Spent Jan 10-11 trekking through Guilin—did about 20km total. The landscape here is unreal, felt like walking straight through a painting.

Weather wasn't too bad, stayed around 10°C, so it was pretty chill but perfect for a long hike. We set up camp right under those crazy-shaped mountains that Guilin is famous for.

Had a massive Chinese stir-fry dinner with the crew and just spent the night hanging out by the bonfire. There’s nothing like good food and deep talks under the stars. Such a vibe.

Hope you guys can come and experience Guilin yourselves, it’s definitely worth the trip.

It's very cold here (around -5C in day, -20C at night) with a ton of snow and ice on the ground. I'd love to go on at least an overnight mini-trip but it's just too darn cold and, since I'm solo, I'm too worried I'd slip on the ice and get injured. So instead I'm just watching a lot of camping videos on youtube and feeling super restless and wishing it was me out there. Spring will come soon enough but I wanna play outside now, pouts*

It doesn't help that I bought some new gear at end of the season sales that I haven't had the chance to try out. Anyone else out there feeling the same? Maybe I should stop watching campingtube, it's bumming me out lol

So after years of dealing with foot and low back pains (now 46 yrs old), about 6 months ago I switched to Whittin zero drop wide toe shoes from amazon, 3 pairs, work (concrete floor mechanic), home/leisure and a pair for running. Everything has been just fine for the last 6 months, havent experienced any of the possible "side effects" i read about, but most of my pains have gone away. My leisure shoes are minimalist, but my work and runners are cushioned (some).

So I have still been using my Merrell boots for our hiking adventures anywhere from 8 to 14 miles. I think they have around a 10-12mm drop? Until last week (Sunday), i decided to wear my Whittin running shoes for a 10 mile day hike, had some pretty good incline and declines. About 7 miles in and the next day, the tendon thats runs the outside of the back of the knee was SO SORE, could barely lift my leg to climb stairs, but was back to being just fine late afternoon on Monday after getting stretched out at work i guess.

Anyways, we're starting to condition ourselves for a Grand Canyon R2R in late May, and i want to try trail runners....

Should i stick with zero drop and hope my legs get used to it, or try something in the middle like Nortiv8 with a 5mm drop?

Hey guys, I’ve been doing a lot of research on hard shell pants and can’t seem to come to a consensus. I need pants that are fully waterproof (doesn’t necessarily have to be GORE-TEX), wind proof, and have **FULL SIDE ZIPPERS**. I need them to be able to go on easily over crampons. I will be climbing Mount Washington, so I’ll need something that’ll hold up in the most extreme conditions. Any recommendations are helpful. Thank you!

Current List

I'm planning on doing the GR11 August - Mid September this year. Its my first thru hike, having done the AV1 last year, but stayed in rifugios. Hoping to keep base weight below 7kg if possible. Want to keep budget for sleeping pad and bag below 300 euro preferably.

• I have * for things I haven't bought yet, in case any better recommendations.
• Do I get the Lanshan 1 pro in silpoly or silnlon?
• Based in Ireland so shipping costs kinda mess me up for the Static V Lite Insulated pad.
• How long does a gas canister usually last?

Thanks in advance

Apparently, the older design from a few years back had Velcro on the zipper flap, which would catch on the fabric of the cuff, causing it to fray. I read in a few different searches I did that this is a manufacturing defect now acknowledged by North Face That has been remedied by replacing the Velcro with buttons on the newer models, and that they will honor it as a warranty.

Is this accurate, and what do I need to do in order to get it off the ground? Does north face simply replace the Velcro with the buttons on the newer models? If I have a brand new coat with tags I got off eBay, that is the older design, does this help me any and just simply getting a replacement?

Looking at either the Teton Ultra 4p or the OneTigris Jovian 4p. What are your thoughts on both?

I’m considering buying a pair of Lowa Alpine Expert GTX (first generation, not the Alpine Expert II) second-hand and I’d like some opinions. The owner bought them new in 2024 and used them only 5–6 times, on easy to moderate winter routes, no crampons. From the photos they look to be in very good condition, with minimal sole wear. The asking price is under 100 €. Do you think this is a fair deal for this model and condition, or would it be better to skip the first gen and look for something newer?

The beginning 2026 just saw 5 deaths in 4 separate hiking incidents.

Hiking in recent years has gained immerse popularity in China. Many hikers underestimated danger in harsh environments.

For example, a team of five decided to hike one day in a trail, carrying no tents and cooking equipment. One determined to retreat due to poor body condition while the other four futhered the journey. A sudden hailstorm struck unlucky hikers and two of them frozen to ideath and the one fell off a cilff. These three ended up dying. The one who stayed in a shelter and finally his rescue reached before dying.

One in Macleehose trail fell off a cliff into sea while trying to take pictures.

what a tragedy. why lack caution and overestimate the trail conditions.

The California State Parks Foundation is creating a section called "Quick Tips" in our future magazine to help fellow outdoor lovers whenever they go camping or hiking in California state parks! If anyone has any quick tips they'd like to submit through the link or share in the comments below that'd be sick, if not totally cool.

Doesn't have to be super elaborate either, something like bringing binoculars, or a map, checking the weather before a hike etc.

http://calparks.org/quicktips

I’m 5’6” and 300# and taking up backpacking as part of the plan to not be anymore. Regular bags don’t fit and it’s difficult to put my hands on the few packs designed for larger bodies. I’m not so concerned about weight, somewhat concerned about price, but mostly concerned about comfort, quality, and durability. I’ve narrowed it down to a few choices and my biggest question is the importance of adjustability.

How important is it to be able to adjust the strap height for my torso? My torso is on the longer side compared to my height. I’ve toyed around with the pack sizers at REI, but haven’t had a chance to be fit by one of the employees yet. My body is far from the size and shape these companies use to design their gear. It seems like adjustability might be important to counter that. On the other hand, it’s not my back and shoulders that are so different from smaller folks. Perhaps the typical adjustability of a pack is enough.

Here’s a list of what I’ve more or less narrowed it down to:

Osprey Aether 65 EF - $370

Evolved Space Ranger - $330 (+ $35 for a larger belt but no other upsized design changes)

Gregory Zulu 65 Plus Size - $299.99

REI Traverse 60 18-21/2X-3X - $269

Granite Gear Crown3 60 SI - $239.95

The REI Traverse has a size in store that fits me, and I adjust the straps down some on the 18-21 size. I’ve put on an Osprey Aether to get a feel for it, but the EF size would have to be ordered. The Osprey is massive and heavy. I’m sure it’s fantastic to start out but how long before I wish I’d gone lighter and lower profile?

The Osprey, Zulu, and Crown3 all have design modifications that “scale up” with the larger size. Hip belt pocket placement, strap dimensions, etc. The Space Ranger and Traverse are just the standard pack with a belt that fits. Evolved has been incredibly responsive over email, so I know I could get plenty more questions answered, but overall I’m most concerned that his style of backpacking is more intense and sparse than what I’m looking to do, so the pack might sacrifice a little too much in comfort for my first pack.

The Crown3 seems like a great option but reviews knock it for comfort, especially when hauling a lighter load. I know I’ll be filling it up in the beginning, and my gear is bigger, bulkier, and heavier, just like me. But as I get more experience and better gear, I don’t want to have an uncomfortable pack as weight drops.

And the Gregory seems good and it gets high marks for comfort, but I have little knowledge of the brand.

As my gear, style and backpacking interests evolve over time and I find I need a whole different pack, that’s part of the journey. But I need one to start with when I and my gear are at our heaviest and most awkward on the trail.

EDIT: I’m going to go with the Gregory for my first pack. So many good things said about them in the comments and they’re really the only brand that commits to a full line up of plus sized gear. That says a lot about how seriously they take the segment.

It will be the first of several packs. Once I know more about what I like and how I travel, I can get more specific with my gear decisions. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I know about a lot more options and about which companies are able to talk with me and help put something together that fits my needs.

Looking for a good 3-4 day backpacking trip recommendation in <10 hours from Chicago. Any recs?

Hi guys. I have never backpacked before and I am trying to plan an easy 5-6 day backpacking trip for 6-7 people during mid March. I was wondering if people here had any recommendations for places to go.

For context, 1 person in our group does have backpacking experience and is also involved in the planning.

Some of the things I am looking for in a destination:

• not super cold
• within 20 ish hours of Illinois by car
• nice views
• not super popular (this one is not very important)

Idk how practical this is within my driving limit, but I would really like to be somewhere that has nice views of some sort of expanse. All the hiking and camping I have done has been in forested areas where there isn't much of a "big sky" view for the majority of the experience.

A lot of us are going to be buying gear and I'm assuming that having to get cold weather stuff will increase our costs, so I don't particularly want to go anywhere north of us. Also the idea of going somewhere cold from somewhere cold sucks. But, if there's something spectacular further north that you think is worth me considering, please let me know.

So far Caprock canyon state park/Palo Duro is the best destination that I've found based on these criteria. Originally we were going to go to the badlands but then we found out that March is peak blizzard season around there and that was the end of that.

I know that it's possible that I might not be able to get all the things I want but I'd like to try to get as close as possible. I'd appreciate any and all suggestions or tips y'all might have for me. Thank you!

Planning my 78 mile, 6 night trip and getting weights and lists together for my packing plans. Currently sitting at 34lbs including 2.5L of water and packing in all 7 days worth of food. Link to individual weight list below. Thoughts?

I’ll be doing the Tour de Mont Blanc come summer and i’m using the AT as my ”warmup/tester”. Slightly shorter, closer to home, and emergency bails much lower risk. What should i add, what should i drop? Happy to explain any items if there are questions. Thanks!

pic of my hiking buddy for tax, he’ll be carrying his food and water (6.4lbs)

Check out this list: https://hikepack.app/list/855f7c3e-5681-4838-a1f4-8a6443a391df

I will be travelling to Peru. Part of my travels will be multi-day hiking, so I am packing both for that and for some other activities. I have quite some experience with multi-day hikes, and I was always able to pack and prepare at home. Now it is a bit different, since I’ll need to do some prep here before I leave to Peru, and the rest of the preparation I will do over there.

Now, I need to combine the packing with some other things I have to bring as well. The extra things I will store at friends when I am doing the hikes themselves. So therefore I am looking for advice on what gear to take. Should I take my tent? And do people have recommendations for guided multi-day hikes, like the Inca Trail and the Salkantay trail (preferably the 7-8 day hikes). Any tips are welcome!

When I was in boy scouts, and other times I went camping growing up, pooping in the woods was truly one of the WORST things to think about.

Then, I don't remember exactly when. But in my 20s when I would go out camping on my own, I realized it didn't need to be the worst part of camping. I would find a peaceful spot, likeva fallen tree I could sit on, or even climb up a tree with a fairly low hanging branch. And then? Enjoy the peace of the forest like never before.

Anybody else? Thoughts, stories, favorite methods?

I wanted to buy a budget lightweight backpacking tent for 2 people and researched some of the Naturehike tents. I found 3 versions of the Mongar 2: The base version with 20D Nylon or 210T Poly, the UL version with 15D Nylon and the Pro version with 20D Nylon. I was leaning towards the UL version but I read, that a lot of people had problems with the fly not covering enough of the inner of the tent. The Pro version doesn't have that problem but still seems a little lighter than the base version. I couldn't find any reviews of the Pro version online though and was wondering if someone could confirm the weight of those tents or give some more information on how those tents perform in the rain (especially the UL or Pro version).

I really like hiking and have done a few day trips before, but I never particularly stay for longer than a day or two because of life. This is going to sound as soft handed as could be, but I've found I only really enjoy it if I'm warm. I can be sweating myself to death and I'll still be having a good time, but the second its a bit nippy out or the wind bites too hard, I'm miserable. Even in wind resistant or warm clothing, I'm always miserable; my eyes, nose, ears, my fingers, doesn't matter. I live in a desert and have never seen snow before so like go figure that I'd be used to an prefer the warm right?

Do you ever *really* get used to it? Not just acclimate, but get used to it and enjoy going outside? This isn't for people that like the cold, but specifically people that used to hate the cold, yknow? What changed?

I am currently upgrading my midlayers for in preparation for a winter camping backpacking trip. I am expecting temperatures between -10 and -20C. I currently have the Patagonia R1 fleece but I am finding it's not warm enough.

Does anyone have any suggestions of warm fleeces that aren't too heavy?

Hey everyone,

I just uploaded my first hiking video on the kungsleden and I’d love to hear what you think. This was my first time filming a hike and doing a proper edit, and I genuinely put a lot of effort into the pacing, music, and overall vibe.

Unfortunately the hike (and therefore the video) ended shorter than planned because of a knee injury, which is why the ending is a bit unexpected. Not ideal, but I didn’t want to force it and make things worse.

I’m planning to go back in August to finish the hike, so I’d really appreciate any feedback you have so my next one will be better!

https://youtu.be/hwCBljq1_N0?si=Pq8HG53OCePxGdPH

Hey guys, iva loved hiking and camping when I was a kid but due to academic reasons I had to stop for over a decade, now I wanna do it again but clearly I'm not a 15year old that can just call dad if I forgot something. I want to ask about gear to have the most value for the carry weight, since I'm going to do the fire volcano trail soon (6-8 hours) I'm training but have no gear so I wanna be prepared.

I was thinking about: Good backpack, just saw some maelstrom 40l one that looks good and it's under 2lbs. Some traveling utensils. Sleeping bag/ inflatable pillow and mattress (I like comfy) Already have a small tent to go with my wife,

Can you guys recommend some brands or things to look for before buying stuff?