Hiking Tips

Genuine advice, hard-learned lessons, and other helpful pointers about what the hiking and backpacking universe has taught me.

Helpful Hiking Resources

Day Hiking Checklist

Ultralight Backpacking Gear List

How to Meal Plan for Backpacking

Complete Hiking & Backpacking Resources Guide

17 Backpacking Tips for Women (from an AT Thru-Hiker)

Whenever I talk about backpacking or thru-hiking, I tend to get a lot of skeptical questions from curious friends and family. But as a 5-foot-tall woman, I frequently hear well-meaning people ask: Aren’t you scared out there? Personally, I find walking in big cities to be much scarier than walking in the woods. Don’t let … Read more
Hiking and backpacking snacks including chocolate, energy bars, ramen, seeds, nuts, trail mix, chocolate, and candy

18 Best Hiking & Backpacking Snacks for Energy on the Trail

Hiking snacks are as essential as sunscreen, trekking poles, or rain gear. After all, it won’t always rain nor is the sun guaranteed to shine, but I’ll always need calorie-dense hiking fuel. That logic is what inspired me to create this list of the best hiking and backpacking snacks. As hiking fuel, snacks should be … Read more

7 Winter Camping Tips from an Avid Cold-Weather Camper

As the temperature drops and snow starts to fall, most people put away their camping gear for the winter and wait until warmer seasons to venture into the wilderness. But for those of us who love the thrill of cold-weather camping, the chillier months offer a unique and challenging experience that can’t be matched by … Read more

Hiking the Appalachian Trail: 20 Tips from an AT Thru-Hiker

Hiking the Appalachian Trail can be the experience of a lifetime, a muddy slog, or something in between. So whether you’re looking to section hike, day hike, or are aiming to thru-hike all 2,200 miles, it’s crucial to be prepared. I completed a northbound thru-hike in 2021 and am a proud member of the “experience … Read more
Ensemble of 7.8-pound ultralight backpacking gear setup laid out across a wood floor

8.0 lb Ultralight Backpacking Gear List | 2023 Optimal Setup

I’ve spent years assembling my best ultralight backpacking gear setup for multi-day hikes into the wilderness, and I’d love to share my 2023 list with you. Because what you bring along backpacking will make or break your trip. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. On an attempted trek of the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland … Read more
Seven days of backpacking food laid out in rows across a carpet

Backpacking Food: Meal Plan Tips & Ideas for Your 2023 Hikes

Past attempts at organizing my backpacking food and creating meal plans were always a bit reckless for me. My old approach usually involved jamming a hodgepodge assemblage of hiking food into my over-stuffed bag and hoping for the best. Ensuing days on the trail were spent hiking around dull and nutritionless food, falling short on … Read more

Laugavegur Trail: 7 Things Iceland’s Insane Weather Taught Me

On July 7th of 2014, I embarked on Iceland’s most famous multi-day trek, the Laugavegur Trail – four days of waterfalls, glaciers, and harsh, unearthly landscape. In short, I was unprepared and my hike was an unmitigated disaster. My situation went from bad to worse in a hurry, and I was left scrambling to maintain … Read more