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Latest
Backpacking and Long-Distance Hiking in the Time of Covid-19
We need to take a hard look at what it means to be a long-distance backpacker in 2020 - what types of trips should be off the table, what types of trips are still okay, and how to keep yourself sane if you can’t make a backpacking trip work this year.
Beginner’s Mind: A Lifelong Ground Sleeper Takes to the Trees
After a lifetime of pole-supported shelters and sleeping pads, I’d decided to give hammock camping a try.
Buy Less, Do More with Good Enough Gear
What you’re really hooked on is the dopamine rush from buying and trying new gear - which doesn’t last very long.
Nature Therapy in the Backcountry (Traveling Light Towards Mindfulness and Wellness)
Nature Therapy in the Backcountry is an exploration of mindfulness, wellness, and the mental/emotional aspects of ultralight backcountry travel.
2019 REI Sale (11/15 – 11/25) – Recommendations, anti-recommendations, and other ideas
The biggest REI sale of the year is going on right now - November 15 through 25, 2019. It's called the GUGO sale - "Gear Up, Get Out". Here are some resources to help you save money on decent gear.
Publisher’s Blog: Unlimited Members No Longer See Banner Ads
This post is available for Unlimited Members only. As of today (October 30, 2019), we've turned off all network banner advertising for Unlimited Members, providing a faster, less cluttered, and less intrusive browsing experience - this post provides the details.
2019 Highlights + What’s Coming (Video Podcast for Unlimited Members)
This blog post is available only to Unlimited Members.
Interview with a Physio Therapist: A Biophysical Perspective on Backpacking Footwear
My interview with a physio-therapist, as well as my personal history with foot injuries, is making me think more carefully about backpacking footwear.
Book Review: On Trails by Robert Moor
How do trails form? Why do trails form? Come to think of it, what is a trail? These are but a few of the (deceptively simple) questions author Robert Moor attempts to answer in his book On Trails (Simon and Schuster, 2016). Moor - a lifelong backpacker and Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in addition to being a writer - approaches his subject with lyrical language and journalistic due-process. The result is a book as quietly spiritual as it is wildly informative.
What is ultralight backpacking? (how we talk about ultralight)
To me, ultralight backpacking is the idea that one should solve a problem using as little as possible, but that which is used to solve the problem should be as effective as possible. Defined as such, the actual weight of individual pieces of gear, or one's pack, matters less, and takes a back seat to the performance-to-weight ratio of a piece of gear.
Book Review – Ultralight Recipes for Outdoor Explorers
Introduction Backcountry Foodie – Ultralight Recipes for Outdoor Explorers by Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN, CD. is a cookbook containing 50 dry-based ingredient recipes along with detailed nutritional information for each....
2018 Year in Review
Our 18th year of publishing has brought some exciting new things to our community! Here's a review of our top highlights from the last year, and what's coming up in 2019.
#AskBPL No. 1
Today's Questions: Will you be holding a live film festival event this year? What do you think about adding a chat room at the backpackinglight.com website to allow members to interact with each other? Do you work from home, or do you go to an office every day? When are you going to offer another Lifetime Unlimited Membership sale? If I want to take my summer backpacking clothing and sleep system into winter conditions, what do you think are the most essential pieces of gear to add? Are you ever going to sell your Melanzana High Loft Hoodie?
Q&A on the Publisher’s Blog
I'll be starting a new Q&A series where I'll answer questions about lightweight backpacking, the outdoor industry in general, outdoor gear technology, Backpacking Light behind-the-scenes and future strategy, outdoor lifestyle, minimalism, and more!
High Sierra Trail (Film) Review
The High Sierra Trail Film by Chris Smead explores the history and wonder of the John Muir Trail's little brother in this festival circuit documentary.
National Monument Reduction: What Are We Really Losing?
Late last year, United States President Donald Trump took action for national monument reduction in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. This article explores the issues.
Wandering in a Thirsty Country – Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
When Donald Trump took office he appointed as his Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, a former member of Congress with a 4% lifetime score from the League of Conservation voters. Like Trump’s other cabinet members, much ink has been spilled concerning Zinke’s qualifications, the “fox guarding the henhouse” nature of his appointment, the various scandals that have surfaced during his time at Interior. Perhaps less well known to the general public is that Secretary Zinke, under orders from President Trump, recommended major changes to ten of the nation’s National Monuments. The most famous and contentious of these Monuments are Bears Ears and Grand Staircase - Escalante. But Organ Mountain - Desert Peaks, tucked away in a quiet corner of New Mexico, made the list as well.
A “Speshul” Hiker: Junaid Dawud and the Colorado 14ers Thru-Hike
Junaid “Speshul 41” Dawud may have cut his teeth on the Pacific Crest Trail - twice - but he earned one of the top ten FKTs of 2013 for completing his "14ers" thru-hike. This route links all 58 of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.
Calendar / Updates (Unlimited Members Only)
Unlimited-members-only updates: editorial calendar, podcast, new Unlimited Members benefits, the new webinar series, and Guide's Training course in Montana.
What we have done about your customer service complaints
Over the last 12 months, Jessica has received a "Great" rating from 92% of our customers who have filed support issues and decided to write a review.
