Best hiking baby carrier? The Pognae line of baby carriers is super popular in Australia and Europe, and they’ve received tons of awards for their style, versatility, and overall quality. It’s a premium baby carrier that comes at a premium price close to $200. The company itself is based in South Korea and only over the past few years have these hipseat baby carriers been available in Europe and the US. We got our hands on their number 5 version for testing late last year. And to be honest, we were super impressed with it! Starting with the basics, it supports babies from 3 months old up to 3 years old, so it’s not ideal for newborns but we prefer using a good wrap for newborns anyway. The maximum weight is 44 pounds, which is pretty high for any baby carrier, second only to the LILLEBaby. It claims to have 6 carry positions, which is a little amusing considering 3 of those positions are just the hipseat alone without the rest of the carrier: one where you lay the baby down partially on the hipseat (a good position for feeding), one where the baby is sitting on the hipseat facing outward, and one where the baby is sitting on the hipseat facing inward.

Because you have to carry and fit it all into your pack, backpacking gear has to be lightweight and compact. That’s why, with a few exceptions, it’s not practical to simply repurpose car camping gear. Remember, too, that you’ll be splitting up gear like tents and pots and stoves when you hike with a friend. The following are essential items you’ll need for any backpacking trip: Tent: Plan to share because a two-person tent weighs less and is more economical than two one-person tents. Bring a tent rated for three seasons (spring, summer and fall) rather than a four-season tent because you’re not ready for mountaineering just yet. Learn more by reading How to Choose a Backpacking Tent. You can also check out our guide to the best backpacking tents. Discover additional information at best backpack sprayers.

I updated my first aid kit with some other items and the helpful laminated first aid field guide that you get in class. I have a pre-packaged first-aid kit that I’ve supplemented with some Tenacious Tape if I need to seal a major gash. It helps to take a NOLS First Aid class; it will teach you how to actually use a first-aid kit and potentially save a life. Another benefit of the class is that they show you how you can customize a first-aid kit. Most of the time that I’ve pulled out my first-aid kit, it’s been to help another hiker. It’s been handier than I’ve imagined. One of the things you learn at the Tracker survival school is how to start a fire without matches. After the classroom demonstration, you get to do it on your own with help from the instructor. You learn how to make fire, shelter, find food, and in general, feel very comfortable living in the outdoors. You can use fire for light, warmth, a rescue signal, to cook food, and more. I try to have a lot of ways to create fire because each tool is small and light.

Lowering backpack weight advice : Trash compactor bag for backpack liner. Pack covers are bulky, heavy and, sometimes, ineffective. Instead of covering the outside of your pack, line the inside of it with a trash compactor bag and keep all gear inside. Trash compactor bags are super waterproof, replaceable, affordable and weigh a fraction as much as a pack cover. Rocks vs stakes. Tie your shelter down to some nearby rocks. If necessary, make a pile to keep it more stable. Rocks can also be used on hard surfaces where stakes are unable to penetrate the ground. Discover even more details on here.