Hiking trails in the United States offer an abundance of edible berries that are great for raw snacking. They add fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants to your trail diet. Blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, mulberries, raspberries, and strawberries are just a few examples of the delicious and nutritious berries you may encounter. If you’d like to try foraging wild berries, here’s what you need to know about identifying them, when they typically ripen, and where you’ll most likely find them. Blackberries Blackberries are easy to spot because the fruit is aggregated, meaning each berry contains a cluster of tiny round berries. Blackberries […]
Food
Are you looking to create delicious, lightweight, and nutritious meals for your next backpacking trip? By making your own backpacking food, you can customize it to suit your taste and dietary needs while controlling portion sizes, spice levels, and sodium content. To achieve this, you’ll need to dehydrate or freeze-dry your meals to remove the water content, making them lightweight and shelf-stable. Don’t have drying equipment? You don’t necessarily need to cook and dehydrate or freeze-dry all your food at home. Purchasing pre-cooked and dried bulk ingredients can save you time and money on long hikes. Simply portion out the […]
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 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 […]
As the temperatures warm up and backpackers begin sorting and reorganizing gear, they often find a few expired meals or trail snacks. Consequently, this is the time of year we get asked if it is safe to consume expired backpacking food. Most likely you can! Make sure you have left the packaging intact and kept the food stored properly. Right before your trip, open up the seal and take a whiff. Does it smell or look funky? Here are a few tips to keep in mind.