Lighten your pack with these ultralight backpacking tips from Adventure Alan Dixon. Plus, it’s last call for Gaia GPS members for a 15% discount on Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs and shelters. Summer sale ends on August 31.
Joe Pasteris
Joe Pasteris
Joe Pasteris is a freelance writer based in Vermont. When he's not typing, you can find him climbing, biking, backcountry skiing or building furniture.
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No cell signal, no problem. Your smartphone still serves as an invaluable toolkit in the backcountry, from a go-to navigation device, to an alarm clock for alpine starts, to one centralized place to conveniently store guidebooks and maps. Check out the most essential and creative ways to use your cell phone in the outdoors, even when you’re far from service.
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Battery drain stinks, and often hits the hardest at the most inconvenient times. Countless factors can threaten the life of your phone battery, like cold or blazing hot temperatures, or even how many apps you’ve recently used. Whether you’re out for a 3-night backpacking trip, casual day hike, or a few hours on the slopes, there’s no escaping the inevitable drain. Whatever your adventure looks like, these tricks will help you save the juice in your phone and keep Gaia GPS up and running longer.
Last July, Andrew Baldwin set out southbound on the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail thru-hike. His previous year, filled with untethered travel throughout the US, left Baldwin searching for a purpose. Determined to find clarity paired with unbridled challenge, he joined just three percent of hikers who choose to hike north to south on the AT. Along the way, he found his trail family, wrangled the voice inside his head, and emerged with a new outlook on his life.
Read more to meet the host of the new Out and Back podcast.