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Gossamer Gear Backpack Guide

Gossamer Gear Backpack Guide

Gossamer Gear is one of the original ultralight backpack manufacturers. They have continuously refined their products to adapt to the needs of lightweight backpackers, thru-hikers, and, more recently, day hikers, fast packers, and urban commuters.  I started using their packs in 2008 when I hiked The Long Trail in Vermont with a Mariposa 60 Backpack and have used every generation …

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10 Best Down Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking in 2024

10 Best Down Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking

A down jacket has multiple uses on a hiking or backpacking gear list. It can be used as an insulating midlayer on its own or under a shell, as a warm outer jacket when you’re less active in camp or as an adjunct to your sleeping bag/quilt at night. When it comes to hiking or backpacking, some down jackets cater …

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Compass Use Simplified: Orienting a Map

It doesn't matter which direction the baseplate is oriented, the red arrow will always point north

Learning to use a compass to tell if you’re hiking in the right direction is quite simple and useful for any hiker. For example, if you get turned around on a hiking trail and don’t know which direction you’re facing (north, south, east, or west), you can use a compass to orient yourself and the top of your map, which …

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Hiking Navigation: GPS Handhelds vs Smartphone Apps

GPS Handhelds vs Smartphone Apps

There are two types of electronic devices you can use to augment a map and compass for hiking navigation: dedicated GPS Handhelds or Smartphone Navigation apps that use the GPS reception technology built into Smartphones and can be used even if you are out of cell phone service range or your phone is in airplane mode. Both can display a …

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