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The Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest is one of our all-time favorite lightweight backpacks. We’ve been hiking with HMG…

If we had to choose one location to illustrate the immense beauty of the Canadian Rockies, the Lake O’Hara backcountry would be the place. Eighty kilometers of well-maintained trails wind through this breathtaking alpine wilderness filled with turquoise lakes, stunning meadows, and expansive views.

Lying just north of the Mt. St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument, the Mount Margaret Backcountry provides sweeping views of the blast zone caused by the 1980’s eruption and the surrounding peaks of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. With spectacular views, abundant lakes and wildflowers that persist into early August, the Mount Margaret Backcountry provides an incredible chance to get away without having to travel far from either Portland or Seattle.

We’ve spent the last few months hiking hundreds of miles through Oregon, Utah, Peru, Bolivia, and California testing a bunch of new gear. We were surprised by how much we liked some of our new equipment, so we thought we’d put together a post to highlight our favorite summer backpacking gear, big and small.

The Trinity Alps Wilderness, nestled between the Coastal Range and the Cascades, is located 50 miles west of Redding in Northwest California. This region is somewhat off the radar, as most choose to visit the famed southern neighbors in the Yosemite-Sequoia corridor.

The Rogue River Trail is one of the most scenic early season backpacking trips in Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general. The route traverses the north side of the Rogue River for 40 miles as it rolls through the lush and remote Rogue Valley.

Adventure awaits – even on a budget. Check out our guide to the best backpacking tents and hit the trails without breaking the bank.

Every gram counts when finding the best ultralight tent. Our hand-picked list of UL shelters passed the test from our scale to the trail.

Over the past eight months the SteriPEN Ultra has become my go-to backpacking water purifier. The Ultra is easy to use, works fast, kills all the bad stuff (protozoa, bacteria, and viruses), and best of all, it doesn’t require any pumping, squeezing, backflushing, or chemicals.

Okay, so Packing It Out founder Seth Orme did have some help, but at it’s core, the Packing It Out initiative has a simple and effective strategy: When you see trash on the trail, pick it up, and pack it out. It’s really as easy as that.

Nepal is one of the most spectacularly beautiful countries on the planet. It’s a place where towering white peaks touch the sky, monks peacefully meditate in ancient mountainside monasteries, and lumbering yaks haul goods to quaint villages largely disconnected from the outside world. To put it simply, Nepal is a backpacker’s dream come true.

Nepal is an unbelievably beautiful country with a radiant culture and some of the most fantastic scenery you’ll ever lay eyes on. Making a pilgrimage to this trekking mecca should be on every backpacker’s bucket list.

The Pacific Northwest is home to dozens of iconic wilderness hikes. In this article, we highlight a handful of popular trails in the PNW that are sure to scratch your itch for a hiking adventure.

If you’ve spent any time in the woods, you’ve probably made some epic backcountry blunders. I certainly have. In fact, the only reason I’m able to give any “clever” hiking advice is because of all the laughably bad mistakes I’ve made over the years. At one point or another I’ve fallen victim to every one of the blunders listed below (and then some!).

The Wonderland Trail is a true gem of the Pacific Northwest. It’s one of the most iconic trails in the region, and with very good reason.

The Wallowa Mountain Range, located in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of eastern Oregon, is one of the most stunning areas to backpack in the Pacific Northwest. Often referred to as the “Alps of Oregon”, the immense granite peaks of the Wallowas are best experienced on multi-day backpacking trips.