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 )

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 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.

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?

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?

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..

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!

I’m looking for my next big trip and I’d love to know some of those really out there trails that are multi day or even multi week but really deep in there with nearly no one else around and just pristine nature. I’m located in the US but pretty much anywhere world wide I’d consider if it seems cool enough. Ideally no guide needed. Just a good circuit or through trek with some really beautiful nature and wildlife that is still somehow not super packed like any of the known trails (AT, PCT, EBC, ABC, mont du blanc, etc)

I haven’t been to conundrum hot-springs in almost 20 years. I know it’s more crowded now, so the thought of people in the water has me thinking I need to purify water at conundrum, or more likely only take water above the hot springs. Am I fine with just my sawyer squeeze or do I need to be going further? Thanks for advice in advance.

Hey everyone! I am planning a few longer trips this year and realized my planning is a bit scattered. Right now I end up with a mix of CalTopo, notes, and a Google spreadsheet.

Curious what everyone else's workflow looks like. Are there any other better options out there/what do you guys do?

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

How important do you think it is to learn Spanish when traveling in Latin America? Do you think it's important or not so important?

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!

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

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

Back in the day, MSR made a shower kit for their Dromedary Bags. It consisted of a cap, spigot, hose and shower nozzle. Alas, this great product is no longer made.

I am trying to make DIY version. I have a wide-mouth Nalgene cap (which fits on Dromedary Bags), a plastic spigot (from homebrew supply shop) and tubing is no problem. What IS a problem is a plastic shower nozzle. I can't find a source for them.

Does anyone know of any lightweight, plastic nozzles? Or, can point me in any particular direction?

Thanks.

Hello! I was hoping to get some ideas or feedback on my trip planning. I'm going in mid-September.

Day 1: I'm headed to Spain, flying into Barcelona or Bilbao. From there, I'm taking a rental car to Ordesa. I plan to camp there the first night.

Day 2-7: Hiking and camping in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, I can provide those details in people are interested. Last night, staying in Ordesa either camping or at a hotel.

Day 8: Drive to San Sebastian, stay in hostel. I'm not sure really what to do in San Sebastian.

Day 9: Staying in hostel in San Sebastian

Day 10: Driving to Bilbao to fly to Paris to meet up with friends.

Hello everyone! So tomorrow I’m flying into Zurich without any plan besides renting a motorcycle and riding around for 10 days. I’ve had some friends that have visited Switzerland who have told me to visit gimmelwald but other than that I don’t know where to go or what to do.

I want to go on some hikes and know Switzerland has some great ones so if anyone has some recommendation let me know.

Also I haven’t really planned out where I’m gonna stay so let me know any good hostels or hotels and I’ll be sure to check it out.

I’m gonna figure out this trip as I go. only bringing a backpack so far so if anyone has recommendations on what to pack specific to switz let me know.

Feel free to tell me about your guys solo travel adventures from your time in Switzerland I’d love to hear about it and maybe gget some ideas on what to do! Thanks guys!!!

I wear the Apple Watch Ultra 3 for my everyday - which I love for both for workouts and overall health monitoring. It's heart rate and other health monitoring I find to be extremely accurate and my cardiologist wears one - which is good enough for me.

But it's sucks for extended backpacking trips because you have to charge it everyday. Thus - I am in the unenviable position of looking for a watch that I am really only going to wear a few times a year on these trips. I had the Garmin Instinct 2 but always had issues with the hear rate accuracy and the altimeter wasn't accurate (strange but true).

I use my phone for navigation, always carry a hard map just in case and I have the Garmin In Reach Mini3+ for backup. So what I really am looking for as necessities in a backpacking trip watch is accurate heart rate monitoring, great battery life, and accurate altimeter.

I've been trying to decide between the Instinct 3, Coros Nomad - Apex 4 - Pace Pro, Suunto (several models on sale now) and any others that fit the parameters.

Ideally I'm looking to stay under $400 given how infrequently I'll likely use it.

Any thoughts or suggestions/personal experience would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

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.