Camping is a perfect way to experience the great outdoors, enjoy some fresh air, and spend quality time with friends and family. Camping for beginners and novices can be tricky, but here are our top tips to make camping fun and stress-free for the first time. Choosing Your Campsite There is a wide range of…
Camping is considered one of the most relaxed ways of chilling with friends. As rewarding as this activity can be, with significant health benefits, it can also cause a great deal of stress to one’s wellbeing if certain things are not done right. Camping is usually done in a serene environment, where you can enjoy…
Camping in the great outdoors – there’s nothing like having time in nature to help you relieve stress. It’s an excellent way to spend great moments and quality time, whether you’re alone or with family and friends. When you’re hiking, you want the best experience you can get, and learning a few things ahead of…
Camping magazines and brochures always suggest that camping is healthy for all of us. They use words like ‘fresh air’ alongside idyllic pictures of children smiling and playing in green meadows or woodlands. But is camping beneficial to our health? The easy answer to that is yes. Here’s the science behind why the body will…
Over millions of years, the Virgin River carved out the 2,000-foot Zion Canyon. Right now, it is the fourth most visited national park in the United States, with over four million visitors per year. Over the years, Zion National Park has gained popularity and sits among other national parks that top the go-to list for…
According to research conducted by SmokyMountains.com, wandering off the trail ranks as the number one problem faced by hikers. Based on over 100 news reports for the past 25 years, the study shows that getting lost in the wilderness and national parks in North America is very common. Yosemite National Forest Search and Rescue study…
Hiking solo is a very popular pastime for those who like alone time in nature to unwind and reflect. While there are many rewards to solo hiking like peace, quiet and the reward of self-sufficiency, solo hikers need to take additional steps to be safe on the trail. No matter your experience level, fitness level…
Hiking in running shoes, is it ok? This is one of the first things I had to figure out when I started my hiking & backpacking journey. I didn’t realize how many types of shoes there were to choose from. When starting out I was able to save money by using shoes I already owned….
As I get ready for my trip to Lake Shore Trail MI a lot of questions have been flooding my mind. Since this is my first multi-day backpacking trip I want to be prepared for the situations I will encounter. I know I can’t prepare for everything, unexpected things will probably happen at some point,…
When I first started reading books about thru-hiking and learning about the Pacific Crest Trail I realized how common it was for people to hike 20 miles in a day. As a beginner to multi-day backpacking, I wondered how many miles I’d be able to hike in a day. I think I over-estimated this number…
While I’m not a beginner hiker I am a fairly new backpacker—In that most of my hikes have been done on a single day. I’m preparing for a 42-mile backpacking trip to Michigan and find myself wondering what a good number of miles would be to hike each day. I’ve done some research and in…
Is it weird to hike alone? That’s what I asked myself before my first solo backpacking trip. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I wanted to go on a backpacking trip but didn’t have any friends that were into backpacking. In reality, I guess I didn’t have very many friends at all—just a…