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backpacking

a black and white topo map
Gaia GPSNew Maps

See the World More Clearly with New Gaia Black and White Map

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Move over technicolor, black and white is back in style. Meet Gaia Black and White, our brand new, very first all-black-and-white topo map. Whether you’re color vision deficient or want a crystal-clear paper map printout on hand, Gaia Black and White is for you.

Styled in the same manner as our other proprietary topo maps designed in-house, Gaia Black and White brings you industry-leading clarity, accuracy, and file-efficiency. Like our other Gaia Series maps, Gaia Black and White provides world-wide coverage. Download the map to use offline for your entire state so you can always find your way—even without cell service.  Read on to learn how this map came to be and how it’s styled specifically to help you explore with confidence and peace of mind. 

Accessibility-Forward

Born out of Gaia GPS’s Accessibility Assembly, Gaia Black and White prioritizes the needs of our community with color vision deficiencies. Our cartographers run each of our maps through a color vision deficiency filter. But sometimes their cartographic goals directly conflict with optimizing the map for color vision needs. Since it’s sometimes impossible to best serve all communities at once, we chose to optimize Gaia Topo for those who see the full color spectrum, and we created Gaia Black and White for those who do not. Distinguish topo lines, public land use boundaries, tree coverage, trail types, and labels quickly and easily thanks to crisp shading, clear lines, and bold fonts.

Printer Perfect

a paper map print-out preview of Gaia Black and White
A paper map print-out preview of Gaia Black and White

Gaia Black and White is also optimized for printing in black and white. (In case you didn’t know, it’s super easy to print any of our maps!) Whether you’re heading out on a family trip to a national park, backpacking over the weekend, or overlanding across the country, it’s never a bad idea to idea to print a paper map backup just in case. On Gaia Topo, trails are color-coded by activity—a useful feature for finding horse-friendly zones, mountain bike regions, and trails devoid of all activities except foot travel. Gaia Black and White translates those color-coded trails into line-marking-coded trails, which means now you can bring a black-and-white map printout and still distinguish trail types from each other.

Full-Featured Topo Map for Your Adventures

The colors may be gone, but the full spectrum of features, detail, precision, and accuracy you know and love in our maps remains. Our cartographers have painstakingly translated our colorized maps into black and white to bring you a world-class topo map rich with the clarity and information you need to adventure safely and confidently:

High-contrast shading 

Landcover shading on Gaia Black and White hits the sweet spot: it’s dark enough that you can distinguish tree cover and find the alpine; find bodies of water for drinking and recreation; and spy screefields from home. And the shading remains light enough that labels, topo lines, roads, and trails pop from the map, making them easy to find and read. 

To keep the map uncluttered and clear, we’ve simplified the land ownership shading schema from our other maps. But easily spy public land for free, dispersed camping thanks to dotted borders with black and white shading, along with labels.

Distinctive Trail Markings

Gaia Black and White expertly uses line markings of various weights and patterns to distinguish various types of roads and trails from each other. Use the map legend to find trails for horses, mountain bikes, motorized activity, and backpacking in solitude.

Bold fonts

We’ve added some new fonts to our catalog to make deciphering labels even easier. Determine which labels refer to rock climbing walls based on the font alone. (Although the associated climbing icon doesn’t hurt either.) Same goes for rivers, roads, mountains, trailheads, towns, and trails.

How to Get Gaia Black and White

Gaia Black and White is available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add this map to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for the map or find it under Topo maps.

Gaia GPS Premium gives you access to the entire 300+ map catalog, including high-resolution, world-wide satellite imagery; our suite of National Geographic maps; and specialty maps ranging from historic topos to slope angle shading.

With Premium, you can also download maps for offline use so you can find your way—even without cell service. You can layer maps together to reveal even more terrain, weather, and safety features. And you can print custom maps.

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Gaia Classic map
Gaia GPSNew Maps

Gaia Classic: The Only Map You’ll Ever Need?

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Calling all diehard map fans! 

Do you yearn for the classic topo maps of old? You know, the ones not busied up with excessive colors and silliness when all you really need to know is how to plot your path from that alpine lake to that mountain pass and down the other side?

Or maybe you’ve found yourself yelling at our cartographers, “why oh why can’t I see the contour lines in this blazing sun!?”

Enter Gaia Classic, the map that just may answer that call of the wild. It’s inspired by a classic aesthetic, from the colors to the fonts to the very textures of the map itself. Maybe it’s totally pointless, or maybe, just maybe it’s the only map you’ll ever need.

Get to know Gaia Classic, our freshly updated map born out of the pages of history.

An Ode to the Maps of Old

Gaia Classic pays homage to the topo maps from the United States Geological Survey, otherwise known as the USGS. Often referred to as quadrangle maps, or quads, USGS maps have been the definitive resource for US topo maps since the 1880s.

Enjoy a classic aesthetic married with the crystal-clear resolution and file efficiency you know and love from our other proprietary maps. Download the map for your whole state in a manner of minutes and never get caught in the wild without a map again.

Our cartography team poured over the USGS map in Gaia GPS to gather design inspiration for Gaia Classic. They paid particular attention to the quads in Glacier National Park, whose landscape teaming with relief, steep terrain, glaciers, and recreation infrastructure makes it ideal for map modeling. These details are reflected throughout every aspect of the map.

Pared Down Color Palette 

If you just want to see bodies of water, clearings, and treeline without the distractions of modern maps, Gaia Classic is for you. Enjoy a pared down color palette that’s easy on the eyes—and easy to reference in the backcountry. While our default Gaia Topo map contains a plethora of shadings for various forms of landcover, water, and land ownership, Gaia Classic sticks to the basics. Which, let’s be real, is often all you need.

Clear Topo Lines

Topo map lovers rejoice! Dark brown topo lines pop on the subtle map shading underneath, making reading ridges, valleys, peaks, and plains a snap.

Simple Tree Cover

Find the alpine thanks to two-toned tree and shrub shading that’s not muddled by other forms of land shading like crops and grass.

Distinct Trails

Find trails in a glance with clear, black dashed trail markings, along with distinct markings for alpine hiking routes, double track trials, and unmaintained trails, among others.

Classic Font

If the font looks familiar, that’s for good reason. Gaia Classic uses Bell Topo Sans, a font designed by cartographer Sarah Bell to resemble the classic typefaces from antique USGS quads.

Navigate Easier than Ever with Fresh Updates

We’ve freshly updated the map to make it even easier to use in the field. Enjoy updated landcover data and richer tree texture in forested and shrub areas. Scout out ridge lines, ravines, and peaks with darker contours. And spy landmarks easier thanks to blacker labels and trails.

How to Get Gaia Classic 

Gaia Classic is available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add this map to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for the map or find it under Topo maps.

Gaia GPS Premium gives you access to the entire 300+ map catalog, including high-resolution, world-wide satellite imagery; our suite of National Geographic maps; and specialty maps ranging from historic topos to slope angle shading.

With Premium, you can also download maps for offline use so you can find your way—even without cell service. And you can layer maps together to reveal even more terrain, weather, and safety features. 

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AdventuresBackcountry SkiingGaia GPSHow-ToNewsletter

How to Read Topographic Maps

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Knowing how to read a topographic map is the foundation of any backcountry adventure. Through the use of contour lines, topo maps bring a 3-dimensional element to a 2-dimensional paper map. Topo maps allow you to visualize the rise and fall of the land and “see” the depths of canyons, the location of boggy meadows, and the height and shape of mountains.

But, make no mistake about it, learning to read and understand topographic maps takes time and practice. Whether you’re new to topo maps or a seasoned wilderness navigator, this article will help explain the basic features found on topo maps, like lines, numbers, symbols, and colors, so that you can read them with ease and confidence.

This article covers:

Contour Lines

Contour lines are the primary and most important feature on a topo map. They show the shape of the terrain, including its hills, slopes, and depressions, by tracing a constant line of elevation on the map that corresponds with the landscape in the real world. Think of contour lines as imaginary horizontal planes sliced through the terrain surface.

Visualizing Contour Lines

It may be helpful to visualize contour lines as stacked “layers” of the landscape, similar to a layer cake. A large mountain appears as a dense group of lines with a small circle in the center that represents the peak—just picture looking down at a wedding cake from above. Areas with few contours appear relatively flat—more like a 2-tier birthday cake. A topo map provides a bird’s eye view of those concentric circles, allowing you to “see” both the height and shape of the mountain on the map.

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From the USGS Topo on Gaia GPS, the summit of Pu’umakanaka, Hawaii is a near-perfect cone as indicated by the evenly spaced and round contour lines. Notice the tick marks on the contour lines in the center of the map. Those marks indicate a crater or depression at the summit.

Knuckle Mountain

Try this quick exercise at home to get a better understanding of contour lines:

  1. Make a fist with your hand, taking note of the “features” on your fist. There are four knobs (knuckles), a gentle slope (back of your hand), and four small ridges (fingers) separated by ravines (space between the fingers).
  2. With your other hand, mark an “x” on the knuckle that sticks up the highest to mark the “summit.“ Using a pen, drop down from the summit a quarter-inch and make a contour line around the peak of “knuckle mountain.” Follow the elevation around the mountain, without dropping or climbing, until you complete the contour line and close the circle. Drop down another quarter of an inch and repeat. Do that again and again, until you’ve mapped out your entire fist.
  3. Next, lay your hand flat with your palm on the table. Find the spread out contour lines on the back of your hand, indicating a gentle slope. Notice the “v” shaped topo lines where the ravines were between your fingers. The areas by your fingers have contour lines that are close together, indicating steepness. Find an hourglass-shaped topo line for the saddle between your knuckles.

Reading Slope Steepness on a Topo Map

Contour lines present in very predictable ways on the map. When the slope is gentle, the contour lines are spread far apart. Conversely, when the slope is steep the contour lines pack closely together. On a cliff, the contour lines are stacked on top of each other. A flat meadow is void of contour lines.

whitney.png

California’s Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, is steep on its east face as indicated by the closely spaced contour lines. Whitney’s west face is marked by low-angle slopes, as depicted by the wide-spaced contour lines.

Identifying Features with Contour Lines

Contour lines show more than just the steepness of a slope or the elevation of a peak. You can pick out major land features on the map by the way the contour lines are shaped.

  • Peak: A mountain or hill that is marked by concentric contour lines. The summit may be marked with a name, an “X”, or an elevation.
  • Valley: A landform with a depression in which water, if present, would flow down. Also know as gullies, drainages, ravines, and couloirs, valleys are indicated by “V“or ”U“ shaped contour lines that “point” uphill, toward higher elevation.
  • Ridge: A landform with an elevated crest that slopes down on the sides. Ridges are also shown by “V“ or ”U“ shaped contours, but these “point” downhill, toward lower elevations. Remember, water never runs along ridge tops.
  • Saddle: A low spot between two peaks marked by hourglass-shaped contour lines.
Basic topographic landforms (peak, saddle, ridge, drainage) and a comparison of relative steepness as seen on US Topo in gaiagps.com.
Basic landforms on Thompson Peak, Idaho.

Contour Intervals and Index Marker

The contour interval is the amount of elevation change between each contour line. Contour intervals vary from map to map. Intervals set at 40-feet are common on 1:24,000 scale maps. But many maps, especially small scale maps, have 50-foot or 100-foot intervals. Index contours are the more prominent, bold colored lines with the elevation marked on them.

Index contours on the NRCAN Canada Topo layer. Index contours are every 5th line, and there are 500 feet between index contours, so the contour interval is 100 feet.

Discover the contour interval in two ways:

  1. Find the contour interval on the map margin or legend, or
  2. Calculate the contour interval between index contours, which are are the more prominent, bold-colored lines with the elevation marked on them. First, subtract the lower number from the higher number and then divide the result by the number of contour lines. For example, if the index contours elevations are 8000 and 7500 feet as shown in the picture above, the difference is 500 feet. If every fifth line is bold, then divide by 5. The contour interval is 100 feet.

Topo Map Scales

Map scale is important because it tells you how detailed a topo will be. Map scale is defined as one single unit of measurement equal to a definitive number of the same number of units in the real world. You’ll find the map scale written as a ratio in the bottom margin of a topo map.

Map scales vary greatly across different topo maps, but the most common scale is 1:24,000 for topo maps created in the United States. On a 1:24,000 scale map, 1 inch on the map is representative of 24,000 inches, or 2000 feet, on the ground. The United States Geological Survey quadrangle maps are scaled to 1:24,000. These are large scale maps and bring a lot of detail into focus.

A map scale of 1:63,360 is common in Forest Service maps, and maps throughout Alaska. These are smaller-scale maps, with less intricate detail. Some National Geographic maps use a scale of 1:65,000, which allows a large area of land to be packed onto a single topo map.

What you need to know is that the bigger the number on the bottom of the ratio, the smaller the scale and the less detail:

  • 1:24,000= a large scale map that depicts a smaller region of land in intricate detail
  • 1:63,360= a small scale map that depicts a larger area of land in less detail
The map scale and contour intervals are usually found in the bottom margin or in the legend of the topo map.

Distance Scale

The distance scale in the margin identifies the distance on the ground in relation to a straight line on a map. For example, in a 1:63,360 map, one inch on the map equals one mile on land. On a larger scale 1:24,000 USGS quadrangle map, as referenced in the photo above, one inch on the map equals 2,000 feet on the ground. This is important when you’re out in the field because it places context to distances on the map’s representation of the landscape.

The bar scale doesn’t take into account distance added by switchbacks and twists and turns of a trail. But you can use the lanyard of your compass, a guy line from your tent, or the shoelace from your boot to trace the bends of the trail and then measure the lanyard against the linear bar scale. This will give you a more accurate assessment of distance than a straight-line measurement on the map’s surface.

Map Legend

A map legend explains what the map’s symbols, lines, and colors represent. Look for the legend in the margin or in the corner of a map. On gaiagps.com, click on the map’s thumbnail in the layers menu to access the legend.

Large scale USFS recreation maps often include a robust legend with keys for recreation symbols, like campgrounds and restrooms. There may be a listing of points of interest, such as prominent peaks and glaciers, and a legend defining roads, trails, and manmade features like gates and power lines.

Colors on the Map

Some legends define what different colors represent on the map:

  • Blue represents water in the form of creeks, rivers, and lakes.
  • White areas outlined by a thin blue line indicate a year-round snowfield.
  • Green areas are sections of land covered with vegetation, like trees.
  • White, or the color of the base map, represents land that lacks tall vegetation.

The absence of vegetation can mean many things, including a desert landscape, a meadow, a scree field, a gentle grassy slope high above treeline, or a burn area. Use the contour lines to take a guess at what the surface characteristics will be on the ground without vegetation. If the area is flat with no contour lines and a river flows through the non-vegetated area, then the white-shaded zone is likely a meadow. If the non-vegetated area is high above tree-line, steep, and below a rocky mountain, there is a good chance it’s a field of talus.

Declination

Topo maps are oriented to true north, while your compass needle is drawn to magnetic north. Declination is the angle of deviation between the magnetic north and true north. This angle is often depicted in the bottom margin of the map or on the map itself, as seen in the photos below.

Two ways declination is depicted on maps, in the margin or on the map face.

These diagrams show the declination for the area on the map. Map and compass navigators use the declination angle to adjust their compass to account for the difference between true north on the map and magnetic north, which lies some 400 kilometers south of true north.

Declination varies with location on the earth, and in one part of the United States may be several degrees different than in another part of the country. Also, declination changes over time as magnetic north responds to the earth’s ever-changing magnetic field, so it’s important to check the map’s publish date as older maps may not accurately reflect the current declination. You can also look up magnetic declination by using this nifty calculator.

Orient the Map

Topographic maps are oriented to true north. If you’re holding the map in front of you, and the letters and numbers are right-side up, then the direction of true north is located at the top of the map. This is important because when you are in the field, you’ll need to orient the map to true north to bring the map in line with the land features around you. Learn how to orient the map from backpacking guide Andrew Skurka.

When the map is oriented to true north in the field all the surrounding features will line up with the contour lines on the map. This is the time to practice picking out ridges and peaks on the skyline and matching them up with distinctive contour lines on the map.

Map Grids

Township and Range

Many maps have grid lines with the numbers 1-36 written in the middle of each box. These numbered boxes are called sections and originate from the township and range survey method that was used throughout the western United States, some midwestern states, and Alabama and Florida. Each square on the map represents one-square-mile on the ground, conveniently giving you the ability to assess distance without having to use the distance bar.

The map on the left shows a large-scale USGS quadrangle map showing township and range grid lines and section numbers. The map on the right is a USFS large-scale map displaying township, range, and section numbers. Each box represents one square mile.

UTM Coordinates

Some maps, like National Geographic Trails Illustrated, display the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system, which includes markings on the map for every 1,000 meters on the map’s north-south line and east-west line. The measurements on the north-south lines are “northings” and represent the number of meters that point on the map is from the equator. The numbers on the east-west lines are “eastings” and they depict the number of meters east or west of a particular reference line. You can find these measurements along the margins in the USGS quadrangle maps. Some maps display UTM grid lines, and others don’t, leaving you to eyeball the exact measurement or use a tool to help calculate the exact point.

Latitude and Longitude

Latitude and longitude coordinates are also listed in the margins of most topographical maps. They present in the form of degrees, as shown in the picture below.

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Notice the lat/long coordinates on the upper left margin of this USGS quadrangle map and the UTM “easting” and northing“ measurements closer to the edge of the map.

Find Topo Maps

The USGS has been producing topographic maps since 1879 and has produced some 54,000 maps that cover the topography of the entire lower 48 states and Hawaii. These maps are referred to as the USGS quadrangle maps, with each map covering a 7.5-minute section of latitude and longitude on the globe. USGS quad maps, scaled at 1:24,000, are still considered the industry standard.

The U.S. Forest service also makes topo maps for its lands. The FSTopo is the same large-scale map as the USGS quadrangle map and is available in hard copy at some of the Forest Service offices. Its wilderness maps cover an entire wilderness area and come in a small scale to fit on a single page.

Private companies have delved into publishing topo maps too. National Geographic Trails Illustrated offers more than 250 titles for recreation areas in America. Some smaller companies make regional topo maps, such as Beartooth Publishing in Bozeman, Montana, and Tom Harrison Maps, based in San Rafael, California.

View the nine most popular hiking maps at Gaia GPS to get an idea of which topo maps people use most. With a premium membership, you can access and download the entire Gaia GPS map catalog, including the best backcountry maps and layers. Check out all the classics:

USGS Topo

Official topo maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This quilt of digitized 1:24,000 USGS quadrangles covers the entire contiguous United States. Each quad covers 7.5 minutes of longitude by 7.5 minutes of latitude. The date of the last update varies by region.

Gaia Topo

Gaia Topo is the main map source in Gaia GPS, available to all Gaia GPS users—with or without a paid membership. The new Gaia Topo is now available on iOS, the web, and in the latest beta test version of Gaia GPS for Android.

USFS 2016

Full, detailed topographic coverage of all 172 national forests and grasslands in the US. This is the most up-to-date rasterized map available from the US Forest Service. It includes labeled trails, roads, and vegetation shading to help you plan hiking, backpacking, camping, off-roading, hunting, or fishing trips.

You can also print and customize the maps from Gaia GPS and take them with you on the trail.

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rec.gov reservations in Gaia Topo
Gaia GPSNew Features

Book Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

We realize it’s still winter. But put on your sandals and sunscreen because it’s time to snag that primo campsite for summer. Many campgrounds in your favorite national parks, state parks, and national forests take reservations six months in advance. That means the best campsites in the most desirable places around America are going quick for peak summer dates. Now you can make those campsite reservations in a flash right from our Gaia Topo map.

Just open Gaia GPS and poke around the map to find that campsite with the spectacular sunrise view. Or search for a campsite far away from the crowds. Either way, you can discover and reserve the campsite of your dreams right from the map. Simply click on a campground and Gaia GPS provides the link on recreation.gov to snag a reservation.

In addition to reservations, recreation.gov gives you every detail you could possibly want about a campsite. View photos to see if the campsite has the spectacular mountain view. Find out how many cars are allowed, and if pets and campfires are permitted. Even see if there’s a fire ring or a grill.

Recreation.gov Campsites in Gaia Topo

Rec.gov campsites shown on Gaia Topo.

The ultimate tool for reserving public campsites in the US is now accessible right from our app. An official US government resource, Recreation.gov is the go-to reservation hub for 12 federal partners including the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Rec.gov compiles reservations, venue details, and descriptions for over 130,000 recreation locations and more than 4,200 sites and activities around the country.

Plan a family trip to a national park. Or scheme up a solo bikepacking adventure through National Forest land. No matter your style, this new reservation integration makes your life a little easier. Map out your trip and book your reservations all together in one place.

Find All the Campsite Info You Need

A campsite on rec.gov shown on Gaia GPS.

Whether you’re a planner who loves to book campsites far in advance, or someone who prefers to fly by the seat of their pants, check out campgrounds in Gaia Topo to discover everything you need to know about staying there. See where each campsite is located. Find the outhouses and water spigots. Even see where the campground host resides.

Once you find a campsite that looks enticing, click the link to recreation.gov to view:

  • photos of the campsite (see if there’s a view!)
  • pet regulations
  • campfire rules
  • if RVs are permitted, and if so, maximum length
  • if tents are permitted

You also get site details, including:

  • if there is electricity
  • if the site is accessible by foot
  • check-in and check-out times
  • maximum number of people
  • if overnight camping is permitted
  • capacity rating
  • proximity to water
  • whether there’s shade
  • amenities, including if there’s a picnic table, fire pit, and grill or fire ring

And finally, scroll down for need-to-know details including whether there is water and if there are any site fees.

How to Book Campsites in Gaia GPS

Campsite reservations are found in our cornerstone Gaia Topo map. To reserve campsites from Gaia GPS, start by making sure Gaia Topo is selected as an active map layer. Gaia Topo also happens to be the premier map for dreaming up your adventures. Our cartographers designed this map to make key features for backcountry travel, like trails, scenic overlooks, and campgrounds, pop out from the landscape.

Explore Gaia Topo to find campgrounds at your destination. Look for blue campground symbols that say “Reservation Information” under the name. Zoom in further to spy individual campsites, restrooms, and the camp host site.

Once you’ve found your dream campsite, click on “Reservation Information.” The recreation.gov link to reserve campsites in that campground will pop up so you can snag your favorite site before it’s too late. Keep in mind that many public campgrounds take reservations six months in advance. And the best campsites book up quickly! Of course, please be mindful of recreation.gov’s rules and reservation policies.

Plan, Reserve, and Navigate All in One Place

With world-class maps and route-building tools, Gaia GPS provides the ultimate platform to plan your trips. Whether you’re backpacking in the Rockies, overlanding across the southwest, or simply looking for the ultimate car camping spot, choose from our deep collection of maps tailored to your adventure. Map out your route with our quick and easy snap-to-trail route builder so you know exactly where to go.

As you map out your route, you can seamlessly reserve campsites with one click. Drop a waypoint on the map to remember where the campsite is. Your future self trying to find your campsite at midnight in the pitch black will thank you. Speaking of finding your way, go ahead and download the map after you plan your route. That way you can navigate along the route and to your campsite even if you have no cell service at all.

Fun fact: Gaia Topo is so efficient that you can download the map for your entire state in a matter of minutes without clogging up precious phone storage. Don’t worry, you still get the most precise and detailed backcountry map on the market.

Recreation.Gov Campsite Reservations are Available to Everyone

Campsites in Gaia Topo.

Everyone can access the Gaia Topo map and make campsite reservations within it. You just need to create a free Gaia GPS account. To access our entire collection of maps, including hi-res satellite imagery, USFS, MVUM, and National Geographic Trails Illustrated, you’ll want to upgrade to Gaia GPS Premium.

Premium also unlocks our comprehensive suite of terrain features including weather, winter, and wildfire maps. Plus, with Premium, you can download your maps to use offline so you can find your way even when you’re out of cell service. And you can print maps so that you always have a paper backup.

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Gaia GPSHow-ToNew Maps

Why NatGeo Trails Illustrated are America’s Favorite Maps

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Whether you’re backpacking past the white granite pinnacles along JMT, offroading along the turquoise coasts of Baja, or planning a family trip to a national park, adventure with the most trusted and popular recreation maps on the planet.

Meet our collection of National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, from the ​​eponymous map makers of world-renown. From Yosemite to Zion, the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail, access this coveted collection of NatGeo maps right in Gaia GPS. Priced at $15 plus a pop, get almost all of them with a Gaia GPS Premium membership.

Read on to learn about all the different NatGeo maps in Gaia GPS, why they are so special, and how their detailed notes can take your adventures to the next level. 

Adventure Confidently with Maps You Can Trust

Adventure confidently with navigational aids along the trail.

Expertly researched and crafted in conjunction with local land managers, NatGeo maps undergo rigorous review and continually set the standard for accuracy. The result: the most trusted and popular recreation maps available. 

National Geographic offers over 250 titles for America’s favorite outdoor destinations, most of which you can find right in Gaia GPS. From the long trails to your favorite national parks, NatGeo maps cover the most breathtaking and iconic scenery of the country. They’re packed with useful information, yet remain crystal clear to help you navigate down, off, and back to the trail.

Get Detailed Topographic Information

See peak and pass elevations right on the map.

While NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps cover a vast array of terrain, from the weathered Appalachians to the cavernous Grand Canyon, they all uphold a rigorous level of topographic detail. Easily spy steep slopes and gentle plains with clearly marked topo lines—enhanced with hill shading and precise contour detailing.

Get the elevation for mountain passes, summits, and major lakes right on the map. Tree shading makes finding the alpine a breeze, and rivers pop out from the map in baby blue. Wilderness boundaries are clearly defined by color, labels, and lines, making it easier to follow wilderness policies.

See Info At Every Zoom Level

Get a detailed view at low zoom levels.

Unlike our propriety Gaia Topo map, Nat Geo maps are raster files. This means that you see the same information as you zoom in and out from the map. Rasterized maps are less efficient than vectorized ones such as Gaia Topo, but they prove useful when you’re trying to pick out key landmarks from a big-picture view. Use NatGeo maps in conjunction with our trademark base maps such as Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter, and Gaia Overland to get the best of both worlds.

Stay on Track with Clearly Marked Trails

On the NatGeo Colorado Trail map, the Colorado Trail is highlighted in yellow for easy viewing.

NatGeo maps emphasize major trails, making it easier than ever to find places to explore and to navigate in the field. For trail-specific maps like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, and Colorado Trail, the trail in question is highlighted in yellow and marked with the trail’s symbol.

Know how far until you reach that mountain pass, the next stream, or your campsite thanks to mile markers and distances to the next intersection, bridge, peak, or town.

Find Key Points of Interest

Find bear lockers, campsites, restrooms, water sources, and much more right on the map.

Discover essential resupply stations, water sources, and points of interest you’ll be hard-pressed to find on any other map. Spy trailheads to start your adventure, plus bathrooms and spigots to hit the trail adequately prepared. 

Find campsites, resupply stops, and restaurants along the trail for your next backpacking trip. And get off the beaten path by exploring historic sites, memorials, and viewpoints marked on the map.

Go Deeper with Navigational Aids

Get insider tips, such as when to be careful in inclement weather.

Perhaps the best part of NatGeo maps are the guidebook notes sprinkled across the map. Get a heads up on which bridges are slippery when wet. See where you’ll have to pack water before long dry spells. 

Make sure you camp on legal ground: see where camping is not allowed, and where wilderness areas begin. Get helpful notes like when to pay keen attention to trail markers, and where free shuttles make stops.

Pick the Perfect Map for Your Adventure

The NatGeo Trails Illustrated map highlights iconic trails, such as the CDT and CDT alt through Glacier National Park.

With over 240 maps, NatGeo covers many national parks, iconic trails, and breathtaking destinations across the US. Many of these maps are housed in our National Geographic Trails Illustrated map. We also have dedicated map layers for certain Nat Geo Trails Illustrated maps. Check them all out in the map catalog. 

Whether you’re planning a weekend backpacking trip in California’s Desolation Wilderness or a family excursion to Big Bend National Park, just open the NatGeo Trails Illustrated map to find iconic views, historic landmarks, and campsites to explore. Navigate Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness and Washington’s Wonderland Trail with ease. Discover pristine alpine lakes in Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness, and find tucked-away nature trails in California’s Joshua Tree. When it comes to the NatGeo Trails Illustrated map, the U.S. is your oyster.

Thru-Hike America’s Long Trails

Get the NatGeo AT and PCT maps in Gaia GPS.

Heading out on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, or Colorado Trail? We’ve got a Nat Geo map for each of them. You can also find other long trails, like the entire Long Trail and parts of the AZT,  in the catch-all Nat Geo Trails Illustrated general map.

In 2017, NatGeo teamed up with thru-hiker and mapmaker Lon “Halfmile” Cooper to produce maps that included both NatGeo’s meticulous cartography and Halfmile’s firsthand notes and insider information. The result contains careful annotations about trail mileages, official and unofficial campsites, water sources, and other points of interest. 

You can use any NatGeo map on it’s own. Or pair a NatGeo map with Gaia Topo on your next backpacking trip to get the best of both worlds when it comes to discovering POIs, off-shoots, and camping, while also getting Nat Geo’s insider notes and easy-to-follow trails.

Explore National Parks Like a Pro

Get insider tips when visiting parks like Yosemite.

From Acadia to Zion, Nat Geo Trails Illustrated covers your favorite national parks around the country. See where the bus can take you through the park, find campsites, and even see which trails are open to horses.

Get inspired for your next family hike with trails featured on the map, and read the notes to see if it seems suitable for those in your group.

Visitor’s centers, bathrooms, wheel-chair accessible trails, and trash cans are all labeled clearly on the map, making it that much easier to spend more time soaking in the views and less time figuring out logistics. 

Climb to New Heights

The NatGeo Colorado 14ers map covers all 58 14,000 peaks in CO.

If you’re traveling to Colorado, you’re in luck. In addition to the NatGeo Colorado Trail map, you can tap into the NatGeo Colorado 14ers map which includes coverage of all 58 Colorado peaks above 14,000 feet. 

Whether climbed all 58 peaks or are setting out on your first one, check out this map to eliminate the guesswork. See how long your adventure will be, plus total elevation gain and loss. Get directions to trailhead, and see whether you’ll need four-wheel drive to reach it. 

Anticipate more engaging sections of the trail like where you can expect to scramble or encounter snow thanks to the notes right on the map. Hoping to camp half way up the hill? See where that’s allowed as well.

Find New Fishing Holes

See clearly marked river miles, access points, put-ins, and the names and ratings of rapids in the NatGeo Fishing & Rivers map.

After climbing a 14er, pull your fishing rod and the NatGeo Fishing & River Maps layer, which covers sections of the Colorado River, Arkansas River, South Platte River, Blue River, Roaring Fork, and Fryingpan Rivers in Colorado.

Built with National Geographic’s characteristic attention to detail, accuracy, and smart map design, this layer is a complete picture of not only the river courses themselves, but their banks, recreation areas, access points, and adjacent ponds and lakes. The result is a complete picture of each river ecosystem, and the boating routes within it.

The NatGeo Colorado Fishing & Rivers map includes clearly marked river miles, access points, put-ins, and the names and ratings of rapids, making it easy to locate yourself on the river, share route information, and plan trips. You’ll also find labeled stream gage sites to reference when researching flow rates at potential fishing or boating spots. Land ownership boundaries and recreation sites also make it easy to scout out campsites along the way.

How to Get the NatGeo Trails Illustrated Maps

All of the NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps are available on gaiagps.com and in the app with a Premium membership. To add any of them to your account, go to “Add map layers.” From here, you can search for a map, or find them under United States map layers or Topo maps.

Use any NatGeo map by itself, or pair it with one of our propriety base maps like Gaia Topo, Gaia Winter, or Gaia Overland for an even richer view of the landscape.

With Premium, you can also download these maps for offline use so you can find your way without cell service. Plus tap into our suite of weather features, safety tools, and hundreds of maps for every activity.

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Gaia GPSHow-To

Avoid Smoky Skies and Wildfires with Our Suite of Weather Maps

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Don’t let your weekend plans go up in smoke. Gaia GPS’s robust collection of weather maps can help you avoid current wildfires and find smoke-free skies. These real-time maps are available for free with a Gaia GPS account. Read on to learn how to use wildfire, smoke, and air quality maps to stay safe hiking, biking, or camping at your next destination.

Wildfires (Current): See Where Wildfires are Burning Now

Wildfire (Current) map.

Check where fires are currently burning with the Wildfires (Current) layer. This map shows the perimeter of fires burning throughout the U.S. and Canada. Click a fire on the map to get more information, such as its name, size, and perimeter date.

The Wildfire (Current) map is updated daily. Data comes from the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Province of British Columbia, Alberta Wildfire, and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Wildfires (Satellite Detections): See Wildfire Hotspots Worldwide

Wildfires (Satellite Detections) map.

See hotspots around the world with the Wildfires (Satellite Detections) layer. This global map detects and displays heat on the earth’s surface. While most of the hot spots on the map indicate heat from fire, the map also detects other heat sources such as geothermal activity and lava flows.

Tap on the purple shading to get more information about the heat source. The Wildfire (Satellite Detections) layer is updated several times a day as new data is made available by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Use the Wildfires (Satellite Detections) layer in conjunction with the Wildfires (Current) layer to see where a fire is still burning hot within the fire perimeter. You can also use the Wildfires (Satellite Detections) map to see fires not yet on the Wildfire (Current) map. Some wildfires remain undetected by the Wildfires (Current) layer, especially when the fire is brand new, in a remote area, or not being actively fought. However, both detected and undetected fires will appear on the Wildfires (Satellite Detections) layer in purple shading if they are still hot and actively burning.

Smoke (Current, 24h, 48h): Check the Smoke Forecast

Smoke map.

Not surprisingly, wildfires generate tremendous amounts of smoke. Surprisingly, that smoke can blow hundreds (and even thousands) of miles away. A wildfire in Oregon may make for hazy skies in Montana — or even Massachusetts. Even if you can’t smell smoke, the fine particulate matter hanging in the air can lead to adverse health effects and even premature death.

So don’t trust your nose to sniff out bad air. Use the Smoke Forecast maps to check detected levels of smoke in the area you plan to visit. Gaia GPS offers three Smoke Forecast layers: Current, 24-hour, and 48-hour to give you a picture of upcoming smoke trends. Each shows smoke concentrations on a color-coded scale. Click a region to see the smoke concentration and when that forecast was recorded. Keep in mind that these maps are forecasts from NOAA’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh model, and may not always be accurate.

Air Quality (Current, Tomorrow): Check the Air Quality Index from the EPA

Air Quality map.

Get an even more comprehensive sense of the air quality by consulting the Air Quality layers. These maps show the EPA’s Air Quality forecast right in your Gaia GPS account, and are updated daily. The Air Quality layer uses color-coding to indicate the Air Quality Index (AQI). AQI reports levels of some of the most common air pollutants: ozone (smog), particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

Consult this map to get an index rating with which you are familiar; colors on map are analogous to those used by the EPA. Choose from either the Air Quality (Current) or Air Quality (Tomorrow) map depending on when you’re planning to take off on your trip. Once again, keep in mind that these are forecast layers and may not be accurate.

Wildfires (Historical): See Burn Zones Across the U.S.

Wildfires (Historical) map.

Check to see if you’ll be traveling through a burn zone using the Wildfires (Historical) layer. This map shows where previous wildfires have burned across the U.S. More recent fires appear bright red, fading to paler shades as time passes by.

Use this map to get a sense of whether you’ll be traveling through barren burn zones with high sun exposure that also afford sweeping views. Foragers flock to burn scars to find an abundance of mushrooms and other edible and medicinal plants. Tap on a burn zone in the map to learn the name of the fire, the date of the burn, and the acreage affected. This map is available with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership.

How to Get the Wildfires, Smoke, and Air Quality Maps

To add the Wildfire, Smoke Forecast, and Air Quality maps to your Gaia GPS account:

  • Go to map layers icon.
  • Tap the “Add Map Layers” button.
  • Select “Weather Feature Overlays.”
  • Click on the maps you want to see.

With a Gaia GPS Premium membership, you can select several maps and layer them together to get a complete picture of the air pollution and active fires in your area. Use the opacity controls to further customize the map view.

Watch: How to Check for Wildfires and Smoke

Access More Maps with a Premium Membership

Gaia GPS gives you access to hundreds of maps, from high-resolution satellite layers to topo maps for around the world. With a Gaia GPS Premium Membership, you can layer weather and feature maps on top of your basemaps to customize information you need for your upcoming trip.

A Premium Membership also lets you download maps for offline use. Keep in mind, though, that many maps are regularly updated and cannot be downloaded. Check those weather and feature maps before you leave wifi or cell service.

Wildfires, Smoke, and Air Quality Maps are available with a free account, sign up here.

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photo waypoint in Gaia GPS
Gaia GPSHow-ToNew Features

Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Whether you’re marking water sources, saving prime camping spots, or capturing breathtaking views, waypoints provide an invaluable tool for navigating and documenting your adventures. That’s why we provide some of the most advanced waypoint technology on the planet to go along with our world-class maps.

We’ve incorporated your feedback to make waypoints even more customizable and easy to use than ever before. You can now color-code waypoints based on opened/closed, good/bad, by type, trip, time — you name it. There are no limits when it comes to how you can use waypoints.

To get your creative juices flowing, here are our top 10 ways to use waypoints on our adventures.

But first, what are waypoints?

waypoints on a map

A waypoint is a reference point that helps you determine where you are and how to navigate to your destination. Whether you’re hiking, bikepacking, overlanding, or fly fishing, waypoints can help you find your way. In Gaia GPS, a waypoint is a marker you place on the map to signify a feature, your location, or any other spot on the planet. That may be a flag marking a key turn, a photo showing a sublime alpine lake, or a tent emoji illustrating the best camp spot so you can find it again later.

Here are the top 10 ways we use waypoints on our adventures and even in daily life.

1. Plan Adventures on the Big Screen

As you map out new routes on your desktop at home, drop waypoints to mark the parking lot, key turns, and where you plan to stop for lunch. Don’t worry, your waypoints will automatically sync to the Gaia GPS app on your phone or tablet.

2. Navigate to Detours & Destinations

Gaia GPS’s powerful navigation tools allow you to get turn-by-turn directions to any waypoint with just the press of a button. Want to take a detour to the mining ruins? Just drop a waypoint on the map on your phone and Gaia GPS can guide you directly there. This feature also comes in handy for navigating to the summit, or making your way back to the trailhead. Just drop a waypoint for where you want to go and tap “Guide Me” (iOS/Android).

You can drop a waypoint at your exact location, place it anywhere on the map, or type in the coordinates — up to you!

3. Add Photos to the Map

Gaia GPS hack: you can make photo waypoints! Immortalize that breathtaking view, chronicle a burn field, or remember where that avalanche slid across the trail. Take a photo of your current location (iOS/Android), and it will automatically show up on the map, geotagged to that exact spot. Just hit the + button on the top bar of the app, and tap “Take Picture.” A camera waypoint will show up on the map. Tap it to see your photo, along with the time stamp for when it was taken.

4. Mark Campsites for Later

Whether you’re reserving a campsite through recreation.gov on Gaia Topo or happen to come across a prime dispersed camp spot on your adventures, drop a tent emoji on the map to mark it forever. Gaia GPS pro mountain athlete Kyle Richardson uses waypoints on multi-day bikepacking and running adventures.

“Before I leave for a trip, I mark potential bivvy spots with waypoints as I plan my route on Gaia GPS at home,” Kyle says. “I then drop waypoints at my exact camp spots so I can find them again next time.”

With your campsites marked on the map, you can find them even in the dead of night.

5. See Mile Markers

Break your route into manageable chunks by dropping a mile marker in 1-, 10-, or 50-mile increments, or whatever makes sense for your adventure. Likewise, drop a waypoint at each checkpoint along the route. For endurance events like ultra running races, many race organizers use Gaia GPS to share the race route with participants and they drop waypoints to signify aid stations along the course.

In fact, many trail and gravel riding races post GPX files of the course and aid stations on their website. Whether the file is on Gaia GPS or not, you can download the file and upload it to your Gaia GPS account (web/iOS/Android). That way, you can train and race along the course and know exactly where you are, when the aid stations are coming up, and ensure you’re on the right route.

6. Label Water Sources

From water sources to water crossings, water can play an integral role in every type of adventure. Make your life a little easier for yourself by dropping a waypoint when you come across a stream, lake, or water cache. (And of course, if you’re caching your own water, make sure you leave a waypoint so you can find it on route!)

You can even color-code water sources based on their status thanks to our new colorized waypoint feature. Mark good water sources in green and bad ones in red. If you have to ford a river or if you find a refreshing lake for a swim, mark it on the map!

7. Avoid Hazards

Drop waypoints to mark washed-out bridges, downed trees, or whatever impedes you on the trail. Document where you saw that big scary snake with a photo waypoint. Same goes with bottlenecks on route: add a waypoint to remember where there’s a locked gate or a “no trespassing” sign so you can easily reroute next time.

8. Note Trail Status

Is the trail open or closed? Mark it with a green circle, a red X, or use the new colorized waypoints to create your own color-coded system for closures and trail conditions. Drop a yellow pin if the trail is muddy, or a green one if it’s dry and good to go.

9. Add Reminders

Say goodbye to forgetting where you parked your car. Next time you leave your car in a hectic trailhead parking lot, at the airport, or tucked into a parking garage, drop a waypoint as you exit your vehicle so you can find it stress-free when it’s time to go home.

We recommend you pick up after your dog in the moment. But if you MUST leave a doggy wag bag on the trail, make sure you drop a waypoint so you remember where it is so you can — and will— pick it up. Same goes with stashed water bottles, extra layers, or whatever else you may have tucked away behind a tree to snag on your way home.

You can also drop waypoints for cool zones you want to come back and explore. That’s what Kyle does when he stumbles across climbing and bouldering areas: “If I’m out on a run and I find a sweet rock, I’ll drop a waypoint so I can come back with the right gear.”

10. Document Memories

You can use Gaia GPS as a memory book for your adventures, with waypoints marking the locations of key memories on your trips.

That’s what Denver-based teacher Ian Silberman did as he reflected on his relationship with Phoebe Novitsky. He added waypoints to mark their first hike, where they bonked a gravel ride, and where he texted Phoebe from his tent late at night. On top of Monarch Mountain one winter morning, Ian pulled out his phone to show her each waypoint on the map, pointing to the real-life locations in the distance. After reminiscing over their adventures outside, he pointed to the star on the map, directly where they were standing, before getting down on one knee.

As you mark memories on the map, remember that you can add notes to each waypoint to chronicle even more information. Just tap on the waypoint, and scroll down in the pop-up drawer until you see “Add Notes.”

Customize Waypoints Even More with a Premium Membership

Everyone can use waypoints on both gaiagps.com and in the app. To level up your adventures with custom waypoint border colors, upgrade to a Gaia GPS Premium Membership .

Gaia GPS Premium unlocks all of the maps, including the suite of National Geographic Trails Illustrated titles, MVUM, USFS, and weather maps. Plus, you can navigate offline and print your maps so you can find your way if you lose cell signal or if your phone dies.

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Get ready to cover more ground, more quickly. (Photo: Andy Cochrane)
AdventuresGaia GPSHikesHow-To

Fastpacking 101: What You Need for This Running-Backpacking Hybrid

by Andy Cochrane
written by Andy Cochrane

This article was first published by Outside Online. Get full access to Outside content along with Gaia GPS Premium by joining Outside+.

I have to confess, I find backpacking quite boring. And not for a lack of trying, either—I grew up backpacking with my parents and high school friends, and was even a guide on youth trips in Montana. I still get talked into a trip once in a while, but besides the camaraderie, backpacking feels monotonous, slow, and more complex than it needs to be. 

Fastpacking—or “shufflepacking,” as my friends and I call it—is the next evolution of wilderness trips for those who want to go farther and faster. Practically speaking, such an endeavor entails jogging the descents, shuffling the flats, power-hiking the hills, and eating a lot of snacks, all while carrying a minimalist pack.

To be clear, fastpacking is different from ultrarunning. It’s not a race, and you carry everything necessary to camp in the backcountry. It’s not exactly backpacking, either, but ultralight backpacking might be the closest analogue, since you pare down your kit to the absolute essentials in order to travel fast and light. Simply put, the biggest difference between backpacking and fastpacking is how you’re moving: by jogging instead of walking.

How to Get Started 

Generally, my life philosophy for attempting new activities is “Just wing it, learn from the mistakes, and do better next time,” but that’s terrible advice for fastpacking. Most of these trips go deep into the backcountry, and being so remote is inherently risky. You’re as likely to get into life-threatening trouble fastpacking as you are hiking or running, so take similar precautions. It’s important to understand your route, watch the weather, plan out your meals, and pack the right gear. And be ready for problems to arise—a sprained ankle 20 miles from the trailhead is not a headache to be underestimated but addressed with a first aid kit, layers, and a means of contacting help back home.

If you’re not already a proficient distance hiker and trail runner, fastpacking might feel like learning two or three sports at once. It’s possible to jump right into the deep end, but expect some miscues along the way. For example: on my first trip, I overpacked, and my shoulders paid the price. Hopefully, this guide will help you get started and avoid the most common mistakes. Most of it focuses on three main knowledge buckets—gear, nutrition, and fitness—plus some suggestions on where and when to fastpack and why you should consider it.

The author’s shufflepacking buddy on their second morning in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, preparing for another 25-mile day. (Photo: Andy Cochrane)
The author’s shufflepacking buddy on their second morning in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, preparing for another 25-mile day. (Photo: Andy Cochrane)

Gear 

Few brands make gear specifically for fastpacking, since it’s still a niche sport. But with a mix of ultralight backpacking equipment and trail-running apparel, you’ll be ready to tackle your first shuffling adventure in no time. The goal is not to buy the lightest or smallest pack (even though more weight and bulk are generally not your friends). Rather, think about bringing only essential items worth the weight and comfortable to wear while running.

The most crucial piece of gear is your pack. If you’ve ever tried to run with a heavy, traditional backpack, you know it can be uncomfortable, awkward, and cause injury. The ideal shuffling pack should be snug while running and should not restrict your form. It should also have enough storage to carry your gear, without dangling pots and pans like Frodo Baggins. A good target weight for a fully loaded pack is 15 pounds, give or take. 

This 30-liter Ultimate Direction pack ($180) is the best I’ve tried, because it has large front pockets, weighs just 1.5 pounds, and proves to be very stable on my back. You might notice that it doesn’t have load-bearing hipbelts, which actually is normal for shuffling packs, as it’s harder to run with weight on your hips; instead, packs employed by fastpackers are similar to packs and vests for running, putting the bulk of the weight on your back and shoulders. 

The next riddle to solve is clothing, which will vary somewhat depending on the conditions. Unless the forecast calls for extreme weather (in which case bring additional appropriate gear or consider rescheduling), keep your pack light and stick to just one set of clothes. I always bring an athletic shirt and running shorts for the daytime, then thermal base layers, hiking pants, and a puffy for at night, and an extra pair of socks. When it’s cold or wet, add in a rain jacket, hat, and mittens or gloves. As with most backcountry trips, avoid cotton, which will chafe when you sweat and doesn’t keep you warm when it gets wet. And don’t take this list as gospel—if conditions change, so should your gear.

Trail-running shoes with good grip and a high stack height make for ideal footwear, because the pack’s weight adds impact to each step. I like the Hoka Speedgoat ($145), because it’s well cushioned and light yet durable. Hiking boots are less than ideal, because they aren’t designed for the agility and movement of running. Of course, your own ideal shoes will vary depending on foot shape and running style, so test a few pairs before bringing them on a long trip in the backcountry.

Other essentials include a first aid kit, bear spray if you’re in bear country, a small knife and spork, and cord. Lastly, lightweight poles—I use the Black Diamond Distance Carbon ($150)—will protect your knees and help you climb up steep passes faster. 

There are a few electronics you should always bring, such as a headlamp, satellite phone or other backcountry communication device, and cell phone. You’ll want the headlamp not just for nights around camp—in the spring and fall (or on any trip ambitious in length), you’ll likely start or end at night. A Garmin InReach satellite phone helps provide communication from nearly anywhere, so you can bail out if things go wrong. And apps like Gaia GPS turn your cell phone into the best navigation tool out there. For long trips, an external battery to recharge your devices is handy to ensure that these crucial safety devices remain functional.

Last but not least, give some thought to your sleep system: a light tent, bivy, or tarp that will keep you sheltered and warm at night—but that doesn’t fill up your pack and weigh you down—is critical. I’m a big fan of the MSR Front Range ($320), which can fit up to four friends fairly comfortably. With an inflatable pad like the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Uberlite ($190 and up) and a seasonally appropriate sleeping bag (a light bag or quilt for summer, and something rated down to 30 or 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the shoulder seasons), you’ll be ready to go.

Eat, Run, Repeat

Like all long-distance activities, the name of the game is caloric intake. As we know, not all calories are created equal. For races like a marathon or a 50K, you can and should focus on foods high in sugar and carbs, because they are easy to digest and burn quickly. But this strategy omits the fats, proteins, and other nutrients necessary for multiday outings. When you’re out for hours and hours, you need to give your body a chance to recover each night, so fast-burning foods are only half the game plan.

While on the move, carb-heavy snacks like gels, chews, stroopwafels, and electrolytes are key to avoid bonking. Balance these with calorie-dense fatty foods, like nuts, peanut butter, seeds, cheese, and meat, which burn longer and help you recover. Bringing dehydrated or freeze-dried meals for dinner will help keep your pack light and manageable.

While some fastpackers go without a stove entirely, I am not such a masochist. The MSR Pocket Rocket ($80) weighs just three ounces and enables hot meals at night and hot coffee in the morning, making its inclusion worth the weight. 

For hydration, I bring the easy-to-use Katadyn BeFree filtration system (from $45), which screws onto most flasks. You may be able to get away with drinking straight from the source, depending on the environment and water quality, but if you’d rather not risk it, bring along something like the MSR Guardian Purifier ($390) to filter out any bacteria or parasites.

Fitness

You technically don’t need to train before you go fastpacking, but it’ll make the trip much more enjoyable if you’re in sufficient shape for your itinerary. Start by running and building up your aerobic endurance, prioritizing distance over pace. You’re training to spend a full day on your feet without being completely wrecked at the end of it, not to win your local 10K.

Consider tailoring your training plan to your exact trip and the terrain you’ll be shuffling across. For example, if your route has a lot of vertical gain, do some weighted hikes and strength training. For my first trip, I followed an ultramarathon training plan and swapped the tempo workouts for hikes up the local ski hill. Just like running, the ramp-up for fastpacking should be slow and steady. To mitigate chances of injury, increase your mileage by 10 percent per week at most.

Takeaways

It’s easy to get started fastpacking; a trip can happen on any trail and at any time of the year. (I personally don’t necessarily recommend winter fastpacking trips, because cold and stormy weather requires more gear and thus a heavier pack, but they aren’t impossible, either). For first-timers, picking an established backpacking route and doing it faster and lighter, in mild weather is a great way to begin. This will help you nail down the basics while keeping it safe. Fastpacking trips don’t have to cover incredibly long distances, and they certainly don’t have to be in the backcountry. They’re just a way to unlock a new type of adventure—the rest is up to you.

When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission. We do not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Read more about our policy.

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two hikers walking on a mountain side
AdventuresGaia GPSHow-To

Natural Navigation Clues: How to Find Your Way Without a Compass

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Paper maps and compass have forever been the gold standard of backcountry navigation. Throw in a mapping app, like Gaia GPS, and your navigation kit is complete. But what keeps you from getting lost in the backcountry may not depend entirely on the tools in your backpack. Staying found starts with something you’re born with – the ability to pay attention to your surroundings.

Situational awareness, or paying attention to the natural world around you, is key to mastering backcountry navigation. After all, a compass bearing in the field only gives you direction. For direction to have any meaning, you’ll need to know how to expertly read topographic maps. And for topo maps to have context, you’ll need to be aware of landscape around you.

Learn these quick tips on how to use landscape awareness and natural navigation clues to find your way in the backcountry.  

Start with the Big Picture on the Map

Not getting lost in the backcountry starts with your trip planning at home. Before you get out in the wilderness, get to know a place by studying its features on a map. Small-scale maps that show a big area and less topographical detail can help you see how your planned route fits in the context of the broader landscape.  

You can do this for free on Gaia GPS. Start by pulling up the area you plan to visit on www.gaiagps.com/map. Use the planning tools on the left-hand side of the screen to create a route. If you don’t know how to create a route yet, you can learn by watching an 8-minute tutorial at the end of this article.

With your route drawn on the map, zoom way out to see how the route fits within the landscape of the broader region. Take note of prominent features on the map: large bodies of water, river valleys, the area’s tallest peaks, mountain crests or divides, land management details, trailheads, roads, towns, and ranger stations. This zoomed-out view of the map, doesn’t reveal much about the landscape. But consulting the map in broad scale is the beginning of the situational awareness that will help you navigate in the field.

In the map above, you’ll see a green-colored route through Desolation Wilderness, which sits at the southwestern edge of Lake Tahoe. The map shows that area is also wedged between two highways — one to the south and one to the east of the planned route. If the route starts at Lake Tahoe and heads south, the lake will generally be over and behind your left shoulder. Understanding where this big landmark sits in relation to your overall journey gives you a sense of general direction.

Zoom In on the Map to Identify Handrails

After you get the lay of the land, zoom in on the map to view your route in context of the land features within it. You can use a creek or a large mountain as a “handrail” to follow to make sure you stay on course. If your route follows a creek up to its headwaters, you can use the ribbon of water as a guide to its source. If your route takes you along a valley, you could rely on a prominent mountain at the end of the canyon as a beacon to keep in your site. The key to not getting lost is paying attention to the landscape as you move through it.  

Get a better look at the route in this area by clicking the interactive map above and zooming in on the details.

Let Water Be Your Guide in Backcountry Navigation

Rivers and creeks make predictable backcountry guides. No matter where you are in the world, you can always count on rivers to roll off the shoulders of mountains and rush toward a larger river, the sea, a lake, or a basin. Zoom in on the map to study the flow of the water in the area so that you have an understanding of where water leads if you decide to follow it.

Looking at the route in the map above, you can see a string of prominent peaks to the west: Dicks Peak, Jacks Peak, Mount Price, Agassiz Peak, and Pyramid Peak. Together, they make up a portion of the Sierra Crest, a 500-mile long ridgeline that runs in a general north-south direction along the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. 

Notice that most of the route stays on the east side of the Sierra Crest and that all the water along the way, with the exception of Lake Aloha, rolls toward Lake Tahoe. In an emergency, you could follow any water drainage on the east side of the Sierra Crest and wind up at Lake Tahoe so long as the route is passable on foot. Understanding where water flows can be a welcome bit of information if you’re looking to get your bearings in the landscape. Plus, if you’re standing next to a river, you have a good point of reference on the map to find your exact location.

two hikers walking on a mountain side
I took my kids, ages 10 and 13, on an off-trail route in the Sierra this summer. We followed a creek to its headwaters, went over a 13,000-foot col, and then dropped into the next drainage to the west. This chain of lakes served as our handrail on the way down the canyon.
Photo by Mary Cochenour

Use Treeline to Pinpoint Your Elevation 

Elevation is another predictable navigation marker. Knowing your coordinates on the map only places you in the two-dimensional world. Elevation can help you pinpoint your location, adding a 3D context to your location. But without an altimeter, how will you know the elevation? Look for the treeline.  

Treeline is the elevation at which the environmental conditions can no longer sustain tree growth. It’s important to note that treeline is different for every region depending on the weather and landscape conditions. In some northern landscapes, the weather is so harsh that trees are unable to grow above 5,000 feet. In more gentle climates, like the Sierra Nevada, treeline sits closer to 9,000 to 10,000 feet. 

You’ll have to study the maps to find the treeline for the area you plan to visit. This is easily done on Gaia GPS’s flagship map, Gaia Topo, which includes tree shading to show you where vegetation grows around the world. Most paper topo maps from government sources, like USGS quadrangle maps which are included in a Gaia GPS Premium Membership, also include tree shading. 

When in the field, you can use tree shading on the map to target your location. For example, if you are climbing up a slope that is clearly tree shaded on the map and all of the sudden you emerge from under the tree canopy into a slope with no vegetation. you should be able to see on the map where you’ve crossed the treeline. But be aware, treeline is not always correct on the map. It’s best to use this as an estimate.

Ribbons of river can be as reliable as following a trail.
Photo by Mary Cochenour

Navigate with the Sun for Direction of Travel 

Paying attention to the way the sun moves across the sky can help you determine general east-west directions. Everywhere in the world, with the exception of the Arctic, the sun rises on the eastern horizon and sets in the west. During the day it moves across the sky in an east to west pattern. If you pay attention to the sun’s movement, it’s easy to tell the general east and west directions in the morning and evening hours when the sun lies low on the horizon.

But what about high noon when the sun is up in the sky? In midday, the sun can clue you in to north-south directions. In the northern hemisphere, the sun will be directly to the south of your position when it reaches its highest point in the sky. Reverse that order for the southern hemisphere, where the sun sits directly north at its highest point in the sky. However, don’t expect the sun to guide you at the equator or near the earth’s poles, these locations are the exception to the sun’s north-south rules.

Use Shadows For Clues on Cloudy Days

On cloudy days, look for shadows for clues on direction. Shadows will cast in the opposite direction of the sun’s location. This means if you are traveling in the northern hemisphere, the sun at its highest point will be directly south but all shadows will cast to the north. Reverse that order for the southern hemisphere: look for shadows to be cast to the south.

Sometimes, the sun is completely obscured. When this happens, you have to rely on other navigation clues in the backcountry.  

Use the Stars to Navigate North and South

Constellations can tell us a lot about direction in the backcountry. In the northern hemisphere, Polaris is known for showing us the direction of true north, hence its nickname — the North Star. The North Star lines up with the earth’s rotational axis above the north pole. From the vantage point in the northern hemisphere, the North Star remains almost motionless in the night sky. All the other stars seemingly rotate around it. Polaris’s relatively static position in the northern night sky has guided navigators for more than a millennia across landmasses and oceans alike. It remains a guiding star in modern navigation as well. 

Photo by James Wheeler 

How to Find the North Star

Finding the North Star on a clear night is easy. It’s the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation, also known as the Little Dipper. If you can find the Little Dipper in the sky, follow its tail to the bright star at the end and you will be looking at Polaris — and consequently in a northern direction.  

If you are having trouble finding the Little Dipper, look for the famed Big Dipper, which appears as the outline of an upside-down cup or pan in the night sky. Angulate from the stars on on the end of Big Dipper’s cup to lead you to the North Star at the tail of the Little Dipper.  

In the Southern Hemisphere, Use the Southern Cross to Navigate

The Southern Hemisphere lacks a bright beacon star to mark the south celestial pole. However, you can rely on the unmistakable Southern Cross to show you the way south. First, find the four stars that make up Southern Cross. Line up the star at the head of the Southern Cross with the star at the base of the Southern Cross. Now draw an imaginary line that extends out about four lengths of the cross to the south and you will be looking at southern celestial pole.

Navigate with the Prevailing Wind

Knowing the direction of the prevailing wind will help you keep track of your directions. If storms always blow in from the west, you can use that knowledge to guide you in the right direction. Hold a western course by keeping the western prevailing wind in your face. Turn away from it to travel to the east, and keep it to your left shoulder to hold a northernly direction. Turn around and let the wind lap at your right cheek to travel south.  

Wind can be a great tool to give you a general sense of direction, especially in a whiteout when you can’t see landscape. But be cautious and don’t rely on the wind direction too heavily. Use it only as a navigation aid and not a decisive guide. 

Wind is shifty. As storms pass, so does the wind’s prevailing direction. Confirm that the wind is actually coming from the prevailing direction by matching it up with clues on the ground. Wind-battered trees will often be leaning away from the prevailing wind or they will be missing branches on the windward side.  

Find North and South with Moss

In a pinch, moss can offer consistent directional clues in the backcountry. Generally speaking, moss cannot survive in direct sunlight without water. Because of its sensitivity to sunlight, moss will typically grow on the shaded northern side of trees and rocks in northern hemisphere and on the shaded southern side of trees and rock in the southern hemisphere.  

Photo by Dave Hoefler 

This is a general observation, though. Moss growth can be affected by the amount of moisture or humidity in the area. The story moss tells provides only a clue as opposed to the sun’s definitive directional patterns.  

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings 

Back before I used a compass, I relied on all these techniques to navigate through the backcountry. I think I was so terrified of getting lost that I became hyper-aware of my surroundings. My mind cataloged every turn in the landscape, the directions rivers flowed, and stand-out rock formations. Paying attention to natural navigation clues remains a key component to how I navigate today. The only difference is I also rely on a paper map and a compass as well as Gaia GPS Premium for a complete picture of where I stand in the backcountry.  

Watch this 8-minute Tutorial to Learn How to Create a Route in Gaia GPS

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How to Plan a Backpacking Trip

by Jim Margolis
written by Jim Margolis

On one of my first backpacking trips, I was dropped off by boat at the start of the Dusky Track in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. When the boat driver tried to lift my pack out of the boat, he nearly fell into the water. He curtly told me my pack was too heavy and that I was “doing it wrong.”

Midway through the trip, I could see that I had packed three times as much food as I really needed. Was I so hungry because my pack was so heavy? Or was my pack so heavy because I was always so hungry? I may never know the answer to that backpacker’s paradox, but I do know I could have planned the food more thoughtfully. This article can help you avoid the multitude of trip-planning gaffes. Backpacking is a very broad topic — consider this a starting place for your planning, and adapt the ideas for your trip.

This article will cover:

Choose a Place to Backpack

You can truly go backpacking at any time of year if you pick the right destination and carry the appropriate equipment. Summer and early fall are common seasons for trips to the high alpine areas in the Rockies and the Sierra. Spring and fall can be a good time in the Appalachian Mountains and the deserts of the western United States. Winter is a good time for low latitude destinations like the southern Appalachians, Florida, and low elevation desert across the southwestern US.

At gaiagps.com/hike, you can search for hikes in many popular parks throughout the United States.

Hike search on gaiagps.com

If there’s a specific area you’d like to visit, set Gaia Topo as the map source on gaiagps.com/map, click on points of interest, and nearby hikes will be listed. Guidebooks, blog posts, online trip reports, and forums can also provide inspiration.

point of interest diagram on gaiagps.com

Understand the Human History of Your Destination

Native Land map on gaiagps.com

You can show respect to the original inhabitants of the area you are visiting by researching the human history of the land. You can use the Native Land map to understand the human history of your destination, as well as your home and many other places worldwide.

In many popular backpacking destinations, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park, Native Americans were murdered and forcibly removed by the United States government, and the landscape was then advertised as a pristine and uninhabited wilderness. The very definition of “wilderness” in the Wilderness Act of 1964 also perpetuates the falsehood that these areas were uninhabited: “…an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” The founding of National Parks and the creation of wilderness areas, coupled with the larger history of dispossession of Native American and Indigenous lands worldwide through genocide and fraudulent treaties, contributes to the erasure of modern-day Indigenous societies. It’s important to recognize this is not just a history lesson. The cultural and economic impacts of genocide and forced removal remain contemporary issues for Indigenous people.

One way to acknowledge this history is to use a land or territorial acknowledgment. As Chelsea Vowel writes in Beyond Territorial Acknowledgments:

“If we think of territorial acknowledgments as sites of potential disruption, they can be transformative acts that to some extent undo Indigenous erasure. I believe this is true as long as these acknowledgments discomfit both those speaking and hearing the words. The fact of Indigenous presence should force non-Indigenous peoples to confront their own place on these lands.”

An acknowledgment by itself is only a small gesture. Read more about moving beyond acknowledgment with authentic relationship and informed action.

Establish Priorities For Your Trip

Backpacking used to be a balancing act between carrying minimal gear to be happy walking or carrying luxury items to be happy camping. Over the last decade, gear has become lighter, making it easier to be comfortable both walking and camping. Establishing goals around the length of days and hiking pace early in your planning will give structure to planning decisions and can mitigate conflicts with partners.

two backpackers climbing a hill on a rugged trail in Peru

Plan Your Route

Once you decide where you’ll be backpacking, use gaiagps.com/map to create a route for each day. With Gaia Topo, the route planning tool snaps to the trail, making it easy to calculate mileage and elevation. You can put all the routes in a folder to see the total distance and elevation gain for the trip. Add waypoints to mark the trailhead, points of interest, and emergency access points. Consider separate routes for side trips or escape options—if you can’t make it over a pass due to weather or snow conditions, for example. Planning in some base camp days to rest, fish, or summit a peak can be a good way to add variety to your trip. For an in-depth presentation on how to plan a route on gaiagps.com, check out the Gaia GPS webinar on creating routes.

Recommended Maps for Backpacking

Gaia GPS offers a comprehensive selection of maps for planning and use during your trip. You need a subscription to download any map for offline use and to access map sources other than Gaia Topo. Here’s a list of recommended maps for backpacking:

  • Gaia Topo – updated weekly with data from OpenStreetMap, Gaia Topo offers up-to-date coverage of trails and points of interest. It is also optimized for mobile downloads, saving space on your device.
  • USGS Topo – Official topographic maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
  • USFS 2016 – Full, detailed topographic coverage of all 172 national forests and grasslands in the US.
  • NatGeo Trails Illustrated – These maps cover many popular destinations like National Parks and major long trails like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, and Colorado Trail.
  • Public Lands – Use this overlay to identify public lands like National Parks, US Forest Service lands, BLM lands, and state and local parks. This can be a great way of finding local spots for a trip.
  • Snow Depth – If your route may involve snow, you can get a rough sense of snow coverage with this overlay.

Be sure to print backup maps in case your device runs out of battery or is damaged. It’s easy to print maps on gaiagps.com. You can print on waterproof paper from your home printer, store the backup maps in a plastic bag, or order large custom-printed maps online. For a longer trip, a large overview map, such as those made by Beartooth Publishing, can be helpful.

Before you leave, be sure to download maps to your phone so you can use them without service. Make sure you know how to change map sources in the app (iOS/Android) and conserve your phone’s battery. Also, brush up on your map reading skills with our blog article on how to read topographic maps.

Estimating Hiking Time

An average pace on a flat trail is about 2 mph, and you should add 30 minutes for every 1000 feet of elevation gain. For an 8-mile day where the elevation gain is 3000 feet, the travel time would be 5-and-a-half hours.

This does not include time for breaks. Depending on your fitness, pack weight, and the quality of the trail, you may travel faster or slower. As you travel, keep track of your pace and adjust your time estimates accordingly using the Trip screen in Gaia GPS:

A screenshot of the trip screen in the Gaia GPS app

Once you estimate your hiking time, work backward from critical points along your route to plan out where to camp and when you need to depart in the morning. If you need to be on top of a pass by 1 PM to avoid afternoon thunderstorms, make sure you camp close enough the night before. It’s easiest to edit your route on the website and then sync the route to your phone.

Leave Plans with an Emergency Contact

An injury, navigation error, or other mishap could leave you stranded in the wilderness. It’s always a good practice to leave your plans with a responsible friend who can initiate a search and rescue response if needed. Include the following information:

  1. Your route, including start date and time, end date and time, and campsite locations. Gaia GPS makes it easy to share a route via email.
  2. Establish a clear time that you will be in touch with your emergency contact at the end of your trip. Set a time for your emergency contact to call search and rescue if they don’t hear from you. For example, if you plan to be finished with your trip and in service to contact your friend by 6 PM on July 31, you might set noon on August 1 as the time for your contact to call search and rescue. Have a clear plan for who they should contact and what to do to initiate a search.
  3. Phone number for the main park office, local search and rescue, or sheriff’s office
  4. Location of your car
  5. Make, model, and license plate number of your car
  6. Name of each person in the group and any pertinent medical conditions
Three hikers hiking down a grassy pass along a body of water
Hiking down a pass on the traditional, unceded territory of Apsaalooke (Crow), Tsesthoe (Cheyenne), and Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana.

Logistics and Permits

Many popular areas require camping permits or reservations at specific campsites or huts. In the United States, many permits and reservations can be made online through recreation.gov and you can find those campsites right on Gaia Topo. The rules and dates vary by location, but some popular destinations allow online reservations as early as January for trips starting in the summer. However, many land management agencies also have a group of permits that can be acquired daily on a first-come, first-served basis.

To determine if your proposed route crosses Native or Indigenous land, you can use the Native American and Alaska Native Lands layer. Contact the sovereign nation for permits, or change your route if permits are not available.

Educate Yourself on Hazards

An understanding of the hazards you may encounter is the key to staying safe on a backpacking trip. Backpacking is generally not dangerous, and the risks can be managed by educating yourself. The sections below, environmental hazards and human factors, are common hazards to be aware of as you plan your trip.

Hands-on first aid training is invaluable for managing wilderness medical emergencies. NOLS, SOLO, and Wilderness Medical Associates are well-known wilderness medicine course providers. NOLS has a comprehensive wilderness medicine book that is worth studying. It is best used in conjunction with hands-on training through a class.

lightning striking over the Tetons in in Grand Teton National Park

Environmental Hazards

  • Terrain Hazards
    • Exposure. Be wary of cliffs or steep ravines where a fall could injure or kill you. Your balance may be affected by your pack weight and rain can make the ground slick. In these situations, it can be helpful to consider the consequences, not just the likelihood, of a fall.
    • Falling trees. Falling trees, particularly dead trees or ones with a significant lean, can pose a hazard, especially at a campsite, where you spend more time. Wind can make the trees more likely to fall — be sure to choose a safe campsite. The Forest Service has a simple guide to this hazard here.
    • Rockfall. Camp well away from the base of cliffs. If you are traveling through loose, rocky terrain, position yourself out of the fall line of other hikers so that if a rock is released, it won’t hit you. Consider other hiking groups above you as well as those in your party.
  • Weather
    • Cold and wet conditions. Prolonged exposure to cold and/or wet conditions, or immersion in cold water, can result in hypothermia. Prevention is key—carry adequate layers, extra food, and fuel. Learn how to treat hypothermia in this simple video and read more here.
    • Heat. It isn’t just the bad weather that can pose a hazard. Prolonged exposure to heat and sun can cause heat exhaustion and may progress to heatstroke. As with hypothermia, prevention is critical. Maintain adequate hydration, wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and seek shade during the hottest parts of the day.
    • Lightning. Thunderstorms are a common occurrence during the summer. On average, 300 people are struck and 30 are killed by lightning in the US every year. Monitor local weather patterns and plan to be off of high passes and peaks before thunderstorms build. If you hear thunder, descend to a safe place. Educate yourself with the National Weather Service’s lightning safety brochure.
  • Moving water. If your route involves wading across creeks and rivers, seek training from someone with experience in river crossings. Some hiking clubs have classes you can take. The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council has a good informational video, but YouTube is not a substitute for proper training from an experienced individual.
  • Altitude. Travel to elevations above 8000 feet is associated with risk of developing one or more forms of acute altitude illness. Gradual ascent can prevent altitude illness. If you are unacclimatized, take two days to ascend to 8000 feet. Once at 8000 feet, it is recommended to increase your sleeping elevation 1500 feet or less per day.
a close up image of a grizzly bear
  • Animals. Seeing wildlife can be a highlight of a backpacking trip, but bear attacks and snake bites are not often remembered as fondly. It’s worth understanding how to avoid dangerous encounters with animals.
    • Bears. Hiking in a group and making noise will decrease your chances of encountering a bear. Understand the difference between black and grizzly bears, and what to do if you are attacked. In camp, store your food properly. The National Park Service has an educational website about hiking in bear country.
    • Mountain Lions. Mountain lions are most active at dusk and dawn. Similar to bears, hiking in a group and making noise will decrease your chances of an encounter. Learn what to do if threatened.
    • Snakes. In the United States, the most common venomous snakes are pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths) and elapids (coral snakes). Wear long pants and watch where you step. Snakes tend to be more active in warmer months. Learn what to do in case of a snakebite.
    • Bites and stings from spiders, scorpions, bees, wasps, and ticks. In North America, significant envenomations from spiders are uncommon, but black widow and brown recluse spider bites can be harmful. Scorpion, bee, and wasps stings can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Ticks may spread diseases like spotted fever or Lyme disease. Learn to manage these bites and stings.

Human Factors

three hiker silhouettes on a summit during sunset

Accidents cannot only be attributed to environmental hazards. Bears or rockfall do not pose a threat unless you interact with them, so it is important to consider subjective factors related to personal and group behavior when managing risk. In fact, an Austrian study of hiking accidents found that most hiking falls occurred in good weather. Though not an exhaustive list, the following factors can impair judgment and contribute to hiking accidents:

  • Fatigue
  • Dehydration or poor nutrition
  • Commitment to a goal that blinds you to a hazard — “summit fever”
  • Poor preparation — lack of awareness of the hazard
  • Underestimating the hazard
  • Not voicing concerns due to an interpersonal desire to avoid conflict and/or due to a group culture that doesn’t make everyone feel like they can speak up

Hike in Style

Wherever you go, make sure you travel in good style. Educate yourself on the Leave No Trace principles to help preserve the places you visit for future use. Learn more about the Leave No Trace Principles here:

Planning Food and Gear

a woman enjoys a bowl of food in front of a waterfall

Food

It’s important to consume a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein for a sustained aerobic activity like backpacking. Plan for 2500 – 4500 calories (or 1.5 – 2.5 pounds) per person per day. When buying food, look for dehydrated and instant options. Dehydrated foods are much lighter per calorie because they don’t contain water. Instant food will cook much faster so you don’t have to carry as much fuel. Repackage all food into plastic bags to minimize the extra weight of the packaging.

Planning your food can often be the most time-consuming part of your planning. It is worth making a simple chart for meals. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 9.50.44 AM.png

Other Meal Ideas

These websites also have great backpacking meal ideas:

Backpacker’s Pantry, Mountain House, Patagonia Provisions, and other companies offer a selection of pre-made instant meals if time for preparation is short.

Gear

backpack, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, tent and other camp supplies laid out on the ground.

After stumbling around New Zealand with a 70-pound pack, I eventually learned to go lighter. Over the years, I discovered that trip priorities greatly influence gear choices, but even on a leisure-oriented trip, the lighter your pack is, the happier you—and your knees—will be. Check out my backpacking gear list, complete with pictures to see what I bring for three-season adventures. Andrew Skurka’s website also has detailed gear lists. Also, try Adventure Alan Dixon’s tips on how to lighten your base weight. Get an inexpensive scale and weigh everything before deciding what to pack. Websites like GearGrams and WeighMyGear can help you compile your list and calculate your total pack weight.

View Backpacking Gear List

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