Hiking Gear

All the gear for the climb, hike, run or bike up and down that trial.

Hiking Gear

Hike: Griffith Observatory

Thurs, 3/15, 6:30-9:30 pm Group: Griffith Observatory Hiking Group When: Thursday, March 15, 6:30-9:30 pm Where: Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA Cost: Free Details: This hike is going to differ from past events as we’re going to go to Griffith Observatory from our usual spot, parking lot #2 of the Merry-Go-Round in the Griffith Park. The…

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Hiking Gear

Get the Girls Out: Crystal Mountain

Sun, 3/11, 8:30 am-5 pm Group: SheJumps & K2 Skis When: Sunday, March 11, 8:30 am-5 pm Where: Crystal Mountain Resort, Enumclaw, WA  Cost: $10 + discounted lift ticket (registration required) Details: Get the Girls Out presented by K2 Skis is a national campaign to unite women as they support, challenge, mentor and inspire each other in…

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Hiking Gear

Editors’ Choice Awards 2014

After months and miles of testing, we found 12 products that set new benchmarks for performance, innovation, and value. Kelty TN 2 Kelty TN 2 (Courtesy Photo)Cowboy camping is fun—the bazillion stars overhead, that sense of complete integration with nature—until the rain starts to fall. And who among us hasn’t had a late-night, bleary-eyed scramble…

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Hiking Gear

Editors’ Choice Awards 2016

How do you separate good gear from great gear? Six months of backpacking around the globe will do it. Columbia Outdry Ex Diamond Hard truth: Even the best hard shells have a weakness. Eventually, the durable water repellent (DWR) on the fabric’s exterior deteriorates. Instead of beading off the surface, water soaks in. And while…

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Hiking Gear

The Year’s Most Sustainable Gear

The environment all too often pays the price for high-performing gear. But these 10 products save waste from landfills, ditch harmful chemicals, and allow you to adventure guilt-free. 1. Big Agnes Sandhoffer 20°F Until now, there has generally been a tradeoff between sustainability and performance. But Big Agnes’s Sandhoffer 20°F is now friendly on both…

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Hiking Gear

10 Wet Weather Adventures

In these backcountry paradises, rain is part of the adventure. 1. Iceland: Hesteyri to Latrar to Straumnes Iceland’s Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is far less traveled than the Ring Road and Golden Circle, but it’s no less epic. It’s just harder to get to, which is why you want to be here. Constant rain and snow…

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Hiking Gear

Los Angeles’s Top 6 Dayhikes

The best local trails, as selected by BACKPACKER Local scout Brad Stapleton. The City of Angels: land of brunch, tanning, and of course, celebrity sightings at the local coffeeshop. For those of us looking to travel off the beaten path to places that don’t start with “Runyon,” there are tons of options that are all…

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