I hiked the majority of the John Muir Trail myself in 2014, as part of my hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Even with 700 miles of thru-hiking already under my belt, and a planned 20 percent reduction ...

How big of an adventure can you pull off on a weeklong vacation? That all depends on how fast you can walk—and how much suffering you can take. Michael Lanza found plenty of both when he decided to ...

Thru hiking backpacks are made for those who embark on multi-day hikes on long trails like the Appalachian Trail (AT) or the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). For thru hikers, a reliable pack that is light, ...

Considering your first thru-hike? Here’s your guide to the basics of preparing for your trip, from picking a route to making a training plan. Backpacking is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle ...

If you’ve gone backpacking anytime in the last decade you’ve probably noticed that thru hiking backpacks are starting to get small—really small. The 70-liter external-frame packs of yore are quickly ...

Thru hiking shoes are made for backpackers who take long multi-day hikes on extended trails, like the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or Appalachian Trail (AT). These hikers carry everything they need on ...

Choosing shoes is the most important gear decision to make before a thru-hike. But with so many options to sift through, each with its own dedicated fanbase, it can be hard to know which is right for ...