Environment

22 posts

Hiking with Venomous Snakes

Have you ever gone hiking with an edgy friend who is always on the lookout for snakes on the sides of the trail? When discussing your previous weekend backpacking trip with your co-workers, how many times have you heard, “Aren’t you worried about snakes?” You should be cautious, but not worried about venomous snakes. Here’s why. Your Odds of a Snake Bite It is no surprise that many people fear interaction with snakes when most of the images presented to us about snakes through books, stories, and TV is a […]

Harmless or Deadly? How to Identify Common Spiders

Find a giant furry spider nestled in your backpacking gear? It is Spring and spiders are coming out of hiding to eat and breed. Before you dig out your backpacking gear from the closet or garage, you might want to know how to identify what spiders are harmful. You can probably tell the difference between a Black Widow and a common Daddy Longlegs spider. However, can you distinguish a Brown Recluse from a Common House Spider? Depending on where you live, this infographic by Pest Control Experts shows how to recognize common […]

When is the Best Time to go Hiking?

Most people think hiking season commences in the spring and concludes after the summer, however, fall and winter are some of the best seasons to visit the trails – especially the national parks. The trails are less crowded than in the summer, which means you can take photos of scenery instead of tourists.  Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider the “off-season” as prime hiking time. 1. Fewer Crowds Fewer people on the trails mean you can hike at your own pace. There is less chance of stepping on […]

cooking bag liner backpacking

Avoiding Dishes in the Backwoods: Cooking Bag Pot Liners

You may already know that Outdoor Herbivore is against the use of heating foods inside of soft plastic. It doesn’t align with our view of producing backpacking food made from high quality, organic ingredients, and subsequently urging hikers to pour boiling water inside a plastic bag to reconstitute it. This is why we do not sell our food in stand-up cook pouches. But cooking liners are rated for much higher temperatures (up to 400 degrees F), so does that make them safer for hot food? Out of curiosity, we decided to look […]

Practical Tips for Responsible Backpacking and Eco-Friendly Living

Although our routines may seem insignificant, the decisions we make in our daily lives impact the wellness of our health, family, community, and world. For instance, conserving energy by turning the lights off in empty rooms is a start to environmental awareness. This small habit is sensible because it saves natural resources and money. This action may lead to other changes, such as making non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies using vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Adopting more significant practices, like using a bike instead of a car for short-distance trips, could […]