Backpacking - Scout Life magazine

man tightens straps on one of the best backpacks in our list

Pick the Best Backpack With These Expert Buying Tips

Carry your gear efficiently with these top backpacks.

How to Treat Your Water to Stay Healthy in the Backcountry

Getting sick when you're camping stinks. Treating your water is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

Stuff We Like: Voltaic OffGrid

Buying a backpack and separate solar charging system can get expensive. So why not get them together?

How to Safely Cross a Stream

Crossing a body of water presents some hazards. So before you just wade in, consider several factors.

Backpacking? Whitewater Rafting? Zip Lining? You Can Do It All at the Summit

The Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia offers several adventurous treks for Scouts.

What Backpack to Hold All My Stuff?

Q: What backpack should I get to hold all my stuff?

How to Use a Sled to Make a Pulk for Backpacking in the Snow

Not only are sleds fun, but they're also a great way to carry gear in winter.

Are Freeze-Dried Meals Good for Backpacking?

Q: Freeze-dried meals might be a good choice because they’re lightweight and provide nutrients. Which ones would you buy?

Venturing Crew Treks to the Sawtooths

A South Carolina crew gets snapshots of the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and the Sawtooth National Forest.

Any Tips For Buying a First Backpack?

Q: I've been planning to buy a new backpack. Any tips?

Great Rewards Can Come By Pushing Your Limits, But Sometimes It’s Wise To Stop

Sometimes it's gratifying to dig deep and finish the trek, but if you're too exhausted, it's more important to not hurt yourself.

How to Buy Great Backpacking Gear on a Budget

Try these simple tips to outfit yourself for your next trek without breaking the bank.

At 10,000 Feet, Scouts Adjust to Backpacking in the Mountains

Mississippi Scouts traveled to Colorado for a weeklong backpacking trek across the Continental Divide.

How to Buy a Backpacking Stove For Your Next Camping Adventure

Enjoy a hot meal on your next backpacking trip with one of these recommended stoves.

How to Buy a Great Pair of Hiking Boots

Good footwear is a vital piece of outdoor gear. Here are six great boots and hiking shoes that have you covered on any type of trail.

Hike! Paddle! Bike! Troop 141 Did It All on One Epic Adventure

When Troop 141 couldn’t choose between kayaking and cycling, they decided to both. And some backpacking.

Did this Troop Backpack Into a Whole New World?

Lava caves, rare plants and stark scenery — is this troop on another planet?

Where to Find a Good Fishing Pole for Backpacking?

Q: What pole should I take that can handle being carried around and that will fit in my pack?

Backpacking the Mad River: A Decades-Old Scouting Tradition

Backpacking along California's Mad River is a challenging, rewarding experience. Just Be Prepared to get wet.

A Trek Up Utah’s Highest Peak is a Crowning Achievement

Backpacking 50 miles to the summit of Utah's Kings Peak was both a physical and a mental challenge for Troop 125.

How to Pack a Backpack

VIDEO: Backpacking can be hard, but here are some ways you can make it easier by packing the right way.

How to Prepare for a Long Backpacking Trip? Try This!

This is a great way to be prepared for a longer trek!

Fuel Your Body With These 6 Nutritious and Delicious Trail Snacks

What's the trick to having the energy to be active all day? Food! Keep strong all day long on the trail with these snacks.

Backpacking Along California’s Point Reyes National Seashore

A backpacking trip on the Northern California coast leads to spectacular sightseeing and adventure for Troop 606.

How to Buy the Right Backpacking Tent

Tips for choosing a tent that will keep your backcountry nights comfortable.

Tips to Lighten a Backpack

Q. My troop likes to go backpacking. I’d like to participate, but my pack is really heavy. How do I lighten it?

Storing Backpacks During Wintertime

How should I store backpacks during wintertime to keep them in good condition?

Prepare for Hiking With These 4 Simple Foot Exercises

Simple exercises to reduce the risk of ankle sprains, aching arches and other foot-related injuries.

How to fit a backpack

Watch as Eagle Scout Jon Almquist, who works for national outdoors retailer REI, shows you how to fit a backpack in this exclusive BL video.

Photos of 40-mile backpacking trek through the Wallowa Mountains

Troop 224 from Sherwood, Ore., trekked more than 40 miles through the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon. Along the way, they survived one of the most difficult descents in the Pacific Northwest, swam in a pristine mountain lake and made it to the summit of Eagle Cap peak.

Why is my pack so heavy?

Q. I’ve been in Scouts for about a year and I was wondering why my backpack is so heavy. I only pack about two pairs of jeans, extra socks and two shirts. I also pack a mess kit and a flashlight plus batteries. My sleeping pad is not heavy; neither is my sleeping bag. Why might my pack be so heavy and do you know how to fix it?

Stuff We Like: Black Diamond Mercury 55 backpack

At first glance, Black Diamond's ergoACTIV backpack suspension system seems like a gimmick. But it really works. The hip belt has a unique rotating ball joint that pivots as your body moves. The result is a much more comfortable pack that does a really good job of transferring the pack's weight to your hips.

Internal or external frame?

I need a new backpack. What's better: Internal or external frame?

How to train with a loaded backpack

Q. Dear Gear Guy, I want to train for my backpacking trips with a loaded backpack, but I don’t want to have to pack all my gear every time I want to train. Is there any way to add weight to the backpack in a simple but accurate representation of a full backpack?