The Gila Wilderness is located in southwest New Mexico, north of Silver City and wrapping around Reserve. It contains the West Fork, Middle Fork and much of the East Fork of the Gila River; riverside elevations of around 5,000 ft (1,500 m) are the lowest in the wilderness. The Mogollon Mountains traverse an arc across the southwest of the wilderness. The tallest peak within this range, Whitewater Baldy at 10,895 ft (3,321 m), anchors the western point of the wilderness. At the northeast corner is Black Mountain at 9,287 ft (2,831 m).

This video shows the the first quarter of the 42 mile Middle Fork Trail #142. The stream crosses the trail an average of 6x / mile… prepare to get your feet wet!

This video was shot by YouTube User and BackpackerTV Member CrazyTaileZ Take a look at some of awsome photographs of this hike.

In this film, Moonlightshadow has recently took up wild camping as a hobby. Hear his thought’s as he shares them with Terry on a wild camp in Northern England.

To see more of Terry films, you can visit his YouTube site.

This week, Jason has selected the Top 5 Backpacks of all time. Watch his video as see if you agree.

Here are the top 5 he has selected.

GossamerGear Mariposa Plus

Golite Jam

ULA P-2/Catalyst

Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus

Mountainsmith Ghost

The GearPods Connect system represents a new approach to organizing and packing adventure gear. GearPods Connect is a flexible and modular container system that is perfect for building kits. Sharing a common diameter as most sports bottle holders, GearPods are also easy to pack: in a bike water bottle cage, lumbar pack, hydration pack, backpack or even a pocket. Our pre-built GearPods Kits cover the essentials of adventure and survival: first aid, survival, shelter, and cooking. These kits provide the best of both worlds: highly compact yet capable adventure and survival gear.

Jason Klass from Geartalk with Jason Klass reviews this new survival kit system

Gear Pods is a very unique site that ultralight backpackers should take note of.

There are over 400 miles of designated trails on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Trails range from primitive single-track to old logging roads and railroad grades. Some are for foot only, others allow horse and/or bicycle use. Plan your trip carefully if you are looking for solitude. Trails in the high country as well as the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trail are popular destinations, particularly on weekends.

The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area consists of three distinct regions:

West End

The West End of the Mount Rogers NRA includes the famous Virginia Creeper Trail. Damascus, the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail, is a trail hub as four major trails go through the town: Virginia Creeper, Appalachian Trail, Iron Mountain, and Daniel Boone Heritage Trail.

East End

Are you looking for solitude? The family campgrounds at Comers Rock and Raven Cliff are lightly used and have several nice trails nearby. The Comers Rock Overlook has outstanding views and the Raven Cliff Furnace Trail takes you to a fascinating iron ore furnace from the early 1800’s. Looking for something more developed? Two rental cabins with outstanding views are located on the East End. The East End also has several horse trails and horse camps for the equestrian. Hussy Mountain and Collins Cove Horse Camps provide camping areas close to the famous Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.

High Country

The heart of the NRA, the high country contains over 25,000 acres of the highest lands in Virginia. The Mount Rogers NRA manages approximately 20,000 acres of the high country and 5,000 acres are managed by Grayson Highlands State Park. The high country consists of the following areas:

Lewis Fork Wilderness & Little Wilson Creek Wilderness

Combined, these two federally designated wildernesses total about 10,000 acres of primitive backcountry. These two areas are forested in northern hardwoods with red spruce and Fraser Fir at the highest elevations.

Crest Zone

The open areas on Brier Ridge, Cabin Ridge, Wilburn Ridge, Stone Mountain, and Pine Mountain are commonly called the Crest Zone and total about 2,000 acres. Views are spectacular, with rocky ridges and grassy areas. The area was once heavily forested, but over logging by private companies during the early 1900’s, and wildfire created the balds. Grazing by domestic livestock kept them open. The US Forest Service acquired the property during the 1960’s. Today the balds are kept open through prescribed burning and regulated cattle grazing by private farmers who lease grazing rights. Ponies- Two herds of free-roaming ponies make their home in the high country. A private association manages them. One herd is in Grayson Highlands State Park, and the other lives within the Crest Zone of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Enjoy the ponies, but do not feed them or harass them. In the fall, some of the ponies are auctioned at the Grayson Highlands State Park Fall Festival to manage the population.

This video was shot by Bryan DeLay a BackpackerTV Member

Zigzagging its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America’s National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America’s ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and artic-alpine country. Indeed, the PCT is a trail of diversity and extremes. From scorching desert valleys in Southern California to rain forests in the Pacific Northwest, the PCT offers hikers and equestrians a unique, varied experience.

Over the past decade the PCT has become a favorite target of thru-hikers and thru-riders (the hearty souls who attempt to hike or ride an entire long-distance trail in one “season”). Each year, in fact, an average of 300 hikers attempt to cover the full length of the PCT (thru-riders are more rare but increasing in number). Thousands of other hikers and equestrians enjoy this national treasure each year, some traveling only a few miles in the course of a day hike.

This video was shot by YouTube User: meta474

For the full 43 minute version you can go to “Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail” on our Documentary Channel

Please use caution if you are planning to travel to the the bus and dress appropriately. Some of the windows in the bus are broken and there is no way to use the bus to stay warm. Remember, you will be in a backcountry situation. If you do not know what kind of gear you need or have this equipment to travel safely into the Bush, then you probably have no business trying to do so. For example: If you had decided to carry 10 pounds of food with you, a 10 pound bag of rice is probably the wrong choice.
The Alaska bush IS NOT the Cascades or Rockies.
Death is always a possibility.

For more information on backpacking Denali National Park visit their website.

Never under estimate the importance of keeping your extra clothes, socks, and fire starting kits dry. This video by Peak Survival demonstrates a few choices of dry sacks to use.

The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East, but the metaphor doesn’t exactly fit because in the real Grand Canyon you aren’t constantly assaulted by the low hanging branches of rhododendron thickets, or crawling under downed trees, or ducking to avoid an overhanging rock face that won’t allow you to walk upright along a narrow slippery rock shelf that is the only passage along a cliff face that rises 150 feet straight up from the Linville River.

Tucked away in a corner of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, between Lake James and Grandfather Mountain, the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is so rugged that it was spared the clear-cut logging that was inflicted on most of our eastern forests shortly after the turn of the century. US Army Rangers and US Marines do their wilderness training here. Tenderfoots beware: Linville Gorge is no walk in the park.

The weight of a tent should be one of your high priorities. Sure, no one wants a tent that can’t stand up to a bad storm, Winter or Summer. However, who wants to carry a heavy tent up a mountain either. Today’s tents and their technology can offer some pretty sturdy lightweight tents.

Do some research and lighten your load.

The trail begins at the base of Round Bald, with stunning views of what lies ahead waiting at the summit. The trail descends to Engine Gap, then climbs Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald, all in the first two miles. A small, dry tent site is located at 2.7 miles, and the Roan Highlands AT Shelter (which can sleep up to six) is just up the trail at 3.1 miles. The trail winds through the woods for the next mile and a half or so past the shelter, arriving at another small, dry campsite at 4.8 miles. At about 5 miles a barn-like building (not visible from the trail) known as the Yellow Mountain Barn or Overmountain Shelter can be found just to the southwest of the trail. It can sleep 20+ hikers. From there, the trail makes a gradual climb to the top of Little Hump Mountain, which is one of the most beautiful places to camp if the weather isn’t too bad (a more sheltered area is located around the southern side of the bald). A trail to water is located along the treeline on the south side of the bald. Continuing along the trail, the descent from the bald is steep, but the trail levels out and arrives at Bradley Gap at 7.4 miles. The trail then begins the steep climb up Big Hump Mountain, with loads of stunning views all the way up. The trail makes a pretty sharp right-hand turn towards the top of the mountain, so keep an eye on the blazes. After following the ridge for a time, the trail begins a rocky crossing of the northeastern side of Big Hump Mountain. A spring is conveniently located at 10.1 miles, so keep an eye out for it. From there the trail crosses a meadow to reach Doll Flats, which is a great place to stop for lunch. Then trail crosses a fence line, then bears right to head down a slippery slope, reaching a set of steep switchbacks at 11.2 miles. After a few well-marked turns, the trail arrives at the Apple House AT Shelter at the 12.8-mile mark, with just a little over half a mile left to go. The trail then crosses a field and a small bridge, reaching the ending trailhead at 13.4 miles.

This video was shot by TheBackpackerTV Member Bryan DeLay

The hills in the forest represent some of Ohio’s highest. Terrain relief commonly reaches 400 feet and exceeds 600 feet in some areas, especially in the southwest quadrant. Average ridge top elevations peak between 1100 to 1200 feet above sea level with a few high points breaking the 1300-foot contour. The normal pool elevation of the Ohio River represents the lowest elevation in the region and averages about 500 feet above sea level.

The Buckeye Trail aside, if you were to rank Ohio’s trails in categories based on qualities ranging from difficulty to biological diversity, and everything in-between, then the Shawnee State Forest Backpack Trail would probably come out on top in most categories. The 40 miles of the main backpack trail, along with the nearly 10-mile wilderness side trail, plus an additional 7.2-mile day hike trail, travel through Ohio’s most remote, most contiguous and certainly its most precious forest resource. A multi-night trip on the trail will take you away from the civilized world and into a forest world where only the most hardy hikers trek.

The orange-blazed main trail is laid out in a large loop, with State Route 125 nearly bisecting it in the middle. A 5.3-mile cutoff trail paralleling SR 125 from Camp 3 back to the trailhead divides the main loop into a 23-mile north loop and 27.5-mile south loop. Most backpackers refer to the backpack trail in terms of its two loops, and usually base trips on one or the other. The 9.8-mile wilderness side trail takes hikers into the remote 8000-acre Shawnee Wilderness Area. For backpackers, visiting the wilderness area is a multi-night trip, allowing one day to get to a base camp, usually Camp 6, and then day hiking the wilderness area trail the next. Day hikers can access the wilderness area side trail via County Road 96 along Upper Twin Creek. Overnight parking along roads in and near the forest is at your own risk.

All side trails, including the wilderness side trail, the cutoff trail from Camp 3 back to the trailhead and side trails to camping areas are blazed with white. The 7.2-mile designated day hike trail is blazed blue. The North Country Trail shares the path with the backpack trail along the north side of main loop for several miles, you’ll find the trail in better condition along here. Along the backpack trail’s entire length, expect to find a lot of up and down hiking with few switchback and numerous steam crossings. For this reason, Shawnee may not be the smartest choice for beginning or unconditioned backpackers.

Seven camping areas are spaced approximately every five miles along the backpack trail’s main loop. Most backpackers plan trips with stays at every other camp, meaning a day’s mileage will be in the 10-mile range. Self-registration is required at the trailhead upon arrival. The provided registration forms ask for your planned schedule and dates you will be visiting each camping area. You should try to maintain your reported schedule in case a mishap causes you to miss your posted return.

You’ll find most camping areas to be located off the main trail. For instance, Camp 2 is nearly 0.5 mile from the main trail. Camp 3 sits about 200 vertical feet above the main trail, a tough climb at the end of a day’s hike. Camp 6 is the most remote and scenic camp in the forest, and a must-do for any Ohio backpacker. Its location in a hemlock grove at the confluence of two streams is memorable. Pit toilets are located in the vicinity of each camping area. Most of these have been rebuilt in recent years. Potable water is also provided in buried tanks at all camping areas except Camp 6; however, water can be treated from streams running through this camp.

You may have to go on a search to find both toilets and water hydrants once at camp because neither are typically located near the actual campsites. At Camps 2, 3 and 5, water is located at the beginning of each camp’s side trail. At Camp 1, water is located on the main trail before camp. Water for Camp 4 is located on the main trail just past camp. Finally, water for Camp 7 is located down-valley towards a road. All this is assuming a clockwise direction of travel. Due to bad road conditions, water may not always be provided in winter. It is advisable to check with forest headquarters before setting out in the off-season.

Shawnee State Forest is big, remote, rugged and not heavily used away from improvements in the state park. Being properly prepared and conditioned is key to reducing your odds of a mishap requiring medical or ranger assistance. The forest is home to copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, and once again black bears. Please take the time to learn how to lessen your chances of a negative encounter with these creatures.

This video was shot by YouTube User: bkh940

For more reviews of this piece of gear and articles go to www.gear-post.com

While I’ve been a big fan of the Golite Jam for years, I’ve always felt it was a little lacking in the “feature” area. It lacks hipbelt pockets, a functional mesh back pocket, and lash points. To my delight, the Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus pack fits me every bit as well as my Jam but is a much better design with a lot of features that I’ve always wished my Jam had. Say hello to my new Jam replacement!

A professional level backback for serious outdoor trekkers. We put a lot of extra labor and include multiple cutting edge details and hardware ( see the many detail pictures!) to make this pack the ONE that can do almost anything a Light Weight Backpacker needs year round. Seams are double stitched, felled and use many bartacks- more than 2X the seam stitching vs other budget packs . The mesh outside pockets are placed above the bottom of the pack to prevent wear when the pack is on the ground or when the user wears the pack while sitting – a design that requires far more time to build. Over six specific pack accessories are available for this pack to make it the perfect pack for all you Light adventures. We did not design this pack for a price point and proudly proclaim that over it’s service life this pack will cost you on average six pennies more per user night in the woods!

• Weight: 14.25oz (med- base weight)

17.50 oz would include two large Optional hipbelt pockets (.95ea) , included Sternum Strap(.5) , bungee lacing (.45) and Optional Internal Stow Pouch (.4)

We have seen some customers remove a few of many unique hardware features not found on many other packs (extra strap length, some of the many bungee lacing points, bottom compression clips, special trek pole/axe clips, etc.) and get the base weight under 12oz all while retaining the plush shoulder and waist straps and super tough all Dyneema X body!

• Three Standard Torso Sizes + XL Custom Option

• Total Maximum Volume: 3200ci main pack / 3600ci with filled extension collar

• Minimum Volume: 1800ci with compression and bottom volume reduction system engaged.

• Main Pack: 2400ci

• Main Outside Pocket: 400ci

• Side Pockets: 150ci + 150ci

• Extension Collar: 500ci

• Pack Fabric: Dyneema X (TM) Carbon Gray Color

• SuperWick Mesh lined waist belt – +4″ tall with 1″ end webbing and buckle. Free option for the larger Ark +5″ tall hipbelt wings with 1.5″ end webbing and buckle for Med and Lg torsos with users waists over 34″. + .75oz.

• Extension Collar: 70D Silicone Coated Ripstop Nylon

• Pocket Fabric: 4oz Tough Mesh with Dyneema X elastic top sleeves for long term Durability

• Shoulder Straps: 3.2″ wide, SuperWick Mesh lined with full length foam padding.

• Load Rating: Strong enough for 50+lbs. 20-30 lbs is the recommended average max for all day comfort in any frameless pack.

• Approx. External Dimensions 12” X 7” X 32”

All campsites are accessible only by hiking, biking or horseback for the backcountry sites, and only by kayak or boat for the Tomales Bay.

The National Seashore has about 150 miles of hiking trails to explore. Trail maps for the north district trails and south district trails are available at the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

This video was shot by Vimeo User: SurvivorJEB

The Burnt Lake hike is extremely popular and for a good reason. This hike begins as a gentle walk through a dense rain-forest type environment. Then at two miles the trail makes its only major switchback and becomes much steeper. The trail climbs this last mile out of the dense forest and into a more open area with occasional views of the surrounding hills and Mt Hood. The trail travels around Burnt Lake and there are many places where you can access the shoreline for excellent view (and some fishing if you’re interested). If you stay over night, be sure to stay in designated areas.

For a bit of variety, either on your way up or on your way back down from Burnt Lake, you might be interested in taking a very short side trip to a fun little waterfall. The trail that leads to the falls is on the downhill side of the only major switchback on the trail to Burnt Lake. See the map above for reference to the falls.

This video was shot by Vimeo User: Ken Price

I have used this many times and I have to say “I love it”. It really works with the Katadyn Exstream Purifier Bottle As I cross creeks I get water on the go, and don’t have to stop and pump. When I get to camp, I use the Katadyn Base Camp to throw some water in the bag, hang it, and I have a filtered water source all night.

This video was shot by Vimeo User: camptalk. Visit their website camptalk.net