The last week of August 2026, I went backpacking to Mount Assiniboine starting from Banff Sunshine Village. 4 nights/ 5 days. It was stunning!! 28 kilometers each way. It was warm and sunny the first several days, then the 4th day the temps dropped a bit (Aug 29). We knew there was a chance of snow on our last day (Aug 30) so we luckily had packed proper warm gear.

However we never could've anticipated the amount of snow we woke up to on Aug 30!! 2nd pic is at Howard Douglas Lake. Overall, this was truly a once in a lifetime kind of trip. I think that waking up to all the snow on the last day made the trip all the more memorable. But we were definitely glad to only have snow that last day because we were pretty miserably cold and exhausted by the end. 10/10 would do again!

What I loved most about this place is how different the landscapes were. One moment you're walking through a peaceful forest, and the next you're surrounded by incredible mountain views. There are plenty of hiking trails for different fitness levels, so you don't have to be an experienced hiker to enjoy the area.

Quick overnight trip to my favorite hidden gem in Tennessee, Savage Gulf State Park. We had been once before back in 2023 and did the North Rim to South Rim loop. This time, we decided on the Collin's Gulf loop done counterclockwise. Both have their own difficulties, but this recent trail was tough. Boulder fields galore and the ascent back to the parking lot was a burner. RIP to my knees.

The calculated distance on AllTrails is very wrong, lol surprise, surprise! We did roughly 9.6 miles the first day down Stagecoach Rd to Sawmill. Beautiful spot to set up camp. Couple of close trees to hang hammocks down at site 2! Otherwise pretty level for a tent, too. Water access was limited other than Schwoon Spring, which was also a trickle. We had to really climb up behind the rocks and into the cave to reach down and collect water from basically a puddle. It was crystal clear and cold though, so I wasn't complaining after the long day we had.

Day 2 we packed up and headed towards the parking lot. About 5.5 miles up in total, where AllTrails claimed 3.5 (haaa) On the way up, Horsepound Falls was flowing nicely and we collected some water there, not sure when we'd see more. Got up to Suter Falls and that was basically non existent. The pups were pretty gassed at the end, and I was craving a Coke Zero. Fantastic trip all together!

Just got back from a short stop at the Fusine Lakes (Laghi di Fusine) near Tarvisio, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Two glacial lakes with that classic emerald-green water, sitting right at the foot of the Mangart massif.

The place feels surprisingly quiet compared to more famous spots like Braies or Bled — dense conifer forest, big glacial boulders along the shore, and perfect reflections on calm mornings. Easy short loop trails around both lakes, no serious elevation. You can reach it in about 15–20 minutes by car from Kranjska Gora on the Slovenian side, so it’s a nice add-on if you’re already in the Julian Alps.

Water was cold but crystal clear. Would recommend early morning if you want the mirror effect and fewer people. Anyone else been there recently? How was the autumn foliage?

Inspired by a book I had recently read I set off for the mountains during the last pleasant week of fall. It turned out that over the course of five days on a 110-kilometre trail through the mountainous border region between Poland and Czechia I experienced three seasons. While it was over 26 degrees Celsius in Kamieniec at the start, on top of Praded, almost at the end, it was minus five with freezing clouds and strong winds. I'm sharing some pictures, they might make you want to go there too.

There were castles and mountain huts, along with medieval towns, forgotten villages, but very few people!

We hiked the Arctic Circle Trail on the West Coast of Greenland.

An incredible 10 day trek, 160 km across Greenland. Starting with a tour of the ice cap at Point 660 and following the Southern route of the Arctic Circle Trail to Sisimiut. 

It was a dry year in the area and we were blessed with blue skies.

A video with further highlights can be seen here.

Distance: 160 km
Duration: 9 days (Originally planned for 10)
Terrain and Conditions: Well marked with red painted cairns. The main route is mostly a narrow singletrack trail with occasional sections of ATV trail. The Southern Route has largely no trail underfoot but is marked with cairns. Recommended to have a GPS with waypoints for navigation along with maps and compass. 

Key Takeaways

There are no trees in the Arctic Circle, there is little shelter from the rain, wind or in our case the sun. While our biggest concern was applying enough sunscreen, wind and rain could be a real concern under different conditions. On day 2 we were able to canoe down the lake instead of hiking it. What an experience!

There are some basic huts along the trail but you need to be ready to camp as well. We were in a tent for 3 nights.

Don't be intimidated by the distance. There was up/downs but nothing extreme.

My pack is currently sitting at 38lbs. I don’t have any ultralight gear. This weight includes food & water. Plus camera & fishing gear.

First backpacking trip in the sierras, planning to do an overnighter.. Been camping & hiking A LOT over the last 3 years. Just picked up my first pack & after loading it all up, I am a bit worried about the weight for such a small trip.

I would also like to mention I am in pretty good shape & I also have also done plenty of hikes to compare to the one I am doing.

Lighter pack (rough estimated based on internet)

https://lighterpack.com/r/n8fmsi

Santa Maddalena with a view of the Odle Mountains. Such a peaceful place for anyone looking to relax and enjoy some time alone. You can start a hike to the cinema Odle viewpoint from here. Couldn't have imagined a better way to spend a week in July than in the mountains In Italy. The beach doesn't even come close. Shoutout to all the travelers out there!

Great weather for Zaleski state forest a few weeks ago, saw some good views and the moonville tunnel, which was really cool. Overall fun trip for people in Ohio.

Hey I’m planning an overland backpacking trip along the gringo trail from Alaska to Patagonia. I’m going to be staying in a mix of hostels and camping and am trying to decide between a tent which could be used more places, or a hammock to save weight and keep cool in central/south America. Thoughts/Suggestions?

I've never seen anything more beautiful. Definitely one of those places you have to visit at least once in your life. There are so many stunning spots on this island! The one in the photo is Mizithres.

Hi, I'm looking to backpack across Europe for a few months and I was curious how buying/ordering/receiving contacts works there? I've read you're able to go to opticians and pharmacies, hand them your prescription and go from there? But I just want to know how that works. I have a high prescription and astigmatism in both eyes. How long does it usually take to receive a box of contacts once I've placed an order through opticians or pharmacies?

Been using a clip mount on my backpack strap for my action camera lately. I really wanted to avoid wearing another chest harness over my hiking layers, and I prefer having the camera sitting a bit higher up near shoulder level.

It's been totally fine on flat trail walks so far, but I haven't taken it out on any rougher or more technical terrain yet.

For anyone running a similar strap setup on the trail—does yours stay locked in place, or do you end up having to re-adjust the angle constantly while walking?

Backpacking right now. How do you guys wash and dry wool efficiently on a time crunch. I know to avoid dryers but I don’t have much time for air drying with my schedule.

I found a ring while backpacking in the Kanab, UT, area. Dm me if you lost one and we'll figure it out.

Kanab has many great areas. I encourage anyone to check it out.

Hey guys! I'm planning a long-term backpacking trip around Europe, with the goal of visiting every European country and its capital city. I'm trying to figure out what the absolute minimum budget would be to pull something like this off. I'm an extreme budget traveler, so I'm more than willing to sacrifice comfort for the sake of the adventure. I'd be relying on volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation, Couchsurfing, hitchhiking, camping, cheap hostels, and even sleeping outdoors when necessary. Basically, whatever it takes to keep costs as low as possible.

I'm not looking to rush through the continent, the idea is to travel slowly and to take all the time I may need.

For the scope of the trip, I'm talking about European countries and their capitals, excluding Russia, Turkey, Cyprus, and the Caucasus countries. Just to clarify, I don't just want to visit the capitals and move on, I'd like to explore each country beyond its capital, visit other cities, smaller towns and natural areas, and experience what each country has to offer.

My main questions are:

• What's the absolute minimum total budget you'd consider realistic for visiting every country and capital in Europe? Following the plan I mentioned I was thinking around €15k, but I'm not completely sure.
• How much total travel time would you say I should expect?
• Which countries would be the biggest challenge for someone traveling on an extremely tight budget?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who've done something similar or traveled around Europe on an almost nonexistent budget. I'd love to hear your experiences, tips, and what you think is realistically achievable.

Thanks in advance!

I am trying to plan a completion of the Tahoe rim trail for my venture crew and perhaps a few older scouts in some boyscout troops. I have it planned for 14 days in the middle of July , i am fairly experienced for a teen and have backpacked a bit over 250 miles. I see that this trip is going to already be hard and there are some stretches of 20 or less miles without water and we are planned to do a max of 11-15 mile days with a lot of elevation. For people who have done this trail are there other solution? And a general questions what is the best way to approach a water carry (i have never done a water carry or dryed camped), tips tricks or general advice, how much water should I carry. And is this trip really to much for a small group of us to complete. Its 165 ish miles and over 24,000 ft ish of elevation.

Hello, I’m in need of a new backpack and am unsure which to get.

The quick facts:

My base weight is typically 13-15 lbs(minus backpack)
I live in the great state of Georgia, USA and will backpack around the Great Smokey Mountains and along parts of the AT. I will occasionally(once or twice a year) go out west.
I will backpack at most for 7 days.
I am a guy and about 6 feet tall.

I had the REI Tarn 65(but have since outgrown it) and found it somewhat comfortable. I recently used my fathers old(atleast 10-15years old)Gregory Baltoro for a 7 day trip and found it to be fine(I will note that at the beginning my pack weighed upwards of 50-55 lbs).

I looked around and saw that the Osprey Atmos AG 65 is supposedly good. I also saw many people suggesting some of these new ultralight backpacks such as the hyper lite southwest and durston stuff.

As for the budget, I would like to keep it under $450.

Thank you

Any word on campsite and trail damage? Supposed to be doing it in three weeks. Hopefully it's all good. I see a couple more storms south of Baja right now but nothing too north.