• GEAR UP: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BIKEPACKING

    If you’re used to cycling and backpacking, much of the bikepacking experience will be intuitive. What might not is riding with a fully-loaded bike. For that reason, it’s wise to start with some easy singletrack or mellow gravel, allowing you to get familiar with how your loaded bike handles.

    Continue Reading 
  • TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST ALPINE CLIMBING TRIP

    Alpine climbing can be entirely unpredictable. Before heading out, chat with your partner about the types of risks you are both willing and unwilling to face and keep that in mind as you make decisions. Don’t be short-sighted: success is not always about reaching the summit at all costs

    Continue Reading 
  • TIPS FOR BUDGETING FOR YOUR NEXT THRU-HIKE

    of the many reasons hikers give for abandoning their thru-hike, running out of money should not be one of them. Properly budgeting for your next thru-hike, and sticking to it, can mean the difference between crossing the finish line and a miserable hitchhike home.

    Continue Reading 
  • TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED WINTER BACKPACKING

    New to the idea of extending your backpacking season into winter? Fear not–it doesn’t need to be an epic winter sufferfest. Here are some other helpful tips to get your winter backpacking started on the right foot:

    Continue Reading 
1 of 4

HOW TO PACK A BACKPACK

  • RECOGNIZING AVALANCHE TERRAIN

    Recognizing avalanche terrain is critical to staying alive and having fun in the backcountry. You can’t control the weather or the snow conditions but you can control what you bring, when you go, and where.

    Learn More 
  • SNOWSHOEING: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AVALANCHE SAFETY

    Before venturing out this winter, you'll want to learn how to properly read winter terrain, as well as understand the risks associated with traveling through it. To help you do that, we've put together this beginner's guide to avalanche safety.

    Learn More 
  • HOW TO PREPARE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE

    We checked in with Everest guide Harry Hamlin for his advice on how to operate at altitude. Here, he shares how to prepare for high altitude, and tips to prevent sickness when adventuring in the upper reaches of the earth.

    Learn More 
  • TIPS FOR STAYING WARM WHILE WINTER CAMPING

    There’s no escaping it; cold temperatures come with winter camping. With the right tips and tricks, you can stay warm while winter camping and get the rest you need to charge hard on the next day’s mission.

    Learn More 
  • TIPS FOR BUILDING WINTER SHELTERS

    One of the biggest hurdles to winter camping is figuring out your winter camping strategy for shelther: bring your own or use what's there. Here’s a quick breakdown of four of the most common winter shelters.

    Learn More 
  • SNOW CAMPING TIPS FROM THE PROS

    It’s critical to know how to layer properly, use your snow safety gear and navigate terrain during winter backcountry trips. But just as important is knowing how to proficiently camp in the snow.

    Continue Reading 
1 of 6

SUSTAINABILITY TIPS

LEAVE NO TRACE: MANAGING HUMAN WASTE OUTDOORS

This is a story about poop. It’s about the principles of Leave No Trace camping not changing exactly, but evolving in the way we need to apply them. Because we are loving our wild places to death by treating them like giant toilets.

CONTINUE READING

5 WAYS TO BE A CLEANER BACKCOUNTRY CAMPER

While backcountry trip planning quickly conjures up a long list of questions (How much food do I need? What equipment should I bring? Is the weather going to cooperate?), very rarely do they circle back to our impact on nature.

CONTINUE READING

ALL EXPERT TIPS FROM MSR

How to Find a Compatible Backcountry Ski and Snowshoe Partner  

How to Find a Compatible Backcountry Ski and Sn...

MSR TEAM

I thought I had clearly communicated which slope I wanted to avoid. It had dumped snow the night before, I was in an unfamiliar area, and I wanted to play...

How to Find a Compatible Backcountry Ski and Sn...

MSR TEAM

I thought I had clearly communicated which slope I wanted to avoid. It had dumped snow the night before, I was in an unfamiliar area, and I wanted to play...

Snowshoeing with dog

Backcountry Dog Etiquette Tips for Winter

MSR TEAM

Things to consider before you take your K9 companion into the backcountry.

Backcountry Dog Etiquette Tips for Winter

MSR TEAM

Things to consider before you take your K9 companion into the backcountry.

Ice Climbing

5 Awesome Alternatives to Ski Resorts This Winter

MSR Team

Let’s face it: resort skiing can be great, but it’s not for everyone (or the planet). With single-day lift tickets cracking the $200 mark and mile-long parking and lift lines...

5 Awesome Alternatives to Ski Resorts This Winter

MSR Team

Let’s face it: resort skiing can be great, but it’s not for everyone (or the planet). With single-day lift tickets cracking the $200 mark and mile-long parking and lift lines...

sammy spence ski mountaineering msr blog

Ski Mountaineering: Gear List & Tips to Get Sta...

MSR TEAM

Here’s what you’ll need to graduate from ski touring to ski mountaineering.

Ski Mountaineering: Gear List & Tips to Get Sta...

MSR TEAM

Here’s what you’ll need to graduate from ski touring to ski mountaineering.

MG_1501_Chiwaukum Traverse WA

Plan it Like a Pro: Strengthening Your Mind for...

MSR TEAM

An educated mind is the most important tool in your backcountry kit.

Plan it Like a Pro: Strengthening Your Mind for...

MSR TEAM

An educated mind is the most important tool in your backcountry kit.

Fine-Tuned Forecasts: Northwest Avalanche Center Launches New Website

Fine-Tuned Forecasts: Northwest Avalanche Cente...

MSR TEAM

Story by Kate Hourihan / photos courtesy of NWAC Between all 20 Avalanche Centers in the U.S., and many others worldwide, no two organizations deliver a daily avalanche forecast in...

Fine-Tuned Forecasts: Northwest Avalanche Cente...

MSR TEAM

Story by Kate Hourihan / photos courtesy of NWAC Between all 20 Avalanche Centers in the U.S., and many others worldwide, no two organizations deliver a daily avalanche forecast in...