The Trailhead
Every journey has a first step. And some of the greatest, most meaningful journeys begin at trailheads. Welcome to ours! Here you’ll learn about gear, see route and trail intel, and dive into stories, images, and videos from our global community of adventureheads like you. Think of it like "The Third Place"–not home, not work, but your other most important/favorite place. The spot to hang out around like-minded people and have your life decisions and priorities validated. You won't need to justify your latest gear purchase or explain why you're using up all your paid time off hours to this crowd. They get it. Let’s go!
You Don't Need an Ankle to Packraft
Photos by Jessica Kelley
One of three recipients of the Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award, Jessica Kelley followed a circuitous broken-ankle led journey through a variety of modes of wilderness tr...
THE ALSEK RIVER: TIME TRAVEL THROUGH THE VANISHING ICE AGE
Words by Brad Meiklejohn // Photos by Tim Kelley
In June 2018, Tim Kelley, Gunnar Cantwell, Tom Diegel, and Hyperlite Mountain Gear ambassador Brad Meiklejohn paddled and walked from Haines Junctio...
Exploring the Gates of the Arctic via Packraft
Words by Dulkara Martig // Photos by Ben Weigl & Dulkara Martig It was mid-August, and fall was fast approaching in Alaska. Locals were squeezing in their last summer trips before the winter se...
Oh, Canada: Packrafting The Northwest Territories
Words & Photos by Paul Burbidge // Videos by Dylan Stewart
We’d made the Mackenzie River and the trip was over. We still had 100 kilometers of river to paddle but the unknowns were behind us an...
Bikepacking Alaska's Nulato Hills
Video by Luc Mehl // Photos by Luc Mehl + Eric Parsons
The Nulato Hills are a relatively unknown area of Western Alaska, even to experienced ambassador Luc Mehl, who has grown up in the stat...
Packrafting Alaska's Arctic Wildlife Refuge
Words & Photos by Don Carpenter
[Note from Don] When I wrote this story, I had no idea that the debate over drilling within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would surface again so soon. Thi...
Whitewater Packrafting 101: 10 Things You Need to Know to Paddle Safe + Strong
To celebrate the launch of the River Rescue Throw Bag, we asked Hyperlite Mountain Gear ambassador Mark Oates to put together a comprehensive guide to technical paddling—call it packrafting 101. A ...
Oh, Canada: Fat Rafting Kluane National Park
Words & Photos by Paul Burbidge The May long weekend is the year’s first real chance to get out in the mountains and paddle. In 2016 our plans had been thwarted by a faulty river gauge that was...
Foolz Tour IV aka Desert Therapy in South Central Utah
Words & Photos by Steve “Doom” Fassbinder
Say you were given the unfortunate choice of having only one place in the world to explore in your life; what would it be? Not a scenario that I would ...
River of Dreams: Packrafting Oregon’s Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ambassador Mike Curiak’s adoption of ultralight techniques and philosophies evolved slowly, he says, as garage gear and his own DIY stuff became increasingly available. But ...
Bikepacking & Packrafting the Lost Coast of Alaska: Part 2
Words & Photos by Mike Curiak
An Alaskan coastal traverse between Cordova and Icy Bay, Alaska using fatbikes, packrafts, and inspiration from those whom came before.
(Continued from Part 1)
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Packrafts: 3 Reasons To Use Them in Zion’s Narrows
Words & photos by Dan Ransom
Light, Flexible, Easy to Fix Packrafts: The Perfect Vehicle to Navigate the Narrows
This Trailhead is a Total Yard Sale: Packrafts, Paddles and Drysuits Hanging Ou...
