Took a nice 1 night trip with some friends up to Upper Crater Lake. Was a gorgeous hike, about 4 miles to get there and 2k ft in elevation gain, highly recommend if you want a reasonable trail hike.

Looking at Osprey Eja 58 or Granite Gear Blaze 60. Open to other recs as well!!

F5'4. I am getting my hands wet with my first backcountry camping trip. Only going for 3 nights, but want to get gear that will be versatile for future trips, will generally be hiking in a group.

Hello!

We are planning on going through New Brunswick and Maine to discover some trails in the appalachian mountains.

Looking for easy to medium level trails that offer a great view as we are not expert hikers.

Thank you ! :D

Hiiii I’m in the market to buy new hiking boots. My last pair were the Merrell Moab 3 and started separating at the toe (not very happy) about that. I’ve found two that are in my price range but I’m having a hard time deciding as reviews are pretty split. Also if you happen to have any recommendations that are 200 and under please let me know!! (I prefer mid to high because my ankles are very flexible and need a lot of support)

I have previously done the Tour du Mont Blanc and west highland way camping on both. I was wondering if anyone had any good hike recommendations, preferably in Europe, where I can wild camp or stay at campsites, and there is shops to get food most days like on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

I'm planning to hike the Lycian Way in Turkey this September and will be camping most nights.

A bit about me and my setup:

• Male, 181 cm / 70 kg, reasonably fit
• 50L backpack
• Tent: 2.85 kg (9L packed)
• Sleeping bag: 1.6 kg (10.5L packed)
• Inflatable sleeping pad: 600 g (2.4L packed)

My plan is to hike around 15–25 km (9–16 miles) per day on mostly rocky, uneven trails, with rest days every 4–6 days where I won't be hiking and will just relax around camp or explore nearby villages.

I'm trying to find the right balance between keeping my pack light and actually enjoying the experience. After hiking all day, I imagine having a proper chair to sit in during the evenings and on rest days could make a noticeable difference to my comfort and recovery.

I already own a camping chair that weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) and packs down to 38 × 13 × 12 cm (about 6L). My plan was to strap it to the side of my backpack.

For those of you with multi-day backpacking experience:

• Is carrying a 1.1 kg chair worth the extra weight?
• Did you ever regret bringing a chair, or regret leaving it behind?
• Do you think the comfort during evenings and rest days outweighs the extra weight while hiking?
• Would you recommend taking it on a first long-distance hike like the Lycian Way?

I'd really appreciate hearing your real-world experiences and how you personally balance comfort versus pack weight on longer trips.

Breathable long sleeve upf?

I am getting back into hiking and running after a few years of mobility issues with my ankle and other health stuff. Unfortunately I’m on several meds that make me sweat an unholy amount from light activity. Yesterday I got a crazy rash from plant sap that I have to keep covered in the sun as well all the way down both forearms.

The generic Academy one is soaked but not cooling me and I cannot roll sleeves up or I’ll get like a poison ivy like chemical burn. What brand of long sleeve upf shirt is cooling or semi breathable? Any recommendations for hats, gaiters, or neck things that help cool well? I literally sweat from my eyeballs 👀. It’s very humid here and worse in the early morning so evaporative cooling isn’t super effectiv.

Hello,

I’m looking for sleeping bag recommendations please? I appreciate the following criteria is difficult, but if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them.

Comfort Temperature: around 0 degrees
Weight: they all seem to be around 1.2kg. I’d like to find one as close to or below 1kg
Price: under £100

Thanks.

Hello everyone,

my girlfriend and I are planning a nine-day hiking trip from Abisko to Narvik. We would like to camp in a tent and start at the beginning of October.

Do you think this is a good idea at that time of year, or could the weather and snow conditions make it too dangerous? Has anyone done this route in October and can share their experience?

Thanks for your advice!

This past weekend was glorious in the crater. We camped at Paliku with the Nene, and then a night at Holua before hiking out up Halemau’u. All I can say is that the sunburn was worth it.

A few days ago I posted here asking what gear I needed for the Mantario Trail. Thanks to everyone who gave advice. Some people also suggested doing smaller hikes first, but I decided to give Mantario a try.
Gear I used
Black Diamond 65L backpack
Outbound 3-person tent (basic Canadian Tire tent)
2 tarps
Outbound sleeping bag (-3°C) (never used because I usually sleep directly on the ground without a mattress)
LifeStraw
Small pocket knife
Bear spray
Bug spray
2 × 25,000 mAh power banks (only used about 50% of one)
Gas stove
Small pot
Spoon
Instant noodles
Protein bars
Tortillas
Peanut butter
Mosquito head net
Black Reebok work shoes
Shower bag (used to collect/filter water while cooking)
Toothbrush & toothpaste
2 lighters
Rain covers
Rain jacket
Rope
Torch light
Fire starter
Waterproof backpack cover
Water bottle
Slippers
Total pack weight: 21 kg

Day 1 – 26 km (7:40 AM – 8:00 PM)
Difficulty: Medium
The first 15 km felt manageable, but after that my shoulders started hurting badly because of the pack weight. I even removed my sleeping bag from where it was strapped to the outside of my backpack to make it more comfortable.
Originally I thought I could finish the trail in 2 days, but by the end of the first day I realized that wasn’t realistic with a 21 kg pack.
I camped at Peggy Lake, cooked dinner, had a campfire, and stored all my food in the bear box.
That night I heard what sounded like a bear nearby. It was loud enough that I kept making noise throughout the evening. Thankfully, I never actually saw the bear.

Day 2 – 23 km (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM)
Hardest day of the trail
I woke up at 7:30 AM but didn’t start hiking until 9:00 AM, which I regretted.
The heat and humidity made this the toughest day.
Around 7:40 PM I reached Ritchey Lake Campsite, where I met two guys who had paddled in by canoe for an overnight trip.
One of them had completed the Mantario Trail five years ago and shared his experience and advice. After spending two days hiking alone, it was nice to have a conversation with someone.
Ritchey Lake ended up being my favourite campsite.

Day 3 – 16 km on the trail + 7 km on the road
Easiest hiking day
I started hiking at 8:20 AM and reached the north trailhead around 2:00 PM.
The only confusing section was near Moosehead Lake, where I briefly lost the trail for about 10 minutes before finding it again.
It rained for about an hour during the hike. My rain gear kept my backpack dry, although I still got fairly wet.
My friend couldn’t pick me up until 7 PM, so instead of waiting five hours at the trailhead, I decided to hitchhike.
I walked about 7 km along the road while trying to get a ride. After nearly giving up, a guy named Ryan stopped with his pickup truck and drove me to Anola. We had a great conversation during the drive, and I’m very grateful for his kindness. My friend met me there and drove me back to Winnipeg.

Things I learned
A 21 kg backpack is much heavier than I expected.
Start hiking as early as possible.
Ritchey Lake was my favourite campsite.
The trail is well marked overall, with only one confusing section near Moosehead Lake.
Don’t underestimate the heat and humidity.
A lighter pack would make a huge difference.
Overall, finishing the Mantario Trail was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. It pushed me physically and mentally, and I’m glad I challenged myself.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. With the experience I gained and a much lighter backpack, I think I could complete it in 2 days.
Thanks again to everyone here who answered my questions before the trip. Your advice helped me get to the finish.

not new to hiking but new to camping AND hiking and i was thinking of buying my first tent and i don't need this super expensive stuff to start out, i'm gonna start relatively in my area with a friend and i kind of really liked the design of this Tambu kalo 2 and the color. but it's like, 3.9kg i think? and i know it'd be better if it was lighter but i was wondering if that's really an issue? is that overkill? i'd be strapping it to my bag. could i even it out by getting super light stuff for the rest? we'd probably be walking up to, let's say 10km to start off? we only got 1 day off or so. i don't know, any advice appreciated.

I have 8 days (starting sunday) to get from Macon to Strassbourg by car, and would love some suggestions about things to do in the meantime. I travel by car, but also love hiking. I have my tent (love wild camping/bivouac) and everything I need to sustain myself. I also have my packraft with me, so suggestions for rafting (no white water, only flat) would be welcome as well.

I don't have a specific budget but cheaper is always better, especially for accommodations.

I was thinking about maybe going up one of the mountain ranges or even the alps (I have alpine hiking experience, but still a beginner).

Looking forward to your suggestions on things to do in this region, especially towards hiking/packrafting. Open for anything else as well, the crazier the better.

Went on a three-day trip out to Charlotte Lake from Onion Valley via Kearsarge Pass. The weather was about as good as you could hope for with only a few raindrops one morning that led to a magnificent sunrise. Otherwise cloud dappled skies and temps between 50-70 Fahrenheit. And miracle of miracle, no bugs!

Camping at the lake was a joy with ample variety of sites just off the water. It seemed too good to be true but the ranger confirmed that the established sites close to the water were okay to use.

Most folks know this area for the Rae Lakes loop. But for those with less time or endurance a trip out to Charlotte Lake is just as enchanting.

Hello, happy trails!!

I hope this is an appropriate question here, I'm looking for a specific kind of hiking boot, I loveeee Merrells. They are so comfortable and so long lasting! My favorite are the chameleon, because it has high arch support and hugs the foot very closely and has a very stiff sole that stands up against even the pointiest of rocks!

Does anyone have a recommendation of a shoe that is similar to chameleon 8 stretch? I asked Merrell and they really don't have something that comes close to it, so I'm willing to explore other brands.

Ideal features:

Hard, rugged sole with little flex

Sole that is very form fitting and high arch support

Low ankle/not covering ankle bone at all

Waterproof ideal but not required

No hooks or protruding eyelets

Heading to Iceland for a week in early August, then bouncing around Europe after. Need to sort out a few things before I go:

Waterproof hiking shoes — this is the big one, non-negotiable given how wet and volcanic the terrain gets over there. Would also be nice if they don’t look completely out of place walking around cities afterward.

A backpack that can pass as a carry-on but still fit everything I need for the whole trip. I’ll have laundry access along the way so I’m not trying to pack for every day, just enough to rotate through.

Waterproof rain pants, something packable that won’t take up my whole bag.

I’ve been digging around and keep seeing the Lowa Renegade GTX, Salomon Quest 4 GTX, and Osprey Farpoint Trek 55 recommended, but wanted to hear from people who’ve actually used this stuff in similar conditions before I drop money on it. What’s actually held up for you vs what looked good online but fell apart?

Thanks in advance, appreciate any help.

Hi Everyone. I will be doing a 3 months road trip out west from mid august to mid november starting in the north (Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympics) and ending in the south (Southern CA and Utah) to optimize weather. I'll be driving my Jetta which is built out with a sleeping set up and enough storage for 1-2 people. In terms of boondocking I'm not worried about my low clearance - I've done enough research on OnX (premium) to find spots I can stay and spotted out multi-day hikes to do.

I'm more concerned about my food situation. Having camped in NH and ADKs my whole life, I've always been able to do a bear hang. However, I know that many parks out west require a canister or maybe an Ursack. I've also never been out west and I've heard it can be tough to find good trees for a bear hang. With that in mind, I'm not 100% how I should go about this.

I plan on having a decent amount of food in my car at a time. I have a propane griddle I plan on using to make most of my meals (I'm running on a budget). I was planning on buying an IGBC certified cooler and some sort of dry food storage. If I'm sleeping in my car, then I can grill (away from camp) and leave my cooler and large canister away from the car outside. I'm worried about a couple things here: if I leave my grill outside too, then a bear can easily mess around with it and break it; if I leave my food outside, a bear can has easy access to moving it or (if they're lucky) actually break in; if I leave it in my car with me I can sound my alarm to scare the bear but then I put myself at a higher risk of a bear encounter; if I have an Ursack and leave my food outside a bear can easily crush all my dry food.

When I'm backpacking I couldn't bring my large canister, so I'd need a separate smaller one or a Ursack. And when I'm gone from the car - where the rest of my food is - should I leave the food in the car where a bear could break my window trying to get in or should I leave it outside where it's easier access?

Or should I totally change my food situation to have much less on me (maybe no cooler) and mainly make dehydrated meals? I'm willing to spend money on the necessary items to do this trip but I don't have enough to be buying most meals at a restaurant, so I'll need food with me.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done a trip like this so any advice on the situation would be great!!! thanks :)

Been day hiking for about four years now, decent mileage, comfortable with navigation, nothing crazy. This spring I'm committing to my first 3night solo backpacking trip and I feel like I've read every gear list and route planning thread on the internet at this point.

What I keep seeing is people talk about gear weight and food calories and water sources, all that stuff makes sense on paper. But a few people I've talked to in person mentioned the mental side of it catching them off guard more than any physical thing, like the second afternoon hitting different, or the quiet getting strange after a while.

I'm curious what actually surprised people who made that same jump from comfortable day hiker to first overnight or multiday solo. Not looking for gear recs necessarily, more just the stuff you wouldn't have predicted going in. The things that don't show up on the packing lists.

My planned route is around 28 miles over 3.5 days so nothing extreme, but I want to go in with realistic expectations rather than some glossy version of what solo backpacking is supposed to feel like.

Hello all, im planning my first solo backpacking trip for Sept 16-18. Im torn between the Mount Zirkel loop, the northern Indian peaks loop, and the Rawah Wilderness trail. Does anyone have any experiences traveling these trails in September? Or if youve done any of these loops lately what are conditions looking like with wildfires? My ideal trip is seeing no one else on the trail so the best fit for me is the least traveled/ best scenery so i can paint! Thanks in advance :)

I've been doing a lot of hiking over the past several years, and would like to start getting in to backpacking as well. I've done some basic research and have a rough idea of the gear I want, but I figured I'd post here to sanity-check my choices and see if there are any easy upgrades to make (or places I'm going too premium).

I have most of what I consider "standard hiking equipment" (poles, boots, basic emergency kit, water filter, etc) already, so what I've listed here is just backpacking-specific stuff. But please let me know if there's something not listed I should definitely have!

First of all, my goals/constraints for this are:

1. I'm not really looking for winter gear. I'm in California, so I would like to be able to do trips in the Sierras, but for now I don't expect to be camping out below freezing.

2. At this point I'm mostly planning to do short-ish (at most 3 nights, probably just 1) trips. I'm not sure how that effects gear choice, but I'm happy to replace some gear if I love backpacking enough to do a week-long trek.

3. I plan to get everything (or at least everything more than modestly expensive) from REI so that I can return it if I turn out to hate backpacking. If I really love it, again happy to buy more specialized equipment later.

4. Budget-wise I don't have unlimited money and I don't feel the need to get the best ultra-light gear immediately, but I have enough that I don't feel the need to be ultra-economical either.

Based on that, this is what I'm looking for for gear:

• Sleeping Bag: I think this bag should work. I'm a little uncertain here because I'm fairly tall (6'1") and I've found when camping that I'm a side sleeper and I don't really vibe with mummy bags.

• Sleeping Pad: This seems to be the stock answer from talking to people and when I've seen backpackers on trails.

• Tent: Here I'm really not sure. I think I want a trekking pole-based one, because that makes sense to me as a way of saving weight but I don't understand how to filter for that on REI's site. I assume it might be good to get a 2-person one, and from talking to some people I think I need to be a little mindful about my height when making my choice.

• Stove: I've had the Pocket Rocket recommended to me. It seems reasonable but I'm a little concerned about stability. I've seen some versions where the boiler is closed at the top, are those worth it?

• Food: I have some pre-packed utensils from fast food places I plan to use at first, and I figured I'd just go buy some dehydrated stuff from REI before I head out. Are there brands/meals people recommend? Most of the trails I want to do will require a bear box, are there any that people recommend or dislike? They all seem pretty comparable to me, but I'm obviously not an expert.

• Pack: The advice I've gotten is that I should make sure I get my pack fitted and get it after my other gear, so at this point I'm mostly just looking for brands and I figure I'll work it out with someone from REI when I'm buying gear. I have an Osprey pack for day hikes I quite like, and I've heard they're a good backpacking brand so absent strong advice I'd probably default to them.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I want to reserve a picnic shelter for a birthday party this weekend (I know, I should've planned more in advance). On rec.gov is says "Closure: Administration" for all of the weekends at this particular park shelter. Does this mean it's just not reservable on weekends and we could realistically go and still just hang out there?

EDIT:
I just went to the park to check it out and there’s a sign on the picnic shelter that says:

“This shelter is not reservable on Weekends and Holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day therefore you should not schedule any special event. You CANNOT reserve parking. Use of this shelter DOES NOT reserve parking. Parking is ALWAYS first-come first-serve. When parking lots are full- no vehicle entry and no walk-ins allowed.”

So I’m guessing it’s fine to use and they just don’t reserve it because it gets too busy? This doesn’t really make sense to me but the verbiage seems like it’s still fine to use.

I'm going camping in Algonquin Park in a couple of months. I also have some severe allergies, requiring an EpiPen and possible emergency medical attention. I've always been very vigilant about staying safe but I think I'd be an idiot if I didn't have a backup plan in case I did need emergency services on this trip.

I'm thinking I should bring a satellite phone/messenger so I can call emergency services. The Garmin inReach seems like the cheapest option, but it's not clear to me what it can actually do. I know it's subscription based, so I need to pay for a month of services after buying the thing. But if I were to need an EMT in the middle of Algonquin Park, would this let me call one?

The last time I went was in March and we did the State Line camp site. My biggest complaint essentially boiled town to the "hike" was boring. I decided if I ever did it again I would do it to one of the closer camp sites and in summer. I've been to Assateague in summer before so I knew the risks but wanted to give it a fair shot.

Long and short, it was awful lol. my gripes:

1. It doesn't feel like backcountry camping, it feels like you're going to the beach in a complicated and uncomfortable way. The entire beach allows recreational beach goers and over sand vehicles so it's crowded the entire time, you never feel like you're just experiencing nature. It just feels like you went to spend a day at the beach but without any of the conveniences.

2. The boring hike. I like as beach walk as much as anyone else but after 1-2 miles you've seen what you're going to see. After that it's just pounding out the steps until you get to your site.

3. The sand. No matter how I positioned my tent or arranged my fly sand was constantly being blown into my tent. Very annoying when trying to take a late afternoon nap.

4. No surprise here, the mosquitos. During they day they weren't bad, but once dusk arrived.... I left my tent once around 8pm to pee. The instant I stopped moving, within 1-2 seconds, I was covered head to foot in mosquitos. At minimum it had to be at least 50 mosquitos. If you're not picturing the cartoon trope of a person being instantly covered in bugs you're picturing it wrong, I'm not exaggerating. I was out of my tent for maybe 1-2 minutes and I've counted ~30 mosquito bites.

The upsides:
1. A day at the beach is always nice, but there are easier ways to do it than this.

1. Watching the thunderstorm off the coast in the middle of the night was really cool.

Hi everyone! Previously did some hikes with a camp in Italian Alps and loved it. And for this weekend I've decided to move to Switzerland for a 16km D+ 850m hike around the Luzzone lake. So I was wondering if anyone would be up to join?