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 November. The typical […]
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. As the core muscles heat up when hiking, the vascular system cools the body by releasing more fluid to our fingers, hands, and feet. 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 is not serious and will disappear soon after you stop hiking. On a recent backpacking trip in the California Marble Mountains, I noticed […]
In our previous post, we mentioned that we were in the midst of a packaging update. If you have ordered from us recently, you’ve likely received one of the new pouches. We are now transitioning all of our meals in the new packaging. Many of you have requested our food be packaged in heat-safe “rehydration pouches” since our inception in 2010. Our resistance stemmed from the idea that the industry standard, ‘add hot water to the pouch’, was excessively wasteful and a potential health hazard. Compact and simplistic packaging is a significant component of reducing waste and keeping costs low. […]
As a proponent of minimalism, our simplistic packaging has always made sense. Its compact size enfolds each meal, leaving no wasted space. Our 7-day backpacking food combo (a total of 22 meal packets) is so efficient for packing that it merely takes up 500 cubic inches (~8 L) of volume in an average 9 to 10 L bear canister. Outdoor Herbivore 22 single meals packed in the 10 L Garcia Bear Canister. While these compact packets are exceptional for packing and saving weight, they’re not so good for preparing food. As you can see below, there’s barely enough room to […]