From the category archives:

How to’s

Pictures from my Backpacking Basics for Women class

September 3, 2010 How to's

I recently got to teach a backpacking class for women at REI to a group of roughly 40 women. It was pretty fun. I have a lot to learn, and I’ve never taught a group that large, but I think things went well overall. Here are some pics. They are a little blurry, but you [...]

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Don’t change, I like you just the way you are- packing clothes for trips

July 11, 2010 How to's

No, seriously, don’t change. I’ve been teaching a Backpacking Boot Camp with the Portland Women’s Outdoor Club, and one of my missions is to get the participants to bring fewer clothes. To me, leaving a few shirts and pants at home is an easy way to lose weight and bulk from your pack. So I [...]

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Training Aubrey for Hells Canyon: Stage #3

June 21, 2010 How to's

Thumbnail of Aubrey's training schedule.

After doing some stair climbing, weight lifting, and her first overnight in the woods, Aubrey is now ready for the next step in preparing for our Hells Canyon backpacking trip. Step three: Building in distance. Making time to do distance training can be difficult, but they are an essential part of preparing for a multi-day [...]

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Series: Training Aubrey for Hells Canyon stage #2

June 13, 2010 How to's

After a couple of weeks of physical training, Aubrey set out on her next big step towards being prepared for our trip to Hells Canyon: she went on her first short backpacking trip. I recommend that people do this early on so that they can begin to feel comfortable in the woods. Aubrey borrowed some [...]

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Why you should hike in a skirt (or at least think about it)

June 7, 2010 Favorites

I am going to break this down in one word: pee-ability. That is, the ability to pee wherever you want. Now, I’m a big fan of leave not trace and peeing away from the trail, but the are some times when you just really, really have to go. If you are a guy, dealing with this [...]

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Series: Training Aubrey for Hells Canyon stage #1

June 3, 2010 How to's

My roommate, Aubrey, would like to hike Hells Canyon with me this summer, but she has no backpacking experience. Our agreement is that if she will follow my training program for the next month, then she can go on the trip. She’s agreed and is working very hard. Because she doesn’t have a car, I’ve [...]

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Addy’s guide on how to survive making your own Coke can alcohol stove

February 25, 2010 Favorites

Step one: Go to the store and buy a six pack of root beer and a gallon of ice cream. That way, if you get really irritated while you’re making your stove you can have a root beer float. You’ll also have extra cans available in case you make a mistake and need to start again.

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