The Trailhead

MATT GRAHAM AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE AERO 28

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!

SHIFTING GEAR: QUADZILLA TWEAKS HIS SETUP FROM THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL FOR THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

SHIFTING GEAR: QUADZILLA TWEAKS HIS SETUP FROM THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL FOR THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Words and Photos from Jack "Quadzilla" JonesAny gear heads in the audience here? Thought so! As you well know, selecting the right equipment for any trail is an addictive art form, and how others d...
BETTER GEAR + EXPERIENCE = FARTHER DISTANCE: THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

BETTER GEAR + EXPERIENCE = FARTHER DISTANCE: THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

Words and Photos by Rebecca SperryWe all see them on the trail and internally (or externally) cringe. Maybe they have on a backpack; maybe they’re just carrying a water bottle. Their footwear might...
ACCESSORIES TO COMPLIMENT A TRIPLE CROWN: QUADZILLA’S GEAR LIST, PART ONE

ACCESSORIES TO COMPLIMENT A TRIPLE CROWN: QUADZILLA’S GEAR LIST, PART ONE

Words from Jack “Quadzilla” Jones, Photos by Chris Shane & Jack "Quadzilla" Jones Jack ”Quadzilla” Jones is setting out this year to achieve what only a small number of backpackers have; a ca...
SIXTY-SEVEN POINTS TO POINT TO: THE GEAR LIST FOR THE NEW ENGLAND DIRETTISSIMA

SIXTY-SEVEN POINTS TO POINT TO: THE GEAR LIST FOR THE NEW ENGLAND DIRETTISSIMA

Words and Photos by Will Peterson Thru hiking the New England 4,000 Footers in May means that I'm in for the entire range of New England trail conditions. I will contend with high levels of mud and...
Cash Rules Every Trail Around Me: A Guide To Financing A Thru Hike

Cash Rules Every Trail Around Me: A Guide To Financing A Thru Hike

Words & Photos by Garrett "Pricepoint" Martin Every year, bright-eyed hiker hopefuls set out on our long trails to conquer the beast and accomplish a thru hike. Some prepare for years, some pre...
Savings You Can Feel: Tina Currin's Top Tips For Getting Ultralighter on the Cheap

Savings You Can Feel: Tina Currin's Top Tips For Getting Ultralighter on the Cheap

Words and Photos by Tina Currin If ultralight backpacking has a reputation for anything, it's tiny gear at a hefty price. Dive into any heady discussion with ultralight enthusiasts and you'll event...
A Stuff Sack Pillow, an Artist, and an Albatross Meet On Midway Atoll

A Stuff Sack Pillow, an Artist, and an Albatross Meet On Midway Atoll

Words, Artwork, & Images by Eric Baker  I'm sitting in the middle of a seabird colony on Midway Atoll, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Albatross. Oblivious to my presence, they're caught...
For Every Season, There is a Thing: Packing For Fall Hiking with Rebecca Sperry

For Every Season, There is a Thing: Packing For Fall Hiking with Rebecca Sperry

Words and Photos by Rebecca Sperry In 2015, I started hiking solo and vowed that I would never hike once the seasons began to change. By 2016, I was buying microspikes and researching cold-weather...
Smooth Operator: How to Maximize Backpacking Efficiency with Garrett Martin

Smooth Operator: How to Maximize Backpacking Efficiency with Garrett Martin

Words and Photos by Garrett Martin Hyperlite Mountain Gear Superbud, Garrett "Pricepoint" Martin (@somedudewalking), has picked up a thing or two about using time wisely on his thru hike of the App...
Retiring Into Ultralight: A Shakedown On The Pacific Crest Trail For Some Elder Go-Getters

Retiring Into Ultralight: A Shakedown On The Pacific Crest Trail For Some Elder Go-Getters

Words, Photos, and Video from Garrett Martin The adventure set in the thru hike community is known for its generosity and concern for its fellow backpackers. One gesture that demonstrates this be...
What’s Lost And Found Along The Way: An Appalachian Trail Odyssey

What’s Lost And Found Along The Way: An Appalachian Trail Odyssey

Words and Photos by Liz Kidder I had never backpacked before. I hadn't even day-hiked all that much when I first learned of the Appalachian Trail. And yet, I was completely drawn to the idea of a t...
So, You've Got A Thru Hiker In Your Life. Now What?

So, You've Got A Thru Hiker In Your Life. Now What?

Words and Photos from Tina Haver Currin With longer days, hotter afternoons, and the dreaded arrival of biting insects, late spring is once again sliding into summer—which also means it’s thru hiki...