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Backpacking Articles - Latest

Episode 141 | Hiking at Night in a Blizzard

Critical winter layering, handwear, footwear, lighting, and navigation systems for safely hiking out through a sub-freezing blizzard at night.

Episode 140 | Winter Storm Decisions

Use a six-question framework to decide whether to stay put or bail when winter storms, terrain, and fatigue raise backcountry risk.

Fuel Transfer Valves for Backpacking: Fuel Physics, Myths, Risks, and Real-World Performance

This article examines canister fuel transfer devices from a thermodynamics and engineering perspective, focusing on pressure-driven flow, headspace constraints, fractional distillation of LPG mixtures, and measured transfer rates. It evaluates Alpenflow, FlipFuel, and generic EN 417 adapters and outlines conservative operating practices that respect established EN 417 design safety margins.

Satellite Messaging Devices (“Messengers”)

This market report summarizes the category of satellite messaging-centric devices, i.e., devices that focus on satellite messaging as its primary, rather than secondary, function. This is in contrast to navigation-centric devices (which usually offer integrated mapping on the device), such as the Garmin inReach Explorer or Garmin GPSMap.

How does a Quilt’s Pad Attachment System Influence its Heat Loss Resistance?

This study quantifies how quilt pad-attachment geometry affects convective heat loss. Using a controlled thermal surrogate, standardized wind exposure, and time-constant (Ï„) modeling, we compare pad strap to sheet-and-shingle systems. Results show that tighter pad coupling preserves a substantially higher fraction of still-air thermal resistance, especially under modest side winds.

Cottage Gear Guide: Ultralight Hiking & Backpacking Gear from Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands

Discover the most unique, innovative, and ultralight backpacking gear from small, startup, and cottage brands in our Cottage Gear Guide.

Winter Backpacking

A curated guide to winter backpacking gear, strategies, skills, podcasts, forums, research, education, product recommendations, and more.

Episode 139 | Repair Kits

Learn how to build ultralight repair kits using context, consequence, and capability. Ryan Jordan compares short-term and expedition trips and addresses how to fix shelters, packs, footwear, lighting, and water treatment without carrying excess gear.

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