A short how to video on how to perform a safe stream crossing or ford using trekking poles when ultralight backpacking. Hiking or trail running often involves crossing or fording rivers and streams. Make sure you cross the water properly so that you don't get caught in a current or injured on rocks.
Kristin Hostetter, Backpacker's Gear editor, shows you how to hold trekking poles to hike longer and higher with fewer aches and pains. Learn more from Backpacker's Gear School in the March 2007 Gear Guide.
If you have a trekking pole then you, like Nintendo Wii owners everywhere, have probably wondered at and then spurned the wrist straps attached to your device. Don't do it! This video will teach you how to use your trekking pole strap correctly to reduce the strain on your hand while hiking, allowing you to go on for longer more comfortably.
Trekking poles make carrying heavy load across long distances on foot, like you do when you're on a backpacking trip, much easier. This video will help you make sure you're getting the most out of your trekking poles by teaching you how to make sure that your poles are the correct height for the situation that you are in. Get the most out of your modern hiking technology!
Trekking poles are the fancy, adjustable, modern version of the walking sticks of yore. If you are lucky enough to be using one on a long hike, make sure that you are using it properly! This video will teach you how to adjust your trekking pole to the proper height, ensuring that it is helping you carry your load as much as it can.
While the snow-covered mountains can be exhilarating, they can also be dangerous. Here's what to do to stay safe.
Duct (or Duck) tape is one of the most useful products for repairing things (and we mean anything) every invented. This video explains why and how you should bring a few feet of duct tape with you when you go for a long backcountry hike. By wrapping it around your trekking pole, you can store it easily and you will have it available when something breaks.
Living in a densely populated city means that I usually have a strong cell signal, but that isn't always the case when I start driving out to the boonies. When I do get that occasional dropped call, it makes more sense to shoot off a text or email instead of trekking around trying to get more bars.
The problem with striving to be on the bleeding edge of what's new for your smartphone, or really anything else in life, is having to constantly check websites and forums for new content. And with lots of that browsing happening on our phones, the aimless page loading and refreshing is not just annoying when there isn't new content, but can lead to wasted data usage, not to mention time.
While the iPhone came before the first Android smartphone, every new iOS version seems to include a wealth of features already existing on Android, and iOS 17 is no exception.
Whether it's a shark in the ocean, a crocodile in the swamp or a swarm of angry bees, trekking through the wilderness always comes with its fair share of perils. To prepare for the worst case scenario, equip yourself with the right knowledge—then the worst that can happen to you is an awesome bar story when you tell your friends about your close encounter.
There are two types of Scrabble players in the world—those who enjoy it and those who love it. I definitely fall into the latter category. Unfortunately, most of my friends don't. I'm lucky to have a few who simply enjoy it from time to time—some are even standing on the edge of Scrabble geekdom, afraid to take that last step. Maybe someday.
