Advice
How Much Experience Do You Need to Hike the Appalachian Trail?
You don’t need to have logged thousands of hours in the woods to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Many hikers setting out from Springer Mountain (or Katahdin) every year have relatively...
Backpacking in Extreme Heat: 9 Lessons From a Triple-Digit Summer in the Sonoran Desert
I'm no stranger to backpacking in extreme heat. I've spent my summer trekking across the mountains and valley floors of the Sonoran desert during the hottest months of the year...
This Illness Could End Your Hike or Your Life, and You’ve Never Even Heard of It
Ed. note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. This article does not substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always consult a
Is It Safe To Keep Hiking in Wildfire Smoke?
POV: You spent years planning your thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, only to have your dreams of a continuous footpath squashed by the wildfires that have closed large swaths...
Periods While Backpacking: The Bloody Truth About Menstruation on the Trail
The bloody truth about getting your period while backpacking? It sucks. Dealing with those 3-7 days every month in the real world is just about enough to make women lose...
Meet Your Next Big Thru-Hiking Challenge: The 1800-Mile Australian Triple Crown
So you hiked your own hike until there were no more hikes left to hike. CDT. PCT. AT. CT. PNT. AZT. JMT. LT. And now this wistful walking career feels...
The Northbound AT Hiker’s Guide to Summiting Katahdin
As the northern terminus of the AT and Maine’s tallest mountain, Katahdin in Baxter State Park is an iconic end for many thru-hikers’ journeys. Finishing the AT involves some logistical...
Professor: The Strategy That’s Helped Me Afford 6 Years, 15K Miles of Thru-Hiking (Jobs, Budgeting Tips, and More)
Ever since my first thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2018, my life has revolved around the trail. By the halfway point of that first hike, I was already daydreaming...
What It’s Really Like To Flip-Flop the Appalachian Trail
In 2016 I fell in love with backpacking and decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. This decision triggered 18 months of obsessive planning, during which I thought and spoke of...
Should You Carry a Gun on the Appalachian Trail?
Ah, that old chestnut. This common question surfaces again and again — in online forums, in conversation with concerned loved ones, and yes, even right here on our dear little...