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. Learn how to use these (free!) wildfire, smoke, and air quality maps to find out if it’s safe to hike, bike, or camp at your next destination.
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Learn how to overcome your backpacking fears this week on the Out and Back podcast. Allison Boyle, the face behind the ultra-popular blog and hiking resource She Dreams of Alpine, lays out the big three fears newbie backpackers feel. She shares her tried and true strategies for overcoming them, as well as why almost everyone wants to back out of their trip right before they start. Plus, learn how she turned her passion for the outdoors into a career.
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Get the Best Ultralight Backpacking Tips and a Special Offer from Hyperlite Mountain Gear
by Joe Pasterisby Joe PasterisLighten your pack with these ultralight backpacking tips from Adventure Alan Dixon. Plus, it’s last call for Gaia GPS members for a 15% discount on Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs and shelters. Summer sale ends on August 31.
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It’s a new moon! With the skies at their darkest, the stars sparkle a little brighter, the planets become more visible, and the Milky Way pops against the dark sky. Learn how to photograph the night sky with these five pro tips from landscape photographer Scott Sady of Tahoe Light. Plus, discover how to use Gaia GPS’s light pollution map to find the perfect location for your next midnight photo shoot.
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Overlanding has taken the outdoor industry by storm, and for good reason — the goal is to get as far off the beaten path as possible. Get started by learning what an overlanding route looks like, the type of vehicle and equipment you’ll need, and tips for planning your first trip.
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Exploring great backcountry terrain often goes hand in hand with the threat of avalanches, but with careful route planning and rational terrain management, dangerous slides can largely be avoided. Before you head into the backcountry, brush up on how to use the best maps to identify avalanche terrain and plan the safest routes.
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Winter hiking offers the ability to test out new skills, push your physical limits, and experience the beauty of a snowy landscape. But the same things that make winter hiking wonderful, can also make it more dangerous. Read our winter hiking safety guide to learn about winter hazards and how to pack for a snow-bound excursion.
Knowing how to read a topographic map is the foundation to any backcountry adventure. Through the use of contour lines, topo maps bring a 3-dimensional element to a 2-dimensional paper map. 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 a mountain. Learn how to read topo maps like a pro.
Battery drain stinks, and often hits the hardest at the most inconvenient times. Countless factors can threaten the life of your phone battery, like cold or blazing hot temperatures, or even how many apps you’ve recently used. Whether you’re out for a 3-night backpacking trip, casual day hike, or a few hours on the slopes, there’s no escaping the inevitable drain. Whatever your adventure looks like, these tricks will help you save the juice in your phone and keep Gaia GPS up and running longer.
Overlanding upgrades often include expensive add-ons like lockers, a winch, or a new suspension. But there is a simple upgrade that will improve your vehicle’s traction, and it doesn’t have to cost a penny. Try airing down your tires. In this article, you’ll learn how to gauge tire pressure, the different methods for airing down, tools to make it easy, and how to air back up when you hit the pavement.