Backpacking
Best Backpacking Cot for a Good Nights Rest: 2024 Review
Overall Winner “Best Backpacking Cot” YAHILL Ultralight Folding Camping Cot It is just as surprising to us that the YAHILL ...
Best Backpacking Frying Pan for Trail Cooking
GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Frypan Best Backpacking Fry Pan It was a tough decision because there are so many fantastic backpacking ...
Keeping Clean: The 6 Best Backpacking Towels [2024 Update]
Overall Best Backpacking Towel – REI MultiTowel Lite While all six of these are great options for outdoor lovers of ...
Best Tent Fan For Comfortable Camping In Hot & Sticky Weather
Purposes Of A Tent Fan At their core, tent fans create airflow in a camping tent, awning, or enclosed area ...
Best Hiking Leggings For Sweat Free Hiking Adventures
Hiking Pants Vs. Hiking Leggings While they seem similar on the surface, hiking pants and hiking leggings tend to serve ...
Best Hammock Tarp for a Dry Night’s Sleep
Photo by Oisin Patenall / CC BY-SA 2.0 Further reading: Bought a hammock for camping trips & need a little advice? Considerations ...
Best SUV Tent For A Spacious Camping Experience
Why Use A Hatchback Tent? The main benefit of using a tent attached to your vehicle is the safety and ...
Best Hammock Bug Net For A Bug-Free Nights Sleep
Choosing The Right Hammock Mosquito Net Materials Mesh Protection Arguably the most important part of the product is the level ...
Best Canvas Tent For Camping & Hunting in 2024
The Benefits of Canvas Tents PROS Breathability – While not always as breathable as certain synthetic fibers, cotton is inherently ...
Best Survival Tent For Prepping & Emergencies
Types Of Survival Shelters & Tents Bivy Bivy sacks are some of the most durable and stable emergency shelters around, ...
How to Adjust for Magnetic Declination
What is Magnetic Declination? Technically speaking, the earth has two Norths: the magnetic north and true north. The true north, also ...
Best Tent Stakes For A Secure Pitch In Any Terrain
Pitching your tent on awkward terrain (hard ground, snow, sand) can be difficult if you don't have the best tent stakes for the job - check out which brands do which best....
How to Take a Compass Bearing
Knowing how to take compass bearings is one of the most vital skills every backcountry adventurer should learn. Doing so allows you ...
How to Read a Map
If there’s one must-have skill every hiker and camper should learn, it’s how to read a map. Arming yourself with ...
How to Use a Compass without a Map
Navigating without a map is a real pain. A pain that many of us—the author included—have endured at some point ...
Best Hiking Hats for Outdoor Adventurers
Our Winner: Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Function over fashion––that’s what the outdoors is really about. And the Sunday Afternoon Ultra ...
Best Hammock Straps For A Secure Night’s Sleep
How To Choose Hammock Straps Why Do You Need Straps? We often get asked whether hammock straps are essential. Ultimately, ...
How to Orient a Map
Two Methods of Orienting a Map Map reading is a foundational skill of land navigation that allows you to use ...
True North vs. Magnetic North vs. Grid North
The Three Different Norths If you’ve never explored the world of maps and the technical jargon that comes with the ...
How to Triangulate Your Position with Accuracy
How to Triangulate Your Position Triangulating your position is relatively easy. It mainly requires a good pair of eyes, a ...
How to Use a Watch as a Compass
If you're in the northern hemisphere, hold your wristwatch horizontally and point the hour hand directly towards the sun. The middle point between the hour hand and the twelve o'clock marker is true south. If you're in the southern hemisphere, hold the twelve o'clock marker towards the sun instead. True north should be at the midpoint between the twelve o'clock marker and the hour hand.
How to Make a Compass
To make a compass, you must first magnetize a needle by rubbing its endpoint with a magnet about fifty to a hundred times. Next, flip the magnet over and use the opposite side to magnetize the other end of the needle. Finally, push the needle into a piece of cork or cardboard, place it on water, and observe as your makeshift compass aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field.
How Does a Compass Work?
The Origins of the Compass The first magnetic compasses were invented by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty or Tang ...
How to Use a Map & Compass
Compass Basics Let’s start with a little bit of trivia… Did you know that the compass is one of the ...
8 Essential Tips For Hammock Camping with Dogs
8 Tips for Hammock Camping with Dogs Preparation Starts at Home One of the first things you wanna do is ...
Fox Outfitters Hammock Review
Review of the Fox Outfitters Neolite Hammock The humble hammock has undergone something of a renaissance in the world of ...
How to Tell Direction Without a Compass
Losing your way while hiking in unfamiliar terrain is no joke. And yet, every year, it’s something that happens to ...
Bearing vs Heading vs Azimuth vs Course
What Do They Mean? As mentioned above, the terms azimuth, bearing, heading, and course are often—and incorrectly—used interchangeably. Below, we’ve ...
Hammock Tarp Setup? Here’s How It’s Done
Learn how to keep yourself and your hammock pitch dry on any trip in our tutorial, featuring a selection of easy-to-do, practical, and functional hammock rain tarp configurations.
Ultimate Guide to Hammock Knots
The Different Types of Knots for Hanging a Hammock While tree straps make it easy to hang a hammock, the ...
Best Air Lounger for Chilling In Style
Best Air Lounger Chillbo Shwaggins Inflatable Couch The Chillbo Shwaggins Inflatable Couch is the premier product on our list with ...
How to Wash a Hammock without destroying it
Taking good care of your hammock means give it the occasional clean - we take you how to wash a hammock 3 different ways.
Best Beach Hammock for Surf-Side Sunbathing
Best Beach Hammock Legit Camping – Double Hammock The Legit’s hammock sits at or near the top of our list ...
Best Double Camping Cot for A Good Nights Sleep
Best Double Camping Cot Ivation EZ Bed The Ivation EZ Bed double camping cot meets or exceeds most of the ...
Best Hydro Flask Alternative for Hydration on the Move
Best Hydro Flask Alternative Klean Kanteen Classic 32oz Water Bottle The Klean Kanteen Classic water bottle does numerous things exceptionally ...
Best Portable Folding Hammock for On the Move Relaxation
Photo by Dan4th Nicholas / CC BY 2.0 Best Portable Folding Hammock Bliss Hammocks Portable Hammock with Stand The Bliss ...
Hammock Camping 101: Beginner’s Guide
Making the switch from regular to hammock camping can be a dawdle with our handy guide of do's and don'ts...
How to Hang a Hammock Without Trees
Hanging a hammock is pretty straightforward when you've got two trees on hand - but what about when you don't? We demonstrate multiple solutions for on the trail or at home.
How to Use Hammock Straps Correctly
In this tutorial, we teach you how to use hammock straps of varying types to hang your hammock in different ways and different situations.
How to Hang a Hammock Correctly
Hanging a hammock can be a relatively straightforward process with the right gear, tools & know-how - make sure you possess all of the above with our guide.
Best Tent Seam Sealer for Watertight Protection
Preventing water seep through your tent's seams couldn't be simpler with our pick for the Best Tent Seam Sealer - See who came out on top.
The Best Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net for “Bugless” Nights
Photo by Wendy Berry / CC BY 2.0 Best Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net ENO JungleNest Hammock If you want ...
Best Portable Hammock Stand for Easy Lounging
Best Portable Hammock Stand Kammok Swiftlet Hammock Stand The Kammok Swiftlet Hammock Stand does not top our list in any ...
Hennessy Hammocks Reviews: Choosing the Right Hammock for You
Photo by chas B / CC BY 2.0 Our Favorite Hammock Explorer Deluxe XL Series The Hennessy Hammock Explorer Deluxe ...
Best Tent for a tall person: 2024 Review
Many camping tents weren't made with tall folk in mind, so we've pulled together our list of the best tents for tall people so you'll never have to stoop again.
Best Sleeping Bag for a Tall Man: 2024 Review
Best Sleeping Bag for Tall Man TETON Sports Celsius XXL Sleeping Bag The TETON Sports Celsius XXL sleeping bag is ...
Best Tent Poles for Repairs & Upgrades
Best Tent Poles Green Elephant Telescoping Tent Poles The Green Elephant Telescoping Tent Poles outperform the other entries on our ...
Best Shower Tent & Privacy Shelters
Best Shower Tent Ozark Trail Instant 2-Room Shower Tent The Ozark Trail Instant 2-Room Shower Tent comes out on top as ...
Bear Butt hammock Review
Overview of the Bear Butt Double Parachute Camping Hammock The Bear Butt hammock is packed with features and benefits for ...
Best Teepee Tent for Camping [2024 Review]
Overall Winner “Best Teepee Tent” Winteral Teepee Tent It wasn’t easy, but we’re taking a stand and choosing the Winterial ...
ENO Housefly Review
Photo by Gronkca / CC BY 2.0 Eagle Nest Outfitters Housefly Overview If you’re a hammock enthusiast, you know the ...
Best Wool Blankets for Camping “Hygge”
Overall Winner “Best Wool Blanket for Camping” Woolrich Cavalry Blanket The Woolrich Cavalry blanket may seem a bit unassuming at ...
Best Heated Socks for Cozy Winter Adventures: 2024 Review
Best Heated Socks for Cozy Winter Adventures Best Heated Socks LENZ Heat Socks Choosing the right heated socks depends on ...
Best Heated Gloves for Winter Adventuring
OVERALL WINNER – “The Best Heated Gloves” Seirus Heattouch Inferno Curating a list of the best heating gloves is quite ...
Best Hammock for Big Guys [2024 Review]
Overall Winner: Best Hammock for Big Guys Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Our choice for the best overall hammock for big ...
Equip Hammock Review: Chillaxing In Style
The Equip Portable Hammock is ideal for travelers, campers, and hikers who are looking for a fast, affordable, and comfortable ...
ENO Solopod Hammock Stand Review
There are times when it’s not possible to find two trees or posts that are perfectly spaced to suspend your ...
Grand Trunk Double vs. ENO Doublenest: Hammock Showdown
Whether you’re an avid backpacker, enjoy hammock camping, or a back yard hammock enthusiast, it’s essential to know the differences ...
Best Hammock Underquilt for Winter Camping
Photo by Gronkca / CC BY 2.0 Overall Winner Best Hammock Underquilt ENO Vulcan Hammock Underquilt To make sure you ...
Best Wheeled Cooler for Refreshment On the Go
Photo by Alex Ford / CC BY 2.0 Overall Winner: Best Wheeled Cooler Igloo Glide Pro 110 Out of all ...
ENO Doublenest Hammock Review
Overview of the ENO Doublenest Hammock Review Backpackers understand the problem of fitting everything into a pack for a trip ...
Best Tent for Hot Weather & Tropical Climates
Overall Winner “Best Tent for Hot Weather” REI Co-op Kingdom 6 Tent The REI Co-op Kingdom 6 tent tops our ...
Serac Hammock Review
Serac Classic Hammock Overview If you’re looking for the best, Serac Hammocks come in at the top of the line ...
Best Sleeping Bag for Hammock Camping: 2024 Review
All-Around Best Sleeping Bag for Hammock Camping Outdoor Vitals Aerie In the debate between sleeping bags and top quilts, the ...
Best 5 Person Tent of 2024 Reviewed
Overall Winner ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 5-Person Tent The ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 5 person tent checks pretty much every box that ...
9 Best 8 Person Tents For Group Camping [2020 Review]
Our Pick – Best 8 Person Tent NTK Laredo GT 8 to 9-Person Tent During our research, we came across ...
Eagles Nest Outfitters Singlenest Hammock Review
The ENO Singlenest is one of the best-known models of hammocks in the outdoors world. The company, started in 1999, ...
Best Sleeping Pad for Hammock Camping: 2024 Review
Overall Winner: Best Sleeping Pad for Hammock Klymit Hammock V Sleeping Pad If you want a hammock sleeping pad that ...
Best Camping Utensils for Backcountry Eats
OVERALL WINNER: Best Camping Utensils Esbit Ultra-Lightweight Titanium 3-Piece Cutlery Set The Esbit titanium utensils earned the title of best ...
Best 12 Person Tent for Group Camping
Overall Winner: Best 12 Person Tent NTK Super Arizona GT 12 Person Tent The NTK Super Arizona GT tops our ...
Best 10 Person Tent for Family Camping
OVERALL WINNER: Best 10 Person Tent Columbia Mammoth Creek 10-Person Cabin Tent This large family tent truly has it all. ...
Chillax Hammock Review
The Chillax Double Travel Hammock Reviewed The Chillax Travel Hammock stands out because it’s made from lightweight, breathable parachute silk ...
Best Hiking Underwear of 2024
Overall Winner – Best Hiking Underwear Icebreaker Anatomica Merino Wool Briefs We believe that the Icebreaker Merino Men’s Anatomica boxer ...
Best Camping Dinnerware for Banqueting Outdoors
Best Camping Tableware Set Barbeqa Camping Dinner Set While on the surface, the Barbeqa might not seem like the obvious ...
Best Collapsible Water Container for Camping
The Best Collapsible Water Container Gowithwind Collapsible Water Container When you’re considering a plastic water cube, you want one that ...
Keeping Warm on the Go: Best Hiking Gloves [2024 Update]
Exposed hands & cold weather can make for a miserable trek. Check out our recommendations for the best hiking gloves on the market to keep you covered.
Best Wood Burning Camp Stove For Minimalist Campers
The Best Wood Burning Camp Stove Lixada Camping Stove When you have a simplistic product that provides one of the ...
Are Down Bags Really So Dangerous?
Down sleeping bags have a lot of advantages over synthetic bags. Down is lighter and provides more insulation. Unfortunately, down loses its insulating value when it gets wet. So most units discourage Scouts from using down products. However, a recent breakthrough in how duck down is processed will make down sleeping bags a lot more acceptable to Scout leaders. And families are going to want to buy them for high adventure outings.
Best Camping Knife for Campsite Errands [2024 update]
Best Camping Knife – Editors Choice Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife Much like the eponymous survivalist himself, the Gerber Bear ...
Lightning Safety: Debunking The Myths
There are lots of myths and misconceptions about lightning strikes on outings. However, one thing to remember is that there is no safe place for Scouts during an electrical storm. Scouts and leaders have been hit by lightening (and killed) in shelters as well as open spaces. In fact, during one especially terrible storm at the Griswold Scout Reservation in New Hampshire, 23 Scouts who had taken shelter under a canopy were hospitalized from a lightning strike that hit close to them. The problem is serious enough that BSA has studied it ..........
Buyers Guide To Choosing The Best Sleeping Bag For You [2024 Update]
Buyers Guide to Choosing the Best Sleeping Bag for You Most Scouts have at least one sleeping bag stored in ...
Best Camping Cookware for Outdoor Adventures
Winterial Camping Cookware and Pot Set Best Camping Cookware The Winterial camping cookware set checks off so many boxes for ...
Best 6 Person Tent for Group Camping
Mountainsmith Cottonwood 6 Person Best 6 Person Tent The Mountainsmith Cottonwood shares plenty of the top traits with a couple ...
Tick Bite Danger
One hot afternoon, a new Scout on his first outing ran through the campsite screaming loudly and holding his crotch. Despite the commotion, the other boys barely noticed because they were occupied trying to start a fire with a magnifying glass. After a few seconds, however, I realized what was wrong and said to the closest adult leader, “Better go and get the first aid kit, we need to remove a tick.” It took us more time to chase the boy down and get him to cooperate than it took to pull the tick out. (Please forward this email to your Scouting friends.)
Best External Frame Backpack for Hiking & Hunting
Best External Frame Backpack for Hiking & Hunting Kelty Trekker 65L Best External Frame Backpack The Kelty Trekker 65 does ...
Best Windproof Lighter for Hiking & Camping 2024
Best Windproof Lighter for Hiking & Camping Zippo Chrome Lighters Best Windproof Lighter Zippo is a well-known American lighter company, ...
How to stay safe: the ultimate guide to hiking safety
How To Stay Safe: The Ultimate Guide To Hiking Safety The number of things that can go wrong during a ...
Best Backpacking Chair [2024 Update]
Backpacking doesn't necessarily mean skimping on luxury. We've reviewed 6 of the best backpacking chairs to help you put your feet up at the end of a hard day.
Best Backpacking Mess Kit [2024 Update]
When it comes to chow time, a messkit goes a long way to simplifying mealtimes. Check out our reviews of the best backpacking mess kits on the market.
Best Backpacking Hatchet & Axe [2024 Update]
Narrowing down your selection from the best backpacking axe and hatchets doesn't have to be difficult with our in-depth reviews and comparisons.
Best Backpacking saw
Looking for the best backpacking saw? We give the rundown on what to consider when purchasing a backpacking saw & let you in on six of our favorites.
Staying Dry on the Trail: Best Backpacking Ponchos
In conjunction or instead of a rain jacket, taking a Backpacking Rain Poncho out in wet weather is a good idea. Find out the Best Hiking Poncho in our guide.
Best Backpacking Fishing Pole of 2024
Choosing the Best Backpacking Fishing Pole can be tricky as you balance weight & performance. We rank several contenders in our in-depth review
Best Backpacking Knife For Trail Errands
Best Knife for Backpacking The Spyderco Delica 4″ Most people wouldn’t be surprised that the Spyderco Delica 4 is the ...
Best Backpacking Thermometer for Weather Prediction
Best Backpacking Thermometer Sun Company Outsider While other backpacking thermometers might be more “advanced,” most of them provide functions that ...
Best Power Bank for Backpacking, Camping & Hiking
Best Power Bank for Backpacking Best Power Bank for Backpacking Jackery Bolt 6000 mAh By far the best quality of ...
Best Flashlight For Camping & Backpacking Trips
Let there be light! We take the ambiguity out of choosing the best flashlight for your next camping trip with our in-depth review of the top models on the market!
Best Multi-Tool For Backpacking [2024 Update]
When packing light, having a single tool that can do many jobs is a boon. We review & give our recommendation as to the best multitool for backpacking.
Choosing a Scout Backpack [2024 update]
Choosing a new backpack for a Scout backpacker is a critical and expensive decision. Our guide is here to help you choose the right boy scout backpack.
