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On a long hike, Snickers, GORP, and instant coffee can start to become as draining as the miles. Here are five—admittedly fancy—alternatives we love.

Descending a trail strains your muscles and ligaments. Our hiking columnist asked a physical therapist how to avoid aches and pains on your next downhill adventure.

Apple’s new iOS 18 update allows its products to work off-grid. But are phones a suitable replacement for purpose-built backcountry communication tools?

Walking across deserts and mountain ranges taught the author important lessons on friendship, compassion, and understanding others

The Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide trails pass through a combined 22 states. Our hiking columnist categorizes them from hardest to easiest.

Inexpensive motor inns and roadside lodges offer all the accoutrements that an adventurer needs

Our hiking columnist lost contact with his spouse in Colorado’s remote San Juan Mountains. After a frantic search, he reached for his Apple smartphone.

Our hiking columnist loves the simplicity and familiarity of a flavor additive called True Lemon, which lurks in the condiment zone of rest stops

Veteran hikers call it the “Middle Blues.” You have already hiked an impossibly long distance, and somehow still have an impossibly long distance to go.

Learn from the mistakes of our hiking columnist, who suffered a painful accident while traversing the Continental Divide Trail

Call him crazy, but our hiking columnist loves climbing hills. A fifth of the way into the epic Continental Divide Trail, he’s got some ways to improve your form, function, and mental performance on the ascents.

The CDT’s traffic is ballooning. In Montana, the National Park Service isn’t facing what that means for Glacier.

Over 7,000 miles on trail, our hiking columnist has tried coffee and caffeine in most every form imaginable. But the humblest one of all taught him something about himself.

Our hiking columnist went to the AT’s legendary Trail Days this year with one mission—to figure out what hikers were and weren’t putting on their feet

A small injury during Morgan Brosnihan’s Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike inspired a big idea: Why not set up a mobile clinic for hikers who need help?

Like all intense hobbyists, hikers start Instagram pages just for their adventures. Why not integrate it into the rest of your life already?

The PCT traces the west coast of the U.S. over almost 2,700 miles. Our expert trail columnist reveals everything you need to know about what to pack, eat, and read, plus where to sleep and how to have the most fun on this scenic long trail.

Our hiking columnist has spent more than a quarter of the past four years on trail. Every morning out there, without fail, he eats another perfect packet of Pop-Tarts.

Last January, Carl Stanfield set out to break the world record for the most miles ever hiked in a year. In failing, he found his temporary limit—and, he hopes, a renewed version of himself.

Long-distance hikers love to reach towns and binge. I temporarily gave up the cycle, and maybe it changed my life.

Forty years ago, Belkin founder Chet Pipkin changed the computer industry by making the cables that made machines work together. Now, with the Desolation Hotel in South Lake Tahoe, he wants to change how we vacation in the woods.

Perry’s time for a self-supported trek on the trail nearly broke the best mark for a supported effort

Our hiking columnist knows firsthand that buying gifts for the hiker in your life can induce anxiety. These affordable finds from independent companies can’t miss.

In less than 800 miles, the Arizona Trail offers a steady string of stunning landscapes, uncanny animals, and changing circumstances. If your time is limited, it’s the national scenic trail to try.

Sun hoodies are the multi-tool of the hiker’s wardrobe, but they often get gross, fast. Not Coalatree’s new Suray.

The results, however hilarious, remind us how hikers destigmatize the body

A complete list of everything the new record holder carried and wore

On Sunday night, British hiker Josh Perry decimated the trail’s long-standing self-supported records after chasing Timothy Olson’s 2021 time

With inflation on the rise, I scrapped plans for another long summer hike. On little daily walks through South Dakota’s Black Hills, I’ve rediscovered the surprise and delight of getting back to basics.

Scott Benerofe finished a rare and daunting southbound winter thru-hike of the AT. His self-proclaimed normalcy about the endeavor suggests such treks might not stay so rare for long.

Each year, more families seem to earn attention by taking to long trails with small children. What are their motivations, and is it bad for the kids?

After finishing the Appalachian Trail, I experienced severe pain in my lower right leg. Little did I know, toe socks and spacers would be my saving grace.

Water weighs a lot, audiobooks weigh nothing, and more semi-philosophical tips to guide rookie trekkers to a strong finish

The pain I experience while thru-hiking draws me back to the present and makes me more aware of my privilege

In their fifties, Marcia and Ken Powers began long-distance hiking. Lessons they learned on trail prepared them for the next phase of their lives.

In six years, Constantine and Magpie have collectively hiked 30,000 miles. What do they do now that they’ve learned their lessons from—and found love on—the trail?

A thru-hiker’s best tips for decreasing your garbage

I tallied the waste I created for a month of my thru-hike. It was embarrassing. Now I know how to begin fixing it.

A new Complex series takes Rick Ross, Lil’ Kim, and Quavo on short hikes. Each episode gets vulnerable in wonderfully unexpected ways.

The best seasonal fuel for the trail, ranked

Want to cook chocolate fondue, grilled cheeses, and cold-soaked meals with one device on trail? The Vargo Bot is the miracle that makes it happen.

I always loved hiking but hated sleeping in a tent. When I stopped using one, I found new joy on the trail.

When hikers have leftover food or gear, they don’t trash it. They drop it in a box for the next person who needs it, forming a beautiful network of anonymous interdependence.

Hiking remains a rare modern opportunity to be stunned by the unknown. Don’t spoil it by obsessing over a bunch of YouTube videos.

Heather “Anish” Anderson has now chronicled her record-breaking thru-hikes in two books. The ways she documents the details may surprise you—and help you do the same.

In March, Emily Ford became the first woman to complete Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail in winter. She’s also become an unintentional ambassador of the outdoor industry’s quest for inclusivity.

Hiking was in vogue in 2020, but COVID-19 closures decimated the thru-hiking ranks. What did prospective hikers do with their unexpected time back home?

Lots of people say they hike to change their lives. For some, that starts by changing their love lives.

Many hikers hope their treks will make them better at other sports. Instead, mine kept me from distance running for a year—a common side effect we don't discuss enough.

After devoting their spring to COVID-19 patients, two West Virginia brothers became the first identical twins to earn the triple crown of American hiking

After months of trespassing and hiding from rangers, two hikers completed the Appalachian Trail in June. Their sagas raise questions about what it means to be outdoors in the United States right now.

In the South, a series of hostels have welcomed hikers, defying trail closures and guidelines. They say they're acting on behalf of their communities.

Despite the coronavirus, you can legally thru-hike the Appalachian Trail right now. But should you?