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Two open Alaska spots: Now discounted

By Andrew Skurka / May 20, 2024 /

Update, May 22, 4pm: The 11-day spot on 2A has been filled. The 7-day spot on 1C remains open. Update, May 23, 5pm: The 7-day spot on 1C is no longer available. All our Alaska trips are full. Due to recent cancellations, I have two spots available on our upcoming trips to Alaska’s Brooks Range. Starting…

Limited spots: Backpack with us in the High Sierra

By Andrew Skurka / May 3, 2024 /

We have a limited number of spots available on our High Sierra trips in July and August. Nearly all the trips had been full, but we recently added two new sessions. As I write this post, we have spots on: For travel and logistics information for these locations, go here. For updated trip availability and…

Video tutorial: How to plan a backpacking trip to Alaska’s Brooks Range

By Katie Gerber / April 10, 2024 /

The Brooks Range offers arguably the greatest wilderness trekking in North America. But it has no trails or bridges; it’s the subject of no guidebooks and few online trip reports; it’s crossed by only one road; and it’s home to a gazillion tussocks and mosquitoes — So how do you plan a successful backpacking trip…

Alaska trip planning tutorial: Join us April 9

By Katie Gerber / April 2, 2024 /

Alaska is home to arguably the best backpacking in North America and planning a trip there requires careful consideration of factors that are unique to that location. Join Andrew and I on April 9 for a discussion on how to plan a backpacking trip to places such as the Brooks Range, Wrangell-St. Elias, Denali National…

Video Tutorial: 8 reasons backpacking is different for females than males

By Katie Gerber / March 27, 2024 /

Last night Andrew moderated a discussion between guide Kat Weyland and myself about all the ways that backpacking is inherently different for women than it is for men. Topics we discussed included: Additional Resources Watch the event:

Remaining Utah spots: now 30 percent off!

By Andrew Skurka / March 22, 2024 /

Our first guided trips of the season in southern Utah start in about four weeks, wahoo! We still a limited number of open spots on 5-, 7-, and 11-day backpacking trips and technical canyoneering courses. All remaining spots are now available at 30 percent off full price. To apply, go here. If have questions, contact…

Recommended footwear for deserts and canyons

By Andrew Skurka / March 21, 2024 /

Footwear is consistently the most discussed topic among the clients on our guided trips in southern Utah during the planning phases. It comes up in our online discussion board, during gear list reviews, and on our virtual group calls. Why? I think it’s due to: This post should be helpful for any reader who is…

Women-specific backpacking tutorial: Join us March 26

By Katie Gerber / March 19, 2024 /

Join Kat Weyland and I on March 26 for a discussion, moderated by Andrew, about considerations for female backpackers that are different than those for males. Kat is based in West Virginia and has worked in outdoor education since 2004. She has thru-hiked the Appalachian and the Continental Divide Trails as well as backpacked through…

Video Tutorial: How to plan a backpacking trip in 7 steps

By Katie Gerber / March 7, 2024 /

Last night Andrew and I hosted a 55-minute tutorial on trip planning. If you joined us, thank you. If you didn’t, you can watch the replay below. Please join us for our next discussion at the end of the month about the ways in which backpacking is fundamentally different for women than men. Topics we…

Aquamira: Why we like it, and how we use it

By Andrew Skurka / March 1, 2024 /

For about twenty years and almost exclusively I have used Aquamira ($15) to purify backcountry water sources. And it’s been the only purification method used by the guided trip program that I started in 2011 and that has over 1,000 alumni. Last month two of these alumni emailed me separately, asking for a written explanation…