All posts in "Gear & stuff"
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A Quick Guide To Free Hiking Maps

By Dustin Walker

Trail maps used to be created by just one company. Maybe even one guy. But in the age of 2.0, that’s all changed. The Net is loaded with free hiking maps that are pieced together by communities of like-minded trekkers. This makes it even easier to scope out sweet trekking spots that are off-the-beaten path. […]

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A backpacking checklist for crazy people

By Dustin Walker

Do you hike trails that make most trekkers cringe? If so, this backpacking checklist might be for you. Whether you’re planning a trek through serious bear country, navigating narrow, cliff-hugging terrain or plowing through a coastal trail during storm season, packing the right gear may help you get out of a tough situation unscathed. If […]

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8 Of The Best Pocket Knives For Backpacking

By Dustin Walker

Updated: July, 2019: You don’t have to spend a small fortunate to get a durable, high-quality pocket knife for camping and backpacking. Something well under $100 should do you just fine. Of course, if you need something larger for hunting, skinning meat or scaring the hell out of your neighbors, the price tag will go […]

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15 Best Axes & Hatchets for Backpacking

By Dustin Walker

(updated in April, 2020 by Casey Fiedler) The moment he shot his friend an awkward glance, I knew the guy had found my axe. “So…. have you seen it?” I asked again. A moment’s hesitation: “Yeah.” He pulled out my sleek little Gerber unit and plunged it into a nearby log.

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How to enjoy hiking in the rain

By Dustin Walker

Your hike doesn’t have to go sour when grey skies turn black. Not if you’re prepared. A lot of fair-weather trekkers won’t even give the rain a chance. When the heavens open up, they instantly jump on the phone to nix travel plans or back out of wilderness trips that have been in the works […]

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Digital Gear (3): Turn your phone into a survivor

By Dustin Walker

Worried your pricy new smartphone won’t survive a wilderness trek? I don’t blame you. There’s a good chance that delicate device will end up buried in mud, smacked against rocks or smothered in camp fire-cooked mac and cheese. But there are ways to reduce the chances your phone will perish on the trail. The market […]

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Digital Gear (2):The 10 most useful hiking apps

By Dustin Walker

I don’t really care about how many steps I’ve taken or whether I can easily organize photos of my trek in a nifty digital journal. Not interested in gear checklists either. What I do want is information. I want statistics and  maps and field guides so I can identify that weird-ass bug crawling on the roof […]

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Digital Gear: How smartphones hit the trail

By Dustin Walker

“I’m going to rock out the rest of the way.” And with that my hiking companion popped in a pair of iPhone ear buds, canceling out the sound of chattering birds and rustling cedar branches around us. I just shook my head. That was a few years ago, when I viewed mobile technology with all […]

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Why vultures make great Christmas gifts

By Dustin Walker

My wife was all smiles when she saw her new turkey vulture for the first time – an ugly-looking thing named Igor. I think that raptor was one of her favourite Christmas presents that year. Of course, I didn’t actually bring the vulture home: I “adopted” Igor through a fundraising program at the North Island […]

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