When your fingers and toes become frosty after trekking through a day of sloshy, snow-covered ground, nothing sounds better than digging into a hot meal next to a toasty campfire. Yet, winter conditions often make it problematic for making a fire. That soggy kindling just isn’t going to fuel a fire. Your next best option? Pitch the tent before the evening light fades to darkness and snuggle up with a piping-hot pouch of soup! Chase that soup with a side of hot cocoa or apple cider, and your spirits will soar. Here are a few reasons why soup makes the […]
Looking for a new place to hike, run, or cycle? Here’s a list of our favorite sites and apps to direct you to nearby wilderness trails.
[updated for 2025] The John Muir Trail (JMT) is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, spanning 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mt Whitney plus 11 more miles to Whitney Portal. Most of the JMT is shared with the longer Pacific Crest Trail. Except for a few miles, the JMT stays above 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in elevation. Due to the high elevation, JMT hikers will have to time their hike to minimize snow depth. This often gives hikers a short window of travel in the late summer months, commencing in July or August and ending by […]
Looking for gifts ideas for the outdoor explorer on your list? These are a collection of products that the folks at Outdoor Herbivore recommend for backpacking, cycling, and paddling. Socks and Hats Socks, shoes, and clothing are the main items that backpackers wear out or need to replace often. Of those items, socks and hats are easiest for gifting, and both are necessary for staying comfortable outdoors. Socks – Opt for wool or blended wool/polyester socks, which have sweat-wicking properties. Darn Tough is known for producing long-lasting hiking socks with exceptional durability. Hats – For colder months, fleece or wool […]
Several factors can cause the hands to swell when hiking, but the most common causes are gravity and how the body distributes heat during exercise. Gravity plays a significant role in this process, as it pulls the fluid in our bodies towards the lower extremities, including our fingers, hands, and feet. As the core muscles heat up when hiking, the vascular system cools the body by releasing more fluid to these areas. When blood reaches the skin to dissipate the heat, fluids leak out of the vessels, causing swelling of the limbs. Medically known as exercise-induced peripheral edema, the problem […]