Tom's HikingTom’s Hiking

Basecamp

Everything about hiking that isn't gear.

Where to go, what the words mean, how to plan a day out, and how to come back safely. Nothing here is trying to sell you anything.

01

Destinations

Aerial view of the Delaware Water Gap, where the Delaware River cuts through the Kittatinny ridge between Mount Tammany in New Jersey and Mount Minsi in Pennsylvania

Five day hikes in New Jersey worth the drive

A 1,200-foot climb above the Delaware, a staircase on the Appalachian Trail, a bare rock dome with the Manhattan skyline on the horizon, a cliff walk over the Hudson and a boardwalk through a tidal marsh. Five hikes, four landscapes, no permits.

11 min readRead it →

Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park seen from Paintbrush Divide, with the Grand Teton and snow-streaked peaks rising above a green glacial valley

Ten wilderness campsites in the US, and how to actually get a night at one

Ten places you can legally sleep in the American backcountry: a screened shelter on Lake Superior, a tent pitched deep in a sandstone slot canyon, eight more. What each one is, and which lottery, ferry or walk-up window stands between you and it.

15 min readRead it →

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park at sunset, standing on bare red slickrock with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains behind it

Ten day hikes in the US worth planning a trip around

Ten single-day routes across ten states, from a three-mile walk to an arch to sixteen miles and a cable ladder. What each one asks of you, and what you have to book before you go.

14 min readRead it →

02

Explainers

Overhead detail of a grey trail running vest harness with a soft flask in its chest pocket, lying on pale stone beside the padded shoulder straps and hip belt of an olive hiking backpack

Hydration vest vs backpack

A vest wraps a small load around your ribs and keeps the water where your hands already are. A pack carries more and hands most of the weight down to your hips. Which one you want depends on how much you're carrying. The water is the smallest part of that.

10 min readRead it →

Macro view of rainwater beaded into round droplets on taut olive ripstop shell fabric, the woven grid visible beneath

What is Gore-Tex?

It's a sheet of stretched plastic with nine billion pores per square inch, glued between the fabrics you can actually see. Knowing what that membrane does — and what the layer sitting on top of it does — explains nearly every complaint people have about expensive rain gear.

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Overhead view of a hydration reservoir with its hose curled beside it and two small soft flasks laid out on pale wooden boards

Water bladders vs soft flasks

A hose on your shoulder strap means you drink without stopping. Flasks on your chest mean you always know what's left, and they refill in seconds. Which of those you need more of decides the rest.

9 min readRead it →

A mid-height leather hiking boot standing beside a pair of low-cut mesh trail running shoes on a granite slab in warm evening light

Trail running shoes vs hiking boots

These days most long-distance hikers walk in shoes built for running. The usual arguments for boots are weaker than they sound, but the conditions where a boot still wins are real, and they're worth knowing before you spend the money.

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A minimal overnight kit laid out on a lichen-covered rock: a small pack, trail running shoes, a quilt, a rolled tarp, folded trekking poles and a titanium pot

What is fastpacking?

It's trail running crossed with ultralight backpacking: a multi-day route covered with a pack you can run in. What you give up to move that light, and whether it's for you.

8 min readRead it →