Category: Outdoor Resources
Do you enjoy the challenge of negotiating bumpy slopes or tight treelines on skis, staying in perfect control, even when obstacles and gravity conspire against you? Do you love riding roller coasters? Or getting tossed around by big waves at the beach? Have you ever stood rapt in front of a front-loading washing machine […]
You’ve likely heard of New Hampshire’s 4000-footers, those peaks in the White Mountains with summits cresting 4,000 feet in elevation. Thousands of hikers flock to them each year in search of a challenge. For some, the goal is to complete all 48. For others, it might be a single mountaintop. But where to start if […]
A lot more goes into planning a day hike than choosing your target elevation. Here’s a starter checklist. Consider the group. When choosing a route, think about the companions with whom you’ll be hiking. If you’re hiking with a novice, choose a trail that’s beginner-friendly; if you’re hiking with an experienced mountaineer, choose a hike […]
How essential is it to put your food in bear boxes even if there aren’t any bears in the area? While bears can be a major concern, they’re not the only wild animals that pose a risk. We see it all too often. Campers arrive after a long slog overs hills and rivers to finally reach home. In an effort […]
Sometimes, warm is worse when hiking on ice. Greg Maino won’t forget one mild winter day, when melting ice made for a treacherous hike up Hunger Mountain in Vermont’s Worcester Range north of Montpelier. Maino, an experienced Vermont hiker and skiier, and his friends, all of whom were new to the area, struggled over slippery […]
David Haskell compares nature observations to breathing. “With the lungs, you have to both inhale and exhale in order to be healthy. The same is true for the mind,” the Sewanee professor of biology and environmental studies instructs his college students—including me. “We need a process of opening our senses and then of closing….We need […]
Trail running and uphill running are often synonymous. Big, iconic climbs can define a weekend long run or a race course. Vertical kilometer events have taken off in Europe (they’re exactly what they sound like—1,000 meters, straight up), and in New England, an entire trail race series is defined largely by its long ascents. But […]
Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) has exploded in popularity, and for good reason: It develops balance, strength, and endurance, without overtaxing a particular muscle or part of the body. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, participation has swelled by nearly 24 percent in the United States in the past five years. “SUP can be a serious sport […]
Before I could say, “Yip yip,” Togo dashed down the trail, plunging through half a foot of fresh powder and pulling me along behind her. As we made our way into the woods, my grin increased in keeping with our pace. The switchback mountain-bike trail outside Northampton, Mass., descended slightly but consistently, with gravity giving […]
Adapted from AMC’s Mountain Skills Manual If you’re lost in the woods, one not-so-well-known approach to locating a more familiar area is the find-me cross. This technique is quite effective, but you have to be self-disciplined to use it. After admitting that you’re lost, mark your location by building an obvious landmark using rocks or […]
Hiking and backpacking in the Northeast means that, sooner or later, you’re going to get rained on. So how do you stay dry in the rain? To help keep you a bit less wet than you might otherwise get, here are some simple tips and tricks, organized by type of gear. Rain jacket Look for wrist […]
Magnetic declination refers to the angle between the geographic North Pole and the magnetic pole located in the Arctic Ocean. You will discover that good hiking and topographic maps always indicate the local magnetic declination via a declination diagram, which includes one arrow pointing to geographic north (commonly labeled as True North, or TN) and […]
You know how, when you hear people talk about food, you get hungry? You start to salivate, maybe your stomach begins to growl, and your attention wanders from whatever you’re doing to your next fantasy meal. That’s exactly what happened to this magazine’s editorial team when we dug into the pages of Real Trail Meals, […]
A map and compass make up two of the 10 essentials recommended for safe backcountry travel, but they’ll do little good if you don’t know how to use them. Misuse could even turn a situation in which you’re simply confused into one in which you’re totally lost. The bottom line? Learn proper technique before your […]
Mud season can be a challenge for hikers and trail maintainers alike. So if you want to hike in the spring, knowing how to safely enjoy soggy trails without destroying them is an essential outdoor skill. Wet Trails are Fragile “More and more people are hiking year-round, and while it is wonderful to have people […]
A trusted knot in a backpacker’s repertoire, the taut-line hitch is hard to forget and a lot easier to learn than the trucker’s hitch. The taut-line is so named for its adjustability, slipping when loose but holding tight under a load, making it the perfect knot for securing a tarp or tent. (It’s important to […]
It was late one night in September 2014, probably past midnight, and my wife, Sarah, and I were in the garage, bolting 5-gallon buckets onto our kids’ bikes. Together with a bike trailer, these “poor man’s panniers” would carry all of our food, clothing, equipment, and tools for the five-day bike-camping trip on which we […]
Flat tires can happen on any surface, to any type of bike. If you ride, you have to be ready with the tools and knowledge necessary for a roadside repair. With practice, the right equipment, and a little baby powder, you’ll be back on the road or the trail in no time. BEFORE YOU HEAD […]
The black bear population is exploding in New England, particularly in Vermont and Massachusetts. As a recent article in the Boston Globe recounts, the number of bears in Vermont has doubled over the past two decades, to an estimated 6,000. In Massachusetts, the population is nine times larger today than 30 years ago (an estimated […]
We asked Mike Lynch, a lifelong paddler and the author of Canoe Camping with Kids: An Overnight Adventure on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, for the key guidelines every first-time canoe camper should follow—especially parents heading out on the water with kids. For more tips on introducing your children to canoeing and kayaking, check out […]