Category: Backpacking

By P.J. Beaumont This post is dedicated to Samantha, in my evening exercise class. Get out there and get hiking, Sam! There might be a lot of people out there with backpacks and sleeping bags in their closet, but who have never managed to get out and go backpacking. ...

Suppose some friends have invited you on a backpacking trip. Perhaps you’ve never really been camping before, but you have decided that now is the time to try your hand at spending a few nights in the Great Outdoors. There are people who have successfully grabbed a few handy...

By P.J. Beaumont, Co-creator of Tactical Pajamas When it comes to survival ponchos, the Helikon Swagman promises, a lot.  It’s waterproof, insulated, breathable, and has a zipper that turns it from a garment to a summer-rated sleeping bag.  But as a sleeping bag, how low of a temperature can...

I am not sponsored in any way by Grayl. I purchased both my Grayl water filter systems the same way any consumer would and paid full retail for them. The new Grayl Ti Ultrapress costs $200, and the regular Grayl Ultrapress, which is made from plastic, costs less than...

What if I told you there was a type of “Super Survival Fluid” that could supply you with healthy edible calories, help you start a fire, protect against chapping, or even run a diesel or jet engine? Sounds unbelievable, right? But such a substance exists. Put five or ten...

By P.J. Beaumont, co-creator of Tactical Pajamas. Click here for discount codes! First, let’s get some definitions out of the way: Base weight— the weight of all your backpacking equipment minus food and water. Straw weight— a plateau or maximum total pack weight over which your hiking speed diminishes...