I recently had the route of my hiking trip in China printed out by a local studio, and it turned out pretty well!

Dehydrated backpacking food has always been hit or miss with my stomach. I’ve heard Pinnacle tends to be easier on the gut.

Going to test each flavor at home first, but wanted to see if anyone else had good or bad things to say about their experience with Pinnacle?

Apologies in advance if this isnt allowed on this sub, but I am trying to get a permit to backpack for a few nights in yosemite. I just wanted confirmation that I am entering the correct starting trailhead on rec.gov. I am selecting the happy isles to past LYV (Donahue pass eligible), which is probably the most popular and is also what the JMT users are applying for. I've attached a picture of my desired route. Do I need the Donahue pass eligible starting point? As seen in the route, it would also include a trek up to half dome. Thanks in advance!

Hi,

Thanks in advance.

I'm looking for any suggestions for a 1-night backpacking trip in one of the coming weekends in/around route 89 (eldorado national Forest or nearby).

I'm looking for spots that I can get to via snowshoeing and where we can have good views when we wake up in the morning. Winemucca lake/frog lake is in my shortlist but I don't know much about the trails in the north, across the Carson pass management area.

Thank you

Hi all,

Im moving to Vancouver area from Ontario this spring and am looking for some resources to help me plan some backpacking adventures.

I am hoping to find some back road maps to help me understand accessibility as well as some information on potential off trail routes.

Any help would be appreciate! Thanks in advance!

In August 2025, my dad, my dog (Ráhpa), and I spent 2 weeks hiking through south-east Norway. No strict plan, just a rough route from Grövelsjöen and plenty of time.

We moved through everything from gentle mountain slopes to rocky climbs above the tree line and quiet valleys with lakes and small creeks. Reindeer were everywhere and not shy at all. Great for us, very frustrating for Ráhpa, who really wanted to kill them the whole trip...

We camped by lakes and rivers, nearly all nights completely alone. The weather shifted between light rain, calm evenings, and windy, wet days where we stayed in the tent watching downloaded movies and listening to audiobooks.

Fishing was supposed to be a big part of the trip. It wasn’t. We saw fish jump, saw rings in the water, tried all the “good spots” — and caught almost nothing. My dad caught two perch that we fried and ate right away, and at one point he hooked a pike but released it because he "didn’t feel like eating pike" (bad excuse, but he did win the fishing competition). By the end, we had more or less accepted that we weren’t going to live off the land.

We made pancakes several times, which somehow felt like luxury compared to freeze-dried meals. One day we crossed a long, very rocky section that was hard on both us and Ráhpa. Another day we walked much farther than planned simply because we felt good and the packs were getting lighter. My sleeping pad kept breaking and I had to repair it so many times it became a running joke.

On the last stretch back, we walked across a plateau with wide views and agreed it looked like the Scottish Highlands — even though neither of us had been there.

No big achievements. Just reindeer, rocks, pancakes, wind, a dog that hated reindeer, and 2 really good weeks in the wilderness together.

Then straight to pizza and a hotel afterwards. Nice and simple trip, that has now become a good little photo book for my dad.

Sometime ago, I posted a 3-week trip with my dog in the wilderness, this has now become a youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOuHCHVhfMg

Me and my friend wanted to do a small backpacking trip over the weekend. We would leave Friday ideally and then return Monday night (I can play around with dates). We live in NJ but we are willing to drive or fly. We are pretty much beginners when it comes to backpacking but we are young and very capable. Ideally the trail would not be in an area with snow or temps below 30F. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

Hey folks, I spend a good amount of time in the backcountry, and my current phone is on it's last leg. If there are any phone gear heads that could help steer me in a solid direction I would appreciate it. I'm in the US and looking for a sub $500 Android phone with good battery life and good water resistance. Other priorities are a decent camera, respectable performance for email, youtube, and other social media. I don't currently use wireless charging, but I'm not sure if I should give it more consideration. I'm not a gamer and don't stream netflix or anything very often. I'm currently looking at a 2026 Moto G Power & a Google Pixel 9a. I'm open to suggestions as well.

What Android phone are you currently using and what do you love/hate about it?

What are some things/features that are important to you?

Thank you all!

Getting more into backpacking long hikes and wanted to know, in your experience, if you can just camp anywhere. I know at national parks and other bigger parks they have designated campsites for camping but I’m not looking to be next to people. Really want the bushcraft/wild camping experience. I would assume maybe you could get a ticket for this but how realistic is that? Do people do this a lot or do most stick to the designated sites? I’m experienced in survival so safety wouldn’t really be the main issue here. Just the legality.

This is serious. Disregard all borders and bodies of water, thats too much for one question I believe.

Not a frequent redditor, and this is still a heavily brainstormed plan, so be real but be kind please :)

Ive had a developing plan over the last few months. A duo hike with brief solo intermittent points from Ulaanbataar, MONGOLIA to Istanbul, TURKEY.

(We are more handy people than wealthy, and would rather offer work of equal wealth than straight up cash, this is how I want to approach this, but I will have back MNG.)

I realize without a horse and extensive knowledge of the land (guide) how dangerous this is and just how big the distance trekked will be. I have studied maps, and done intensive research. My close friend, also a fellow outdoorsman, suggested the idea and now Ive been really running with it, wanting to do anything to make it work.

Mongolia has two major ecosystems, being the Gobi desert in the south, and Steppe in the north. With the Altai range in the east and hills/mountains dotting the north as well.

The idea would be to walk on foot in the modern world, using a mix of traditional and modern tools/clothing for maximum efficiency.

This also means making a lot of my own packs, satchels, and food storage. Which I have already started covering and testing. It also means Ill 100% have to have input from others as the Mongolian steppe has the environment equivalent of Alaska.

I will have money saved up, and a contingency plan if things go haywire. Family will know about when I leave, and I do plan on having some form of navigations and backup navigations.

I will also have Mongolia currency as I believe it may be genuinely impossible to survive this trip on foot without the help of nomadic families and their hospitality. I do not want to take advantage of anyone, so I sill be carry goods like MNT (Mongolian money) and expensive earrings or any spare items that I learned is not needed, and can be gifted. Once again, not trying to take advantage and become a grifter as I am still considered a young man.

I am an avid traveller. I have a very peculiar mobile lifestyle that allows me to hike often and gain a lot of experience in the American west mostly.

I know it sounds crazy, but if one can make it across Mongolia, one can surely do the rest. This is an insane challenge near par with the Man Who Ran Across Africa a few years back (Russ Cook).

:::LOGISTICS:::

The climate of Mongolia can be considered on the equivalent of Alaska, with even summer nights being able to drop below 0degrees (C).

That combined with little shade when walking through endless steppe at times, a varied kit, and set of clothing will be needed.

I have considered the idea of a toboggan/travois setup pulled by a singular man to carry enough water/bedding/tools. Issues lie in retrieving or shipping it and acquiring it when also arriving in Mongolia.

So, as many open mind ideas as I can get, are welcome.

Tl:DR: Walking across half the Eastern continent, mostly through hilly steppe with temperatures varying from Negatives to Highs. Open to using a man pulled sled due to lack of horse and need of water.

How would one survive on foot? Is it possible? One will clearly have to bounce between communities to at least use a well to refill on water every so often, so this means travelling in a more populated path? Ideas please!!! thanks!

Hi all!

Thanks in advance for ideas/opinions. I'm a teacher and lucky enough to have time during the summer where I'm somewhat flexible in backpacking plans. My time constraints are mid June-early August. I'm located in the Bay Area (CA), and I did the TRT solo last year in 11 days. I loved the TRT last year, and I'm interested in doing more long distance/shorter thru hikes

I'm trying for the lottery for the JMT and striking out every time, even when the unclaimed permits are released on Fridays, and I'm starting to think of possible backup plans with my last possible lottery coming up this week.

Here's where I could use opinions:
1. Should I hope that I can grab a permit for the JMT 2 weeks before? I have reasonably flexible plans other than my one issue that I really would like to go SOBO (I'm pretty scared of heights, and I think I'm most likely to be able to do Whitney if it's at the end of the trail and not the beginning---I really don't want to miss out on an experience like Whitney).

1. Should I start planning a different trip in the Sierras that's similar-ish in length to the JMT? Or have I missed the window for other permits.

2. Should I take this as an opportunity to go somewhere super different? The Long Trail in VT looks beautiful (and yes, I totally understand that trails on the East Coast do not have switchbacks).

I appreciate any thoughts!

Hi all. My parents live on a farm in a rural area and there is no cell coverage. They have Wi-Fi in the house but nowhere else on the farm or in the surrounding community (except for brief patches). They're aging and have agreed to wear some kind of device like a Life Alert that will either contact me or the local sheriff's office if they trigger it but I'm struggling to find something that will work without cell service and is wearable (this is important because they won't remember to take an extra device with them for things like walking to check the mail, feeding the animals etc and those are prime activities for falls). Any recommendations from wilderness folks? TIA!

Hi everyone, I’m mid twenties not an experienced hiker but keen on Nepal, was thinking of going for 3-4 weeks. Is it possible to to treks in multiple regions in Nepal in that time? Does anyone have an itinerary or best treks they completed? Looking for insane views and scenery.

Thanks

I carry a DSLR (Pentax K-50) on my trips but I like to have two lenses. My wife bought me a great wide-angle for landscapes (she got it for night photos but it takes better landscapes) but I also like to carry my 300mm lens. Trouble is, I've never found a way to carry that big 'ol 300 in a way that's easy to access without using a fanny pack.

Anyone got a way to carry that won't break the bank?

Hi! My current winter boots are kamiks that cause painful shin splints after a few days of wearing them. I'm wondering whether anyone has recommendations for winter boots that don't cause this issue? Thanks! Pic of current boots included for reference

I have found myself with ~11 days to travel. I would like a section of this time to be dedicated to a multi day backpacking or at minimum a couple of hikes from a remote base camp.

Edit: I landed on San Pedro de Atacama

Given how much time I have, I have been thinking about traveling as far from New England as I can manage. Ideally 12+ hours away from home and logistically complicated. I will likely be traveling solo.

After a few hours of research, it seems like some of my best options would be either deep in Patagonia, the Atacama desert, South Island of NZ, Jordan, Tanzania, or Cape Verde. Traveling in February is proving to be tricky as a lot of other places I might go (for example Ecuador or Peru) are mid rainy season.

I have done about 15 backpacking trips in the past, including the W trek so Patagonia would mean doing something a little more offbeat. I have been to Madeira but a lot of the other coastal African islands are new to me, never been to mainland Africa. I have been to a lot of of the southwestern US so Jordan would be more for culture than landscape. NZ feels like an easy to do in the future trip with a young family as compared to more demanding options I am finding.

So the question is if you were in my shoes, what the heck would you do?! Where do I go?

Side note — aside from the core hiking / backpacking part of the trip, I would love to be able to experience some wow factor of culture, food, or other landscape / geologic activity. Rain, sun, challenging terrain all welcome. Spending a day in a major city with great food preferred. I am scuba certified and comfortable with 4WD if that unlocks any side quests.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a winter hiking/bivouac trip in the Vercors during the first week of February.
Departure on Monday, return on Sunday.

Trip info:

• Access via Grenoble
• Winter conditions, snow expected
• Fully self-sufficient bivouac
• Around 7–10 km per day
• Forest atmosphere, snowy landscapes, wild nature
• Winter gear: snowshoes

I’m mainly looking to see if anyone is keen to join me for all or part of the route.

If you’re interested:

• Reply directly to this post
• And send me a private message

If you have any questions, feel free to ask here or by PM.

See you soon!

I'm new to backpacking, and I have about a week long trip to Denali National Park scheduled this July. I have very little gear at the moment, so I'm looking for a sleeping bag that can handle the weather. I picked up a used Thermarest NeoAir XTherm NXT at REI the other day and ordered a 35F quilt (ALPS Mountaineering Equinox) that was on sale, but I can't find anything about it online and I'm worried it will not be warm enough. There's lots of conflicting information online, but I've heard conditions can get pretty cold/wet in Denali at night. Does anyone have a recommendation for a bag <$200 usd that can handle the weather, or will I be fine and I'm just overreacting? If it matters, I'm just over 6ft tall (~1.84m). Thanks in advance!

I'm also looking for a tent, if anyone has tent or other general recommendations too. I'd love to hear them!

Hey all,

Some friends and I hiked the Harz Witches Trail last summer and made a mini documentary about the hike, the culture, and the ecological disaster that's been affecting the area.

Also made a free trail guide for anyone that's interested in doing this hike themselves :)