Trip Reports, Gear, Skills & Food for
Hiking, Backpacking & Camping in the Pacific Northwest
Looking for a place to go hiking? These lists of hikes include options by area as well as by categories such as Best Waterfall Hikes, Conditioning Hikes, and more.
The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area contains some of the best remaining old growth forest on the Oregon Coast. This hike includes the Cooks Ridge, Gwynn Creek and Oregon Coast Trails for a 6 mile loop.
The hiking season doesn’t need to end if you have gear to keep you warm and safe when it’s cold and wet out. Here’s what I take in my backpack when hiking in colder temps.
While we tend to think of needing bulkier outerwear in cold weather, wearing lightweight layers allows for more options for different types of conditions encountered.
The Appalachian Gear All-Paca Fleece Hoodie is a warm yet lightweight mid-layer that has great breathability due to the 100% alpaca fiber.
The ten essentials are all about being prepared. While you may not need all of these items on every trip, they can make a big difference when the unexpected happens.
The best backpacking destinations in the Pacific Northwest, listed by types of trips including beginner trips, trips featuring panoramic mountain scenery, rivers and streams, and more.
Indian Heaven Wilderness is my favorite place for fall color, and this year was exceptional with spectacular color and warm weather.
My backpacking gear list is based on an approach that is lightweight while providing enough comfort items to make trips enjoyable.
Choosing a backpacking tent can be overwhelming due to the cost and number of options available. These are my recommendations for the best options based on comfort, weight and budget.
Before heading out on a hike or backpacking trip, use this list of links to learn more about current trail conditions, passes & permits, local weather, and more.
The key to meal planning for backpacking is to bring food that is calorie dense and lightweight. Backpacking is hard work, so it’s important to provide your body with enough to sustain you without weighing down your pack.
These are my favorite campgrounds for tent camping near scenic locations with hiking trails, including at the Oregon Coast, Redwoods National Park, Mount Rainier, Central Oregon and more.
On this two night camping trip, we stayed at a campground with views of the ocean and a wide expanse of beach, viewed the crashing waves of the king tides on the rocky coastline, and hiked in an old growth coastal forest.
Once backpacking season is over, I turn to my Honda CR-V for camping adventures during the rainy season. This one-person setup is easy to install without removing any of the car seats.
When I’m overnighting in my SUV camper, I like to keep tasks like cooking simple. Both in the amount of work involved, and in the types of gear that I bring.
Camping in a SUV can be a bit cramped for space, so adding a canopy to my setup has given me a lot more room. It provides a place for cooking and for staying dry, as well as some privacy when I’m not inside my vehicle.
In this Middle Eastern-style rice bowl, roasted vegetables are combined with chicken and rice and topped with a yogurt-tahini sauce spiced with cumin and garlic.
This book covers hiking in each of Oregon’s Seven Wonders: the Oregon Coast, Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Painted Hills, Smith Rock, Crater Lake, and the Wallowas.
Whether you consider yourself a beginning backpacker or just want to brush up on your skills, this book will help you plan a trip, learn about gear options, and provide tips for your time on the trail and at camp.
This cookbook is for adventurers who want healthier, higher quality, and better tasting food on trips and don’t mind spending time on food prep in order to have a better meal experience.
Wanna support this website? You can now buy me a (virtual) cup of coffee! Click on the orange button at the side of the page, no signup needed.
© 2023 I Heart Pacific Northwest / Yulan Studio, Inc. All rights reserved.
