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

Today was the second day in a row where temperatures have been over 90 degrees F in Massachusetts and firing up my stove was not on the agenda. So I decided to try Packit Gourmet’s Cajun Ranch Chicken Salad this evening, which just needs 3/4 of a cup of regular water to make. This meal comes with a seasoned bag …

Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass in the White Mountains. It is one of several major notches that the Appalachian Trail traverses in New Hampshire including Kinsman Notch to the south, Crawford Notch at the southern foot of the Presidential Range, Mahoosic Notch credited with being the toughest mile on the AT, and Grafton Notch, another scenic marvel at …

 Backpacking gear is expensive and you need to take care of it to extend its lifetime. Here’s a checklist of gear maintenance tasks I try to do the morning after I get home from a backpacking trip: Air out my sleeping bag or quilt to make sure they’re dry before storing un-stuffed. Hang up my tent, tarp or hammock and make sure it’s completely …

The weather was perfect on Saturday for a traverse of Franconia Ridge, a very exposed section of the Appalachian Trail in the New Hampshire’s White Mountains that runs from Mt. Liberty to the northern shoulder of Mt Lafayette. Total mileage for this hike was 15.7 miles and I covered another 7.2 miles of the AT. Elevation gain for the day …