Latest
Negotiating the Permit System: Six Western US National Parks

Our National Parks are awe-inspiring places of beauty. Often the backcountry permitting can be a challenge. Don't let that stop you. Here are some tips to face the process with ease.

Can I Cook in my Tent?

Cooking in a tent has revolved around a stigma of gear destruction and personal harm. Cooking in a tent is not that dangerous and being responsible and aware of the hazards allows for safe cooking in a tent.

Simplifying Expedition Food With Single Serving Sized Packages

Single serving packages can simplify shopping, packaging, and preparation of meals.

Lightweight Fry Bake Gear and Technique (Video)

If you're a fan of fry-baked meals in the backcountry, and you are reading this article, it's not likely you're one who gets real excited about carrying the two-pound classic Banks' Fry Bake. Here are some options for lighter gear and techniques for fry-baking as a solo traveler, or in smaller groups.

Backpacking: Baby on Board – Part 2: Trekking with a Toddler

In Part 1, Fany and Nick embarked on a challenging journey with an unlikely companion: their 3 month old. Two years and another 750 km later, 30 month old Flora has completed the entire traverse. Thru-hiking with a toddler can be as rewarding as it is challenging.

Pack-and-Paddle Wilderness Route Planning: Predicting Stream Flows

Guidelines for evaluating watershed geography and streamflow to help ask the question: is this creek runnable in a packraft?

Winter Firebuilding Techniques (Video)

Ryan Jordan presents some tools and techniques for dealing with wet wood for firebuilding in winter conditions.

Backpacking: Baby on Board

Hiking through the French Pyrenees is challenging for any young couple hoping to enjoy some relaxation and romance in between climbing passes and breaking camp. The afternoon heat - often ending in a violent thunderstorm - brings more than one overloaded backpacker to boiling point. Now enter a six-kilo, breast-fed, three-month-old baby. Great family trip or a bad idea?

Transitional Hiker – An Australian Story

How books about or by famous UL walkers, a sewing machine, and the most devoted UL community on the planet got me back on the trail and going light.

Video: Packraft Wet Reentry

Wet reentry is one of the most common rescues you'll perform while packrafting. Be sure to work the kinks out of your technique ahead of time so this self-rescue tool will be honed when you need it.

Podcast: Packrafting Safety Tips from the Experts Part 3

Seven packrafters with a total of over thirty-five years of experience under their bums share the safety gear they won't be without, skills that have kept them coming back for more, common - and dangerous - mistakes, and real life rescue stories.

Podcast: Packrafting Safety Tips from the Experts Part 2

Seven packrafters with a total of over thirty-five years of experience under their bums share the safety gear they won't be without, skills that have kept them coming back for more, common - and dangerous - mistakes, and real life rescue stories.

Podcast: Packrafting Safety Tips from the Experts Part 1

Seven packrafters with a total of over thirty-five years of experience under their bums share the safety gear they won't be without, skills that have kept them coming back for more, common - and dangerous - mistakes, and real life rescue stories.

Video: Have Fun and Avoid Drowning – A How-To for Packrafters

Highlights from the April 2008 Rescue 3 International Whitewater Rescue Technician course for packrafters held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Podcast: Journey on the Wild Coast – Maintaining Health and Preventing Injury

Erin and Hig discuss their minimal first aid kit and strategies for staying alive and well throughout a year of wilderness trekking.

Igloo Building for Fun and Shelter, Part 2 – Using an Igloo as a Backcountry Shelter

Tips for igloo living and interior climate graphs to show you why you want to camp in an igloo.

Igloo Building for Fun and Shelter, Part 1 – Technique

Igloo building is a fun wintertime activity to share with family, friends, or Scouts. Build a warming hut in your favorite skiing or snowshoeing area, construct an igloo for a backcountry base camp, or design your own hut system! The Grand Shelters Icebox Igloo Building Tool does a lot of the work for you, but you’ll still need to master some essential techniques.

Ultralight in the Icebox: Post-Trip Report

Andrew Skurka talks about his cold weather tenets and ultralight gear kit following a 385 mile, 19 day backpacking trip in northern Minnesota in the dead of winter.

Taming Those Large Flexible Foil Windshields

Learn the tricks and techniques required to make a stable windshield out of floppy metal foil.

Groovy-Biotic Cooking: Quick, Healthy Meals with an Ultralight Cook Kit

All the details you need to plan backcountry vegetarian meals that are nutritious and tasty.

Join Our Community

Become a Backpacking Light Member


Forum Access

Unrestricted access to all forums, plus the ability to post and start new threads.

Premium Content

Unrestricted access to all 2,300+ articles, gear reviews, skills, stories, and more.

Community Posts

Post new content to the community including gear swaps, reviews, trip reports and more!

Online Education

Get unlimited access to all our online education (*Unlimited membership required).

Pack less. Be more. Become a member today!

Get Started

Loading...