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!
INTRODUCTION: OUR CASE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING
IT'S SIMPLE PHYSICS.
Making an effort to put together an ultralight backpacking kit will reap you immeasurable rewards. You’ll be able to travel more efficiently in greater comfort with less fati...
A Desert Fish Out of Water
Words & Photos by Rich Rudow
What a South Westerner learned on a week-long Appalachian Trail section hike from Rangeley to Caratunk, Maine.
Roots. Millions, and millions of roots. Within 100 ya...
AN ALASKAN ODYSSEY BY WHEEL AND WATER
Words by Bjorn Olson
Howdy Hyperlite Mountain Gear Blog Readers!
I wanted to introduce myself along with the rest of the small team that will be joining me this fall on a previously un-attempted fa...
Tips from a Triple Crowner: Pack Like A Pro
Words by Annie MacWilliams // Photos by Brian Threlkeld
One of the biggest differences between mainstream brand backpacks and ultralight backpacks is the amount of bells and whistles. Removable bra...
Q&A: Two friends packrafting thru Kamchatka, Russia
Words & Photos by Nathan Shoutis and Thomas Kinsley
Thomas and I started packrafting in the early days of Alpacka Rafts – around 2005- when it was still a one-woman operation working out of a g...
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...
Off-Season Gear Care + Storage
Cabins, barns, attics, garages or closets all work for storing your outdoor gear.
Taking care of and storing our outdoor gear is an art we’re still trying to master. After all, outdoor gear is an i...
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 ...
Never Not Learning: How to Pack Light For Backpacking with Mike St. Pierre
Words & Photos by Mike St. Pierre When you’re first learning the ins-and-outs of how to pack light for backpacking, it’s important to understand that it’s a process. I still constantly refine t...
Gates of the Arctic Backpacking Traverse
Words, Photos and Video by Luc Mehl
The Brooks Range has always intimidated me as a logistical challenge: expensive, remote, cold in the winter and buggy in the summer. But it is the largest swath ...
Ultralight Backpacking Stuff Sacks for Thru Hikes & Backcountry Trips
Words by Mike St. Pierre
It's what's inside that counts: Stuff Sacks, Pods, Waterproof Redundancy, and Organization.
Most backpackers and thru hikers use stuff sacks, sometimes almost by default. ...
A Season-to-Season Guide to Ultralight Day Hiking Gear Lists
Words & Photos by Annie MacWilliams
Add Four Season Functionality to Your Gear Lists for Day Hiking
Since it’s not always an option to take five-month long hikes, I have really come to enjoy fa...
