserve, starts early this year. Beginning on September 18, the ...

September 2026: The best women’s rain jacket overall is the Outdoor Research Aspire 3L Jacket for its combination of weatherproofness, breathability, smart features, affordable price, and matching ...

Breathability can make or break a budget shell, and the Marmot PreCip outperformed all others when it comes to that key measure. “Best in class,” says one tester who wore it during a three-day trek ...

We’re not the types to give into nostalgia here at Backpacker, at least not when it comes to gear. Over our 50-odd years, gear has gotten exponentially lighter, better, and more versatile, allowing ...

Thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail takes months, but you can see some of its highlights in just a long weekend. Between a big dayhike and a three-day weekend, these five hikes will let you sample one ...

When I moved to Washington state three years ago from Boulder, Colorado, I wasn’t sure how I’d handle the gloom. In Boulder, I’d enjoyed 300 days of sunshine per year. I’d heard about the Pacific ...

Crumbling ledges overlooking deeply forested mountains, hidden gorges where clear creeks tumble into waterfall spray, wild black bears–no, it isn’t the rainy west coast of Canada or the edge of Alaska ...

There aren’t many paths that stoke dreams like the Pacific Crest Trail. On its more than 2,600-mile journey from Mexico to Canada, the PCT crosses some of the west’s most gorgeous landscapes, from the ...