The buckle broke at mile four. I was on the first section of the Appalachian Trail north of Amicalola Falls, hiking out and back to test some new gear. I picked that stretch on purpose. The climb to Springer Mountain is steep, and it stays steep for miles. If something in your ki

Five thousand years of carrying things, and what really separates a great backpack from an expensive one There is a particular sound a backpack makes when it fails. It is not dramatic. It is a soft tick or snap . One reinforcing stitch lets go at the base of a shoulder strap, or

Spend enough years camping and you start to notice a pattern: the hazards people worry about most are rarely the ones that cause the most trouble. Bears are a good example. Mention a camping trip to friends who don't spend much time outdoors and somebody will almost certainly ask

Are You Physically Ready for the North Georgia Loop? The North Georgia Loop is close enough to metro Atlanta to feel approachable, but the physical demands are very real. This is not a casual camping weekend or a scenic walk with a backpack. It is a multi-day mountain hike with r

Three July 4th Camping Trips Worth Planning a Whole Year For If you're reading this and you haven't booked a July 4th campsite yet, stop scrolling and do that first. The best spots are gone by Memorial Day. I've had three Fourth of July camping trips that I will tell my grandkids

The Greatest Camping Trip in American History By the time the Corps of Discovery walked back into St. Louis in September 1806, they had been camping for two years, four months, and ten days. They had buried one man, fired a shot in anger only once, and brought back 178 new plants

This started with a simple question: what would I want to carry on a serious 3–5 day hike? Not a casual overnight. Not a quick walk-in campsite. I mean something like the North Georgia Loop. The kind of trip that takes 4–5 days if you keep moving, or 5–6 if you want time to stop,

The First Adventures I Remember My mom used to pack a lunch in our backpack, and we’d go across the street to the vacant lot to roast marshmallows and cowboy camp under the stars. We’d never make it much past dark, but in our minds, we had been gone for days. This was back in a t

Introduction to the North Georgia Loop Hike - Not for Beginners There comes a point in life when the calendar starts talking back... My oldest son just got married. My youngest is halfway through college. I’m soon to be 58 years old, living in North Metro Atlanta, and somewhere b

1. You Don’t Need Better Gear. You Need Enough Gear I used to believe better gear would solve everything. Truth is, it just gave me new reasons to spend. I remember walking through outdoor stores years ago, convinced that one more upgrade would make the whole experience smoother.