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!
THE 2022 HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR GUIDE FOR A PACKED, PICTURE-PERFECT DAY HIKE (LUNCH INCLUDED)
Words and Photos from the HMG Team and Rebecca Sperry (@sockedinhikes)
An open schedule and a sweet weather window–the foundational elements required for a great day out on a trail. Time outside co...
PACKING LIST FOR MULTI-DAY HIKING TRIPS
You’ve saved up paid time off hours, spending weeknights researching trails and reading every last word on The Trailhead. The time has finally come to get out of Dodge and have the backpacking expe...
Ultralight Backpacking: Making The Transition & Prepping With Less Gear
Editors Note: NOLS instructor Andrew Altepeter regularly contributes educational articles to our blog on how to teach ultralight backpacking skills. We got the chance to chat with him about his per...
Stripped Down Lightweight Backpacking Tips: Minimize Utensils, Optimize Toiletries, etc
A National Outdoor Leadership School Instructor (NOLS) for five years, Andrew Altepeter has taught hiking, lightweight hiking, climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering and skiing courses. Always look...
Leave No Trace Principles in Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge
Words & Photos by Don Carpenter The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska is a special place. A large and diverse ecosystem of rivers and spruce forests exists on the south sid...
Lightweight Backpacking for Teenagers
By Mark Oats As an Outdoor Education teacher at a school in Australia I often get asked by parents as to what is the best pack to buy for their teenage son or daughter. My response is typically exa...
Gone Light, Part IV: Bring Your Brain & Other Thru-Hiking Tips
Stripped Down With Guest Blogger Annie MacWilliams. This is the last in Annie’s blog series of thru-hiking tips & tricks for women. Bring Your Brain: Really, most backpacking and thru hiking ge...
Gone Light, Part III: Safety, Hygiene & Women Hiking Solo
This is the third of four posts from our Stripped Down series, authored by Guest Blogger & Triple Crowner Annie MacWilliams. When you break it all down, there are some gear swaps you can make ...
Gone Light, Part I: Backpacking & Thru Hiking Pack Fitting Tips for Women
Triple-crowner Annie MacWilliams recommends female thru-hikers find a pack that rests comfortably on the hips, is the correct length on the spine, and has straps that rest comfortably around the ch...
How to Choose a Campsite
By Max Neale, a former Review Editor for Outdoor Gear Lab A good campsite can make or break your wilderness experience. When traveling long distances or through remote areas, I break the campsite s...
Stripped Down: Community Tips
Comments moderated by Mike St. Pierre Thanks so much to our community for providing so many good tips & tricks to lighten your load. We’ll be expanding some of these into blog posts in the upco...
Lightweight Hiking with Andrew Altepeter #2
Photos & text by Andrew Altepeter. Above photo of the Beartooth Mountains. I had a blast this summer working with some skilled and wonderful co-instructors and some great student groups. On ou...
