This was my kids’ second backpacking trip, and we did the Heather Trail in EC Manning Provincial Park in BC. Three nights out, camped at Buckhorn and Kicking Horse and covered almost 30km by the end. I’m so proud of them. And most importantly, they are so proud of themselves! However… they are clearly not born to ultralight… as you can see, my son insisted on carrying a giant ham-hock shaped stuffed sea lion the entire time. 🤨 At least he never once appeared to regret his life choices! 😝

A big shout out to all the other parents - particularly the other single parents! - who are also dragging their kids into the backcountry. Man, it’s a lot of work! But holy moly, is it ever rewarding. ♥️

1. Manaslu Circuit ,2) Annapurna circuit ,3) Everest Base Camp ,4) Annapura Base Camp ,5) Langtang valley Trek

I've been backpacking for a little over a decade now and this entire time I've struggled with one crucial element: Refueling. My appetite absolutely tanks during physical exertion, ESPECIALLY in the heat, and that lack of eating snowballs until I feel so ill I can't eat at all. I've bailed on entire trips because I hadn't yet learned that I just gotta force myself to eat else I jeopardize the entire thing.

Anyway, amongst other remedies, I figured out that warm broth is a great way to restore my appetite so I can eat again. While I love bouillon cubes and miso soup packets, I wanted something more versatile; something with more calories, something that could be added to other hot/cold soak foods and make them taste better in my times of distress.

Enter: Chicken Butter

1/2 cup butter powder

1/2 cup chicken bone broth powder

1 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)

1 tsp MSG (optional)

Makes roughly 150g / 1 cup / 16 tablespoons

~50cal per tbsp

Delicious as a sipping broth, great in addition to (low sodium) freeze dried meals. The benefits of bone broth are up for debate, but it's high in protein (12g per tbsp, just the broth) and the butter has a decent amount of fat (4g per tbsp).

This stuff has single-handedly ensured I actually finish my freeze-dried meals. I'm no longer forcing myself to choke down food I barely tolerate, because now I like it. My overall morale improves, too, it's an absolute win!

One day I may try the beef bone broth powder for a similar concoction, but for now the chicken flavor is universal enough that I can add it to almost anything.

Happy trails, y'all! Let me know if you give this a try, or if you have your own secret weapon against your appetite (beyond, y'know, weed ;P )

I have about a week of PTO over Labor Day or Columbus Day I can use to get back on a trail. Biggest quantifier is easy logistics coming from Houston. Wanted to do the TRT for years now, but just not in the cards.

What does the community recommend?

I first came across the Masai Mara on a travel blog a month ago and pretty much immediately added it to my bucket list. I finally made it there, and honestly, the sunrise balloon ride was one of those experiences that actually lived up to the hype.

I spent 3 nights near Sekenani Gate in the Masai Mara. I flew into Nairobi first and then took a shared matatu, which took about 6 hours to reach the Mara area.

I stayed at a basic campsite and spent the days doing game drives. One morning I also did a sunrise hot-air balloon flight. We met the crew at 4am, and it was much colder than I expected before sunrise. They gave us hot cocoa while they were getting the balloon ready.

The weather was almost perfect that morning — some light clouds, but very little wind. Once we got up in the air, the sunrise came through the clouds and we could see zebra and wildebeest below us. The flight lasted a little over an hour, followed by breakfast out on the grass.

The whole trip cost me roughly $2,000 including transport, accommodation, game drives and the balloon ride. Definitely not cheap by normal standards, but the Masai Mara was more doable than I had expected.

Would I go back? Absolutely. I’d probably stay longer next time.

Slate mines, mountains, seaside and some cute animals in the northwest of Wales.

Myself and two friends decided to do some wild camping in July. On the way we saw lots of sheep, horses and even a seal when we got to the seaside.

The Dinorwic slate quarry were a favorite of mine. The idea of the infrastructure you see being built by hand never fails to amaze me. One rock piled upon the other meticulously as large carts would haul down slate for distribution. The mines can be explored today and its become a popular site for rock climbing.

We were lucky with the weather for a week straight. Expected some light drizzle that never came.. Although we were attacked by sandfleas burrowed in the sand on the beach, which came out as condensation set in.. we had a relaxing time altogether. Not many insects in the mountains meant all we needed was a light sleeping bag under the starry night.

As we made our way to Holyhead down from the surrounding mountains we treated ourselves with a pint or ten. I recommend this trip to anyone that wants some trodden kilometers..

Started July 2nd and camped at Trail camp for a July 3rd summit. Snow was tolerable but the runoff had frozen throughout the night so we had to be a little careful in some areas of the 99 switchbacks.

I’m seeing limited info about camping/backpacking Kenai Fjords on the internet. I’d like to see the Harding Icefield and the exit glaciers.

I read on the NP official site that you can camp along the Harding Icefield trail corridor, 1/8 mile from the trail on rock or snow. Does that mean I can just step off the trail and camp anywhere, as long as I’m not on vegetation? I’m not planning to go full backcountry since I only have a limited number of days. I want to enjoy my hike up the Harding Icefield trail, camp somewhere for the night, go down the following day, explore the exit glacier area and camp, and leave the following day (3 days 2 nights).

Does anyone have any experience with the area? And can I camp by the glacier? I see that there’s a campsite with limited space by the exit glacier, but saw on multiple tour websites that they’d have people camp right by the glaciers (on the rocks). Is that allowed? Thanks!

My wife and I have a pretty decent stretch off of work end of August early September, and we'd like to spend the majority of it backpacking. We'd like to go out west (CO, UT, WY, or ID). 100 miles would probably be pushing it, so looking closer to the 70-80ish mile range so we can take our time. Any suggestions? We've also thought about hopping on the CDT or the CT, just unsure as to which part. We'd likely need to rely on getting to/from trailheads without a personal vehicle.

I chafe... like a lot. Even on short day hikes I usually come away with some discomfort. I've tried switching to better gear, changing clothes, and pretty much everything else I've been recommended.

That has led me to research these anti-chafe products like Squirrels Nut Butter or Body Glide. I keep coming away with some concerns though, because I live in the midwest where its relatively cold most of the year. I don't want a product that will harden in the cold (the main downside i've seen to SNB), and I don't want synthetic goop like body glide (I have a distaste for synthetic products and their effect on the environment).

Does anyone know of any products that fit these needs:

A. all natural ingredients

B. holds texture in all temps (from like 20 degrees to 100)

C. not grainy or greasy on skin

D. is multi-purpose (maybe also for dry hands? blister prevention? chapstick?)

Should I just create my own at home? I can't imagine it's all that technically difficult.

One of the best trekking destinations in Nepal . Manaslu + Tsum valley Trek . We have hiked around 18 days in Himalayan Tsum valley have very beautiful tibetan culture while manalsu have beautiful mountains view and also amazing culture.

Hey all, I recently learned of this fundraiser from a friend in the area to clean up some of the best hiking trails in the world in Peru. If you've ever seen the documentary, Touching to void, this is where it all happened. Any amount helps. There isnt great infrastructure in this region of the world so they are bringing in donkey teams and some volunteers to make it all happen.

https://www.huayhuashalpinecircuit.com/detrash-fundraiser.html

Hello, am a 34m solo traveler and street photographer, am gonna be in Kyrgyzstan from 8 August till 25th. I don’t do a lot of planning every time i travel. So i will spend a day in Bishkek and i will wonder around issyk kul lake, most probably am gonna be staying in cholpon ata / karakol till
14th after that i have booked 3 nights yurt on song kul lake( this is the only staying i booked so far) and am just gonna enjoy the silent and the company if it happens there. and i have osh in my mind if i got to manage transportation from song kul but still dont know whats gonna happen at that time and thats it so far.
Reference: am gonna be using public transport and shared taxis/ i travel on a budget/ i love hiking but not crazy about 2/3 days trekking, i want to do horse riding for sure and try to take photos for the hunters, i want to try every single food and drink since am a chef. I dont mind company and most welcomed for sure, but i can spend the whole trip alone am used to this.
Any tips specially about transportation,suggestions, corrections i would really appreciate it. Thanks!

On July 2, I began a huge 2 night backpacking trip from Happy Isles in the Yosemite Valley. I hiked 4.7 miles and ascended 2,372’ up the Mist Trail, passing Vernal and Nevada Falls, to Little Yosemite Valley. I set up camp and then set off on a side adventure to Half Dome’s Diving Board. This side trip was 5.07 miles long with 1,716’ of vertical gain. The Diving Board is the coolest location I have ever been. I was blown away by the 3,500’ overhanging drop off to the valley and its up-close view of Half Dome’s north face. The majority of this route is shared with the approach hike for Snake Dike, which is easy to follow. Past the split with Snake Dike, there is an exposed traverse with a few scrambling moves. I descended back to camp to sleep before my hike up Half Dome.

I started the ascent at 5:20 am and made it to Sub Dome at 7:10. I started up the cables at 7:15 and topped out at 7:30. There is certainly risk and challenge to the cables, but I feel many influencers dramatize it. If you are comfortable with scrambling and a little exposure, you should find Half Dome quite easy. I started descending at 8, which is when the crowds started to pick up. I hiked to the Clouds Rest-Half Dome junction, and then ascended Clouds Rest. I summited Clouds Rest at 11:50. This peak has an unrivaled view of the Yosemite Valley. It seems many are aware of this fact based on the crowds there. At this point, I had already hiked 10 miles with 5,700’ of vertical gain. I trudged on to Tenaya Lake. I made it there at 3:40 and realized I was at risk of missing alpenglow at my campsite: North Dome. I moved as fast as possible with a heavy pack and fatigued legs, making it to the North Dome area just in time to watch Half Dome get set on fire by the sunset. Unfortunately, it was hard to enjoy such a beautiful view after hiking 29.37 miles with 8,793’ of vertical gain.

I set up camp and woke up early the next morning to catch sunrise from the top of North Dome. I then descended the Yosemite Falls Trail, adding another 9.9 miles and 1,100’ of vert to the trip. My final stats were around 48 miles with 14,000’ of vert. My portable charger and Garmin died before the third day, so I do not have exact numbers. I certainly questioned my sanity watching families enjoy their 4th of July weekend swimming and paddle boarding on Tenaya Lake. However, I hold no regrets. I planned this trip with the goal of seeing and doing everything I felt the need to see and do in the Yosemite Valley, and that is exactly what I did.

Here is my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/6tNEtqDPQN4?is=6H3TZDtI9tjc_aia

Hi there! My oldest (13) has been in Scouts for about a year and absolutely loves it. She’s going on her first backpacking trip with the troop and would like a lightweight/compact tent. She was given a small tent but it’s bulky and (I think) heavy. The options out there are overwhelming to say the least, and I (a single mom and mostly car-camper) don’t know what I’m looking for. Any leads? She prefers to sleep alone (rather than sharing a tent with other scouts), but would like room for her pack in the tent. She doesn’t have hiking poles so I think she’d need a freestanding tent? Any suggestions or leads are greatly appreciated!

Planning my first extended backpacking trip for august (in the US northeast) and was recently made aware of permethrin and other insect repellent treatments. How well have these worked for you, and did you find you still needed additional repellent?

I’m a 32 year old female getting into backpacking and I have my entire set up selectively researched and in my hands at this point, besides my quilt or sleeping bag. I am seriously struggling to decide on this final piece due to a lot of factors. I toss and turn all night long and really need the extra freedom to be active in my sleep, so a quilt was suggested to me. I sleep on the thermarest neoloft and most quilts are tapered into a mummy foot box so i’m not sure that it would fit on my pad. That also kind of defeats the purpose of what I’m looking for, I get claustrophobic very easily if i can’t move my legs and stretch out. A mummy sleeping bag also would not work for me obviously. Do the quilts actually offer more freedom than I think they would while still keeping you warm? I am looking at 20 or 30 degree F. If anyone has specific recommendations please share. I don’t plan on backpacking into the winter so don’t need anything dramatic but definitely want to keep it ultralight

Hey guys. I was wondering if any of you have suggestions for the best way to bring chicken for 5+ day backpacking trips (or other meats for that matter) that doesn’t require buying $12 meals. A few people have told me to buy an industrial dehydrator, but I was seeing if there’s any other way/bulk options.

Had a pretty rough experience last summer where rain hit hard on day two of a five day trip and my pack cover became useless after a few hours. Everything inside was damp by evening and my sleeping bag took the worst of it. Not soaked through, but enough to be miserable.

Since then I've been trying to figure out what actually works. Some people swear by pack covers, others say they're mostly theater and just line everything internally with a trash compactor bag. A few people I know do both. My current setup is a dry bag for the sleeping bag and a loose liner for the rest, but I feel like there has to be a cleaner way to organize it without pulling everything apart at camp when your hands are already cold and wet.

Curious what people actually do out there, not the gear store answer but what held up after a real soaking. Does your method change depending on the terrain or how long the trip is? I'm also wondering if anyone has had a pack cover totally fail in wind and whether that changed how they think about waterproofing entirely.

Hello everyone I’m just getting into backpacking and have been buying up items, I already have a camping hammock with a rain cover and wanted a nice quilt to sleep with that’s reasonably priced (preferably about $100 to 200). I’m not planning on camping in the cold right now I’m not going to get an under quilt just yet, since I plan on using it in hotter summer temps soon and will purchase that separately if needed. Thank you for any suggestions you can provide!

Zaovine Lake is located in Serbia, on the territory of Mount Tara. This artificial reservoir is known for its turquoise water. There is a lot of forest around, and locals who don't see tourists very often. Although the local hosts treated us to pancakes.

Due to the remoteness from big cities and mountainous terrain, it was interesting to see how the graves of the residents were literally in the courtyard of their huts.

Interesting place!

Ok so I need to carry my water bottle, at least 3 to 4 16oz water bottles, small first aid kit and some snacks. I wear a unform (NPS ranger) so I am trying to keep my back less sweaty on short hikes of less than 5 miles. For longer trips I have a more appropriate pack, gear, and clothing on. I am thinking maybe 16L pack size? Just not sure what to get. I am thinking something with airmesh on the back? I got a free pack (5.11 Skyweight 24L Pack) that weighs exactly1.98 lbs with the hip belt (0.9 kg). I like it but for these short hikes it's mostly empty. It does keep my back pretty dry but the contents (bottles of water)flop around. Photo is the same 24L pack (stock photo for reference). It really does not have any compression straps though. Thanks for any advice!

I'm going to thailand (definitely bangkok to visit family and maybe some islands but still deciding) for 18 days, vietnam (probably just ha noi maybe also the HGL) for 7 days, and indonesia (only bali) for at least 4 days (hopefully more depending on my PTO).

If i add 10-12 days before thailand for another country to do a trip with some friends, what country should i add? I can't allocate any of these days to another country later in the itinerary. I was thinking philippines bc i really want to do the coron to el nido expedition. However, someone said that may not be enough time and that it would be similar to bali and some spots in thailand. My friend wanted to do vietnam bc she will be working there at that time (and said philippines will be too expensive), but then I would be going to vietnam twice. is vietnam worth spending 17-19 days than adding another country?

anyone who has traveled SE Asia and has advice, I am all ears!