Looking for the best women’s hiking shoes or boots? After thousands of miles of hiking, I'm sharing my favorite hiking shoes, hiking boots, and trail runners for day hikes, backpacking, and thru-hiking.

In search of the best hiking shorts for women? After thousands of miles of hiking, I'm sharing my favorite shorts for day hikes, backpacking, trail running, and more – including the best lined, unlined, and biker shorts for hiking.

Looking for the best sun hoodies and long-sleeve shirts for hiking, backpacking, and thru-hiking? In this guide, I share my top picks based on 6+ years of testing. From lightweight, breathable options to durable, sun-protective fabrics, find the perfect sun hoodie or shirt for your next outdoor adventure.

Staying hydrated when backpacking and thru-hiking is crucial and the right water filter or purifier can make all the difference. In this post, I break down the best options—Sawyer Squeeze/Micro Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree, and Aquamira—sharing when I use each and why they’re my go-to choices for backpacking and thru-hiking.

In this backpacking quilt guide, discover what quilts are, learn about quilts vs. traditional sleeping bags, and explore the advantages of quilts for backpacking and thru-hiking. I go over technical aspects like footboxes and fill power, and also provide my top recommendations for backpacking quilts.

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a 210-mile trail through the the Sierra Nevada in California. This guide provides information on potential resupply stops for both southbound and northbound thru-hikers, including mile markers from three popular starting points. Additionally, I share insights from my August 2021 northbound (NOBO) thru-hike of the John Muir Trail.

Wondering what to pack for a backpacking trip? This post has you covered. I’ve backpacked over 7,000 miles and put a lot of time into finding the best backpacking gear that is durable, quality, and ultralight. In this post, I provide an overview of both ultralight and lightweight backpacking gear, along with budget-friendly options and some higher-priced items.

In this post, learn about all the backpacking gear I took with me on my thru-hike of the John Muir Trail (JMT), complete with a detailed packing list.