New backpacking videos, trip reports, gear reviews, inspiring stories and more.
It’s Member Rewards time at REI! That means REI members have just received 10% of their purchases from last year back to be used in store this year, which is always rad. In this guide, we’ll outline our favorite deals for members and give you the inside scoop on our top recommendations for how to get the most out of your 20% off coupon.
Read MoreThe CleverHiker team spent last week walking the halls of Outdoor Retailer in Denver, drooling over all the awesome new outdoor gear coming out in 2022/23. We put together this article to share the inside scoop on the new products we’re most stoked to get out on a trail!
Read MoreThe holiday season is all about spending time with friends and family (even if it’s just a video call), taking time to relax, and… getting amazing deals on the outdoor gear you love! There are a lot of awesome sales happening right now, so we compiled this list of the best deals available.
Read MoreIt’s the most wonderful time of the year for all of us gear nerds - REI’s Anniversary Sale! May 15th-25th is REI’s biggest sale of the year, and it includes deep discounts on some of our favorite backpacking, camping, and hiking gear. In addition to sale items, REI members also receive 20% off one full-priced item and an extra 20% off one REI Outlet item with coupon code ANNV20.
Read MoreTherm-a-Rest is introducing their new WingLock air valve for 2020 and we were fortunate enough to get to test a first run sample. The new valve system is a great upgrade for the already awesome NeoAir sleeping pad line.
Read MoreREI recently launched their new online used gear website, making shopping for discounted gear even easier. The idea is that it will keep used equipment out of the dump, minimize the loss to the retailer, and increase outdoor accessibility for adventurers on a budget.
Read MoreOn April 25th, Nepal was rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, devastating much of Kathmandu and killing over 6,200 people. It crushes me to see the struggle that Nepal is going through in the aftermath of such a powerful earthquake, especially having experienced their culture first hand. The people of Nepal are incredibly generous and kind. They need help now more than ever, so I'm urging my readers to please support them however you can.
Read MoreThis summer CleverHiker is looking to team up with 2-3 thru-hikers setting out on the AT, PCT, or CDT to help us create a video chronicle of their trips. Our goal is to publicly post real-time video updates of the sights, sounds, and stories from America’s long trails. We want to link up with creative, enthusiastic, and dedicated thru-hikers for this project. We’ll ask our CH thru-hikers to film 60 seconds from every day of their adventure. They might choose to film stunning scenery, progress updates, funny stories, shout-outs to friends/ family or whatever strikes their fancy. This project is all about empowering creative backpackers to film what’s most important to them and creating inspiring and entertaining content for those of us who want to follow along at home.
Read MoreThis past Saturday, CleverHiker was thrilled to attend the first ever ALDHA West Cascade Winter Ruck in Cascade Locks, Oregon. The purpose of the event was to bring together a mix of veteran thru-hikers and aspiring long distance backpackers to swap stories and build community. It was a learning and networking opportunity for backpackers of all levels and CleverHiker was on hand to soak up the weekend’s events and share some tips and techniques. The program included a variety of long-distance backpacking presentations, equipment evaluations, a gear raffle of UL goodies, great food, and cheap handcrafted beers. By all accounts the event was a massive success.
Read MoreWe just announced the content for CleverHiker seasons 2 & 3! Follow this link to SectionHiker.com to see the article that was posted today with a full list of episode titles and content summaries. Our next series is called Essential Trail Skills I & II and it's going to be rad. We're currently in the process of editing 20 HD videos teaching the most important backpacking skills for the trail. The release date will be in early 2014.
Check out the content on SectionHiker and let me know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment on SH, tweet out the article, or leave me a comment here.
Read MoreThe new content is looking incredible and I know that all backpackers will enjoy the series focus. I'm really excited to fill everyone in on the details and I'm working on a blog post to give the full update. I'm offering the post up as a guest post to one of my favorite blogs, so we'll see if that works out.
Read MorePhilip Werner put up a great rant this week about bear bagging and the importance of properly protecting your food in the wilderness. There's been a lively discussion on his post about the best food storage techniques and how to fix the general problem that animals are getting into human food too much in the wilderness.
When animals get human food, it damages their natural foraging instincts and hurts the environment. It also causes pests around established campsites and can be deadly for the animals themselves.
Read MoreIt’s been an action-packed summer for CleverHiker and we’re back in the field filming our next series, Essential Trail Skills! The content for our new series is looking incredible and we’re really excited to get to work in the editing studio in October. More info about the new series coming soon!
We’ve got a lot of big updates coming up, so make sure to stay tuned. We’re working on some huge website improvements, we've got some great new trip reports to share, we’ll be posting some sweet gear reviews, and we’re working to bring on a few key sponsors for our new videos.
Read MoreHow you store your food at night in the wilderness is an important decision, especially in bear country. I've been thinking about proper food storage techniques this week while I write content for the next CleverHiker video series. In some parks and wilderness areas, they have rigid rules, which make your decision much easier. In Yosemite for example, backpackers are required to carry bear canisters in the backcountry and campers are required to use bear boxes in campsites. Educating visitors and forcing them to obey strict food storage rules has led to a dramatic reduction in bear break-ins, aggressive bear behavior, and bear fatalities.
Read MoreDear Colorado, don't ever change.
Annie and I just got back from our grand Colorado road trip and we had an absolutely amazing time! Our three week adventure was filled with weddings, friends, and one of the finest backpacking loops in the country. I took a boatload of photos, videos, and time lapse photography during our backpacking trip, which will make the next CleverHiker season really pop. It's going to be an incredibly busy month, but I hope to post lots of updates with pictures and information from our trip.
Read MoreMy girlfriend Annie and I leave on an epic road trip to the great state of Colorado tomorrow! We'll be driving from Portland to Boulder over the next two days. We have two weddings in Boulder that are separated by about twelve days. We'll be spending those twelve days in the Rocky Mountains hiking the Collegiate Loop trail!
Read MoreWhat are the most important backpacking skills that you'd like to see covered in CleverHiker season 2?
Since the launch of our ultralight backpacking video series, we've been actively seeking feedback on our content. Responses have been overwhelmingly positive and viewers have given us great suggestions about future content. We want to make sure that we focus future seasons on the most valuable information for backpackers of all levels. Many supporters have suggested that we do a season focused on essential backpacking skills. We think that's a fantastic idea!
Read MoreThe big CH launch went off without a hitch yesterday and our customers have been saying wonderful things about our series! It feels incredible to be part of a project that I believe in so much and that has been receiving such positive feedback from the community that I love.
Read MoreIn a few short days – Monday, June 3rd – CleverHiker.com will launch the Lightweight & Ultralight Backpacking Foundations video series and Gear Recommendations eBook. After all the hard work and support that has gone into this project, it seems only appropriate that I should take a few moments to reflect on how meaningful this launch will be.
Read MoreYesterday was a huge day in the life of CleverHiker. I'd love to tell you a little bit about our progress and talk about some big things to come.
About six months ago I started an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to raise support for a video series on ultralight backpacking (image above). The campaign was wildly successful due to the support of my friends, family, and the backpacking community. Yesterday I was able to send an individual email to each of my 166 backers to deliver on a promise I made half a year ago. It was an incredibly proud moment for me.
Read MoreLightweight backpacking video guides and reviews of the best ultralight tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, stoves, and more.
We're Dave & Annie, the outdoor adventurers behind CleverHiker. We love backpacking, international travel, useful gear, and all things nature. Read more on our About page.
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