More Useful Articles
Leave No Trace – Seven Principles
The Leave no Trace principles were made out of necessity. Millions of campers and hikers visit the great outdoors every year, and leave millions upon millions of footprints in nature. Therein lies the problem; trillions of footprints also damage the great outdoors if we’re careless or reckless. That’s why every hiker, camper or any nature lover should honor the 7 principles.
How to go Hiking in the Rain
Hiking in the rain has a special place in our heart; the nature is more lively and beautiful when raindrops cover everything. Don’t get us wrong, hiking in the rain is less safe than waiting it out in a shelter, but there’s a kind of magic in being out there and not getting (as) wet. And we’ll teach you how to stay dry and still go an extra mile in the rain.
Top Affordable Camping Tents
There are four things that you take out into the wild that will make or break your camping adventure: the boots, the backpack, the sleeping bag and the tent. If any one of these critical pieces of gear fail, you might have to cut your trip short. The best camping tent needs to be trustworthy, durable, inexpensive and relatively light; and most importantly, it needs to meet all your specific outdoors needs such as housing multiple people or a family, being easy to set up, being waterproof and so on. That’s a lot of information to process. (more…)
Backpacking Gear Checklist
What should you bring on the hike? That’s the toughest question every new and veteran hiker has to ask himself before every hike, and simply, there’s no universal answer. Someone hiking in the desert will have a drastically different hiking gear checklist compared to someone hiking in a snowy mountain, a jungle or an arctic region. There are some common points, namely the big four items and the ten essentials are something that all hikers have to bring on their hikes.
How to Solo Hike Safely
More and more hikers are choosing to solo hike instead of hiking in a group for a variety of reasons; and a lot of new hikers are slowly transitioning into becoming self-sufficient solo hikers. There are questions and growing pains along the way, and we’ll give you these 5 tips on how to safely hike alone (more…)
How to Pack a Backpack for Hiking
This is one area where most new hikers make the most mistakes and really sour up their first hiking experience. They come home with sore backs, blistering and swollen feet and hopefully, high spirits and creative minds. For some, this is their first and last hiking trip, and for most other new hikers it’s a fun story to say at a campfire. (more…)
Does Bear Spray Work
We’re all worried about meeting aggressive wild life when we’re out hiking. Most of the time (we’d guess at least 99.99%) wild life doesn’t bother us in the slightest, and we don’t bother it either. We’re both out there, enjoying our lives in nature and respecting each other’s boundaries and looking not to be a bother. Until that is no longer an option. Let’s take a look at some self-defense options in the wild.
How Not to Bother the Wildlife While Backpacking
One of the best parts of hiking and backpacking is seeing the wild animals roam around in their natural habitat, minding their own business. You never know what you might see, it could be a humble squirrel or a small mouse, and rarely, you’ll meet a deer or a bigger animal like a moose. It’s best not to bother any animal you meet out in the wild.
Sleeping Tips for First Time Campers
The truth is that most people have trouble sleeping in the wild the first time; there is a lot of life happening all around you, and lots of wildlife will make noise. The crickets, owls, birds and lots of other animals will communicate during the night, and you might hear a scary noise or two (fun fact: fox screams sound eerily human-like). (more…)
How to Clean a Tent
A clean tent is a happy tent for a happy camper; and there’s no worse feeling than getting your tent out of the garage, unpacking it and figuring out that mildew and mold started growing on it. You can clean a moldy tent, but it’ll take a while and set back your starting date by a day at least. So keep your tent clean. (more…)
How to Secure Your Food with a Bear Canister
Bears are smart, curious and tenacious animals that are always on the hunt for food. We’re lucky that they’re naturally afraid of us and generally leave us alone, and avoid human camps. But a hungry, curious bear gets courageous enough to try and steal our food or our trash, and we should know to store our food (and our trash) properly and minimize any possible bear encounters in the wild.
Outdoor Clothing and Gear Brands
There’s one thing that differentiates outdoors brands from other apparel brands. Trust. They have to earn and keep our trust with high-quality, proven hiking and outdoors gear. That gear might very well save your life out on the trail, or a snowy mountain. These brands spent decades building up that trust, refining their wares and improving their performance. (more…)
Best Gift for Hikers
Choosing a good gift is tough. We’ve been there, scratching our heads and reading blog post after blog post about how to pick a gift for a friend or family member that’s really into a hobby. It’s extra hard to pick out a gift for someone that has a hobby we know nothing about. If you’re not a hiker, camper, backpacker or an outdoors person, choosing a gift is a daunting task. There are so many gadgets, pots and pans, tents, boots, specialized clothing, knives and many other things to pick from. (more…)
How to Care for Fire Resistant Clothing
Fire resistant clothing is a mandatory piece of gear that many workplaces require. Primarily, oil & gas and electrical industries should closely follow the rules and make sure their employees are properly wearing their safety gear. OSHA keeps a close eye on these industries and often fines and legally punishes those that don’t follow the rules, laws and regulations. FR clothing satisfies the NFPA 2112 and/or the NFPA 70E safety standards. NFPA 2112 is for general flame resistant gear, and NFPA 70E is for arc rated FR equipment that electricians use. (more…)