Photos from my 6 day thru-hike of the Huayhuash Circuit in Peru. By far the most insane scenery I have ever seen. The Peruvian people are very friendly and I had an amazing experience. The total hike was roughly 106 km (66 miles) with 11,500 meters (38k ft) of elevation gain. I did the hike solo self supported, carrying all my gear was exhausting as I definitely do not have an UL setup.

I’ve hiked the Teton Crest Trail 3 times and absolutely love everything about it but this view has to be my favorite.

I’m curious about Kyrgyzstan and would love to hear from people who’ve actually been there. What was your overall experience like, and how would you describe the country from a traveler’s perspective?

Also, if you could suggest the best time to visit and the most practical way to explore (guided tours, self-travel, etc.), I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

Some of my guests that have hiked mt kilimanjaro

Hello all!

I’m going on a camping trip soon with my father.

We’ll be spending 8 days camping in an environment very secluded from society with no cell service.

The thing is…this feels very intense to me. Meaning, it’s not a regular trip I’ve ever gone on. It provides a lot of anxiety to step away from life and take on this great challenge.

I know my dad would be fine doing it on his own, but just again, it’s a situation I’m not very well versed in.

I guess I’m looking for advice? To be unplugged from society for that long is just a crazy thought for me. Especially since im connected to technology pretty much all of the time.

3 or 4 days sounds manageable to me, but 8 days is again, intense.

So yeah any advice on how to mentally take on this trip? Thanks in advance

We just finished a 3-day/2-night to summit Mt. Whitney. It was my second time and had a blast. The multi-day trip is much better, giving you more time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Highly recommended over a day hike rush.

Also stayed by Consultation Lake which is way nicer than Trail Camp!

This is a 60-100 mile hike, depending on if you add the Arc Dome afterwards, and I’d like to hike it solo. I’ve hiked short sections of it as day hikes in the past.

Hoping someone here can talk about optimal season to hike it, based on water availability. Mostly I’ve only seen dry sections when I’ve hiked sections mid summer.

Also interested in where you camped along the way. There are saddles on the ridge lines, but they are often over 10k feet and dry and exposed.

Thanks.

I’ve recently moved to the southwest for school and really enjoy camping, but have only been on 1-5 night trips that involved car camping or short hikes into sites that made carting in gear easy. I’m looking to start backpacking more given my new environment and plan to one day move back to the Midwest (if that has any bearing on type of backpack). I currently love my osprey daylite pack, but can’t obviously do much more than hike with it or stuff my clothes and sleeping pad in there. I’m debating between the Osprey Eja or Aura but open to other recommendations as well. I’m a shorter female (5’5) and would like to be able to get all my gear in, in one piece now whether I’m solo camping or with friends. Also any advice on whether or not people bring their daypacks or another short bag stuffed in their pack as well for shorter hikes would be appreciated.

I currently own a Lowe Alpine Skyline 55 which is older than me but seriously solid and big enough for any trips/hikes I am contemplating doing. The only problem is its a bit too big for shorter 1/2 night camping trips, so I'm looking for a lighter 35-40L bag but I'm not sure which one to get. I dont want something ridiculously lightweight that might break, I want a relatively rugged pack and an internal frame is a must. So far I have seen a lot of recommmendations for Osprey bags, especially the Exos 38 but are other brands/models worth looking at? I'm based in the UK and the budget is ~£200 ($270 based on current exchange rate).

“The rule protecting remote wilderness areas received 1.6 million public comments when it was developed. People will have just 14 business days to comment on a key part of its rescission.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30082025/trump-administration-roadless-rule-public-comment/

I’m looking at picking up the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0° for backpacking and camping, but I want to make sure I understand down a little better before pulling the trigger.

I know the big concern with down is that it loses its insulating properties when wet. What I’m not clear on is:

If down does get wet, is it partially ruined forever, or will it go back to normal once it’s fully dried out (like after the trip)?

How “wet” does it actually need to get before it stops working or to harm it long term. For example, I’ve had condensation/dew dampen the foot of my synthetic bag before—would that be enough to cause a real problem with down?

I also sometimes cowboy camp (just pad + bag under the stars). Is that basically a no-go with down because of dew/mist/light sprinkles overnight, or is it manageable if you’re careful?

I really like the warmth-to-weight ratio of down, but I want to make sure I won’t regret it in situations where the bag might get damp. Any insights or personal experiences would be super helpful!

Hey yall! been backpacking for many years but as a Californian that usually doesnt include rain. Over my past couple of trips I have been finding that I am out of my depth when it comes to fairing heavier weather and would like some advice.

For some context a friend and I just tried to summit Mount Lyell (near yosemite) and were halted by a thunderstorm. Relatively heavy rain and spurts of hail caused us to abandon our approach. I already know some tricks like internal plastic pack lining and have adequate gear for light rain but am wondering how yall brave storms. Any gear/ weather advice would be appreciated!

Hello! Does anyone have suggestions for where to make backpacking friends? Anywhere to find out about group trips?

About me: I’m a young professional living in Austin, and all I want to do with my vacation time is go to national parks/hike/camp. I’m recently single, and my former partner was always my hiking and camping buddy. I realized I don’t have other friends who are willing to do these trips with me! I am not opposed to camping alone, but my dream would be to find a group of likeminded women who are frequently backcountry camping (not necessarily from Austin).

I tried to look up group trips online, but the ones I’m finding are very expensive and seem more like guided glamping. I’m looking for something a little more rugged. I am open to coed trips. I appreciate any leads! 🙂

📷: South Rim / BBNP

Posting here and in r/Hiking too...

How do you currently find information about mountain huts/refuges when planning multi-day hikes across different countries? (Mostly Europe but anywhere really)

To explain myself - in New Zealand they have a great website doc.govt.nz where you can find information about most huts to stay overnight and then treks leading to that location. I really enjoyed planning overnight and multi-day hikes like that, however in EU I struggle or I should say it takes long time to navigate through local websites.

Is this something you do? Finding a nice bivouac/refuge and than planning a trip around that?

Other thing is staying in a tent in the mountains - as far as I now it can differ significantly not only country to country but also within states. Someting like Oberösterreich and Niederosterreich being kinda like ok we can tolerate that and a big no no. That information is sometimes also relatively difficult to source.

I am not talking about trails or via ferratas. Those I can find easily. But really mostly how to sleep in the mountains.

Cheers

Take a 6 oz juice can. Cut the top out, leaving the rim in place. Mark the can with a sharpie all around 2” below the top and 1.25” above the bottom. Cut carefully along the lines. The scissors on the small Swiss Army Knife work well for this. Make 4 uniform crimps on the cut edge (bottom ) of the top, folding the aluminum toward the center. These are big crimps or flutes that go from the bottom edge to near the cut-out top. Fit the crimped top into the bottom with the original top upward. The crimps will rest on the domed bottom of the bottom piece. Finally, very important, make 4 holes about as big as nail holes between the crimps on the top piece about 1/2 inch below the top. Put a full cooking pot on the burner to make sure it sits securely. If not, check the flutes to make sure they are resting uniformly on the bottom. That’s it!

Test OUTSIDE with 1 oz of denatured alcohol and your cooking pot. This is best done in dim light because alcohol flame is invisible in bright light. When you light the burner, watch for about 3 seconds before setting the pot on it. An amazing thing happens— the burner will start generating flames from the flutes, aggressively! Now set the pot on.

This burner will boil 750 ml of water reliably with less than 1 oz (30 ml) of denatured alcohol .

A trick to save fuel: heat water to only 150F. Everything will rehydrate or cook at 150 if you put the food in a cozy to finish cooking. 150F will also sanitize drinking water. McMaster-Car has adhesive, reversible temperature strips. About $20 plus shipping gets 10. They last. Put one about half way up the side of your pot. Usually 1/2 oz (15 ml) or a smidge more will do the job.

The only source for adhesive, reversible temperature strips I have found is: McMASTER-CARR Reversible temperature strips. #59485K26, Range: 77-212F and 25-100C. $20.38USD/1 pack of 10.

Temperature strips on Amazon are for medical, brewing or aquarium use and do not reach 212F.

I didn’t get the Zion 2 since I heard there were quality issues and the original was better. After a few uses, I noticed some minor pilling on the thighs, but I was able to remove it and it wasn’t noticeable. The pants don’t hold their shape very well, not sagging, but not structured either.

I use them as everyday pants in the city and work in a business casual setting, but also for hiking and outdoor activities in snow, desert heat, and humid tropics, and everything in between. I only had two pairs while backpacking, so I may have been rougher on them than intended. Been wearing them daily for 11 months give or take. Also starting forestry, I have a pair of work pants, but I want something that can take a good amount of outdoor conditions and still be good to work in.

I’m looking for a replacement. I wear a lot of Patagonia and the Quandary Pants seem like a similar option, but I would like to consider other brands too. Maybe the OR Ferrosi? I want something suitable for casual city wear and travel. I especially liked the side knee pocket for traveling on the plane. Any recommendations? Or am I expecting too much out of my pants.

I recently made a batch of hardtack (also called ship's biscuits) and immediately thought of how it could be used on trail. Hardtack was an unleavened bread used by sailors and soldiers due to its ability to be stored for long periods. How I would use it is to carry a bit of dry bouillon, and simmer the hardtack in the bouillon water until it's edible. This has some advantages over ramen: 1: it is usually whole grain. 2: it has no additives or preservatives. Has anyone brought hardtack camping before? How did you use it?

Im trying to finish the planning on my trip out west with my primary destination being Idaho. Ill be making my way there from Wisconsin so thats why I'm also interested in making the trip to Glacier, Yellowstone or Grand Teton. The main thing that draws me to Idaho is the vast wilderness area. I much prefer the idea of not needing to reserve camp sites, trying to get permits and the lack of large crowds. Ive been primarily looking at the frank church wilderness and the sawtooth national forest and absolutely love what Im seeing out there. BUT I really want to cross some more national parks off my list and Teton and Glacier have always been very high on my list.

Ive backpacked the last 5 years 4 of those being in Colorado and one time in the smokies so I have some decent experience but would not consider myself a veteran by any means. Im just looking for some recommendations for any of these areas. Ill be driving there in a 4x4 sprinter van so trail access shouldnt be much of a problem. I would like to be out on trail for 2-3 nights and don't want to do much more than 25-30 miles.

If you have any car camping suggestions with good day hikes accessible from the camp site that would also be awesome!