Article Library
Article Library4.5+ million words and 2,500+ articles about backpacking gear, hiking and camping skills, gear testing, outdoor technology research, backpacking routes and trips, people, philosophy and ideas, outdoor news and commentary, and more. Premium and Unlimited Members get full access to the entire library.
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Dispatches
The Engineering Behind Backpack Load Lifters
Load lifters do more than pull the top of a backpack closer to your body. Backpack engineer Nenta Wako explains how they affect lumbar torque, shoulder and pelvic loading, pack stability, and carrying comfort - and how frame rigidity, attachment geometry, and proper adjustment determine whether they work.
Field notes: backcountry camping in wind
High winds increase risk and planning complexity for backpackers. Deadfall obstacles create delays and add effort. High winds can impact balance and stability while hiking off-trail in exposed terrain. Ultralight shelters are notorious for their tent-stake failures in storms, which require a different strategy for stakes and guylines. This dispatch frames these challenges in the context of the author's recent Colorado high-country overnight to identify three key lessons from the field about how to thrive in windy weather.
Rain jackets for mountain minimalism
Ultralight rain jackets are useful, but not universally applicable in all contexts. Here, the author compares ultralight rainwear with mountain rainwear and defines the “mountain minimalist” shell: a simple, 8- to 11-oz, 3-layer jacket built for prolonged exposure, abrasion, and really bad weather without unnecessary features.
Key drivers of activity-related fatigue in the backcountry
Fatigue in the backcountry is not just a subjective sensation of tiredness. It is a cumulative physiological burden that can impair movement quality, physical performance, decision-making, and safety. This article introduces an exposure-dose framework for understanding fatigue accumulation and examines three primary categories: uphill concentric muscular fatigue, downhill eccentric and joint fatigue, and metabolic fatigue. It also considers the interactions among these fatigue types and explains why their recovery and decay occur over different physiological timescales. Two routes with different grade geometries are compared using the TRIPS software platform.
Podcasts
Episode 148 | Rain Jackets for Mountain Minimalism
How to choose rain gear for mountain minimalism based on exposure, retreat options, wind, abrasion, and thermal margin.
Episode 147 | Thermoregulatory Debt
Avoid thermoregulatory debt by learning how delayed layering decisions in cold, wet, or windy conditions lead to moisture, heat, and performance debt. Timing is key.
Episode 146 | Dirtbag Rich with Blake Boles
Ryan Jordan interviews Blake Boles, author of Dirtbag Rich, about redefining wealth through time, purpose, flexibility, and outdoor freedom. They explore dirtbag culture, careers, housing, relationships, risk, and the pursuit of a life built around adventure, simplicity, and meaningful time outside before retirement.
Articles
A Multifactorial Case of Acute Mountain Sickness, Carbohydrate Depletion, and Dehydration
After a recent strenuous approach to an alpine, headache, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness produced a Lake Louise AMS score consistent with moderate acute mountain sickness. Garmin data and a detailed reconstruction of food, fluid, workload, and sleep revealed a more complex event. This case study examines how altitude exposure interacted with carbohydrate depletion, dehydration, and accumulated fatigue - and why backcountry illness is often better understood as a convergence of physiological stressors.
Durston Wapta 30 Backpack Review
The Durston Wapta 30 is a ~1 lb backpack made with Aluula fabric. In this review, we evaluated packbag stability, harness comfort, and usability in the context of its frameless design.
A Simple Shower Test for Evaluating Backpack Water Resistance
We use a simple and repeatable shower test method to evaluate backpack water resistance that incorporates fabrics, closures, seepage, and material water absorption.
By the Numbers: The Tug of Water – Why Some Layers Hold Sweat and Others Let it Go
Our new test data reveals which hydrophobic and hydrophilic base layers are most effective at liquid water transfer, moving sweat away from your skin during high exertion.
Camping Under Trees: Hazard-Tree Awareness and Campsite Selection for Backpackers
Falling trees pose a fatal risk to backpackers, especially when camping. Learn to identify hazard trees and choose a safe campsite by scanning the fall zone.
REI’s Labor Fight Is a Test of Co-op Trust
Documents show benefit changes, financial pressure, and unresolved legal questions. They also show how little members can verify from public statements alone.
