Jump to content


TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

  • entries
    539
  • comments
    635
  • views
    398,564

Contributors to this blog

  • Aaron Zagrodnick 239
  • Mark Wetherington 76
  • PaulMags 27
  • Susan Dragoo 26
  • Steve Ancik 17
  • tmountainnut 12
  • David Cobb 11
  • Eric 10
  • HappyHour 9
  • jansenjournals 8
  • DustyD 7
  • HikerBox 6
  • Cinny Green 6
  • Karen Garmire 6
  • michaelswanbeck 5
  • AndreaL 5
  • Daniel Anderson Jr 5
  • SparbaniePhoto 5
  • George Graybill 5
  • Kevin DeVries 4
  • mgraw 4
  • Wired 4
  • eliburakian 3
  • JimG 3
  • JimR 3
  • Steven Genise 3
  • sarahtied 2
  • Jen 2
  • Adrienne Marshall 2
  • Jessica Smith 2
  • Doug Emory 2
  • seano 2
  • MattS 2
  • Claire Murdough 1
  • Curry Caputo 1
  • Isak Kvam 1
  • Greg Jansky 1
  • Grace Bowie 1
  • SarahLynne 1
  • Allison Johnson 1
  • BSuess 1
  • Peter 1
  • DKim and PatriciaV 1
  • Tucker Ballister 1
  • Madeline Salocks 1
  • J. Parascandola 1
  • Adel 1
  • Rob Newton 1
  • Barbara 1
  • Ben Libbey 1
  • Tephanie H. 1

Gear | Trips | Food | Technique | Reading

Entries in this blog

Gear

Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket Review

For backpackers in all but the most temperate and low elevation climates, a down jacket is an almost indispensable piece of gear. While fleece jackets, wool sweaters, or synthetic insulation pieces can provide warmth, their ability to do so at a comparable warmth-to-weight ratio as a down jacket is lacking. Although synthetic pieces are certainly catching up in the warmth-to-weight regard and their ability to insulate when wet provides a distinct advantage, there is a reason why the most common
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

0
Food

How to Make Your Own Dehydrated Backpacking Meals

You like to hike, or you would not be reading TrailGroove, America’s finest hiking magazine right now. And you probably like to eat good food, because you are a human. But for far too many people, hiking and eating well do not seem to go together. When I share a camp with fellow hikers, I often cringe to see the awful dreck they gag down: ramen, instant mashed potatoes, quinoa. If I ate that stuff day after day I would lose my will to hike, and perhaps my will to live. Many hikers, especially lo
HappyHour

HappyHour in Food

0
Technique

Backpacking in the Rain: Dealing with the Deluge

While we can hope that a good forecast holds or we luck out and enjoy blue sunny skies on our next backpacking trip, inevitably a trip will fall during a stretch of rainy weather – and we all know that good forecasts don’t always work out quite as planned. Rainy weather adds a new set of challenges a hiker must prepare for, and when chilly weather is added to the equation you have some of the most challenging weather conditions a backpacker will face. But whether it’s afternoon mountain showers
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Gear

Backpacking Jargon: What is a Freestanding Tent?

The default term “tent” is no longer accurate to describe the various shelter options used by backpackers. Tarp-tents, tarps, bivy sacks, hammocks, and tents generally cover the gear used to seek refuge from the elements, but each have further sub-categories that merit examining and understanding when making the best decision about what you will put in your pack. Freestanding tents add convenience, but also add weight. Freestanding & Non-Freestanding Backpacking Tents In
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

0
Gear

3 Season Backpacking Clothing List and Strategy

A clothing system for backpacking needs to be as lightweight as possible while still performing a variety of critical tasks in an ever-changing and varied wilderness environment. A clothing system must be comfortable, will act as our first line of defense to keep us warm, and should protect us from the sun, precipitation, biting insects, and bumps and scrapes on the trail to name a few concerns. While each of these tasks are easily obtainable with dedicated and specialized items of clothing, whe
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

0
Gear

The Multi-Purpose Foam Pad & Backpacking Sit Pads

Carrying the additional half-pound or so a three-quarter length closed cell foam pad, in addition to an inflatable pad, is antithetical to the general concept of lightweight backpacking. However, the versatility of this piece of gear and the added level of safety and comfort it provides make it something some backpackers never leave behind, with multiple use cases out on the trail – from a sit pad in camp and on breaks, to extra insulation and protection for your inflatable in longer lengths.
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

0
Food

The Backpacking Spice Rack: Packing Spices for the Trail

Whether you’re a freeze-dried meal aficionado or if you prefer to custom make each of your meals for the trail, most backpacking meals will rely on dried and pre-packaged ingredients, with little in the way of fresh ingredients to bring life to meals. The result? Many times meals are good, but need…a little something. Spices are a backpacker’s best friend in this regard as they’re already in dried form and weigh next to nothing while packing a punch in the flavor department. Packing your wh
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Food

0
Technique

How to Pack Food for a Backpacking Trip

Food for any backpacking trip is all about balance: a balance of meals that are lightweight yet still offer a sufficient amount of calories and nutrition, food that will likely not be of the fresh variety but will still bring flavor to the table, and finding that delicate balance between bringing enough food without bringing too much. Once you get the balances right however, planning out food for a multiday backpacking trip can be a simple process while still keeping us well fed and in good spir
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Gear

Backpacking & Outdoor Gear Maintenance & Repair Guide

A great season was enjoyed. And it is not quite the end of winter. Spring is almost here. The fine art of ski touring was mastered a bit more. The goal of one winter backpacking trip a month was achieved. Some foothills trail work was done on a few occasions. Your trusty leather hiking boots not only let you walk up to a trail work site, but also became coated with mud on some of the warm winter days that occur just before spring. Your down coat seems a little grungy from some deep shoulder
PaulMags

PaulMags in Gear

0
Technique

Backpacking and Fly Fishing: An Introduction

An argument can be made for keeping backpacking as simple as possible. Stuff your pack with warm clothes, a tent, your sleeping bag, and any other luxury items you wish to carry. Grab a map, hit a trail, and set off through your local woods, the red rocks and canyons of the southwest, or hike towards high alpine cirques. Unbothered by the distraction of the world back at home, you’ll have nothing but the sounds of nature to rock you to sleep wherever you decide to set up your tent. Ho
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Technique

0
Technique

Hiking Blister Prevention, Treatment, and Care

Blisters are a very common hiking injury. Blisters can cause a trip to become very uncomfortable, and in worse case scenarios they can slow you down significantly causing unintended consequences. I find a small first aid kit with a few specific items and some practice will eliminate most foot issues, and will quickly alleviate small problems before the blisters and related problems get big. Preventing blisters from happening is the first step when it comes to backpacking and hiking bl
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Technique

0
Food

How to Make Backpacking and Camping Pancakes

Pancakes are a tried-and-true breakfast dish, but they aren’t a common dish for backpacking. While I typically opt for oatmeal when on my backpacking trips, from time to time I like to add some variety by starting off my day with pancakes. Since this dish requires a skillet and spatula, I usually plan to make it when I’m having quesadillas for dinner during the same trip as I will need the skillet for that meal. Before or after the pancakes, the skillet can also be used for making scrambled
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Food

0
Trips

Hiking & Exploring Kentucky's Red River Gorge

Usually when I travel, I am pulled to the west – New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and surrounding areas. For my latest trip, however, I headed in the opposite direction and visited a place that I had first heard about several years ago: Red River Gorge Geologic Area in northeastern Kentucky. My companion for this trip was Joel, with whom I’ve taken several other trips, both mountain biking and hiking. We left Oklahoma on October 2nd, 2022 and spent four days hiking in the area. The Red Rive
Steve Ancik

Steve Ancik in Trips

0
Trips

Hiking Oklahoma: Where East Meets West

Thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Weather Channel, most folks know Oklahoma as that place in the middle of the U.S. "where the wind comes sweeping down the plains." And the designation is certainly fitting, especially in the spring of the year when it’s time for Oklahomans to hunker down for tornado season. While the plains indeed comprise a large portion of Oklahoma's land mass and contribute significantly to its cultural history, the state is home to more than 10 distinct ec
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

0
Trips

Canyons & Creeks: Backpacking the Rogue River Trail

I turned up the heat in the car at the trailhead. It was a chilly, near freezing November morning as we finished getting our gear ready. There was a sense of excitement. As I hoisted my pack, I could feel the not-so-gentle protrusion of the solid kitchen frying pan in my back. I knew it would be worth it. I carefully left my key in the car in the prearranged location, hoping that the arranged transportation would deliver it to the end of the trail as planned. There were three of us: a good
Eric

Eric in Trips

0
Trips

Views & Volcanoes: Backpacking the Timberline Trail

The Timberline Trail is one of the classic trails in America and is classified as a National Historic Trail. It was designed in the 1930s primarily by the Civilian Conservation Core. For about forty miles the trail circumnavigates Mount Hood, the highest mountain in Oregon at 11,250 feet. Staying near treeline, a hiker on this trail will experience lush forest, wildflower meadows, rugged canyons with glacial fed streams, and view after view of Mount Hood. Driving nearly 2 hours throug
Eric

Eric in Trips

0
Trips

Meadows & Ridges: Backpacking the Goat Rocks Wilderness

With excitement we awaited the arrival of the rest of our group. There would be five of us, friends and future friends, and a dog. The rain that had been drizzling throughout the morning was subsiding and turning to a lovely late August day in the Pacific Northwest. The forested trailhead was beginning to fill with vehicles as we waited patiently. It was near mid-afternoon by the time everyone had arrived, finished packing up, and were ready to hoist their backpacks and begin the uphill climb in
Eric

Eric in Trips

0
Trips

From Sea to Alpine: Backpacking in the Trinity Alps

Choosing a trail is often half the adventure in the scenic Trinity Alps Wilderness. The Trinity’s are somewhat like a wilderness island in northern California: to the east you’ll find Interstate 5 and the snow-capped volcanoes of Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen. To the west is the mighty Pacific Ocean and its rugged coastline. All the while to the north and south, wrapping the wilderness is an impenetrable green of mixed pines, woods, and streams isolating the Alps into its own serenity. Choosing
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Trips

0
Trips

Backpacking in Glacier National Park: A Clouded Journey

Seeing almost 3 million visitors in 2018, Glacier National Park isn’t a piece of public land that could be described as “under-appreciated”. Its spectacular scenery and excellent infrastructure beckons crowds of hikers and backpackers who often fill its trails and backcountry campsites to capacity. However, given its enormous acreage – over one million acres – backpackers who don’t mind spending some time hiking cross-country or doing out-and-back portions of their trip to corners of the park th
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

0
Trips

Backpacking Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Trail

The Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail is one of the best coastal hikes in the United States. This 42 mile trail has been called one of the crown jewels of America’s longest National Scenic Trail, the North Country Trail – a trail that runs from North Dakota and will soon terminate in Vermont. The Lakeshore Trail includes a variety of coastal features including sand dunes, a remote wilderness beach, and impressive cliffs high above Lake Superior. The trail is located in Pictured Rocks National Lakes
Eric

Eric in Trips

0
Trips

Hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail Day by Day

For many backpackers, thru-hiking a major long trail just isn’t a realistic option. Not everyone can pause life, quit their job, and leave their family and friends behind for half a year to hike a long trail. Even if they could, not everyone has the mental and/or physical stamina to enjoy such an arduous task over multiple months. Maybe you’re an aspiring to thru-hiker, but feel like you need more experience before committing to such a long endeavor. If you fall into any of these categories, or
Wired

Wired in Trips

0
Trips

Backpacking North Cascades National Park: A Smoky Trip

After the landscape itself, the memories made with companions, and the wildlife seen, the weather is usually one of the most memorable parts of a backpacking trip. Bluebird skies, sideways rain, scorching heat, unexpected inches of snow – these are often the things which come to mind when reminiscing on trips where weather was either a blessing or a curse. In much of the West, another weather phenomenon also has an outsized influence: smoke. Even if you’re hundreds of miles from an active wildfi
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

0
Trips

Granite and Gold: A Hike Along the John Muir Trail

“Just take three steps, stop, and breathe.” The anthem I sang to myself scaling Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States. I had started down in the Owens Valley 7,000 feet ago, with a backpack loaded with a week’s worth of food. Now, each step that I gain in altitude makes the pack seem heavier and heavier. The Whitney Portal Trail comes to a "T" – I could either veer right and tag the summit and the official start of the John Muir Trail, or head left and down in elevatio
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Trips

0
Trips

Ascending and Descending: Hiking the Wonderland Trail

Mt Rainier straddles the Cascade crest with a dry continental climate to the east and the luxuriant moisture of the Pacific Ocean to the west. The mountain’s geographical positioning coupled with its 14,410 ft elevation and 35 square miles of permanent ice and snow cover creates its own weather. The Wonderland trail is a 93 mile (150 km) circular loop trail around the mountain that traverses all drainages resulting in 22,000 feet of net elevation gain. Many seek the Wonderland Trail o
JimG

JimG in Trips

0
Trips

Shelter on a Summit: Backpacking to Fire Lookouts

As a destination for hikers, summits are understandable at an instinctual level. Grand vistas, an imitable top of the world feeling, and a sense of accomplishment that can last for an afternoon or a lifetime are so appealing that it is often hard to resist the allure of bagging a peak. Whether on maintained trails, cross-country bootpaths, or technical rock climbing routes, there are ways to reach the tops of thousands of peaks on our public lands. While the memories of topping out on a remote h
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Trips

0



×
×
  • Create New...