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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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Gaia GPSHow-ToOffroading

How to Air Down Off-Road Tires for Overlanding

by Bryan Rogala
written by Bryan Rogala

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.

Traction starts and ends at your tires and improves your vehicle’s off-road capability immensely. If your tires don’t have traction then it doesn’t matter how advanced your vehicle’s traction control system is or how much money you’ve dumped into other modifications. Airing down, or letting air out of your tires to reduce the pressure, increases a tire’s contact patch on the ground. Under the right conditions, airing down provides more traction and a smoother ride.

Read on to 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.

How Low Can You Go? Airing Down Your Tires

First, let’s talk about air pressure in general. There’s no hard and fast rule on what pressure you should air down to, and most tire manufacturers won’t give recommendations for liability reasons. Choosing how much air to let out of your tires will largely depend on your specific vehicle and tires, what street pressure you run, and your driving preferences. In general, lighter vehicles, like a Subaru Forester or Jeep Wrangler, can run lower air pressures off-road than a larger vehicle.

person kneeling next to jeep letting air out of tire while other person looks on. Several cars in background with other overlanders standing near

The best guide I’ve found is from Jonathan Hanson, a writer and adventurer who co-founded Overland Expo and Overland Journal. As a rough starting place, Hanson recommends dropping pressure by 25% for general off-road driving on rough dirt roads, washboard. and moderate trails, 30-35% for traction on slick-rock and difficult trails, and up to 50% for surfaces like very soft sand.

Let’s use my 06 Power Wagon as an example. I run about 44 PSI in the front tires and 54 PSI in the rear on the street, and going by the guide above I should be running around 30 PSI in the front and 40 PSI in the rear on most easy off-road terrain. I can go as low as 22 PSI upfront for deep sand. Remember, that’s just a starting point: figuring out the best pressure for your rig will take some testing to see what works best.

Tire Choice

Before diving into the nitty-gritty on how to air down, let’s talk about tire choice. Tires are the most important piece of the traction puzzle, and the tires you put on your vehicle can make the difference in how far down the dirt road you venture.

All-terrain tires work best for overlanding, offering a durable tread compound and burly sidewalls. These elements help protect the tires from punctures and other damage while driving off-pavement and also makes them better suited to airing down. When you reduce the pressure in your tires, the sidewalls flex, providing more tread in contact with the ground. Stiffer, stronger sidewalls allow you to air the tire down more with less worry about damage.

BF Goodrich All Terrain tires on jeep

The Toyo’s Open Country A/T III, which I run on my truck, or BF Goodrich’s All Terrain T/A K02, provides an upgrade in off-road traction compared to the stock all-season tires that come on most crossovers, SUVs, and trucks. Thanks to a more aggressive tread pattern that has more bite, these tires perform well in loose dirt and rocks. Despite being more aggressive, they still work very well on pavement and remain quiet on the highway.

Three Methods for Airing Down

The Cheap Method

Pressure gauge letting air out of a tire

Tire gauges, like the small, pen-shaped devices that are available at most gas stations, will measure PSI and let air pressure out of your tires at a low cost. To use the tire gauge, depress the valve core and monitor the pressure gauge until you let the desired amount of air out of your tire, and repeat the process for each tire. You can also use a stick or other slim object like a pen if you’re in a bind, being careful not to let too much air out.

The biggest drawback of the tire gauge method is that, depending on your tire pressure, it takes a long time and you’ll only be able to deflate one tire at a time. There are several tools to consider to make it easier on yourself.

The Fast and Precise Method

To reduce time spent airing down, many overlanders use ARB’s E-Z Deflator. This tool removes the valve core (the mechanism that prevents air from escaping the tire) and lets you decrease pressure from your tire faster, saving you a ton of time at the trailhead. While you can remove the valve core yourself, you risk losing the valve core and ending up with a flat tire. The E-Z Deflator encases the valve core inside of it, ensuring you won’t lose it, and uses a built-in pressure gauge so that you won’t miss your mark when airing down. Unfortunately, using this method means you still only deflate one tire at a time.

Person sitting next to Toyota Tacoma using an E-Z deflator to let the air out of the passenger side Toyota.

The Automatic Method

Use automatic tire deflators to let the air out of more than one tire at once. Automatic tire deflators screw onto your tire’s valve stem and automatically let the air out of the tire until you reach your target pressure. First, you need need to set up your target tire pressure manually and then simply screw them on to your valve stems and let the tire deflators take the air out for you. When your tires reach the desired pressure, the deflators shut off and stop letting air out. This means you’re free to do other tasks and that you won’t have to worry about checking tire gauges. Here’s a great video on how to use automatic tire deflators. While at a higher price point this set from Staun has been proven over the years and is highly recommended.

If you want to make airing down even easier, consider another tool called an Indeflate. It’s a simple device with two air hoses that automatically equalizes the pressure in two tires and allows you to deflate or inflate two tires at once. It still takes the same amount of time that it would for your compressor to inflate two tires, but this tool will remove one step and pair down your airing down/up process even more.

Airing Back Up

Airing down provides a much more comfortable ride off road and gives you better traction, but running low pressure on the pavement is unsafe and robs you of fuel economy. Underinflated tires heat up on the pavement, especially at highway speeds, and are subject to blowouts and failures, so you must fill your tires back up when you leave the dirt. Driving slowly to a gas station with an air compressor works in a pinch, but you’re better off carrying an air compressor in your vehicle.

Air compressor cables hooked up to the battery of a car

There are many portable air compressors on the market designed for automotive use. I recommend a high-quality compressor that connects to your vehicle’s battery for maximum filling capacity. For filling up larger off-road tires you should look at one from VIAIR or ARB – like VIAIR’s excellent 400P. Avoid buying one of the small compressors that plug into your car’s 12v outlet; they just don’t have the power to fill up tires quickly, and once you realize how long it takes it’s unlikely you’ll ever air down again.

When you choose an air compressor, pay attention to the CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating and duty cycle. The CFM number refers to how much volume the compressor can move, and the duty cycle refers to how long the compressor can run before needing to shut down. I’ve used VIAIR’s 400P Automatic for years with great success, and it will fill one of my truck’s 35×12.5in tires from 15-30PSI in 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

Person kneeling next to vehicle managing the air tubes for a compressor in order to put air back into the tires.

Make Airing Down Easy and You’ll Do it More

After swapping on a set of all-terrain tires, airing down provides the biggest performance boost you can give your rig. The time it takes to air down prevents many people from skipping this step, despite the many benefits. With that in mind, make airing down easy and you’ll be more likely to do it. A set of automatic tire deflators and a good air compressor will accomplish that goal.

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Allison smiles next to a trail sign on the JMT.
Gaia GPSOut and Back Podcast

Overcoming Backpacking Fears with She Dreams of Alpine

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene 
 
How to listen: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts |  RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox

Newbie and seasoned backpackers alike all hold fears around backcountry travel. Outdoor Backpacking Educator and Empowerment Coach Allison Boyle shares how to overcome them this week on the Out and Back podcast. Allison is the face behind the ultra-popular blog and coaching service She Dreams of Alpine, which teaches women how to become safe, confident, and self-sufficient in the backcountry.

In this fun and informative conversation, Allison tells hosts Mary and Abby how a city girl from Houston, Texas ended up becoming a backpacking expert. It certainly didn’t happen overnight. Allison shares her stumbling blocks when she started adventuring outside, and how her fears initially continued to grow as she gained more experience. She talks about the top three fears beginner backpackers face, and how to overcome them.

“We’re scared of what we don’t know,” Allison says on Out and Back. “Things we do in our everyday life, like drive or walk down a busy city street, are more dangerous than anything we would do in the outdoors. It’s just, they’re more familiar to us and we’re able to step into those scenarios more. And if you’re a new backpacker, you can’t imagine yourself in the outdoors at all. Once you start building those experiences for yourself, those fears start to go away.”

Alison explains “trip resistance,” that dark cloud of anxiety that seems to float over your head the week before any trip — no matter your experience level. Learn how to quiet that inner voice telling you to abandon your plans, so you can get out and have a blast on the trail. Tune in to learn Allison’s favorite breakfast foods in the backcountry, the one item she can’t leave behind, and how she turned her outdoor passion into a career.

Allison smiles on the trail while holding her hiking poles over her head.

Follow She Dreams of Alpine on Instagram, check out the blog for tried and true advice (including the free Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Starter Kit), and consider signing up for She Dreams of Alpine’s Backpacking Badass program to learn how to become a confident and self-sufficient backpacker.

Next Episode: UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

Yes, you read that correctly. In the next very special episode of Out and Back, author, ultralight backpacking expert, and UFO historian Mike Clelland dives into the mysterious world of alien abductions.

Mike is a masterful storyteller and will leave you clutching your seat (or trekking poles) as he shares his first-hand encounters with extraterrestrial life. He tells the story of how an owl gave him a message on a mountaintop, leading to his fascination with UFOs. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, you’ll want to tune in to hear what Mike has to say about the natural and supernatural worlds.

In the meantime, check out Mike’s book The Messengers, which dives into the overlapping worlds of owls, synchronicities, and UFO abduction. His companion book Stories from The Messengers goes further into the symbolic and literal links between owls and UFOs. Mike is also the illustrator and author behind a series of books on mastering outdoor techniques. And finally, check out Mike’s longstanding blog, Hidden Experience, and his podcast, The Unseen with Mike Clelland.

Last Episode: Life With Fire

Amanda smiles for the camera in a hardhat.

As wildfires derail recreation plans across the West, former wildland firefighter Amanda Monthei makes sense of this new “normal.” Tune in to the last episode of Out and Back to get a behind-the-scenes view on what it’s like to fight fire, and how we can manage wildfires going forward.

“You can’t just exist superficially within the landscape,” Amanda says on Out and Back. “You have to be an active member of it. We’ve been suppressing fire for too long. We need to like recognize that fire very much belongs in these places.”

Amanda unearths why wildfires remain vital for ecosystem health, and how humans misunderstand this life force. She gets into the history of wildfire management in the U.S. and how we’ve primed conditions for fires of unprecedented scope. Amanda dives into what we can learn from indigenous fire management practices, and how we can better coexist with fire going forward.

Follow Amanda on Instagram, and check out her brilliant podcast on all things fire, Life with Fire.

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A man and a woman with backpacks walk up a braod valley in Alaska's Brooks Range
Gaia GPSHow-ToUser Profiles

Get the Best Ultralight Backpacking Tips and a Special Offer from Hyperlite Mountain Gear

by Joe Pasteris
written by Joe Pasteris

Whether you want to join the ranks of ultralight backpackers or simply shed a few pounds from your backpack, you will benefit from reducing the base weight of your pack. Carrying less weight undoubtedly makes for a more comfortable hike. And a lighter load frees you to travel farther and faster, allowing you to see and do more in a shorter period.

Here at Gaia GPS, we’re big fans of Hyperlite Mountain Gear products. Whether we’re backpacking through Alaska, bikepacking across the southwest, or packrafting in Montana, Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs and shelters keep us rolling with amazingly low base weights so we can go farther and longer without resupply.

Not sure where to start? Here are some of our tried and true recommendations. Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s Southwest Series backpack is one of our go-to bags for getting deep into the backcountry. It’s made to handle rough terrain and it won’t shred to pieces when you’re bushwhacking across Alaska’s Brooks Range or squeezing through slot canyons in Utah. And at just under 2 pounds, the HMG Southwest backpack keeps us moving light and fast anywhere we want to go.

If you’re in the market for a weather-tight, ultralight shelter, take a look at Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s UltaMid 2. Constructed with waterproof Dyneema Composite Fabrics, this shelter brings a sturdy pyramid-shaped design and weighs a mere 1.17 pounds out of the box. It’s got a roomy floor space for two weary travelers and enough headroom to stay comfortable while waiting out a Sierra thunderstorm.

With Hyperlite Mountain Gear you can ignore that old theory that you have to decide between carrying a light pack to be comfortable hiking, or carrying a heavy pack to be comfortable camping. Advancements in gear technology make it easier than ever to enjoy the best of both worlds. These days, you can lighten your load while still carrying everything you need to feel prepared and comfortable in the backcountry.

Read on to learn some of the top ways to reduce your backpack’s weight — and some tips won’t even cost a penny.

Adventure Alan sits in the backcountry with his gear spread out around him.
Adventure Alan Dixon and his 9-pound ultralight backpacking gear, including the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest Series backpack.

Start with “The Free Three”

Alan Dixon, a professional backpacking guide, ultralight backpacking guru, and founder of AdventureAlan.com, coined the term “the free three” to describe three categories of items that offer potential weight savings without spending a dime. Rather than focusing on those high-dollar items you typically need to spend money on to reduce your load, like tents and sleeping bags, Dixon focuses on the “free three” things to cut weight, including water, food, and all the stuff you don’t need.

1. Carry Only as Much Water as You Need

At 2.2 pounds per liter, water is one of the heaviest items in your backpack. Knowing how much you’ll drink and how much water will be available on the route should drive how much water you carry.

“People are often carrying two or three liters of water when there’s a stream or lake every three to five miles where they can refill,” Dixon says. “When you know where the water sources are, you don’t need to carry that much.”

Dixon suggests that most backpackers can carry one liter of water and stay perfectly hydrated by refilling along the way. Numerous lightweight and efficient water filters on the market make refilling your supply quick and convenient. Plus, carrying less water means that you can stow your fluids in any lightweight, affordable bottle rather than splurging on a heavier hydration reservoir.

Of course, the one-liter recommendation comes with exceptions, like hiking in the desert or any location with long stretches between water sources. But the takeaway here lies in learning the location of reliable water sources so you can plan to carry a reasonable amount for your trip. Do some research in guidebooks and online forums before you go to find out where you can access water, and carry a detailed map that shows water sources. With Gaia GPS, you can use the USGS Topo map layer to locate water sources in the field and see your precise location in relation to them.

The Hyperlite Southwest backpack weathers an Alaskan storm in the Brooks Range.

2. Carefully Plan Your Menu

A common recommendation for how much food to carry on a backpacking trip says two pounds per person, per day. Dixon claims that on long trips where you burn lots of calories for days or even weeks on end, that recommendation makes sense. But most people on weekend trips can cut back to one-and-a-half pounds (or about 3,000 calories) per person per day and still walk out with leftovers. Making this simple adjustment significantly lightens your pack. If you’re going on a five-day trip and carrying two pounds per day, that’s 10 pounds of food. Carrying one-and-a-half pounds per day reduces the load to seven-and-a-half pounds.

Also, be thoughtful about how much “emergency” food you toss into your pack. It’s easy to get sucked into adding just a little more, adding excess weight. Avoid this mistake by taking time to plan out your menu ahead of your trip so you can be realistic about how much food you really need. To get ideas about what to eat and how to create a menu, read How to Plan a Menu for Long Distance Backpacking.

Photo courtesy of packrafting expert Luc Mehl.

3. Leave Behind the Stuff You Don’t Need

Backpackers commonly carry things they just don’t need. This happens for a variety of reasons—sometimes extra items accumulate in your pack after a few trips, but often people pack for their fears. These fears include being cold, getting dirty, or going hungry. You want to be prepared for the unexpected, but that doesn’t mean you should fill your pack with multiple pairs of clothing or a sleeping bag rated for winter use when it’s the middle of summer.

To avoid bringing loads of extra stuff, do these things before heading out:

Check the weather: Before you go, get a detailed weather forecast for the region and pay particular attention to the high and low temperatures, wind speed, and chance of precipitation. Use this information to help you choose the appropriate clothing and gear to stay comfortable for where you’re going rather than packing for unrealistic fears. If the forecast indicates a hot and sunny weekend, don’t bring your bulky 4-season tent and a sleeping bag built for winter.

When you’re checking forecasts, also take a look at the Weather Overlay maps on Gaia GPS (available with a Premium Membership). Add the precipitation layer to your favorite base maps to display 24-, 48-, and 72-hour precipitation predictions in the app and on gaiagps.com when you’re connected to WiFi or cell service.

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 shelter on the Uinta Highline Trail. Photo by Dan Ransom.

Don’t bring too much clothing: Backpackers frequently overpack clothing out of fear of getting dirty or cold. To get over this, you must accept that backpacking entails getting dirty. Dixon advises not to pack more clothing than you’re able to wear at one time. Thinking about your clothing this way will keep you from throwing in a complete change of clothes. When deciding what specific items to bring, use the weather forecast and seek out versatile, lightweight layers. A lightweight puffy coat proves useful on almost any trip—you can pull it on whenever you’re chilled and even wear it to bed if needed. And, if you just can’t stand the thought of staying in your hiking clothes for the entire trip, Dixon suggests bringing a lightweight pair of long-underwear bottoms and a top to change into for sleeping.

Learn from past experiences: When you get home from a trip and start unpacking, take a moment to consider how frequently you used each item. Examine the things you only used occasionally or didn’t use at all to determine if you really need them next time. Remember that just because you didn’t use essentials like a first-aid kit or compass doesn’t mean you should go without them. But things like camp chairs, books, extra clothing, and extra food can likely be reduced or even eliminated.

Trucking along the Uinta Highline Trail. Photo by Dan Ransom.

Weigh Your Gear

Considered weighing the individual items you put in your backpack. Knowing how much each gear and clothing item weighs helps identify ways to lighten the load.

To keep track, create a spreadsheet that lists all of the things you typically bring on a backpacking trip and how much each one weighs. You can find weights for most items on manufacturer websites or use a digital kitchen scale to weigh them. Try LighterPack.com, which allows you to make gear lists for different types of trips and include weights, pictures, and links.

Pack base weight: Once you know the weight of all the individual items in your pack, you can easily figure out your pack base weight, a number that many ultralight backpackers pay close attention to. Pack base weight refers to how much your backpack weighs loaded with everything you’re taking except food, water, and fuel. Knowing your base weight gives you a consistent number from trip to trip that you can focus on reducing. Base weights will likely vary between different types of trips, for example a summer trip’s base weight will be lighter than a winter base weight, because you’ll have to carry more clothing and gear to stay warm.

Reduce the Weight of “The Big Three”

Spend some time reading about lightweight backpacking and you’ll come across the term, “the big three.” This refers to your tent, sleeping bag, and backpack — three core backpacking items that offer lots of potential weight savings.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 in action on the Uinta Highline Trail. Photo by Dan Ransom.

Tent

If you’re not careful about your tent selection, you may end up with a big, bulky shelter that takes up lots of space in your pack and adds significant weight. Dixon believes if you really want to stay light, look for a tent that has a trail weight of about two pounds. (Trail weight typically includes just the tent, fly, and poles as opposed to the packaged weight that includes everything, including the stuff sacks, stakes, and instruction manual.)

The lightest options include tarp tents and pyramid-style tents. Some people shy away from these because of their non-traditional design and, in some cases, the lack of bug netting. But, if you want to go light, give them a serious look.

Single-wall backpacking tents made from waterproof, breathable fabric save weight by not requiring a separate rainfly, making them another good option. But, these tents typically cost more and sometimes struggle with condensation building up inside. If a traditional double-wall tent is more your style, there are some very light options that come in around 2 pounds.

Sleeping Bag

For this key item, Dixon suggests using an 800-fill power down, backpacking sleeping bag that weighs 1.25 to 1.75 pounds and has a 30-degree comfort rating. (The comfort rating, rather than the lower limit rating, gives a truer indicator bag’s temperature capabilities.) A sleeping bag in that weight range and with that temperature rating satisfies most backpackers the majority of the time.

If you want an even lighter option, consider a camping or backpacking quilt. Without bottoms, mummy hoods, or zippers, quilts are not only lighter, they are also less expensive than sleeping bags. Dixon acknowledges that backcountry quilts aren’t for everyone—some people just can’t seem to embrace the idea of not using a sleeping bag—but if you’re serious about reducing the weight of your pack, try it.

Whether you choose a sleeping bag or a quilt, be sure to pair it with a quality, lightweight sleeping pad. Dixon recommends getting a backpacking sleeping pad with R-value of 4.2 or higher (R-value measures how well a material resists conductive heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better job the material does at insulating). Without a good sleeping pad beneath you, the cold ground will rob you of most of your warmth.

Photo by backpacking expert Luc Mehl

Backpack

Backpackers often believe that bigger, heavier packs with their stout interior frames can comfortably carry really heavy loads. Dixon rejects this notion.

“Nothing carries 40 pounds comfortably,” Dixon says. “Because 40 pounds is never comfortable. The greatest comfort is to reduce your overall pack weight.”

By reducing the weight and volume of things like your sleeping bag, tent, clothing, food, and water, you’ll make it possible to comfortably carry everything you need in a pack that only weighs about 2 pounds and has around a 65-liter capacity. Packs in this weight and size range forego some padding and pockets, and they don’t have extremely rigid internal frames. But you won’t need any of that because your load will be so light and compact.

Repackage What You Can

Repackaging bulky food and toiletry items into smaller, lighter containers serves as a helpful way to cut down on weight. Rather than taking along a whole tube of toothpaste or a giant bottle of sunscreen, squeeze some into small reusable travel-sized bottles. The idea applies to food, too, so look for ways to eliminate packaging when possible. For example, transfer noodles from the cardboard box into a zip-top plastic bag, which is lighter and more compact.

Six days worth backpacking food lies in rows on the floor. Dehydrated meals, trail mix, and dried fruit have been repackaged into small ziplock pages. The allotment also contains bars, instant coffee, and two bars of chocolate.
Adventure Alan’s daily backpacking meal plan with repackaged food. Learn more about his recommended backpacking menu in his post on Best Backpacking Food.

Be Thoughtful About Luxury Items

Even the most hardened backcountry explorers can’t resist taking along a luxury item or two. And that’s okay. You just need to be purposeful about what you take and ask yourself if the weight is worth it.

For instance, if you camp without a pillow but can’t get comfy and always wake up with a sore neck, then perhaps a pillow provides a luxury worth indulging in—there are some ultralight ones that will only add a couple ounces to your load. Or if you need entertainment in camp, maybe bring along a small book or journal. Or better yet, load e-books onto your phone. Smartphones can serve all kinds of purposes in the backcountry, whether for entertainment or to help you find your way. Read Best Uses for Your Cell Phone in the Backcountry for other ideas about how your phone can come in handy and possibly help you save weight.

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Gaia GPSHow-ToUser Profiles

How to Photograph the Night Sky

by Jaymie Shearer
written by Jaymie Shearer

5 Night Sky Photography Tips from Professional Photographer Scott Sady

Nothing captures the imagination quite like the night sky. Sitting beneath its vast expanse leaves you feeling small in the midst of the universe. With the development of cameras and technology, it’s become easier to capture these scenes with only a few pieces of necessary gear.

Scott Sady, a fine art landscape photographer from Reno, Nevada is no stranger to photographing vistas like the night sky. He specializes in outdoor, action, and adventure photography with a focus on the landscapes around the West, the High Sierra, and Lake Tahoe. Sady began his career as a photojournalist with the Associated Press in Central America in the 1990’s and worked as a photographer for USA TODAY, covering two Olympics. An expert skier, whitewater kayaker, hiker, rock climber, and mountain biker, Sady’s love for the outdoors can be seen in each of his photographs, including in his images of starry skies.

In this article, Sady shares five tips for photographers who want to capture the night sky. His tips cover recommended gear, planning your shot, the best locations, camera settings, and post-process editing.

Photography Overview

Each time a camera captures an image, it is doing so under a combination of settings that include ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. ISO refers to the camera’s sensitivity to light. The aperture is the size of the hole in the diaphragm of the lens through which light passes, controlling how much light enters each image by making the opening bigger or smaller. The smaller the aperture number, the larger the hole and the more light that hits the image sensor. If the aperture number is high, the opening is small and less light will be captured in the image. Shutter Speed controls how long the image sensor is exposed to light coming in through the aperture, allowing only a certain amount of light to be captured in each image.

The Camera’s Relationship to Light

Cameras need light in order to work with each of these controls. Photographing at night means the light available with which to shoot is greatly reduced. In order to capture images at night, a different set of parameters is needed than during the day. For example, during the day you have enough light to take a photo while holding the camera in your hands. If you were to try to take a photograph at night with the camera in your hands, the shot would come out blurry. This is because the camera settings call for a big aperture (more availability for light) and slower shutter speed (more time to let that light in). Any movement the camera experiences will be reflected in the image. In order to minimize this movement, put the camera on a tripod and set up either a self-timer or remote to take the photo. This way the camera can work without any movement disruption.

A night sky with stars and the Milky Way in the distance and a rock island in the foreground.
Behind the shot: “Single frame out of the camera 24mm f1.4 lens at f2.0 25 second exposure at ISO 3200.”

1. Choose the Right Gear

A variety of cameras may be used to take photographs at night, including smart phones. There are apps available to help you manipulate the settings of your phone’s camera to take photos at night. Photographing with your smart phone is a great place to start, however, expect limitations. The settings you can choose on your phone camera are smaller than that of a Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera (DSLR). Photographing with a DSLR improves the quality of your images due to the camera’s wide range of settings that it’s capable of working under.

Sady uses two set-ups for two different photography situations:

Backcountry Setup

Being removed from cityscapes and light pollution allow for inspiring scenes where the stars cascade over the wilderness around you. When venturing out to capture these scenes in the backcountry, where weight matters, you may want lighter gear.

“When I backpack, I carry an ultra-light carbon fiber tripod and my mirror-less Sony camera. This is a lighter camera that works with a lighter tripod,” says Sady. But Sady admits that this lightweight set up has its disadvantages. “The drawbacks of this are the tripod is not as versatile (can’t go as high, legs don’t go as wide, etc.), and a lighter tripod is more affected by any wind or water movement.”

Front-Country Setup

You don’t need to go on a backpacking trip to photograph the night sky. There are many places within driving reach where light pollution is low and the stars are bright. This may be right outside your door or a few hour’s drive away. In this situation, heavier camera gear won’t weigh you down.

“When I am shooting from my car, I carry a full-frame Nikon D850 and a heavy Induro carbon fiber tripod with a heavy-duty ball head,” Sady says. “This allows me to get sharp photos even if the wind is blowing, or if I decide I want to put my tripod legs in a river or the ocean for compositional reasons. This is a lesson I learned the hard way when I went out several years ago to photograph a lava waterfall at dawn as it dripped into the ocean. The scene was amazing but the wind was howling and, despite my best efforts, very few of those images were sharp enough to use.”

Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay under a star-filled sky.
Behind the shot: “The above image was shot on a tripod with a 20mm f1.8 lens at f2.2. Exposure was 30 seconds at ISO 3200 for the ground and 20 seconds at ISO 2500 for the sky and the images were combined in photoshop. Although the result would have been pretty close straight out of the camera as a single frame, the foreground might have been a bit darker if I didn’t combine.”

2. Plan Around the Moon Phases

Once you have the right gear, you’ll need to find out how much light to anticipate for your shoot. The main source of light in the night sky is the moon. In Sady’s experience, if the moon is more than a quarter full or if it is up when the core of the Milky Way is in the night sky, then it will wash the stars out.

“Do you know what I mean by the Milky Way core?” Sady asks. “If you look at night images, many of them will have this beautiful gaseous cloud of brilliant purple and green. Earth is out on one of the spiral arms of our galaxy. When you can compose so that you are looking back into the core of the Milky Way, that is when you will see the best stars.”

Sady suggests the apps ‘Go Sky Watch’ and ‘The Photographer’s Ephemeris’ as good resources for knowing where the core will be at any time in any given location.

Sady advises to look for a night with less than a quarter moon or when the moon won’t rise until after the core is where you want it.

“That sometimes makes for the best images because you can get a brilliant nebulous cloud of the Milky Way core in one exposure before the moon is up,” Sady says. “Then leave the camera on the tripod and don’t move anything, and when the moon comes up, take another exposure for the land now that the moon has cast a little light, and blend the two together.”

3. Find the Best Location

What makes for an interesting photograph goes hand in hand with your surroundings. Look for locations that have dark skies and a landmark in the foreground that draws the viewer in.

“I love a location that gives me something interesting in the foreground: mountains, an arch, cool tree, stream, lake, desert lines,” Sady says. “And I make sure that this foreground will line up with the core of the Milky Way once it gets dark, and that the moon helps me and doesn’t hinder me by washing out the night sky. It goes without saying that getting away from light pollution is a must.”

Clear Skies

Keeping an eye on weather patterns, local wildfires, and air quality are all worth checking before you go. Any cloud cover will prevent access to photographing the night sky. A metropolitan city with an abundance of lights will drown out the brilliance of the night sky.

Light Pollution

Before your shoot, assess how much light pollution an area has through the Light Pollution layer on Gaia GPS. This layer shows light levels measured by NASA. If the area immediately around you has high levels of light pollution, explore the map to find the closest location with a low amount of light pollution. You can also check the Air Quality layer to ensure you’re heading into clear skies.

A computer screen showing the Light Pollution Layer in Gaia GPS.

Dark Skies

Another resource is to check if there are any Dark Sky Parks and Sanctuaries around you. These are designated areas of land often found in remote locations, far from any source of light pollution. Living in Nevada, Sady has easy access to several of these designated areas. The Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area is an hour north of Reno and was designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2019. It is one of the darkest places in the contiguous United States. Also included in the list of Dark Sky Sanctuaries is Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Utah. Death Valley National Park is considered a Dark Sky Park.

If you’re unsure of the terrain around you or plan on traveling through a new location, Hike Search on Gaia GPS will help you discover what trails and landmarks are close by.

Star trails through the night sky over rocky Mount Whitney
Behind the shot: “This was a series of 60 – 30 second exposures while a ¼ moon was up in the sky. It was shot on a 24mm lens at f2.8 ISO 2500. One single image was used for the foreground and the remaining images were stacked in photoshop and combined to show the total motion of the stars over the 30 minutes or so the exposures were being made. With film, we used to use a cable release and run a single shot for ½ hour or more to get this effect. But with digital cameras, too much digital noise builds up much beyond a minute, so it is best to stack images.”

4. Get Out and Shoot

Taking a picture requires choosing a shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. When you take photographs during the day, your settings are tuned for the amount of light coming into the camera. The same goes for shooting at night, except your settings will need to be adjusted to accommodate the fact there is far less light available.

Set the ISO

One of these considerations is the ISO. “ISO is basically the camera’s sensitivity to light. Usually the higher it goes, the more digital noise (or gain) you see in the images.” Sady explains that photographing with a quality sensor can give you fairly clear images at around ISO 3200, “which is what you need to shoot at night”.

Adjust the Aperture

Shooting with a lens that allows for a larger aperture will help.

“The aperture, or f-stop, is a measure of the size of the hole in the lens that lets light into your camera,” Sady says. “The lower the number, the bigger the hole and thus the more light. I like to use wide angle prime lenses.”

Sady’s favorite lens for night photography is a 24mm f/1.4 lens.

“This lens allows about twice as much light into my camera as a normal lens,” Sady says, “thus making for brighter stars and clearer foregrounds.”

Focus

Once the tripod is set up, lens selected, and camera set to ISO 3200, you’ll want to set the lens to manual and find the focus yourself. You can start by opening your camera’s live view mode and focusing on a bright star.

Choose a Shutter Speed

There are many different approaches to setting up your shot. If you’d like to capture the milky way and have the stars crisp like pinpricks, set the shutter speed just long enough for the stars to show up in your photo. This could be anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. To photograph the movement of the stars across the sky, or ‘star trails’, you’ll need an even longer shutter speed. The longer the shutter stays open, the longer the star trails will be.

From there be sure to set up the self-timer on your camera so you don’t accidentally move the camera when you engage the shutter. This process will require some trial and error as you find the right settings for the camera and environment you are in.

The Milky Way stretches across the night sky with a person with a bright headlamp standing with hands on hips in front of mountain.
Behind the shot: “This was a self portrait with a Sony a6400 (all others were Nikon D850) with a 18mm f1.4 lens at f1.8 25 second exposure at iso 2500 for the sky and for me. All one shot, out of the camera. However, there was a lot of trial and error about how long I kept my light on before things got too bright. I think I ended up holding that pose with the light for about 10 seconds before slapping my hand over it.”

5. Post Processing

You’ve made a plan, composed your shot, found a dark location, and took your photos. Now it’s time for some fine tuning in post processing by correcting the color balance and reducing the noise or grain that comes up in these photos. You can do this on computer programs like Abode Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop.

White Balance

“You do have to take care in processing the images,” Sady says. He points out that the sensor responsible for keeping the colors the camera can pick up on as true to what we see, also known as the White Balance, doesn’t work as well at night due to colors in the atmosphere and light pollution.

“First of all, the colors at night aren’t really what the eye sees,” Sady says. “There is a lot of green in the atmosphere that we don’t pick up.”

One way to correct this is by changing the temperature in post to be cooler, which brings out the blues in the image. The color temperature is designated on a Kelvin Temperature scale with lower numbers being cooler and high numbers being warmer. Sady finds adjusting the White Balance to a Kelvin temperature of 4000 is a good starting point.

Noise Reduction

Next, you’ll need to reduce the noise created by shooting in a high ISO. Finding a balance between sharp stars and soft grain takes careful editing. Many post-processing applications, including Adobe Lightroom, have functions to help with this.

“You will be amazed what a modern camera can see at night that you cannot.”

Find the Light Pollution Layer on Gaia GPS

You can access the Light Pollution Layer on GaiaGPS.com and on the app with a premium membership. If you’re using GaiaGPS.com, select the ‘Layers & Overlays’ icon on the left side of the screen to find the available Map Layers. If you’re using the app, tap the map layers icon on the top right corner of the screen. On both platforms, scroll to the bottom to select the ‘Add Map Layers’ button. The Light Pollution Layer is located under the ‘Feature/Weather Overlays’ category. Hit the green + button to add this layer to your map source.

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Backcountry SkiingGaia GPSHow-To

Winter Hiking Safety Guide: How to Stay Warm and Plan Ahead

by Corey Buhay
written by Corey Buhay

Winter hiking offers the ability to test out new skills, push your physical limits, and experience a landscape transformed by either snow or an open tree canopy. Plus, in many places you will have the trails all to yourself, making winter one of the best times to seek solitude in nature.

However, the same things that make winter hiking special also introduce unique considerations for preparedness and safety: colder temperatures, empty trails, and shorter days reduce your margins for error. Snow can also impair visibility and obscure navigational handrails.

In this article, you’ll learn how to pack for winter excursions, what hazards to expect, how to stay fueled and hydrated in the cold, and how to navigate in snowy conditions. This guide also includes tips for diagnosing and treating cold-related illness and injury in case of an emergency.

Included in this guide:

  1. Hazards of hiking in winter terrain
  2. Fuel and hydration for hiking in cold weather
  3. Navigation in winter conditions
  4. Essential winter hiking gear
  5. Winter first aid

Hazards of Hiking in Winter Terrain

Anu stands in a snowfield with jagged peaks in the background. He's holding hiking poles and carrying a big backpack.

Winter can radically alter a landscape, giving it both otherworldly beauty and unique dangers. Here are a few to be aware of before you set out.

Ice

In the winter, melt-freeze cycles can turn trails into slick ribbons of ice. Similar conditions can result when snow on popular routes becomes compressed over time. Slips on icy trails usually only result in bumps and bruises, but a bad fall can cause more serious back, ankle, or wrist injuries. Pack traction (see “Essential Winter Hiking Gear,” below) and metal-tipped trekking poles for extra stability in icy conditions.

Tree Wells

Skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers can all fall victim to tree wells, which are pits of deep, unconsolidated snow that form around tree trunks. The danger occurs when skiers or riders skim too close to the edge of the pit, which is often obscured by evergreen boughs, and fall in head-first. Experts estimate that 90 percent of tree well victims are unable to escape the soft, deep snow on their own—one reason why solo tree-well victims often succumb to suffocation. Avoid traveling alone in snowy, forested terrain, especially just after a snowstorm. Stay in sight of your partner and be ready to call for help and excavate them if a fall should occur.

Avalanches

An avalanche is a mass of snow moving down a slope. In the US, avalanches kill 25-30 people and injure many more each winter. Most victims of avalanches are backcountry skiers and snowboarders, snowmobilers, and ice climbers, but oblivious hikers occasionally get caught in slides, as well. Avalanches can occur above and below treeline. About 95% of avalanches start on slopes that are 30 – 45 degrees in steepness, but the snow can travel all the way into flat terrain that appears safe to the untrained eye. Before you head out, consult trip reports, topo maps, and local experts to make sure your hike won’t take you into avalanche terrain. You can view your local avalanche report, another invaluable resource, at www.avalanche.org. If you’re a skier, check out this comprehensive guide to planning a backcountry ski tour and avoiding avalanche terrain.

Steep Snow

The adventure and challenge of kicking steps into steep, snow-covered slopes makes snow climbing appealing for many. However, it’s often more technical than it looks, since slipping on a steep slope can send you sliding for hundreds of feet. Make sure you know how to assess snow conditions, use crampons, and self-arrest a fall with an ice axe.

Many snow climbs also cross avalanche terrain, so if you’re bagging winter summits—make sure you’re familiar with avalanche safety first.

Glaciers

Glaciers guard many of the U.S.‘s most iconic summits. While there are many permanent snowfields throughout the West (some of which are misnamed as glaciers), for the most part, true glaciers only exist in the far north and in the Pacific Northwest. These active glaciers move and form cracks over time, and these fissures (called crevasses) can be hidden under snow, making unexpected, fatal falls a possibility. Don’t venture across glaciated terrain unless you’re experienced with snow travel and glacier navigation. This includes brushing up on your crevasse-rescue skills.

Fuel and Hydration for Hiking in Cold Weather

coffee cup, backpack, snowshoe and bench on snow

Harsh conditions can a toll on your body, and cold weather can affect your natural hunger and thirst signals. Having a strategy for fueling and hydrating is vital to a successful winter hike.

Eating to Stay Warm

Fighting your way through snow, using ski poles, and wearing heavy clothing can all cause you to burn more calories in winter than in summer. Consume plenty of fats and carbohydrates during the day to keep your energy levels up. Bonus: All that food also serves as fuel for your internal furnace. The more you snack, the warmer you’ll be.

Keep in mind that in very cold temperatures, you’ll need snacks that don’t freeze solid. (Below freezing, Snickers bars and many protein bars are tooth-breakers.) Some great options:

  • nuts or trail mix
  • beef jerky
  • dehydrated drink powders
  • milk chocolate
  • chips or pretzels
  • deli meat and cheese
  • crackers or tortillas
  • peanut butter sandwiches
  • slices of pizza
  • banana or pumpkin bread

Staying Hydrated in Winter Weather

The other secret to staying warm is staying hydrated. Drinking water thins your blood, allowing it to reach further into the capillaries that extend into your fingers and toes. Unfortunately, breathing cold, dry air can leave you dehydrated, and cold temperatures reduce your body’s perception of thirst.

The amount of water you should consume varies dramatically based on things like activity level, personal sweat rate, altitude, and how cold/dry the air is. For that reason, experts warn against offering set hydration recommendations due to fears of people forcing liquids and therefore succumbing to hyponatremia. They instead recommend hikers to drink when they’re thirsty (even though that’s compromised in winter), and/or to drink consistently at breaks.

Consider bringing hot tea or cocoa in a thermos and sipping whenever you take breaks.

Keep Your Drinks From Freezing

Wide-mouth water bottles like Nalgenes are more resistant to freezing than narrower bottles or bladders, which have more surface area exposed to the cold. If your bottle is uninsulated, fill it with warm water and store it in your pack upside-down. That will ensure that any ice forms at the bottom of the bottle rather than freezing the lid shut. You can also add some DIY insulation: cut a strip of foam from an old sleeping pad and duct-tape it around the bottle.

hikers in a blizzard with low visibility

Most of the time, navigating in winter is harder than navigating in summer. Snow can obscure landmarks, terrain features, and even the trail. Fog and blowing snow can also snuff out visibility, making it impossible to orient yourself.

Before setting out on a snowy hike, brush up on your foundational navigation skills first. Then, download a navigation app like Gaia GPS. Use it to plot your route, set waypoints to mark the parking area or any campsites, and download topo maps for offline use. That way, if snow or fog rolls in over the trail, you’ll still be able to follow your route and get an idea of the terrain ahead.

If you decide to hike in snowy, foggy, or unpredictable weather, always record a track. That way you’ll be able to retrace your steps, even in zero visibility.

Weather and Conditions Overlays to Help you Prepare

These top-recommended map sources will take your trip planning and preparedness to the next level.

Snow Depth Overlay

Snow depth overlay over Salt Lake City

Check the approximate depth of the existing snowpack to make educated decisions about necessary gear and preparation.

24-, 48-, and 72-hour NOAA Snowfall Forecast overlays

Snowfall 24-hour forecast over Seattle

Keep an eye on upcoming snowfall to help inform your gear choices and to predict the likelihood of avalanche and tree well hazards.

24-, 48-, and 72-hour NOAA Precipitation overlays

24-hour Precipitation Overlay over Mt Hood National Forest

Use rainfall forecasts in conjunction with temperature forecasts to predict icy conditions and to pack the right layers. Rain can also be a factor in avalanche likelihood.

Slope-angle shading overlay

Avalanche-savvy skiers and riders can use the slope-angle shading overlay to help inform their analysis of avalanche terrain.

Base Maps for Winter Travel

ESRI World Satellite imagery

Satellite imagery over Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

Get an idea of expected tree cover and other landscape features with advanced satellite imagery.

Gaia Topo

Gaia Topo over Yosemite Valley

Stay on-trail even when it’s under snow with Gaia GPS’s proprietary worldwide topo map. Gaia Topo also includes labeled backcountry huts and ski runs in many areas.

Essential Winter Hiking Gear

hiker traversing snow ridgeline on a sunny day

As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear. You can stay warm, dry, and comfortable in any weather—even heavy snow and strong winds—if you’ve packed the right equipment.

Winter Hiking Apparel

A proper layering technique is at the crux of ensuring a comfortable winter hike. Opt for wool and synthetics, which dry more quickly and retain some warmth even when wet, over cotton, which can sap heat from your body when damp. Make sure you have plenty of moisture-wicking and waterproof layers to choose from in case of temperature swings. Remember to remove layers before you start sweating (damp clothing will leave you feeling clammy and chilled) and add layers to trap heat when you stop for breaks. It’s easier to stay warm than to get warm.

You can find more information and best practices on how to layer for winter hiking in this in-depth article.

If you’re expecting icy, snowy, or wet conditions, make sure you have shoes with built-in waterproof liners (often Gore-Tex). Boots are better than low-tops in snow. If there are more than a few inches of accumulation, add gaiters to keep it from getting into your boots. Also, be sure to pack a hat and gloves.

Flotation for Snow Travel

For loose, unconsolidated snow that’s more than several inches deep, consider snowshoes, or nordic—they’ll help you float on top of the snow rather than sinking in. While sinking knee-deep into snow (known as “postholing”) is a great workout, it will leave you sweaty and exhausted, reducing the mileage you can cover. Plus, being dehydrated, damp, and low on calories can leave you a candidate for hypothermia.

Traction for Winter Conditions

If you expect packed snow or icy conditions, bring some form of traction to prevent slips. Often, it’s smart to bring both traction and flotation, as snow conditions can change drastically throughout a hike as tree cover and wind activity change.

For packed snow or less challenging terrain (think flat trails or rolling hills), you can often get by with chains or spikes that bungee over your shoes. These are available at most outdoor stores.

Additional Winter Hiking Essentials

Whenever you need traction or flotation, you’ll also need ski poles. (Hiking poles will work for bare or icy ground, but not for snow; the baskets on ski poles keep them from sinking in so far that they become unusable.) The poles will help you propel yourself up hills and stay balanced on slick or uneven ground. Goggles or wrap-around sunglasses can also be smart to protect against wind or blowing snow.

Tools For Advanced Winter Travel

An ice axe and crampons can assist you in exploring steep and icy terrain. It’s best to take a snow-travel clinic with a local guide service to learn how to use an ice axe and crampons. A guide will be able to help you practice these skills in a safe environment until they become second nature.

Backcountry skis are an efficient way to travel longer distances in unpacked snow.

Mountaineering, ice climbing, and backcountry skiing often involve exposure to avalanche terrain. We recommend avalanche safety courses as part of your training for these activities. Learn more here on the Education page at Avalanche.org.

Winter First Aid

Jagged, snowy mountain peaks with tent in foreground

Wilderness first-aid is a complex topic, and it’s best administered with complete knowledge from a trusted source. Before you head out on your next big trip, consider taking a hands-on wilderness first aid class, many of which can be completed in just a weekend. The education could save your life.

Here’s a list of reputable course providers:

These courses will teach you more about cold-related injury and illness, but here’s a refresher of some of the most common winter medical emergencies:

Hypothermia

Prevention
Hypothermia occurs when your internal body temperature dips below 95°F. While it’s more common in sub-freezing temperatures, it can also occur in temperatures as warm as 50°F if your clothes are damp and there’s a bit of wind. The bottom line: Always bring plenty of layers, including a windproof and/or waterproof layer, when you head outdoors. Do everything you can to keep those layers dry.

Symptoms
Some of the signs of mild hypothermia include:

  • shivering
  • rapid breathing
  • fatigue
  • impaired speech or coordination.

More serious hypothermia can cause additional symptoms:

  • severe confusion
  • extreme drowsiness
  • low or irregular heartbeat
  • cessation of shivering without any significant warming

Treatment
If you or your hiking partner starts to exhibit symptoms, stop and treat the condition right away.

  1. Put up a tent or find another shelter.
  2. Remove any wet clothing from the affected person, and have him or her layer up with all the spare dry clothing you have.
  3. Have the person sit or lay on a sleeping pad, and wrap him or her in a tarp or sleeping bag. Skin-to-skin contact can also be useful in rewarming.
  4. Give the patient sugary snacks and plenty of fluids (heat warm water or make tea or cocoa if you can). Don’t venture back out until the person is completely warm.
  5. If he or she doesn’t start to warm up, is exhibiting signs of moderate to severe hypothermia, or isn’t able to take in food or water, call for rescue.

Frostbite

Prevention
Frostbite—and its precursor, frostnip—most often affects the fingers, toes, ears, nose, and other extremities left exposed to the cold. Prevent frostbite by keeping your hands and feet warm and dry, and ensuring good circulation by wearing properly fitting boots and gloves. Always pack a hat and extra gloves, and wear a scarf or balaclava in very cold temperatures.

Symptoms
Signs of frostnip include:

  • excessive redness or paleness
  • numbness
  • a tingling or burning sensation

When the lack of blood flow has gotten more advanced, frostbite sets in. Symptoms of frostbite include

  • skin that’s both pale and hard to the touch (it may have a waxy appearance)
  • blisters
  • a purple or black hue in more advanced stages

Treatment
Rewarm frostnip immediately. Do not rewarm frostbite in the field unless you’re absolutely sure that you can prevent refreezing, which can cause even more damage. Always avoid rubbing frostbitten tissue, as that can intensify injury as well. Instead, try to prevent further cooling, and get to help immediately. If help is more than a few hours away, read more about rewarming in the backcountry. Wilderness medicine is often complicated, so we always recommend getting professional training before administering any advanced first aid — see the section above on Hands-On Wilderness First Aid Training.

Snow Blindness

Prevention
Snow blindness is essentially a serious sunburn to the eyes, often caused by light reflected off snowy or icy surfaces. Always wear polarized, UV-blocking, full-coverage sunglasses, goggles, or glacier glasses in snowy conditions, even when there’s not full sun.

Symptoms
Symptoms of snow blindness don’t typically set in until hours after the injury has occurred. They include pain, redness, and, of course, impaired vision. Some describe the cornea as feeling scratchy or gritty, like “having corn flakes under your eyelids.” In extreme cases, total but temporary vision loss occurs.

Treatment
Snow blindness usually clears up on its own, though it can take one to three days. Keep your eyes closed and bandaged as much as possible during this time.


*Note: Always consult with a medical professional or seek qualified training before undertaking any medical treatment on your own. Always call for rescue or professional help if symptoms seem serious and you’re unsure of how to proceed.

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Know Before You Go with the Avalanche Forecast Layer

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Gaia GPS is proud to partner with the experts at Avalanche.org to bring you the Avalanche Forecast layer. Now, you can get official, up-to-date avalanche forecasts for mountain zones in the U.S. directly from the map on your phone.

Plan safer winter backcountry travel with quick and easy access to avalanche danger ratings from the National Avalanche Center and the American Avalanche Association. Link to complete avalanche reports from professional snow safety scientists in your region.

Whether you’re backcountry skiing the couloirs or snowmobiling into the back bowls, add this must-have feature to your avalanche safety toolkit. Updated every 30 minutes, this map is available online only. Be sure to check the map before you head out the door or leave cell service.

Avalanche Danger Ratings and Daily Forecasts

The Avalanche Forecast overlays on top of your favorite backcountry map to show you the color-coded North American Avalanche Danger Scale for your region. Crafted by avalanche forecasting experts, the danger scale spans five categories, from low to moderate and all the way through extreme danger, letting you know the risk of potential avalanches on your planned route.

Look for a time and date stamp on the map, showing exactly when the region’s danger rating expires. Tap the shaded areas on the map to access more information, including travel advice and a link to the official forecast from the snow safety scientists at the local avalanche center.

Regions with a daily forecast will show “no rating” until the forecasting center issues the rating for the day. Because winter backcountry conditions change constantly, this layer updates every 30 minutes and is available for online use only. This layer is only active during the avalanche forecast reporting season set by the avalanche centers in the mountain west.

Use the Avalanche Forecast Layer with your Favorite Maps

I computer monitor displaying the avalanche danger rating for an area on the topo map.

Add the Avalanche Forecast layer to your quiver of backcountry ski maps for a more complete picture of winter conditions in the backcountry. Use the layer in conjunction with the newly updated Gaia Topo, the USGS topo map, satellite imagery, Snow Stations (Daily), Snow Depth, and Snow Forecast layers to gather more information and make safer decisions in avalanche terrain.

How to Get the Avalanche Forecast Layer

The new Avalanche Forecast layer is available with a premium membership. To add the layer to your maps, open the Gaia GPS app, tap the layers icon, and select “Add map layers.” Go to “Feature/Weather Overlays” and select Avalanche Forecast.

This feature is available on the Gaia GPS website and both Android and iOS. Download the Gaia GPS app today and start planning your next winter trip to the backcountry.

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Backpacking Gear List: What to Pack for Three Seasons

by Jim Margolis
written by Jim Margolis

The team at Gaia GPS collaborated to build this three-season gear list for multi-day backpacking trips. 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. You may not need everything on this list for every trip, and you may need other specialized equipment for some trips. There are many variations and options—consider this a starting point.

This post is a continuation of How to Plan a Backpacking Trip.

Clothing and Footwear

Set of clothing for backpacking including items for lower body, upper body, feet, head and hands

Footwear

Trail shoes or hiking boots. With a light pack and straightforward trail walking, trail running shoes work really well. Hiking boots can offer more support when you have a heavier pack or the terrain is uneven. The choice is personal and depends on many factors, but just make sure you have walked miles in your choice before your trip to break them in and find out if any hot spots will develop.
Wool socks. 2-3 pairs depending on the length of your trip and how wet you expect conditions to be. If you expect wet conditions, a pair of “sacred socks” that you only wear in camp and while sleeping, not while hiking, will help keep your feet healthy, warm, and dry.
Gaiters. Optional, but nice for keeping snow, dirt, and rocks out of your shoes.
Camp shoes. Optional. Extra weight and space, but some people like a separate pair of shoes to wear when they get to camp. Crocs are lightweight and dry quickly.

Lower Body Clothing

Underwear. Synthetic or wool underwear dries quickly. Some people swear by cotton underwear for preventing urinary tract infections, so consider carrying a pair of cotton underwear if you have a history of UTIs.
Long underwear. Wool is more expensive, but tends to stink less than synthetic materials.
Hiking pants or shorts.
Rain pants.
Puffy pants. Optional. If you expect cold conditions, consider insulated pants, fleece pants, or an extra pair of long underwear.

Upper Body Clothing

Hiking shirt. It’s nice for this to a different layer than your long underwear top so that you can change out of this sweaty layer.
Sports bra.
Long underwear top.
Midweight insulated jacket or fleece. Consider two of these depending on the temperatures you expect. A “midweight” jacket usually weighs about 1 pound, depending on the materials.
Rain Jacket.
Wind breaker. In light precipitation, a breathable windbreaker is more comfortable to hike in than a rain jacket, as you often sweat heavily inside a rain jacket.

Head and Hands

Sun hat. Something to keep the sun off of your head and neck.
Warm hat. Fleece or wool.
Lightweight gloves. fleece, synthetic, or wool. Ideally this is something in which you can also operate a stove or tie knots
Mosquito head net. If you expect insects, this is lightweight and makes life much more comfortable.
Buff. Can substitute for a hat in warmer temperatures, protect your face in cold temperatures, and can be used a sleeping mask at night.

Sleeping, Shelter, and Pack

Backpacking gear including backpack, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, tent, hiking pole, bear spray and sitting pad.

Sleeping bag. Choose an appropriate one for the temperatures you expect – here’s a guide. They usually come with compression sacks. If you expect wet conditions, consider lining the compression sack with a thick trash bag.
Sleeping pad. Inflatable mattresses are undoubtedly more comfortable, but also more expensive and prone to leaking. A humorous comparison: No one ever says “I can’t wait to go to sleep on my foam pad,” and no one ever says “I think my foam pad has a hole in it.“
Pillow. Lightweight options (Sierra Designs, Big Agnes) exist, and may help you sleep better. Some combination of your pack, a water bladder, and extra clothing also works.
Pack. Size and style is determined by the length and goals of your trip. Generally, you’ll want at least a 40 L capacity for a multi-day trip. Here’s a guide.
Trekking poles. Optional, but can save your knees. One is often sufficient. Some tents can be set up with two trekking poles strapped together.
Compactor trash bag. Lightweight and inexpensive way to keep critical items dry. The two mil thickness 20-gallon size is good for most applications.
Bear spray. If applicable for your area, check the regulations of the park or forest you plan to visit.
Tent or Rainfly. Consider a ground cloth or lightweight second sleeping pad if using only a rainfly. Here‘s a guide to choosing a tent for backpacking. Pre-attach utility cord for guy lines in windy conditions.
Stakes. You can also leave these behind and use utility cord around rocks.

Cooking Set Up

Backpacking kitchen including stove, fuel, pot, pan, spatula, spices and handle for pot.

Stove. Canister stoves are the lightweight and work for most conditions. Here’s a guide from Outdoor Gear Lab. Make sure to test your stove before you leave.
Fuel. Make sure it works with your stove. MSR has a detailed article on estimating fuel use.
Pot and lid.
Wind screen. Not pictured. Increases fuel efficiency. Only use one if it is compatible with your stove — some have caused explosions with canister stoves.
Pot grips. Makes it easier to lifts pots and pans and stir meals without burning yourself. If your multi-tool has pliers, those work well.
Frying Pan and Spatula. Optional, but it increases your meal options – quesadillas, pizza, toasted bagels are all quick fry pan meals.
Spices and oil. A lightweight spice kit can make your meals much tastier. I carry olive oil, hot sauce, and pre-mixed salt and pepper in Nalgene 1-oz and 2-oz bottles.

Miscellaneous Personal Items, including Emergency Kit

Personal items kit including GPS device, headlamp, sunglasses, knife and more.

Lighter.Bic Mini lighters are small and fit in a pill bag for waterproofing
Spoon. You can eat anything with a spoon–but not with a knife or fork.
Bowl. Lots of options: lightweight metal, foldable plastic, collapsible silicone. A bowl with a screw top lid, while on the heavier side, can allow you to carry lunch and snacks that can’t be carried in a plastic bag, such as leftover dinner.
Water bottles or water bladder. Bladders with a hose make it easy to drink while walking, but something like a Gatorade bottle is lighter and less expensive. Tie some utility cord around the neck of 16 oz juice bottle and clip it to the hip belt of your pack for a lightweight alternative to a bladder.
Hot water container. Lightweight mug, insulated thermos, or .5 L Nalgene bottle. The .5 L Nalgene can be filled with hot water and taken to bed on cold nights, but they also add weight.
Watch. This basic tool, whether it’s on your wrist or the one on your phone, is an essential piece for dead-reckoning navigation.
Knife or multi-tool. A lightweight multi-tool with knife and pliers can be really useful for cooking as well as repairing stoves and gear.
Water treatment. Iodine or chlorine tablets are simple – drop it in your bottle and wait. Some prefer AquaMira for the taste, but the mixing process is inconvenient. SteriPen (UV light) and pumps are heavier, but offer the advantage of faster treatment. Read a review of options here.
Sunglasses. Crucial for high elevation travel to protect your eyes from UV rays.
Headlamp, with extra batteries. Batteries can be stored in a small pill bag or taped together.
Satellite communication device. The inReach Mini is lightweight and pairs with your phone. You can also get weather forecasts with it.
Firestarter. In case you need to start a fire to stay warm in an emergency situation. Cotton balls covered in vaseline, stored in a plastic bag with an extra lighter, is an effective and inexpensive option. Backpacking Light has a forum with many ideas.

Toiletries

Toiletry kit including face wipes, hand sanitizer, and more.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. A small reusable bottle for toothpaste allows you to bring just what you need.
Lip balm.
Sunscreen.
Hand Soap. Washing your hands is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness.
Hand Sanitizer. When it’s not possible to wash your hands with soap and water, hand sanitizer works well.
Nail clippers. Optional, and dependent on the length of your trip. Trauma shears (see First Aid Kit below) can work too.
Hair management system. Depending on your hair, a lightweight brush or comb, elastic, and bobby pins can be useful. Check out Melanin Basecamp’s guide to managing different kinds of hair in the outdoors.
Personal medications. Bring just what you need in a small pill bag or ather small bottle.
Tampons or pads. Some people also like to use a Diva Cup. Bring an extra plastic bag to carry out waste.
Baby Wipes. Useful for keeping genitalia clean and comfortable. Bring an extra plastic bag to carry out waste.
Pee Rag. Extra bandana used for wiping internal genitalia after urinating. Kula Cloth makes an antimicrobial version.
Toilet paper. Toilet paper must be packed out, so bring an extra plastic bag. To save weight and avoid the mess of carrying used toilet paper, consider natural materials like smooth rocks or snow, or use the backcountry bidet method.
Bug spray. Optional, and if applicable for your area. In my experience, bug spray either doesn’t work at all or doesn’t last very long, making it not worth carrying.

Navigation

Navigation kit including cell phone, map, extra battery and compass

Gaia GPS app on your smartphone. Make sure to download maps to use them offline.
Battery pack and charging cord. Extends the time you can use your phone on a longer trip. 99Boulders has a review of options. For very long trips, some people like solar chargers.
Paper Map and compass. It’s wise to bring backup navigation equipment if your phone is damaged or runs out of battery.

First Aid Kit

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.

The list below is a basic kit that weighs 8 ounces — you may need more or less depending on your objective. NOLS has a more detailed blog post about considerations for a first aid kit.

First aid kit

Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen (800 mg) with acetaminophen (1000 mg every 8 hrs can help with bad pain. Many doctors and hospitals use this combination instead of narcotic pain medications.
Acetominophen.
Diphenhydramine. For treating allergic reactions. If you have a known allergy that causes anaphylaxis, be sure to bring epinephrine.
Loperamide. For treating diarrhea.
Bismuth subsalicylate (chewable tablets). For treating upset stomach, diarrhea, heartburn, and nausea.
Athletic Tape.
Bandages.
Wound closure strips.
Gauze roll.
Antibiotic ointment.
Nitrile gloves.
CPR mask.
Tweezers.
Benzoin tincture. Useful for blisters. A Topical adhesive that helps tape and moleskin stick to your skin.
Moleskin. Useful for blisters.
Kinesio tape. Expensive, but really useful for blisters. The flexibility makes it stick on your feet longer than regular athletic tape.

Gear Repair

gear repair kit including rope, tape, tent pole splint, utility cord, duct tape and inflatable mattress patch kit.

Sewing needle and thread. A heavier-duty thread works better for repairing tents and clothing
Ripstop tape. Great for patching holes in sleeping bags and clothing.
Seam Grip. A general adhesive for repairing gear.
Tent pole splint. For repairing a broken tent pole.
Utility cord. 3 mm is a good size. This has many uses—extra tent guy lines, repairing broken straps, replacing busted shoelaces are a few examples.
Duct tape. Make into small rolls of 3 feet, or wrap around tent pole splint or pen or you’re bringing one
Inflatable mattress patch kit.

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Tips for Planning your Solo Backpacking Trip

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Solo backpacking can be the ultimate meditation experience. You can travel at your own pace, view beautiful scenery in solitude, and really get the chance to tune into your environment with minimal distractions. But, for some, venturing out to the backcountry alone conjures up visions of long, wide-eyed nights in the sleeping bag, wondering what is making that noise outside the tent?

Whether you’re committed to conquering solo backpacking by choice or forced to go alone because your trail partners can’t get time away from work, this article offers some tips to help you make the transition from backpacking with others to backpacking alone with confidence and ease. If you’re already backpacking solo, review these tips for additional ideas for safety and comfort.

Master Backpacking with Others First

If you’re just starting out with backpacking, spend a whole season, or longer, backpacking with others before trying a solo trip. Get your kit dialed and become familiar with how everything works. Get comfortable with camping in the backcountry and develop basic navigation skills with other people around before trying a trip alone.

Three backpackers hiking on a trail along side a bubbling creek with a rocky mountain in background.

Tap into your backpacking friends and family to mentor you through the beginning stages. If that’s not possible, look to outdoor clubs, groups, and guided trips to introduce you to backpacking. After you’re comfortable with group backpacking, you’ll be more prepared, both physically and mentally, to try solo.

Plan and Prepare at Home

With all of its benefits, backpacking solo has become wildly popular. In fact, more than 60 percent of hikers surveyed last year started their thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail alone. That’s thousands of people that hit the trail solo last year, and if they can do it, so can you.

The first steps to joining the solo ranks start at home. Use these tips to thoroughly research and plan your first solo backpack trip from the comfort of your couch. Knowing all you can about the area prepares you for your trip and eases any anxiety you might have about heading into the wild alone.

A woman backpacker holding and looking at a phone with a topographical map on the screen.

Select a Familiar Area

Choosing an area that you know well will boost your confidence when you’re hiking and camping alone. Start with an area that you’ve hiked many times before. If you’ve only hiked it with company, try a solo day trip before backpacking there by yourself. On your solo day hike, take note of all the major points of interest, such as creek crossings, trail junctions, potential campsites, and major landmarks like peaks and lakes. Track your hike using Gaia GPS and drop waypoints along the way for those notable points of interest. You can pull them up later when you head out on your solo backpack trip.

A desktop computer screen showing a topographical map on Gaia GPS website and a menu of waypoint options.

Choose a Well-Traveled Trail

If you’re feeling timid about being out in the backcountry alone, pick a high-use trail for your first time out. Seeing other hikers on the trail, hanging out at a lake, or camping nearby gives the sense that, although you are by yourself, you are not truly alone. If something goes wrong and you need assistance, you can bet another hiker will arrive shortly to give you a hand.

Another benefit of a busy trail is that you can and should wait for other hikers to come along before tackling any serious backcountry hazard. Crossing a swollen creek and traversing a steep snowfield are safer when you are with a buddy — even if they’re someone you just met a few minutes ago on the trail.

A man with an Osprey backpack facing away from the camera and looking at a mountain

Start Small

Starting out with a low-mileage trip will help you decide if you like solo travel without making a huge commitment. Plus, a manageable itinerary will set you up for success by increasing your chances of cooking dinner, setting up camp, and getting comfortable with the surroundings before the sun goes down.

Plan a route with daily mileage and elevation gains that are well within your reach and close enough to the trailhead that you could bail out in just a few hours if you decide to pull the plug on the adventure. And make sure you test out a series of one-night jaunts before taking on a multi-day hike. Ease into solo backpacking until you can be sure that you enjoy being alone outside.

Research the Terrain Online

Once you’ve selected an area that you’re comfortable with, go to gaiagps.com and pore over your favorite topo maps. Check out the surrounding landscape using satellite imagery. Get a good sense of the lay of the land, noting major landmarks, your planned campsite, trail junctions, and any side routes that you could use to bail out in case of an emergency. Create a waypoint for these important features and add notes to revisit later. Check for public tracks and, if you find one that matches your exact route, add it to your account. Finally, create a route of your planned hike and share that route with your friends and family so that people back home know your exact plan.

Next, look on blogs, Reddit groups, YouTube, and Vimeo for trip reports. Trip reports often contain images or videos that can give you a clue as to trail conditions, camping locations, and hazards like creek crossings or snowfields. Check in with relevant social media groups for current conditions. It’s amazing what you can find with a hashtag. Visit land agency websites for updates on conditions and permit requirements, call if you have questions.

Camp in a Designated Backcountry Campsite

If you want to be around other campers on your first night out alone, plan a trip to a national park that has designated backcountry campsites. Many parks — Glacier, Zion, and Mount Rainier, just to name a few — require backpackers to camp in designated sites and often these sites are clustered. These designated campgrounds are a good way to test out your solo camping game, but with the security of having other people within earshot.

Scope Out the Animals

Curb your fears about bears, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes by scoping out what animals live in the area you’ll be visiting. Search national park and forest service websites and call the ranger station for information about what animals you’d expect to see. For animals that concern you, find out what they look like, their tracks, the animal population numbers, their specific habitat, and any reports of human encounters. Also, find out what noises animals make in the area you are visiting. Owls, grouse, and elk in rut make significant noise in the backcountry and you’ll save a lot of worry inside the tent if you are familiar with their sounds.

Answering these questions will help you assess the risk of experiencing an animal encounter when you’re out on the trail alone. For example, you might learn that you will be traveling through bear habitat, but that the bear population is diminutive, mostly confined to the area’s lower elevation valleys, and there exists no prior history of human interaction. Knowledge can help you make decisions about where to camp in bear country and control your worry and vivid imagination.

A solo backpacker walking along a beach with cliffs in the background,

Pick the Perfect Time

The perfect time for solo backpacking is when the conditions are the most comfortable. Don’t plan to go in the rainy season, during peak bug levels, or in the late fall when there are minimal hours of daylight and cold temperatures. All of these situations will have you cooped up in your tent for long hours.

Instead, research the area and call the ranger station to find out if the bugs are on the decline. Look up weather patterns and pick the month with the least amount of average rainfall. Go when the days are long and bright if conditions permit.

Share Your Itinerary

Tell someone at home exactly where you plan to go. Give them all the details. Write down or send an email letting them know which trailhead you will start and finish from, where you plan to camp, and when you will notify them upon return to town, and when they should start to worry. Give them an exact date and time when they should call for help if you fail to contact them. Share your Gaia GPS recorded track with them. Have a plan and stick to it.

Learn the Skills to Stay Safe

Get First Aid Training

Take a wilderness first aid class before venturing out on your first solo backpack trip. Studies show that the top three backcountry injuries include soft tissue injuries, lacerations, and sprains while the top three illnesses include chest pain, dizziness, and diarrhea. Take a wilderness first aid class to prepare you to deal with a variety of medical emergencies should one arise. Knowing some first aid is beneficial to you and anyone you might come across in the wild who is sick or injured.

Take a Backcountry Navigation Course

Andrew Skurka teaching backcountry navigation at 11,000+ feet in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Solo hikers are more likely to get lost than hikers who are part of a group, according to one study conducted in Yosemite. Knowing how to read a map, use a compass, and understand electronic navigation will help you stay found in the backcountry. As a solo hiker, you’ll be making all the decisions on where to go and having the skills to navigate around the backcountry will boost your confidence outside even if you stick to a well-defined path.

Gear Considerations for Solo Backpacking

Go Lightweight

Backpacking solo requires the same gear as backpacking with friends. But without friends, there’s no chance of splitting up gear and your pack will be heavier when going solo. Those items you’re used to sharing, like a water filter, tent, first aid kit, and stove, you’ll be carrying on your own.

Adventure Alan camping with his 9-pound base weight.

Solo backpacking is a great opportunity to scrutinize your gear list and shave any unnecessary weight. Focus on dropping pounds with a lighter tent, sleep system, and backpack, and then move through the rest of your gear to determine if any ounces can be left behind. Ditch luxury items like a camp chair, heavy food items, and extra camera gear to keep your pack at a reasonable weight when soloing.

Get a Satellite Communicator

Invest in a good satellite communicator device. This device will allow you to send text messages outside of cell range. You can text your family at night to let them know your status. You can also press the SOS button and send a message for help if the need arises. The goal is to never have to use such a device, but having the capability to send for help in case of an accident is well worth the cost in both money and extra weight in your pack.

A woman hiker standing on a rock looking out into a foggy mountain valley.

Hike with Confidence

Many solo hikers are more concerned about encounters with people than run-ins with wild animals. Think through a plan on how you will act if you run into sketchy people in the backcountry. When approaching people you are concerned about, try sprinkling a little confidence in your step. Walk by them briskly, leaving no time for conversation.

If you get caught up in questions, be vague with your answers. Don’t tell strangers exactly where you plan to camp, how long you’ll be out on your trip, or that you are traveling alone. Have a fake story ready if someone who gives you the creeps starts asking too many questions. Be ready to tell them about your imaginary friends who are just a half-mile behind you, the made-up ranger who checked your permit 10 minutes ago, and make up a campsite location that is no less than 10 miles in the opposite direction from your planned stop.

Finally, don’t broadcast on social media where you will be spending your time alone in the backcountry.

An orange tent in a mountain valley with snowy peaks in the distance.

Camp with Purpose

Consider what makes you more comfortable: camping within earshot of other backpackers or finding an out-of-the-way spot where no one would stumble upon your campsite in the dark. If you like to be near people, choose popular destinations like lakes and river crossings for camps. However, listen to your gut instinct. If you feel uncomfortable camping around people, or you get to the high-traffic camping area and the people don’t seem like a crowd you can trust, load up on water and dry camp down the trail. Choose an isolated, elevated spot so that you can peer down on any person approaching your campsite.

A man sitting on a ledge looking out at a valley, a portion of his tent is in the foreground.

Get into camp well before dark so you have time to set up and watch the sun go down. Getting used to your surroundings in the fading light takes the mystery out of the darkness. Make a plan where you will go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Finally, keep a clean camp so you don’t attract animals.

Conquer Solo Backpacking with a Friend

Finding a friend to practice solo backpacking seems counterintuitive, but it works. Plan your hikes together at home but stay separate on the trail by starting two hours apart. Camp on different ends of the lake and agree to refrain from contacting each other unless an emergency arises. Plan to meet at the car at a certain time at the end of your hike for a quick debriefing on how the trip went.

Another way to hike solo with a friend nearby is to thru-hike an area. You start at one end of the hike, and your friend starts at the other end. Your paths cross somewhere in the middle of the hike, where you exchange car keys. You’ll be miles away from your friend for most of the trip, but knowing that you will meet a familiar face along the way provides encouragement and incentive to keep going forward.

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