Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His tips, photos, gear recommendations, and a free book can be found at .
Lightweight Backpacking Tips These lightweight backpacking tips and techniques are options or ideas, not recommendations. I tend towards the extreme side of ultralight backpacking, and if you don't know yourself or your skills, some of these techniques will get you into trouble.A good example of this is the "natural mattress" that allows you to leave your sleeping bag behind. With this technique, I've slept with no pad, and...... Similar Editorial : by Tanja Kelly. | Source : Travel And Tips
Winter Backpacking Tips Winter backpacking can mean your footprints are the only ones out there. That adds to the beauty of the experience, but also to the danger. Alone and in a cold enviroment, it's important to know what to do in an emergency. Learning a few basic cold weather survival skills can save your life.Fire MakingImagine slipping into a stream and soaking everything with you, when you are more than a day from...... Similar Editorial : by Nomad Rick. | Source : Travel And Tips
RV Boondocking Tips What is RV boondocking? It is simply camping in your recreatinal vehicle in an area with limited or no facilities. In many areas of the west, you can just drive into the desert, and stay free for up to two weeks. This is the case on most BLM (Bureau Of Land Management) and national forest lands. How far you have to move to stay another two weeks is open to interpretation, but is probably isn't far...... Similar Editorial : by News Canada. | Source : Travel And Tips
Lightweight Backpacking Quick Tips You may have heard a few of these lightweight backpacking tips before. Chances are, though that you haven't read all of them. In any case, sometimes we need reminding.?- Lost and in danger? Want to be a survivor? Read some survival stories before you are in this situation. Recalling true stories about how others survived can be very motivating in an emergency situation. Help others in the group by...... Similar Editorial : by Jason Richards. | Source : Travel And Tips
Winter Backpacking Survival Tips Why do you need survival tips for winter backpacking? Because even with the most careful planning there is always a greater risk with winter camping. Of course, getting lost or having an accident is always a possibility, but cold weather makes either of these a more serious matter.Winter Survival Tip Number OneStay warm! This is obvious. Hypothermia is the single biggest danger for backpackers,...... Similar Editorial : by j_hardcastle89. | Source : Travel And Tips
Safe Drinking Water - Six Tips For Backpacking On a day hike, safe drinking water isn't an issue. You can carry what you need. But when backpacking, you will most likely be using chemical water purification or filters to resupply yourself using natural sources of water. Both of these can fail at times. A filter can break or get clogged, and pills can be lost, damaged, or just not effective if the water you start with is too murky.What you need...... Similar Editorial : by Bill Urell. | Source : Las Vegas Travel Tip
How To Survive In The Wilderness Alone What if you found yourself completely stranded in a wilderness environment. 1. Read Or Watch Survival Stories. If you have read many true wilderness survival stories, you know that many people who probably shouldn't have survived did so because they refused to give up. Attitude matters, and to get the right attitude, you need to be able to truly believe that you will find a way to survive. Knowing what people have faced and overcome before makes this easier. If you are with...... Similar Editorial : by Robert A. Kelly. | Source : Las Vegas Travel Tip
Survival Tips In The Wild The outdoor survival tips and tricks here are not the usual ones. They come from the unusual techniques that myself and others have experimented with. Keep them in mind in case the day comes when you are lost in the wilderness.... Similar Editorial : by Doug MacLennan. | Source : Las Vegas Travel Tip
The Joy Of Solo Backpacking Have you ever gone solo backpacking? If you have, you'll probably agree that it isn't a matter of it being better or worse than backpacking with friends. It's just a different activity altogether.When you go backpacking with others, it's a social event. You enjoy the scenery, feel good hiking the trails, and you get to know people in a different setting than usual. There's usually a lot of talking...... Similar Editorial : by ldb45. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
A Backpacking List - Ten Things To Learn Have you ever had a backpacking trip that was a disaster - even though you brought everything you needed? Maybe you had matches, but couldn't get that fire going. You need more than good gear to assure a safe and enjoyable wilderness experience. You need to know how to do a few things, and the following list will get you started. 1. Learn firemaking. Practice in your yard if you have to, but...... Similar Editorial : by Tanja Kelly. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
The Best Backpacking Food Maybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner. There really is no "best" backpacking food. There are reasons to bring certain foods, though. Here are ten foods, and the reasons you might want to consider them.1. Nuts. This is one of the most calorie-packed foods you can take. That means less weight to carry. With lots of protein and other nutritonal benefits, nuts are one of...... Similar Editorial : by Tanja Kelly. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
Ultralight Backpacking - How To Start Want to run up that ridge, just to see what's there? Want to easily carry your pack up those fourteener's, so you can go down by any route you choose? Want to feel good at the end of a twenty-mile day? It's time to liighten your load.Ultralight Backpacking - The First 3 Steps1. Buy a light backpack. Mine weighs 14 ounces, and I've used it on week-long trips. Don't go over two pounds.2. Buy a light...... Similar Editorial : by Nomad Rick. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
Backpacking Clothes - Make Your Own Okay, do you really want to make all your own backpacking clothes? More power to you, and good luck. After the first hundred tedious hours of sewing I started buying gear again. However, there are SOME backpacking clothes you can make cheaply and quickly. A few examples follow.Making Your Own Ski MaskFind any old thermal underwear top or bottom, preferably made of polypropylene. Cut off a sleeve...... Similar Editorial : by Nomad Rick. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
Ultralight Backpacking List - 3 Days, 10 Pounds Here's an ultralight backpacking list, an example of what I typically take on a weekend hike. We're all different in our needs and skills, though, so please don't take it as a recomendation. My list, with weights (not including what I wear to start):GoLite Breeze Backpack: 12 ouncesWestern Mountaineering Bag: 17 ouncesNylon Tarp: 17 ouncesFrogg Toggs Rain Jacket: 7 ouncesGroundsheet: 2...... Similar Editorial : by Nomad Rick. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
Lightweight Backpacks - Some Ideas How light is light? Lightweight backpacks weigh less than three pounds, a standard I just invented. There are good packs under three pounds for almost all types of trips. My own Golite backpack weighs just 14 ounces, and has a capacity of 2900 cubic inches, plus 1000 more in the extension collar. It's more comfortable than any frame pack I've used, but then I don't carry more than 20 pounds...... Similar Editorial : by Robert Rickover. | Source : Backpacking Hiking
