GREGORY PACKS

7 Tips to Add Fun to Your Family Road Trip

ByMatcha July 27, 2020 0 Comments

Ah, the family road trip. A summer tradition and rite of passage for families across the nation. Audiobooks, music playlists, backseat squabbles, and calls of “Are we there yet?” and “I have to go to the bathroom” add to the mayhem (er, magic). Traveling by car offers SO many benefits—like being able to stop along the way to see roadside attractions, having a comfortable space of your...

10 Must-Do Hikes in the Mountain West

ByMatcha July 20, 2020 0 Comments

From Montana’s Livingston Range to the Lechuguilla Desert of southern Arizona, the U.S. region known as the Mountain West is brimming with top-caliber hiking destinations. Narrowing down a list of 10 standouts is no small feat, but we took a stab at it anyway, choosing from the eight states that make up the U.S. Census Bureau’s Mountain West zone. Take note: These aren’t the 10 best hidden...

The AT Thru-Hiker’s Decision: Get Back on Trail or Call it Quits

ByMatcha July 14, 2020 0 Comments

Gretchen Pardon was one month and more than 270 miles into her Appalachian Trail thru-hike when she realized she had to leave the trail. It was March 23, less than two weeks after the World Health Organization had officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic, when she walked into the city of Hot Springs, NC expecting to take a break in town, see her husband and then get back on trail. But something...

Funniest Mishaps Experienced By Adventurers Across the Country

ByMatcha May 18, 2020 0 Comments

Ah, life on the trail and in the mountains. It’s beautiful, it’s challenging, it’s...whoops, not supposed to go that way!? If you love the outdoors, you’ve undoubtedly run into scenarios where your adventure hasn’t gone exactly as planned. You forget to bring an essential piece of gear, wildlife intervenes in unexpected ways, or the weather, trail, adventure partner, or whatever just...

How To Have a Successful First Backpacking Experience with Your Child

ByMatcha April 14, 2020 0 Comments

Getting your kids out into the backcountry with you can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a parent. Hiking by day and reading bedtime stories (by headlamp) in a tent by night will create fond memories of exploring the outdoors. That being said, the first time out is the make it or break it trip. If it goes well, you will most likely have yourself a backpacking buddy for...

Keep Your Gear Like New: Cleaning, Repair, and Storage Tips

ByMatcha March 24, 2020 0 Comments

After a few days in the great outdoors, the last thing you want to do when you finally get home is tackle the task of cleaning your gear—we get it. But, as any outdoor enthusiast knows, gear is pricey stuff—and that’s if you buy it once. However, putting in just a little bit of time and effort into keeping your gear cleaned, fixed, and stored properly has big impact on its lifespan and...

The Last Outbacks: Exploring Lower 48 Backcountries Where the American Frontier Held Out

ByMatcha March 16, 2020 0 Comments

From the North Cascades and Great Basin borderlands of Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho to the most obscure depths of the Greater Yellowstone and the boreal waterways of the Upper Midwest, plenty of sparsely populated and wild places remain in the contiguous United States. We’re lucky enough to still have headwater basins, desert canyons, and anonymous crags far enough from roads to rarely see a...

6 Backpacking Hacks for Thru-Hiking

ByMatcha March 3, 2020 0 Comments

The more you dig into the endless advice for long-distance hiking, the more you’ll find the best insider hacks are less about crushing the biggest miles with the fanciest gear and more about saving money, weight, and time in some of the most low-maintenance ways possible. Becoming an efficient long-distance backpacker or thru-hiker comes with its own set of challenges, a lot of which you’ll...

10 Must-Visit Hot Springs in the West

ByMatcha February 24, 2020 0 Comments

Natural hot springs invoke a special kind of magic found nowhere else—they are a balm for the soul in a hectic world of buzzing cell phones, honking horns, and constant demands for attention. While we don’t have room to include every worthy hot spring in the United States, these selections are some of the best in the western U.S. So relax and take a soak at one of these memorable natural...

7 Underrated Outdoor Adventures in the U.S.

ByMatcha February 5, 2020 0 Comments

Most outdoor lovers know about hiking the Appalachian Trail or exploring the Grand Canyon. While those are bucket-list adventures and life-changing experiences, there are innumerable more options out there that are just as thrilling. Whether you’re backpacking, climbing, paddling, or biking, here are seven underrated outdoor adventures across the U.S. to keep on your radar. 1. Bikepack the Red...