Trail Days Online! 2026

Backpacking Light

BACKPACKING LIGHT is a membership-based community that helps hikers and other backcountry users thrive outdoors. Our values are advocacy, expertise, and generosity. We provide trusted expertise so you can enjoy the backcountry with confidence.

KEVIN BENES is an ultra runner and ultra cyclist based in Estes Park, Colorado. He has spent 20 years in event production, from the Chicago Marathon, Leadville Race Series, to boutique multi-day adventure races. He currently owns and operates Running Wild Events, an Ultra race company in Estes Park, CO.

SARAH BERKELEY (aka Mellow!) has thru-hiked the Vermont Long Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail, and half of the Continental Divide Trail. She brings extensive knowledge of the design process through her Master of Fine Arts degree in Art + Design. She grew up making everything from her own clothes to a 1,400-square-foot log house. Sarah combines thousands of trail miles with a lifelong maker’s mindset, grounding her work in lived experience, craft, and a deep understanding of how gear should move with the body.

BLAKE BOLES is a traveling writer, experiential educator, and partner dancer. His new book is "Dirtbag Rich: High Freedom, Low Income, Deep Purpose" (release date: March 28th, 2026). Blake takes teenagers on big trips through his little travel company, Unschool Adventures. He's the author of four previous books about unschooling and self-directed learning. Of his many hiking and cycling adventures, his favorites are the Sierra High Route and Chile's Carretera Austral. He once rode the Camino de Santiago in a shark costume. Learn more at blakeboles.com.

BAILEY BREMNER has one main goal in life: backpack as much as humanly possible with her dogs. To date, she has thru-hiked over 8,000 miles with her dogs on trails such as the CDT, Idaho Centennial, and Vancouver Island Trail. Together, they have also achieved a streak of at least one backpacking trip per month for over three years and counting. When she isn't spending time outdoors with her dogs, she works as a middle school math teacher, freelance gear tester, and has recently started "The Trail Dog Project" to help other people get outside with their dogs.

STEVE EVANS is an engineer and avid backcountry adventurer. He founded Suluk 46, Engineered Backcountry Gear in 2008, a company specializing in ultralight, expertly engineered backcountry gear designed for fast and light travel. Beyond his engineering pursuits, Steve has embarked on numerous expeditions, often utilizing a multi-sport methodology, in remote and extreme locations.

ANNA FROST is a professional mountain runner, coach, and mother. She is passionate about helping others discover their physical and emotional connections with the outdoors, as well as using running as a tool to experience new places, cultures, and ways of life.

JEFF GARMIRE is a thru-hiker, author, writer, ultrarunner, and coach with 20 FKTs. It all started with a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, and Jeff has been fascinated by every type of adventure and challenge ever since.

MEGHAN HICKS is the editor-in-chief of iRunFar, a global trail running and ultrarunning publication. She loves using running to increase appreciation of and advocacy for our world’s wild places.

PETE HILL is a product designer specializing in sewn products in outdoor, photographic, lifestyle, and medical categories. He is a maker with a strong belief in the power of prototyping to advance design. His working life has been divided between the worlds of domestic brands, factories, and Asian manufacturers.

RYAN JORDAN is the owner/founder of Backpacking Light and is based in Estes Park, Colorado. Ryan has blended research, engineering, and gear testing to create a unique recipe for outdoor skills and gear education. Backcountry passions include winter and snow backpacking, alpinism, tenkara, and paddling.

MIKE MCCLURE lives in Michigan when he’s not chasing his hiking dream. He started long-distance hiking during COVID to stay active outside. 2022 was a transition year when he retired after 30 years in the technology industry to pursue hiking long trails. His non-hiking passion is technology and data analytics. He has completed the PCT, the CDT, and half of the AZT and AT. In 2026, he plans to complete the Appalachian Trail and start the Ice Age Trail. Mike is a board member for ALDHA-West and a Treasurer for THRU-r.

SARAH ORTIZ is an experienced outdoor educator working at the intersection of conservation and outdoor equity. She has worked as a researcher and communicator for Brown Girls Climb, the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Columbia University.

NICOLE SNELL is an award-winning International Speaker, TEDx Speaker, self-defense expert, and solo outdoor adventurer. She is a globally sought-after subject matter expert on gender-based violence prevention, empowerment, and outdoor safety. Nicole has trained millions of people in hundreds of communities worldwide, including the US military, academia, corporate, and outdoor recreation. She is passionate about empowering people with the skills to live confidently, safely, and freely, and she helps people alleviate fear to open up their access to the outdoors. Learn more at nicolesnell.com.

DAVE SWINK is a retired engineer, backcountry adventurer, and longtime dog-lover. He has climbed most of the 14ers in the lower 48 states and many of the high volcanic peaks of Mexico, and backpacks several long trails each year with his Jack Russell Terrier, Kokopelli. Going ultralight to extend outings has led to Dave working as an assistant guide on several BPL outings. Trail running, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing round out Dave and Kokopelli’s days when they are not backpacking.

EMYLENE VANDERVELDEN is a Canadian adventurer, author, and mom from Alberta, dedicated to the outdoors. Since 2016, she has been writing for Backpacking Light, sharing her experiences and gear recommendations. Emylene enjoys backpacking and whitewater paddle sports, reflecting her commitment to nature and overcoming challenges.