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Nestled in the white-peaked Cordillera Blanca range in the Andes, the classic 4-day Santa Cruz backpacking trip may be one of the most beautiful treks in the world. While many people flock to the trails near Machu Picchu, this overlooked hiking mecca north of Lima has a fraction of the visitors, allowing for a relative amount of solitude for such a spectacular place.

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.

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.

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!).

Washington’s Enchantment Lakes are a truly magical sight to see. They reside in an area where immense granite peaks, majestic mountain goats, and crystal clear alpine lakes are hidden around every corner. If you haven’t had a chance to experience this captivating place, put it on the top of your list.

Reader Question: I am torn between the ZPacks Arc Haul backpack and the ULA Circuit backpack. The cost is the main thing but how does the Circuit do with the meshed back vs the Arc Haul gap between the pack and your back?

I recently had the chance to review Therm-a-Rest’s new Corus HD Quilt, and I think it has a lot of fantastic features. It’s extremely light and compact, it has one of the best pad attachment systems of any quilt I’ve ever tested, and it comes at a reasonable price.

Mid-Range Gifts GIFT GUIDE SECTIONS STOCKING STUFFERS MID-RANGE GIFTS BIG TICKET GIFTS POPULAR CONTENT: Need a new tent, backpack, sleeping bag/pad, etc? Find our favorites in the CleverHiker Gear Guide. Steripen Ultra The SteriPEN Ultra uses UV light to purify 1L of water in 90 seconds without any pumping, squeezing, or chemicals, which is really nice. It’s light, compact, […]

Outdoor adventure gifts are the best kind around. The gift ideas listed in the CleverHiker Gift Guide are can’t miss recommendations for anyone that enjoys backpacking, hiking, and camping. So give a gift that gets someone outdoors this year. Give the gift of adventure!

Annie and I just got back from our first two big hikes in Nepal, the Manaslu and Annapurna Circuits. In total we’ve been on the trail for about 25 days and we’ve been loving every minute of it.

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