Setting up a tent on a wooden platform can be a bit tricky, especially if your tent isn't freestanding. In this article, I will talk about six anchoring strategies to make the whole process a lot easier and explain how and when to use each technique.

A quality backpacking tent can cost anywhere from $300-$600. After spending that kind of cash, you may be thinking of protecting your investment and deciding on whether or not to buy a footprint for it. In this article we will discuss if it’s really necessary to get one for your tent.

After hiking many miles over challenging terrain, the next morning can be difficult to get moving again. Many backpackers including myself turn to coffee to give ourselves a necessary boost in energy. However, if you're new to backpacking you may wonder how can I make coffee while backpacking? Or maybe you're a more experienced backpacker and trying to find a better way to make coffee. Either way, this article is for you.

Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or a beginner, one of the most important skills that you can have is knowing how to safely ford a river. Going on a backpacking trip without such skills could result in severe injury or worse. So in this article, I will guide you through the whole process of fording a river so you can remain safe and be able to have an enjoyable trip.

If you spend enough time camping in the backcountry, at some point, you’ll wake up with a tent full of condensation. The good news, however, is that it’s possible to prevent tent condensation while backpacking. The way to prevent it is to follow these 5 steps

When planning your backpacking trip, one important issue you’ll need to figure out before you go is how much water to carry between water sources. The last thing you want to happen is to run out of water and find yourself nowhere near a stream and then potentially getting dehydrated. So, how can you figure out how to carry the right amount of water for your hike?

Sadly, human waste is the most common form of pollution in our wilderness areas. This shows that a lot of backpackers simply don’t know how to properly poop in the woods. With more and more people choosing to enjoy the outdoors, it’s important that we all learn how to do so by following ‘Leave No Trace’ practices. Then our natural areas will remain beautiful places to visit. Here is a complete guide on how to poop in the woods.

Choosing the right campsite when backpacking is essential for your comfort and safety. Here are some tips to help you evaluate potential campsite locations.

After using your sleeping bag on many different adventures, dirt and body oils can slowly work into the fabric and reach the down. This can cause it to lose it’s loft and insulation capabilities. However, with the proper care, you can keep your bag working effectively for many more years to come. Here’s a step by step guide on how to clean your down sleeping bag.

Ticks and mosquitoes present the biggest threat to a hikers health on the trail. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that each year more and more people are contracting diseases from these insects. With numbers tripling since the 1990s. Even though this might be alarming, this shouldn’t keep you from hiking in the woods, but should motivate you to take the necessary preventive measures to protect yourself from this danger.

Over many years of backpacking, I have seen and made many backpacking blunders. Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. Some of these can be downright comical, while others can be quite dangerous. Here is a list of 10 common mistakes

Learning to store your food properly is important to keep animals away from your camp when backpacking. These animals can quickly become pests. A popular way to protect your food is by hanging your food bag in a tree. In this article I will show you a step by step guide on how to do this.

When you first start backpacking usually your main priority is finding gear in your budget range. Weight is usually a secondary concern. However, as you grow as a backpacker you'll eventually want to do more challenging hikes. This is when you'll want to trade in some of that old gear and lighten up that backpack. In this article, I will help you know where to start.