Food is perhaps the most important consideration for a backpacking trip. It has to be lightweight so you can carry enough of it for the whole trip, but provide enough nutrition and high calories to give you the energy to hike. The preparation...
Creating a list for your next backpacking adventure is essential to ensure that your trip is a success. Because backpacking involves hiking and walking while carrying all of your gear on your back, you will want to keep your load as lightweight as...
After you decide on a backpacking destination, you still need to do some research before you pack your bags. Seasonal temperatures, weather patterns, available amenities, type of water sources, who to contact in an emergency situation--all of...
The classic book "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills," Stephen M. Cox and Kris Fulsaas, editors, lists "ten essentials" that are widely acknowledged as the true essentials when traveling in the back country. You might not need quite as much gear...
Wintertime backpacking trips into the wilderness are exhilarating. Although often overlooked, due to obvious weather extremes, the solitude offered by winter wilderness travel makes it a favorite time of year for many hikers. With the appropriate...
Many people who backpack during warm weather do not consider this sport during the colder months of the year. Backpacking during fall and winter can be thrilling and full of adventure. To enjoy backpacking this time of year requires thoughtful...
Planning for a first backpacking trip can seem the equivalent of preparing for battle. For the length of your trip, you'll carry everything necessary to sustain life and keep you comfortable on your back. Making a list before you go can help you...
You don't need to take a lot of stuff on an overnight backpacking trip, just the right stuff. The right stuff includes essentials to keep you fed, comfy and alive. Your camera, journal, pen and walking poles are optional. Remember every extra item...
Backpacking across the entire United States is a trip of about 3,000 miles and not a task to take lightly. Losing weight, raising money for a cause or simply trying to achieve a personal milestone are all reasons why people have chosen to tackle...
Burning fat equates to burning calories. For every 3,500 calories you burn more than the number you take in, you lose 1 lb. of body fat. While even sitting around burns calories, you need extra activity to hit your target calorie burn and get the...
Hiking with a group is safer and usually more fun than hitting the trail alone, especially in magnificent but often dangerous wilderness areas such as the Rocky Mountains. Residents of the metro-Denver area can join two local hiking clubs, the...
The White Tank Mountain Regional Park located in Maricopa County about 20 miles to the west of Phoenix. Occasionally, heavy rain pours down the granite walls and through chutes, creating cavities in the rock, which give the mountains their name....
Two of the most consistent and reliable ways to lose weight are diet and exercise. Most often, a weight loss plan involves both--each has distinct health benefits and advantages. But it's certainly possible to burn calories and lose weight with a...
Heading out to the trail for a hiking trip is an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and majestic scenery. As you prepare for the hiking trip, include specific gear and equipment in your backpack to ensure a safe, successful and enjoyable...
Backpacking burns calories, so you'll need plenty of food to keep your energy stores from being depleted. Make a list filled with snacks and meals that will keep you going as long as you need. If you're backpacking for a day, your list will be...
Backpacking is on many people's list of favorite exercises. You get a light cardio workout from walking mile after mile. You build muscle carrying your pack. Best of all, you get to enjoy beautiful surroundings while reducing your stress in the...
For many people, regularly backpacking is a fairly minimalistic adventure. Taking only what is on your back into the wilderness and surviving for days, or even weeks. However, there are some that aim to cut down the normal list of equipment....
Backpacking is the ultimate get-away-from-it-all vacation, taking you away from highways, telephones and modern conveniences to areas few people get to see. To make the trip most enjoyable, you will need the right gear. You want comfort, light...
Snowshoeing and skiing can be fulfilling winter activities. Getting into the mountains and exploring snowy trails is often an awe-inspiring combination of natural beauty and sport. However, during the winter season, it's wise to take precautions...
Outdoor survival depends on having the right gear and the right frame of mind when traveling in the backcountry. In remote areas, you may be far from help. Your knowledge and skills can help minimize threats to your safety and give you the tools...
Before you head out into the wilderness on a backpacking adventure, make sure you have all the gear you need. Trying to squeeze everything you need to survive in the wild into a backpack is not very easy. Make a checklist beforehand so that you...
Northern Virginia is a busy part of the state because of its proximity to the nation's capital, Washington D.C. Northern Virginia also has a handful of state parks for visitors to the area to explore. Parks such as Leesylvania, Mason Neck and Sky...
Gear is one of the most important considerations when it comes to backpacking, whether you are an avid backpacker or just starting out. Backpacking gear includes everything from necessary clothing to items used for safety and protection. All...
Wilderness travel gives you an opportunity to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way. However, it does not come without risks. The farther you travel into the wilderness, the more vital your skills become. A 2010 study published in the...
Lake George, N.Y. is nestled in the 6-million acre Adirondack Park, and is a popular recreation area for locals and tourists alike. More than 50 miles of trails snake through the region and vary in difficulty from easy or moderate to steep and...
After a long, grueling hike in the wilderness, hikers need meals and snacks packed with plenty of protein, carbohydrates and calories. Though hikers may be hungry enough to eat their own hiking boots, it's important to pack appealing foods that...
The Smoky Mountains, named for the natural fog that hangs over the range and appears as smoke plumes from afar, rise along the Eastern Tennessee/Western North Carolina state borders in the southeastern United States. The Great Smoky Mountains...
If you are going to take a week long backpacking trip, you first need to figure out where you're going and when to leave. Each will factor into what supplies you need to pack. For instance, if you choose a destination with a cold weather climate...
