Packandsummit
Trails & routes
Appalachian Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
Continental Divide Trail
Colorado Trail
John Muir Trail
Long Trail
Arizona Trail
National parks backcountry
Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains
Desert routes
Alpine and glacier travel
Packrafting and canoe routes
Bikepacking routes
Permits & access
Permit systems by park and trail
Lottery permits and timing
Walk up permits
Wilderness regulations
Bear canister requirements
Campfire and stove restrictions
Quotas and reservation windows
NPS
USFS
BLM
Parks Canada
fire
snow
wildlife
Recreation.gov fee changes and lottery reform
Timed entry systems at parks
Indigenous lands and permission to travel
State land and state park permits
Commercial guiding permits and using a guide
Accessibility and adaptive access to backcountry
Skills
map
compass
GPS
Trip planning and mileage
sources
treatment
carrying
Food and resupply strategy
River crossings
Snow travel and self arrest
Avalanche awareness and terrain
Weather in the mountains
bears
mountain lions
snakes
Leave No Trace
Reading an avalanche forecast and what its terms mean
Trip planning with topographic maps and slope angle layers
Snowpack and streamflow information sources
Wildfire smoke and air quality information
Route finding above treeline
food
cooking and storage
Winter camping and cold weather systems
Packrafting hazards and swiftwater awareness
Land navigation practice drills
Building a turnaround plan before you leave
Gear
pack
shelter
sleep system
Base weight and going lighter
Footwear and blisters
Layering systems
Stoves and cooking
Water treatment
Navigation and satellite communicators
Bear protection
Repair kit
Gear for shoulder season
Satellite messengers and subscription plans compared
Approved bear canisters and where they are required
Sleeping bag and quilt temperature ratings explained
filters
chemicals and UV
Trekking poles and their uses
Headlamps and battery strategy
Insulation types: down fill power versus synthetic
Rain shells and how waterproofing fails
Repair kits and field fixes
Gear for shoulder season and unexpected snow
Renting gear instead of buying
Safety & emergency
Trip plans and leaving word
Satellite messengers and PLBs
Wilderness first aid
Heat illness and hypothermia
Altitude illness
What search and rescue actually does
Rescue insurance and costs
Solo travel risk
Turning around: the decision nobody makes early enough
What information official forecasts do and do not provide
Avalanche education pathways: AIARE and equivalent courses
WFA
WFR and providers
Communicating a plan and check in times
Group decision making and human factors
Lightning above treeline
Water crossings and why they cause fatalities
Reporting an overdue party
After an incident: reporting and learning
News
Where to go
Sierra Nevada
Cascades: Washington and Oregon
Colorado Rockies
Winds
Tetons and Beartooths
Montana and Glacier country
Wasatch and the Uintas
Utah
Arizona
New Mexico
White Mountains and the Northeast
Southern Appalachians
Banff
Jasper
Yoho
Kootenay
Coast Mountains and Vancouver Island
Denali
Wrangell-St. Elias
Chugach
Great Lakes and the Upper Midwest
Hawaii and volcanic terrain
Trip logistics
Recreation.gov reservations and release windows
Parks Canada reservation service
Trailhead parking, permits and shuttles
Zion
Yosemite
Denali
Getting to trailheads without a car
Resupply boxes and post office holds
Hiker towns, hostels and shuttle drivers
Border crossings and the PCT Canada entry permit
Group size limits and party regulations
Dogs on trail: where they are and are not allowed
Food storage regulations and approved containers
Campsite reservations versus dispersed camping
Wrangell-St. Elias
Wrangell-St. Elias coverage on Packandsummit.
No articles filed here yet. New reporting appears as it is published.