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Five Simple Ways to Extend Your Summer Backpacking Routine Into Shoulder Season

Five Simple Ways to Extend Your Summer Backpacking Routine Into Shoulder Season

October 06, 2023 5 min read

By Katie Kommer

I can easily say shoulder season is my favorite time of the year to backpack....

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How to Layer for Backcountry Adventures

How to Layer for Backcountry Adventures

July 25, 2023 7 min read

By Katie Kommer

I often joke that “because I know the rules, I get to break them”. Oftentimes, when trail running locally or going for micro-adventures I throw all my layering rules I’ve carefully crafted to the wind....

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camping Quilt

Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Quilts

April 19, 2023 9 min read

By Trey French

There are gear trends, and then there are gear developments that push what’s possible in comfort and efficiency in the backcountry. With beginnings in the backpacking world from DIY makers in the early 90’s, quilts have become progressively....

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Getting More from Your Quilt

Getting More from Your Quilt

May 25, 2021 5 min read

By Trey French

Some of the most comfortable and gratifying nights of rest for me in the backcountry have come from working with the topography and challenging elements....

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A WEEK ON THE GREAT BASIN TRAIL

A WEEK ON THE GREAT BASIN TRAIL

April 27, 2021 9 min read

By Ryan "dirtmonger" Sylva

Bunch Brush Canyon in the McKinney Range, a subset range of the Toquima Range, felt thick and wooly with shrubs of all sorts--chamise, sagebrush, bitterbrush. The sweet grass bloomed, the sagebrush stood tall and fragrant....

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Find Comfort in Cold-Weather Hiking

Find Comfort in Cold-Weather Hiking

February 03, 2021 10 min read

By Renee “She-ra” Patrick

Can you enjoy the sunrise if you are cold, wet, and hypothermic? Can you enjoy the sunrise if you are ensconced in layers of warm down with a mug of hot coffee in your hands? Enjoyment and delight in nature....

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How to Clean a Quilt or Sleeping Bag

How to Clean a Quilt or Sleeping Bag

February 03, 2021 5 min read

By Mary Beth Skylis

The best way to extend the life of your quilt or sleeping bag is....

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Content with Almost

Content with Almost

December 09, 2020 10 min read

By Ryan "dirtmonger" Sylva

Red eyes glared at me in the darkness from my headlamp. I leaned against the alpine slopes of the Silver Creek basin below the saddle of Red Cloud Peak....

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The Blue Mountains Trail - A 60-year vision gains momentum

The Blue Mountains Trail - A 60-year vision gains momentum

November 06, 2020 7 min read

By Renee “She-ra” Patrick
I’ve been learning a lot about the history of the Blue Mountains Trail since setting out in August to ground-truth 100 miles of this potential 600-mile route....
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Ladies: Some real world experience to help you choose the right temperature rating

Ladies: Some real world experience to help you choose the right temperature rating

March 17, 2020 10 min read

By Kris Diers
“To save you from hunting down individual female feedback all over the internet, we’ve gathered data from some long time female Katabatic sleepers so you can see how women feel about our temperature ratings. ”....
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It's not that baffling after all!

It's not that baffling after all!

June 28, 2019 2 min read

By Kris Diers
Horizontal baffles are the most effective way to keep you comfortable in a wide range of conditions (even if you toss and turn).  They just have to be thoughtfully designed and executed.
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How to Pick the Perfect Hiking Partner

How to Pick the Perfect Hiking Partner

June 17, 2019 7 min read

By Whitney "Allgood" La Ruffa
. . . hiking is more fun with a good partner or partners.  You can help lift each other up on a down day, laugh at the adversity of weather or terrain, and also help each other out with the little things, like taping a rolled ankle, or having a patch of tenacious tape to fix a tear in a puffy.
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