When weight, compressibility and warmth are factors, zip into The North Face Aconcagua Down Jacket for Men for low-bulk insulation.

The easiest and most enjoyable way to hike is to establish a rhythm and pace that feels comfortable and can be sustained for long periods. Short burst of rapid hiking interspersed with long rests while you get your breath back are more tiring that a slower, steady pace. If you can’t talk comfortably, you’re going too fast.

When hikers head out to the drylands, they tend to be more concerned about rattlesnakes than heat. The opposite should be true. While you’re likely to runinto only a few rattlesnakes, the twin dangers of dehydration and hyperthermia are lurking at every turn.

We usually think of calories as units of food (or fat), but in reality calories are units of heat. This takes on a different meaning in winter camping, when you use up something like twice as many calories as you do in day to day indoor life. Simply maintaining your body temperature when you’re asleep in the cold takes more calories.

Going camping in the mountains? Take note of some campsite precautions when camping in high altitude areas.