If you live at my latitude, these are the weeks hope, when every trip to the basement reminds you that the camping gear is still there, still not packed away for the season. Part of you wants to believe you might get out again this year, but you know the odds get slimmer with each passing day. Eventually, you start to pick through it all, packing some, cleaning some, tossing the most broken bits.
This is not a source of dismay. It’s what happens as the seasons wheel around. (And we’d all be truly dismayed if the summer never went away, because of what it would say about climate change and because we want to go skiing.)
But that doesn’t mean you should close your mind to all things related to hiking and camping and living outside. These are the months to research new toys and maybe buy one or two. You can also research trips and brush up on old skills. Or pick up a trick or two.
To help you keep the fires burning, Backpacker has several online article collections covering some of the essential skills needed to survive and enjoy your time outdoors. Start with the Backpacker’s Bible, which covers “10 skills every backpacker much know,” including starting a fire and avoiding a blister. Several of the stories also point the reader toward popular or interesting hikes. The magazine also has a Backpacking 101 collection, with quite a few more articles on more subjects, which is good because there are many cold, indoor nights ahead of you (unless you decide to learn how to winter camp).
Photo of campfire at Schoolhouse Campground near Bullards Bar Reservoir, by J.smith (2008), via Wikimedia Commons.
