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!
How to Make Your Own Backpacking First Aid Kit
We first published this guide to making your own ultralight backpacking first aid kit a little over a year and half ago. In the lead up to this year’s backpacking and thru hiking season, thought we...
Build Better Ultralight Backpacking Meals With Heavyweight Nutrition
For this series of posts on ultralight nutrition, we tapped Boulder, CO-based sports nutritionist Brian Rigby. Brian holds a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition and is a Certified Sport...
Essential Tarp Camping
Words & Photos by Cam Honan Nine Reasons to Try Tarp Camping The essence of going lighter in the woods is not so much about gear, as it is about the adoption of a simpler, less cluttered approa...
Ultralight + Ultra-tough = The “Ultamid” Pyramid Tent
For the past three years, our Ultamid 2 and 4-person ultralight pyramid shelters have been quietly winning hearts and minds out in the field. 2016 was no exception–the ‘Mid movement is gaining stea...
Double Duty: Lightening Your Backpacking Load with Multi-Purpose Gear
“If you can’t ride two horses at once you shouldn’t be in the circus.” – James Maxton (1885-1946) Text by Cam Honan One of many ways in which a hiker can lower his or her pack weight is by using m...
Carry a Lighter Pack: 3 Tips To Reduce Food, H2O & Fuel Weight
Streamline Your Consumables to Carry a Lighter Pack & Enhance Your Adventure. Text by Philip Werner Ultralight backpackers spend a great deal of time and effort reducing the weight of their gea...
Pack Reviews: What is the consensus on our packs?
Our ultralight packs are meant to be used hard. Adventurers across the spectrum agree. Read the gear reviews… We make gear that is meant to be used. Hard. And no one puts our gear through its paces...
Backcountry Recipes: How to Gain Weight On Even the Most Grueling Thru Hike
Text & photos by Chris Atwood. Chris Atwood did a 57-day thru hike below the rim of the Grand Canyon with Ambassador Rich Rudow (Read “The Grandest Walk: A 700-Mile Thru Hike Below the Rim“). D...
How To Patch a Dyneema (Formerly Cuben Fiber) Backpack
After 57 days in the Grand Canyon backcountry, my Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 4400 still looks great. It saw the spectrum of conditions, literally every type of weather imaginable below the ...
Ultralight Backpacking Recipes For Winter and Beyond
Matt Jenkins and Elyssa Shalla, backcountry rangers at Grand Canyon, have been exploring the southwestern deserts together since they met in 2008. After living and traveling extensively abroad, the...
The Best GPS Device (You Already Own It!)
Words by Max Neale
The Greatest Improvements for Backcountry Adventurers: Camera & GPS Apps
Three years ago I was sitting in a white plastic lawn chair in a small, budget-but-delicious Thai re...
How to Use Trekking Poles to Increase Speed and Decrease Fatigue
Text by Mike St. Pierre, Photo by Cody Cobb. Why, Where & How to Use Trekking Poles Trekking poles prevent muscle damage and soreness. The UK’s Northumbria University conducted a study in 2010 ...
