stg-sectionhikercom-buttons.kinsta.cloud Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs

You don’t absolutely need trekking poles for hiking or backpacking although many people find them helpful. The most oft-cited advantage of trekking poles is that they take some of the pressure off your legs when descending steep slopes or mountains, thereby decreasing or eliminating pain in your knees and the surrounding cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Trekking Pole Advantages The …

GPS smartphone navigation apps are convenient to use and a real boon for making outdoor navigation more accessible, but they’re best used alongside other navigation tools such as waterproof maps and a magnetic compass. If you’re just experimenting with navigation apps for hiking, backpack, backcountry skiing, climbing, or hunting, it’s easy to overlook their deficiencies. But if like to explore …

The desert is a place of extreme opposites: blasting heat and freezing cold, parched soil and flash floods, a harsh landscape but one filled with delicate creatures. When planning backpacking trips, it’s important to consider seasonal temperatures, weather patterns, flora, and fauna when deciding what gear to bring and where to camp. There is great beauty in the desert but …

Scarpa Rush Mid GTX Boots are very lightweight waterproof/breathable mid-height hiking shoes with cushioned soles that provide excellent traction and stability. They’re great for use during mud season, that period in mid-sping when snow cover gives way to mud before it dries up when temperatures warm. It’s a time of year when I’ve struggled to find the best hiking footwear …