So what is Bikepacking? The simplest definition is found on the Bikepacking.net website. The short answer: it’s backpacking with a bike. Longer answer: any ride that includes an overnight stay. This could be anything from ultralight singletrack tours to fully loaded dirt road touring (e.g. on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route).  bikepacking.net focuses on off-road touring, away from cars. But [...]

Ever wonder how those hikers with the tiny overnight packs manage to survive the night with such small packs.  Read on and I’ll tell you, so you can do it yourself. It pains me greatly when I go hiking and see people laboring to carry massive packs through the woods.  I ponder what they have in those huge packs to [...]

  For a long time I have been wanting to show everyone my cook set up.  A lot of people ask what I cook on and are shocked at the small size of my set up.  They see it as extreme but in reality it’s quite common among thru-hikers and other long distance folk.  I started with a heavy in [...]

So a while back I did a post called AT vs. PCT where I compared the numbers of both my hikes.  I said I would do a gear comparison.  In the process of doing so I realized I had never posted a post I wrote on how to cut pack weight.  While finishing up that post I also wrote a [...]

    Ted E. Canyon Lands Round #1 winner Jill Hueckman sporting her new Outdoor Research Virtouso puffy jacket.  Jill spent 17 nights outside so far this year!   Alec M. Pic: Caught in a blizzard above treeline in the Snowy Range of Wyoming, I set up my bivy in the alcove of an outhouse, and proceeded to get covered [...]

I can’t believe it’s already March!  This means two things:  number one is that spring is coming fast and number two, we have our first winners of the Bag Night Challenge.  This round/bi-monthly segment was sponsored by: The winners are Ryan Davies and Jill Hueckman.  Ryan currently has 20 bag nights and Jill is our women’s leader with 14.  Let’s have [...]

November 19, 2011 View West Fork San Juan River in a larger map Location:  West Fork San Juan River, Rainbow Hot Springs Weminuche Wilderness Area in the San Juan National Forest Pagosa Ranger District, San Juan National Forest Getting there: From Pagosa Springs, take U.S. 160 northeast for 18 miles to the sign for the West Fork Campground, which is on the west [...]

The Leach Story So if you think I’m some tough bad ass hiker dude because of my 1000′s of miles of hiking, this story may change your mind some.  It will tell you how a tiny little creature turned this trail harden man into a screaming school girl.  (No offense ladies)  -scatman I was on my first ever thru-hike.  On [...]

September 11, 2011 Our hike started on the Wonderland Trail where it crosses Sunrise Park Road. We then did an out and back to Indian Bar Camp. Location: Mt. Rainier — NW – Carbon River / Mowich Mt. Rainier National Park View Indian Bar via the Wonderland Trail in a larger map Getting there: Take Rt. 167 to Rt. 410 [...]

September 5, 2011 Our intended hike was to start at Mowich Lake and hike up to Seattle Park via the Spray Park Trail.  Once to Seattle Park we would go back the way we came  back down to the Spray Park Trail and then return to Mowich Lake via the Wonderland Trail.  This did not happen… Location: Mt. Rainier — [...]