Ultralight Backpacking -- 9 Questions to Help You Choose The Right Lightweight Shelter

by N. B. Shepherd

One of the main contributors to backpack weight is your shelter. Two-person tents can weigh six pounds or more. Even a solo tent can be heavy after a long day of backpacking. And that weight seems to be cumulative on an extended hike, getting heavier day after day. If you want to cut pack weight, your shelter is a good place to start.

Alcohol Stoves for Ultralight Backpacking

Alcohol Stoves for backpacking and hiking are available in a variety of styles. There are DIY homemade alcohol stoves made from Cat food, Soda, or Beer cans. You can buy commercially available alcohol stoves made from brass, aluminum, or titanium. With so many different choices what Alcohol Stove do I like the best?

BaxterTrails. A new Blog from Baxter State Park

BaxterTrails is a new Blog from the fine folks up at Baxter State Park. The blog's subtitle is "Current conditions of the trails in Baxter Park and about the Park itself." The blog has been online since January 11, 2012. I'm sure you'll find it interesting!
BaxterTrails: I spent the day once again in the north end of the...: I spent the day once again in the north end of the Park, traveling to Russell Pond from Matagamon.  Conditions in the Park today were perfec...

Maine Trail Finder - Hike, bike, walk, ski, or snowshoe!

Finding Maine trails to walk, hike, snowshoe, ski, or mountain bike just got a whole lot easier!

Maine Trail Finder is a free online resource for people-powered trails in the state. Search a growing database of four-season trails to find the right trail for your next adventure. Browse interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, pictures, and trip reports. 

My First Ultralight Backpacking Trip

My first Ultralight Backpacking trip was in 1999. I hiked 128 miles on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont averaging 19 miles per day.  My total pack weight was 23 pounds. That included 5 days of food and 20oz(!) of fuel. My base pack weight was 11.5 lbs. 


That backpacking trip was an experiment for me. Prior to it I was a traditional backpacker carrying a normal assortment of popular backpacking gear. Little did I know my whole way of thinking was about to change!

Katahdin Cam

Mt Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. At 5268' it is the highest mountain in Maine and the center piece of Baxter State Park. Before you head out  for your trip check out the conditions using these web cams!

Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail in Four Minutes

Green Tunnel from Kevin Gallagher on Vimeo.

It's estimated that each year 2-3 million people hike on the Appalachian Trail. For some it might be for a week, a day, a mile, or maybe less. For a small fraction of that number the goal is to thru-hike all 2180 miles from Springer Mountain GA to Mt Katahdin ME.