Trail Prep and Packing Tips

Know Your Caloric Needs Before You Pack Hiking isn’t a walk in the park at least not how your metabolism sees it. Compared to regular daily movement, hiking puts a heavier load on the body: uneven terrain, elevation gain, a pack strapped to your shoulders, and hours of continuous movement. That all adds up. The […]

Read the Forecast, Then Pack Smarter Weather apps aren’t magic 8 balls they offer signals, not guarantees. When you check the forecast, don’t stop at “sunny” or “chance of rain.” Look at hourly changes, wind speed, humidity levels, and how quickly temps rise or fall throughout the day. That tells you more about what to

What “Lightweight” Actually Means Your base weight is your pack’s weight minus food, water, and fuel just your gear. It’s the number ultralight hikers obsess over and the number most beginners overlook. A good target for lightweight backpacking is somewhere between 15 to 20 pounds. Ultralight means under 10. These numbers aren’t rules, but they’re

Where Gold Fever Faded But Trails Remain California’s gold rush may seem like ancient history something locked in textbooks and museum displays but out in the backcountry, it’s still etched into the land. The boomtowns that once swarmed with miners, gamblers, and gunslingers didn’t disappear overnight. Most were simply left behind, fading into the hills,

Why These Coastal Trails Matter in 2026 Travel is changing. The Instagram fueled rush to bucket list destinations is cooling off, replaced by a quieter craving: raw nature, real solitude, and low impact movement. Coastal trails deliver just that. Instead of fighting shoulder to shoulder crowds for the same photo, more travelers are lacing up

A Land of Contrast and Surprise California’s deserts have earned a reputation for relentless heat and empty stretches of sand but that’s only half the truth. If you look closer, especially in the right season, there’s a quiet complexity tucked in between the rocks and dunes. Real oases. Rare wildlife. Flora that blooms hard and

Why Hidden Lakes Beat the Crowds Hidden alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevadas offer something that most well trodden destinations can’t: genuine solitude, striking beauty, and the thrill of true exploration. For those seeking more than just a scenic view next to a parking lot, venturing off the beaten path reveals rewards that go far

Why Skip the Crowds This Year California’s iconic parks like Yosemite, Big Sur, and Lake Tahoe rightfully get a lot of love, but they also get the crowds to match. In 2026, more backpackers are searching for solitude, not switchbacks packed with tourists. The Shift Toward Quieter Trails Many hikers are rethinking their go to