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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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Contributors to this blog

  • Aaron Zagrodnick 248
  • Mark Wetherington 76
  • PaulMags 27
  • Susan Dragoo 27
  • Steve Ancik 18
  • tmountainnut 12
  • David Cobb 11
  • Eric 10
  • HappyHour 9
  • jansenjournals 8
  • DustyD 7
  • Karen Garmire 6
  • Cinny Green 6
  • HikerBox 6
  • Daniel Anderson Jr 5
  • AndreaL 5
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  • George Graybill 5
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  • Wired 4
  • Kevin DeVries 4
  • JimR 3
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  • JimG 3
  • Steven Genise 3
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  • Tucker Ballister 1
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Gear | Trips | Food | Technique | Reading

Entries in this blog

Gear

How to Choose the Best Backpacking Sleeping Bag

Much like your bed at home, your sleeping bag is a place where you will be spending about one-third of your time in a 24-hour period. Making sure that your sleeping bag is comfortable, warm, and appropriate for the conditions is essential for getting a quality night’s rest so you can wake up the next day ready to crank out some miles, summit a peak, or simply soak up the natural scenery without dozing off. The good news is that there are plenty of options for high-quality sleeping bags, so
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Gear

3
Gear

ULA Circuit Backpack Review

The Circuit from ULA Equipment has been my go-to backpacking pack choice for nearly the last decade and upon review it’s easy to see why: the pack offers both versatility and durability and all at a reasonable price and weight. Thus, the ULA Circuit (or its close cousins) have become some of the most popular backpacking packs out there for lightweight and / or long distance backpacking and thru-hiking. The Circuit backpack offers comfort, adjustability, and efficient storage in a ligh
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

1
Gear

Window Insulation Film / Polycro Groundsheets

Window insulation film, often referred to as polycro in the backpacking community is a thin, clear plastic heat shrink sheeting designed to insulate the windows in your house to save on energy costs – but this material also works very well as an ultralight backpacking groundsheet to help protect your tent floor or for use when cowboy camping or under a tarp. Window insulation film can be picked up on a budget and if needed, cut to size to fit your tent. The Window Insulation Film
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

5
Technique

Bear Country Backpacking & Hiking: In Camp & on the Trail

Whether it’s a trip along a National Scenic Trail or a quick weekend backpacking excursion into an obscure wilderness area – when the mountains are calling, our trips to many backpacking and hiking destinations will also take us into bear country. When hiking and camping in these areas an extra set of considerations will be added to our pre-trip planning process and a few extra gear items will need to be added to our gear list to approach bear country backpacking in the proper manner.
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

2
Gear

Best Hiking & Backpacking Apps | Smartphones on the Trail

Although I resisted bringing technology in the backcountry for many years – whether that be a simple watch at one time to today’s smartphones – one trip that left me stranded on the side of the road for hours changed my mind. A simple call would have resulted in a quick ride, but on that day getting a ride after 5 days in the mountains resulted in a failure even with my best smile. My phone lay in the car back at the trailhead – on the other side of the Continental Divide, and that burger I'd be
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Gear

10
Trips

Shenandoah National Park: Hiking Back East for a Change

It’s almost as if the Pacific Ocean is a magnet, pulling me west each time I venture out to explore. While I take full advantage of the natural wonders offered by my home region in the central U.S., if I am traveling very far to hike, it is usually somewhere west of Oklahoma. As a result, I have hiked very little in the eastern United States, though I’ve managed to walk short sections of the Appalachian Trail on trips to Vermont and Maryland. Not much to brag about. Recently, I was in
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

0
Trips

Ancient Wanderings: Hiking in the Ventana Wilderness

I collect hidden places of refuge in the wilderness. At least once a year I retreat to one of these havens to renew my spirit. These spots have a few things in common: They are off trail, deep in the wilderness, difficult to get to, and a delightful surprise when first discovered. And, when I am there, being alone feels exactly right. Deep within one of California’s coastal mountain ranges in the Ventana Wilderness, one such location is a sandstone cave at the base of a large rock outcroppi
George Graybill

George Graybill in Trips

1
Trips

A Day Hiking Weekend in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

My childhood best friend moved to Akron, Ohio right after she graduated high school to attend the University of Akron. Being from Virginia and having lived there all my life, I had never really heard of the city aside from its connection to Lebron James (but even about this my knowledge was severely limited due to my lack of interest in basketball). That was seven years ago, and I realized recently that I still had yet to visit despite her open invitation. Feeling guilty and quite aware of how l
Grace Bowie

Grace Bowie in Trips

1
Trips

Grand Canyon Hiking and Backpacking Logistics

The Grand Canyon captivates many of those who penetrate its depths, and I am one of them. Living nearly a thousand miles from the South Rim means I visit the canyon, at most, once or twice a year, so I try to make each visit count. In April of 2024, I completed my fourth hike to the canyon floor. Each of my hikes has been very different. When it comes to hiking in the Grand Canyon, those looking for expansive views and rugged terrain won't be disappointed. Backpacking the Grand C
Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo in Trips

0
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
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
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

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

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

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



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