Brooks Cascadia 19 (women’s) review: stability and protection for mountain trail
Stable, protective and comfortable from the first mile, with a wide option. The trail runner for rocky, rooty mountain trail and light backpacking.
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Brooks Cascadia 19 (men’s) review: the protective trail runner for rocky ground
A rock plate, a wide stable base and soft DNA LOFT v3 foam. The protective trail runner for rocky, rooty mountain trail, and the best all-rounder for most three-season hiking.
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Brooks Ghost Trail (women’s) review: road-shoe comfort for the trail
Cushioned Ghost comfort with a TrailTack Green outsole. A gentle first trail runner for maintained trail and mixed walking, with no rock plate and inconsistent sizing to check.
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Brooks Ghost Trail (men’s) review: an easy first trail runner
The soft, road-shoe ride of the Brooks Ghost on a grippy trail outsole. The easiest trail runner to get used to, for maintained trail and gravel rather than rough mountain ground.
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Hiking boots, trail runners, or approach shoes: how to choose
What really separates hiking boots, trail runners and approach shoes, where each one earns its place, and how to match them to your load, terrain and season. Plus fit, which matters more than category.
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Winter camping: how to sleep warm and stay safe on snow
How to camp in winter: choosing between car camping, cold camping and hot tenting, building a campsite on snow, anchoring a tent, quinzhees, a sleep system for snow, the long-night routine, stoves and fuel in the cold, melting snow for water, and what to do when gear fails.
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Thru-hiking: how to plan and finish your first long trail
How to plan your first thru-hike: choosing a long trail in the US or Canada, direction, timing and permits, resupply, base weight and shoes, the injuries and illnesses that end hikes, and the mental game that decides who finishes.
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KEEN Targhee 4 Mid (women’s) review: room across the forefoot
A waterproof three-season boot cut generously through the forefoot and sold in regular and wide, for a foot that is short and wide rather than slim.
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KEEN Targhee 4 Mid (men’s) review: the wide-foot hiking boot
A waterproof three-season boot built on a genuinely roomy last and sold in medium and wide. The boot to buy when a standard last pinches across the ball of your foot.
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Oboz Bridger Insulated Review: an insulated boot you can actually hike in
Waterproof nubuck over a B-DRY membrane with 200 gram Thinsulate, on a real hiking chassis. The middle ground between a three-season boot with thick socks and a pac boot you cannot walk in. Runs narrow.
