#hiking-accessories

#hiking-accessories

"Our heritage is rooted in building gear for people who live and thrive in the mountains, and that includes our own team. Many of us ride; our athletes ride. Mountain biking is part of our culture," Ashley Anson, VP Design at Arc'teryx, said.

Guides poisoned trekkers' food with baking powder, uncooked chicken and even rat droppings to trigger altitude sickness symptoms, then terrified them into unnecessary evacuations.

"For the first time, we can truly see how popular and meaningful the Appalachian Trail and its landscape are to millions of people," says Cinda Waldbuesser, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in an official March 2026 statement.

The camping category has gone through a genuine design evolution. Products are emerging from studios that understand outdoor life not as a survival exercise but as an experience worth designing for.

The Million Dollar Highway is a narrow, two-lane road that runs above a deep gorge, with sheer rock walls on one side and an unguarded drop on the other. Drivers experience awe-inspiring views of 14,000-foot peaks as they navigate this perilous route.

"You don't wind up here by accident; you come here for a reason, and that reason is typically the abundant outdoor adventures and natural resources we have," Nathan Miller, the former executive director of the Copper Harbor Trails Club, told Travel + Leisure.

The best hiking pants earn their place in our packing list the hard way-through scree scrambles, sweaty switchbacks, and the kind of bushwhacking that tests each and every seam. We've worn them on short hikes and multi-day backpacking trips, in hot and cold weather, through light rain and high-alpine winds.

It's got a 20,000-mAh battery -- yes, twenty thousand milliamp hours -- with an included USB-C port for charging other devices. It also powers a large audio speaker and LED lamp on the back, the latter of which can get so bright that a pop-up dialog warns you not to look directly at it to avoid eye damage.

The gravel edition sticks with the same PEBA and EVA hybrid midsole with a transition-smoothing curved rocker, but adds extra grip in the form of a 2.5-mm lugged outsole. There's also some extra reinforcement around the toe box.

While best known for its minimalist camping gear - the brand's instantly recognizable titanium mug is a mainstay in Pacific Northwest campsites and cramped Brooklyn apartments alike - Snow Peak's lineup of insulated, down-filled and fire-resistant styles is criminally underrated. With perfected silhouettes, low-key Japanese detailing and sparse styling, it's slightly different than you're used to, but all in service of a better (dressed) outdoor experience.

The key upgrades with these new units compared to the original/standard Jetboil stoves are the integrated pot supports and regulator valves that enable simmer control and incremental heat adjustment, expanding beyond the company's signature boil-water-as-fast-as-possible functionality.

From a safety point of view, it is a lot easier to organize and take stock of the quality of your items on a calm, relaxed afternoon, versus the night before a big hike when you are frantically packing. It's also safer to learn that a rain jacket has a hole when indoors versus discovering the problem while you are miles in on an off-the-grid hike.

Many of them were built for purposes that no longer exist - cattle drives, mining prospecting, early U.S. Forest Service fire patrols - while others were packed by the footprints of the Chumash people well before the colonization of North America. Sections of trail cling to steep slopes that seem to barely resist gravity, shedding soil and stone with each winter storm.

Packing for a truly freezing destination takes more than tossing a few sweaters into your bag-something I quickly learned in the Arctic Circle during polar night, when "daytime" is pitch-black and the temperatures regularly plunge well below zero. Growing up in New York winters, spending the last few snow seasons in the Rockies, and now logging weeks above the Arctic Circle has taught me one key lesson: staying warm in subzero temps is all about smart layers -not necessarily bulky expedition gear.

Some travelers love vacations that involve doing absolutely nothing-trips where lounging by the beach or pool, napping, reading, or going for a light swim are the most rigorous activities on the agenda. Other travelers, however, crave trips that are a bit more ... active, whether that means hiking, biking, or parasailing. If you fall into the latter category, you should consider heading to Wyoming for your next trip, according to Wander.

I grew up just outside of Toronto and went to university in Montreal, so needless to say, I know cold. I'm no stranger to below-zero temperatures, snow up to my shins, and slippery strolls to and from extra-curricular activities. And if there's one brand we trust to keep us warmand keep us movingup in Canada, it's The North Face. I've been donning The North Face's parkas, snow boots, and insulating layers to stay toasty for as long as I can remember,

The Bridgeport Winter Trail System is a new winter recreation area in the region. Anyone hoping to explore scenic new routes and possibly take a dip underneath a natural thermal waterfall should add this groomed winter trail to their list.

AllTrails, a hiking app with trail maps and reviews, dug into insights from their 90 million-plus members and team of trail experts to spotlight lesser-known places where the trail alone is worth planning a trip around. Their guide, Travel-Worthy Trails for 2026, spotlights eight unexpected destinations around the world where the trail is the destination.

I trekked it in December 2023 with plans and a permit to camp at Bright Angel Campground, a scenic cottonwood-shaded hideaway just near the famed Phantom Ranch (the only lodging on the world wonder's floor). Then, two days before my trip, a miracle happened: One last-minute reservation became available for Phantom Ranch. The ranch digs typically book out over a year in advance, but if you're lucky, you can either get in via the lottery or a last-minute opening. This made the grueling but gorgeous hike down and up the steep South Kaibab Trail even more memorable.

The beginning of a new year can oftentimes bring about a frenzy of activity: setting resolutions, getting settled into your routines, and even planning trips for the months ahead. But as January comes to a close, now is the time to hold yourself to a stricter budget to make up for the chaos of the holidaysand we found a rare trove of items under $50 at REI that will satisfy your desire to buy.

We are all familiar with the idea of a library. You go, check out a book, read said book, and return the book when you are done. Yes, there is a bit more mixed in there, such as attaining a library card, due dates, and late fees, but I'm sure you get the general idea. We all know how libraries work.

A sudden weather change, a mechanical, a missed turn, or a momentary lapse in judgment can all turn a "quick ride" into a surprisingly long day. The good news? While some of those problems are big, the solutions are often small. A last-second weather check. An extra granola bar. A quick link and a zip tie that's been living in the bottom of your bag for the last five years. Little things can often be the difference between a perfect ride and a problem ride.

When you're touring in the backcountry, you'll want a different kit than what you wear inbounds at the resort. Inbounds, your main goal is to stay warm and comfortable, and you're usually not working nearly as hard as you do on the skin track. Touring generates a lot more heat, so your layering system has to breathe, manage moisture, and still keep you warm when you stop.

This quaint little town, surrounded by green pastures and granite cliffs, is the northern gateway to the High Sierra. Bridgeport always evokes nostalgia and is one of my favorite views of the Eastern Sierra. In my younger years, it was all about the resorts, and Bridgeport was a place to stretch the legs on the way to Mammoth Mountain. Now, I look more to the backcountry trailheads, and Bridgeport has become an alluring area along the 395 corridor.