For hikers of a superstitious bent, the prospect of trekking through the Balkan’s Accursed mountains may evoke more than a little trepidation. And up until fairly recently, this nervousness would have been wholly justified due to the fact that the Read More ... The post A Quick & Dirty Guide to the Peaks of the Balkans Trail first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

Gear cupboard spring cleaning. A combination of culling, gifting, tidying, reminiscing, donating, restoring, “yeah-no, yeah-no……I’ll decide on that one later,” and more reminiscing. During a recent shakeup, among the dusty MSR Whisperlite Stoves, indestructible Thermarest CCF mats, bombproof Macpac Pursuit Read More ... The post Twenty Years of Backpacking Adventures with Tarptent first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

During the website’s recent hiatus, I hiked, traveled, dabbled in extreme ironing, and wrote two books. The first of those titles was Wanderlust Nordics: Exploring Trails in Scandinavia.* Released late last year, it’s a 300-page coffee table book that showcases Read More ... The post Wanderlust Nordics: Exploring Trails in Scandinavia first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

Bookended by two of the Faroe Islands’ most enchanting villages, the trail between Saskun and Tjørnuvík is one of the archipelago’s classic walks. Located on Streymoy Island, the route traverses a scenic pass and showcases an unforgettable collection of cascades, Read More ... The post Saskun to Tjørnuvík: A Classic Hike in the Faroe Islands first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

I hiked Greenland’s Arctic Circle Tail (ACT) in early September 2022. The total distance was 200 km (124.4 mi), including the 35 km (21.7 mi) “Icecap” extension between Point 660 and Kangerlussuaq. Overall, temperatures were fairly typical for that time Read More ... The post Gear List: Arctic Circle Trail (Greenland) first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

Approximately 80 percent of Greenland is covered by a vast ice sheet. The remaining 20 percent of this ironically named island is a coastal corridor that is mostly ice-free during the summer months. It is here, among the sparsely populated Read More ... The post A Quick & Dirty Guide to the Arctic Circle Trail first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

At the northernmost tip of the Faroe Islands lies a towering sea cliff by the name of Enniberg. Looming 754 m (2,474 ft) over the North Atlantic Ocean, it is said to be the world’s highest sea-facing promontory and, thanks to Read More ... The post Cape Enniberg Trail: Hiking to the World’s Highest Promontory first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

There is no universal blueprint as to how you should backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs, and levels of experience. That being said, one thing upon which everyone can agree is that hiking is substantially easier and more Read More ... The post 30 Signs You’re Carrying Too Much Stuff in Your Backpack first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

I’ve never considered myself to be a gearhead. I use gear to hike, not the other way around. That said, if you spend enough time backpacking over enough years, chances are you’ll accumulate the type of equipment necessary to help Read More ... The post Swami’s Gear Closet: Backpacks first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more

The Swift X is a highly customizable lightweight backpack from Six Moon Designs. Made with either Liteskin or X-Pac material, it has a maximum volume of 56 L and tips the scales anywhere between 27 oz (0.8 kg) and 40 Read More ... The post Review: Six Moon Designs Swift X Backpack first appeared on The Hiking Life ..read more