Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for backpackers are here and they are plentiful. A lot of the gear prescribed by Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail hikers in the PCT Gear Survey and the CDT Gear Survey can be found discounted this week, so if you have a thru-hike in your future,
The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Gift Guide
Sure, you could take a look at the 2020 Thru-hiker Gift Guide, but what if you're not just any thru-hiker? What if you're a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker? Yes, every thru-hiker thinks themself special and those found (or about to be found) on the PCT are no different. So what if your loved one
The Backpacker’s Guide to REI’s GUGO Sale (2020)
There's an event around this time that REI chooses to #optoutside for, but that doesn't stop them from putting on one of their best sales of the year just in time for the holidays, the Gear Up Get Out (GUGO) sale. I have literally combed through every item on sale and have come up with a list of
The 2020 Thru-hiker Gift Guide
Things are finally cooling off (at least in California) and it's nearly time for the results of what will be some very strange thru-hiker surveys. That means it's also the season to work on upgrading your backpacking outfit for when it's time to go back outside next year (if you're interested,
16 Must-Have Items for a Subaru Outback
When I first got my Subaru Outback, I was excited to take it out on adventures, but coming from a long period of living out of my backpack, it took a while before I managed to get my new adventure-mobile in working order. Here are the top things I would recommend equipping your car with to make
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2020 (v2.0)
It's been a complicated year, but I still managed to get outdoors despite not being able to escape the country as originally planned. My gear list has continued to evolve as I continue to figure out what gear I like best and for what application I most enjoy using each piece of gear. I've
How to Connect the SoSHR and the SHR
The Sierra High Route and the Southern Sierra High Route are two incredible routes through California's Sierra Nevada that are each remarkable on their own. However, it is possible to connect these two routes into a single and most epic journey through the Sierra. Here's how to do it. The
Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Comparison (Class of 2019)
In preparation for what's going to be a very odd year of hiker surveys (the 2020 surveys for anyone reading this sometime in the future - if the world has managed to survive), I've decided to finish the final member (for now) of the Pacific Crest Trail Survey Family from last year's PCT Class - the
Backpacker Radio #79 | Mac from Halfway Anywhere
Last month, I sat down and talked to Backpacker Radio about pretty much everything I've ever done in the outdoors up until this year. You can start listening at around 10 minutes in and then sit back to enjoy the last eight years of my life compressed into a little under two hours. Long by many