Where are you headed?
Tell us where and when. We’ll match reading and a full gear list to your destination and season — and give you a plan you can leave with someone.
Gear to pack
A complete kit for this trip at your enthusiast level — tick off what you own, and tap a pick to read our review.
Nice to have — skip any you don’t want to carry.
Read before you go
Matched to bears, water, altitude, alpine, cold.
Hypothermia: how to recognize it and warm someone up in the field
Hypothermia can strike on any wet, windy day, not just in deep cold. How to recognize it at every stage…
Trekking poles: every use, on the trail and in camp
Trekking poles do far more than help you walk: knee-saving descents, balance on bad ground, safer river crossings - plus…
Axes and hatchets: choosing, using, and maintaining a camp axe
From a belt hatchet to a splitting maul: the axe family explained, what each part does, how to split and…
Sharpening and tool care: keeping your backcountry tools working
A sharp, clean tool is safer and lasts for decades. How edges and angles work, how to sharpen a knife,…
Camp saws: folding saws, bow saws, and how to cut wood safely
Why a saw beats an axe for most campers: folding saws vs bow saws, how teeth and blades work, what…
Multitools in the field: how to actually use one in the backcountry
A multitool is the backcountry fix-it kit: what each tool inside is for, why it complements a knife rather than…
Camp shovels and entrenching tools: how to choose and use one
From an ultralight trowel to a folding steel entrenching tool: the whole family of backcountry digging tools, every job they…
Leave No Trace: the seven principles, explained
The seven principles of Leave No Trace, explained and made practical — how to plan, travel, camp, handle waste, build…
How to keep kids entertained while camping — without screens
Take the screens away and kids get inventive. Dozens of screen-free ways to keep children of every age happily busy…
What to wear in the bush: layering and fabrics for every condition
Dressing for the bush is a system, not a single jacket. How to choose and layer clothing — base, mid,…
Wilderness knives explained: types, terms, and how to use one
Fixed vs. folding, full vs. partial tang, carbon vs. stainless, and every knife term decoded — plus what a blade…
Poison ivy, oak, sumac, and giant hogweed: identify, avoid, and treat them
The rash-and-burn plants every hiker should recognize. How to identify poison ivy, oak, and sumac, avoid the urushiol that causes…