When Teresa Martinez was a mountain-bike racer, she suffered a recurring anxiety dream. Days before any competition, Martinez would envision herself woefully unprepared, five minutes before the start. First, her shoes would go missing, then her bike, then her water bottle, then her gloves. With her gear finally gathered, she still had to find the starting line. 鈥淎nd then, you wake up in a cold sweat,鈥� she told me recently. 鈥淎nd think, 鈥極h my god, that was crazy.鈥欌€�

Martinez doesn鈥檛 need to sleep to feel that way these days. Now the executive director of the Coalition, the nonprofit that supports and sustains the 3,100-mile trail across the country鈥檚 rocky spine, Martinez has spent the last four months navigating the administrative roller-coaster of edicts and executive orders from the Trump Administration and its Department of Government Efficiency that have gutted public land agencies.

She has seen staff cut at partner agencies, wondered if the CDTC would be reimbursed for money it had already spent with prior government approval, and fretted about changing plans to balance the books for this fiscal year. It鈥檚 neither a dream nor a nightmare, just reality. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like the racecourse is being built while we鈥檙e riding it,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you鈥檙e waiting for the next shoe to drop as we continue down the path, not knowing if we鈥檙e going to get there.鈥�

Throughout the spring, I’ve had similar conversations with the leaders at four other iconic American trails鈥攖he Appalachian, Colorado, Ice Age, and Pacific Crest鈥攁bout how federal uncertainty has hamstrung them. The nonprofit groups that manage these trails all depend, to varying degrees, on federal funds and symbiotic relationships with federal organizations such as the United States Forest Service and National Park Service.

Their concerns, of course, varied: The Pacific Crest Trail Association had just cut six expert trail workers and more than a year鈥檚 worth of trail maintenance to be done by youth crews when I spoke to leaders there. The Colorado Trail Foundation worried about water spigots and pit toilets at trailheads. The Ice Age Trail Alliance paused registration for its trail-building season.

But they all agreed on one partial remedy: Ordinary people donating their money or volunteering their time could not only help plug some gaps created by federal instability but also bolster the spirits of those still left to do hard work with less resources. Too, it鈥檚 a way for those frustrated by the administration鈥檚 decisions or indecision to feel a little less helpless.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in an unprecedented time, the middle of this dust storm, so we鈥檙e not exactly sure where our needs are going to fall. But I have no doubt that they鈥檙e going to grow,鈥� said Sandi Marra, the ever-candid head of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to need skilled volunteers. We鈥檙e going to need people in numbers that we haven鈥檛 needed in the past, because we鈥檙e not going to be able to rely on the federal support we鈥檝e had in the past.鈥�

At the Colorado Trail Foundation, for instance, executive director Paul Talley was looking for a few people who could wield a chainsaw. Cutting trees on trail is subject to a series of byzantine regulations and certifications. If a downed tree can鈥檛 be handled with a handsaw and requires either a crosscut saw or a chainsaw, volunteers have to be trained and approved by forest service personnel. But since the Federal government began slashing jobs at the Forest Service, many people with the power to vet amateur sawyers have been let go or accepted buyouts. So Talley is working his connections in Colorado and networking with other organizations to find folks who have already been certified that simply might not know about the Colorado Trail’s needs.

鈥淲e鈥檙e making a call list: 鈥楬ey, can we call you?鈥� We need help with this big tree,鈥欌€� Talley told me. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also developing a process where trainers can come to our facilities to get people certified. If we鈥檙e just relying on the Forest Service at this point, it鈥檚 a multi-year wait.鈥�

All volunteers, of course, don鈥檛 need to be highly specialized. Megan Wargo, who leads the Pacific Crest Trail Association, listed a half-dozen ways folks who couldn鈥檛 wield a chainsaw might help. Each year, the trail must be 鈥渂rushed,鈥� essentially meaning someone walks it to clear it of any overgrowth. Others lead mules to remote trail work sites, literally taking the loads off the backs of other volunteers. Some still command the kitchen, cooking for trail crews on sites, while others can help with administrative tasks and educational outreach from the association鈥檚 Sacramento office. Still, there is a catch.

鈥淣ew volunteers and existing volunteers putting in more hours can make a big difference, but they can鈥檛 close the whole gap of not having federal funding,鈥� Wargo said, noting that the PCTA鈥檚 federal funding of just less than $700,000 has remained flat for a dozen years even as material and labor costs have risen. 鈥淭he PCTA can help provide training to get those folks on the ground. But if we don鈥檛 have staff to do that, it鈥檚 hard to increase those volunteer hours.鈥�

And so, of course, it all comes down to money. Most trail organizations told me they鈥檇 found ways to mitigate their dependence on federal funding. The Colorado Trail, for instance, has built a sizable emergency fund through 20 years of compounding interest on a surplus. The Appalachian Trail intentionally diversified its revenue streams after recognizing that their federal partners were chronically understaffed, anyway, even before the genesis of DOGE. The Ice Age Trail reinstated its trail-building season not only after most of its funding finally started to trickle in but also when private donors stepped up to help because they cared about the work. The Ice Age, after all, hopes to finish 15 new miles of trail this year.

As questions loom about if and when money will arrive, such contributions mean that work that鈥檚 already been planned and authorized can proceed for now, that the effort of building and maintaining the country鈥檚 hiking trails doesn鈥檛 end with any specific administration. 鈥淎s we have funding uncertainties, private money can either step in and cover some of the costs that aren鈥檛 being covered by federal grants right now or provide us with stability when we鈥檙e asking for federal reimbursements that have been paused,鈥� Wargo, at the PCTA, said. 鈥淭hat gives us flexibility to be able to continue our operations.鈥�

But times, of course, aren鈥檛 only tight for trail organizations. Some estimates, by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, say 60 percent of Americans now live paycheck-to-paycheck; new tariffs will compound that problem, because, as The New York Times , 鈥淸they] will touch almost every aspect of American life.鈥� While hiking across the United States multiple times, I鈥檝e seen at least a half-dozen trail crews consisting only of white-haired retirees. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 because older Americans have some special relationship with civil service and volunteerism. They, instead, have more disposable time and resources than most Americans cannot afford. Trails need help鈥攎oney, time, energy鈥攖hat many working Americans do not have the ability to spare.

But Martinez reminded me that there are ways to assist that don鈥檛 cost much at all. You can call American officials, both elected and appointed, and tell them that supporting trails matter to you. You can drop caches of water off at trailheads where there鈥檚 no working spigot. (Remember to pick up the refuse.) You can deliver a box of donuts to an agency鈥檚 office, whether it鈥檚 the headquarters of a trail coalition or park rangers, and tell them you support the work they do for public lands. See a forest service crew at a bar? Buy 鈥檈m a beer and say thanks. That鈥檚 all, Martinez said, volunteerism.

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 picking up trash at a trailhead or leaving water or setting up a feed station for volunteers, if it鈥檚 something somebody wanted to do, we could say yes and support that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an act of kindness, and right now, we need to be reminded of how kind we can be.鈥�

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Thanks to instant coffee, which has been commercially available since the late 1930s, saving weight in the backcountry and still getting zooted on caffeine is not new. When I started raft guiding a century ago in the late 鈥�90s, we used to mix up heaping spoonfuls of Folgers with General Foods International Coffees Suisse Mocha and Orange Cappuccino powders to get fired up in the morning. We called this our 鈥渃oncoction,鈥� and while it was efficient, it tasted horrible and put every guide who drank it in immediate gastric distress.

So while instant coffee鈥攁nd its usefulness to weight and time-conscious outdoor enthusiasts鈥攊s not new, we are experiencing a relatively new phenomenon of super delicious premium instant coffees. These can please a genuine snob and will not necessarily send you directly to a porta potty or cathole once ingested. We tested 24 different instant coffee varieties to bring you our favorites so you can maximize your enjoyment without having to sacrifice ounces.

Watch: The Instant Coffee Winners

Best Instant Coffee Blends

Generally speaking, blends are more approachable and less bold. If you like to put cream or sweetener in your coffee, I would suggest opting for one of these blends.

Doma Deep Instant Craft Coffee

• Weight: 7 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 7/10

The first word testers used to describe the flavor profile of this special edition blend from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was 鈥渂ig.鈥� The boldness of this blend was matched with well rounded sweetness. 鈥淚t is so caramel-y I almost get butterscotch, and then the finish is like cherry juice,鈥� said Case. 鈥淚t is more three dimensional than some of the other blends.鈥� The Doma Deep Instant manages to be extremely drinkable while also having, well, depth at the same time. I found it to be a killer start to the earliest mornings thanks to its inviting sweetness.

Swift Coffee Mainstay

• Weight: 6 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 7/10

Swift has their own instant offerings, but it鈥檚 also the instant coffee manufacturer that independent roasters like Doma, Case, and Verve use to make their instant coffees. It is not a surprise that they have so many winners on this list鈥攖hey have their hands in most of the best instant coffees available to us. Their Mainstay Blend features flavors that were the most pleasantly integrated of the coffees that we tasted. 鈥淚 like the balance of it,鈥� Case said. 鈥淭here is no sharp acidity, but it has sweetness and is a little bitter, which is what I want in instant coffee.鈥� Testers noted that what the Mainstay Blend may have lacked in subtle notes, it made up for in a lovely even mouth feel.

Verve Wilder

• Weight: 6 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 7/10

I was thankful that we performed the cupping blind when testers described this blend as 鈥渨ild.鈥� The fact that testers used the same adjective the name uses to describe the blend鈥檚 fruitiness followed by a little bit of wildflower notes at the end proved that the Santa Cruz roaster absolutely nailed it. 鈥淭his one’s really juicy,鈥� Case said. I found that juiciness to be delightful and refreshing as an afternoon cup, and, hot or cold, this will be the blend I bring for trips with long days when I need a late pick-me-up.

Case Epiphany

• Weight: 7 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 6/10

Case made this list even though testers gave it a six because it was my personal favorite and, frankly, I wanted to reward my local coffee shop for being honest enough to give their own blend a number below its competitors. Coffee taste is subjective, and this super-rich and caramel-forward blend is extremely drinkable and reminds me of working from the coffee shop down the street from my house. That nostalgia is what put it on this list for me, personally. When asked about giving his own blend a score of six on a blind test, Case felt great about it. 鈥淲e aimed to make a chuggable blend, and I do think it absolutely is that,鈥� Case said.

Best Single Origins Instant Coffee

A single-origin coffee comes from one bean that delivers an extremely unique and often bold flavor. With a single-origin coffee, roasters are really married to the taste of an individual bean because they can鈥檛 blend it with others.

Swift Burundi Heza

• Weight: 6 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 8/10

The depth of flavor on this single-origin coffee was off the charts and a clear standout for the connoisseurs. 鈥淚t has acidity, but is also so savory,鈥� said Case. Testers caught notes of berries on the front with a savory finish that delighted those who enjoy a flavor profile with a lot going on.

Swift Brazil – Cerrado

• Weight: 7 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 8/10

One taster who traditionally does not like the taste profile of single-origin coffees from Brazil was surprised that this one proved one of his favorites during the blind test. 鈥淭his is much more fruity than other light coffees here,鈥� said Case. Tasters noted a distinct creaminess in this single origin instant from Swift which was offset by a pleasant sharpness on the front that smoothed out in the end. Swift says it can hold up to cream, but after testing it with oat as well as cow鈥檚 milk, I found it to be significantly better on its own.

Canyon Instant Coffee

• Weight: 6 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 8/10

The acidity in this coffee was lemon or lime like on the front but offered a sweetness that balanced out the intensity. 鈥淒efinitely fruit forward,鈥� Case said after slurping a spoonful of this Ethiopian. The liveliness of this coffee was really enjoyable as a wake up in the dark hours of the morning and was also a great refresher after lunch. My personal preference was to drink a cup after a big daytime meal to stave off a siesta thanks to its brightness.

Tandem Coffee Roasters Danche

• Weight: 7 g
• Tasters鈥� Rating: 7/10

The Danche from this Portland, Maine鈥揵ased roaster delivered a more acidic taste than the other Ethiopian blends (that dominated this test). While the Danche still offered enough balance between acidity and sweetness to remain enjoyable, the extra kick made it stand out from the other 24 coffees and drink more like a traditionally brewed cup. 鈥淚’m tasting lots of acid. It’s really nice to have this contrast in the table for sure. It really tastes less like an instant coffee,鈥� Case said.

The Instant Coffee Test

I started by trying to find the newest offerings of instant coffees from brands that I have tried in the past. While I haven鈥檛 ever performed a head-to-head instant coffee evaluation before, I have, by my estimation, tested more than a dozen different instant coffees for one-off review consideration for 国产吃瓜黑料.

I scoured the internet for best instant coffee reviews and took note of which brands received the highest marks. I reached out to those brands and received hundreds of servings of instant coffees. For ten weeks, I only drank instant coffee when making coffee for myself at home, making notes on the flavor and user experience. (I work from home and drink a minimum of two cups of coffee a day, so I had ample opportunity to get through the lot.) I also weighed a single serving of each of the coffees in their packaging on my kitchen scale to give an accurate idea of how many grams you are adding to your pack per serving.

I then took 24 of the coffees I tested to my satellite office, in Ashland, Oregon. Local award-winning roaster and coffee shop owner Tim Case helped me set up the last part of the test, which was a proper cupping of all 24 of the instant coffees we tested. Case and his team of two seasoned roasters poured eight ounces of water that was right around 170 degrees (as per the brewing instructions of the instant coffees) and stirred them up. We tasted them blind, waiting until the coffees cooled enough that the heat wouldn鈥檛 overload our palettes. We gave each one an individual score out of one to ten and took tasting notes. It is worth noting that coffee is pretty subjective, so we did our best to make sure the top picks would make everyone happy.

The instant coffees listed here made our final list because they taste as close to the coffee you can make at home with a pour-over or french press. While they would probably lose in a taste test to a properly brewed version of themselves, any coffee on this list tastes better than a traditionally brewed mainstream coffee like a Folgers.

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A smoking silver thurible swooped through the gothic arches overhead, richly scented incense pouring from its sides. Eight priests in heavy robes acted as the counterweight, controlling a rope as thick as my forearm. I shuddered to think what might happen if the cord snapped, spilling 175 pounds of heated metal and 90 pounds of coal onto the crowd below

The hundred-year-old ritual taking place before me and the month-long walk I had taken to get there seemed like something out of a George R.R. Martin book. But this was the real-life ending to my trip down the Camino de Santiago, a Catholic pilgrimage that was Medieval Europe’s answer to the Appalachian Trail.

Today, believers make up a small proportion of people walking the Camino de Santiago. The vast majority of pilgrims are on their own recreational or spiritual quests. For me, a month-long hike sounded like an amazing challenge but an achievable one, too.

Being away from friends and family, work commitments, and an Internet connection gave me the time I needed to decompress and follow my thoughts to wherever they wanted to go; there’s a kind of spirituality in that, too. Like any other long-distance walk, there’s a physical and mental commitment to the task, a simple rhythm of daily needs to meet.

This modern take on pilgrimage is only getting more popular: The number of people walking the Camino Franc茅s has jumped from under 10,000 in 1992 to over 190,000 in 2012. In 2023, roughly 442,000 people made the trek. Ready to join them? Start with our guide.

A Brief History of the Camino de Santiago

The focal point and namesake of the Camino de Santiago is the city of Santiago de Compostela, located in Spain’s far northwest. The city, where legend has it that the martyr St. James is buried, became a rallying point for Europeans fighting the Moors in the eighth century, after a shepherd claimed to have seen a bright light in the skies above.

During the Middle Ages, the Camino was responsible for the largest movement of people in Europe: millions of people, both rich and poor, made their way to Santiago de Compostela, where the pilgrim mass and certificate of pilgrimage ensured they would spend less time in purgatory. The route was nearly lost to history until the past couple of decades, when a growing body of literature around the Camino sparked a resurgence of interest in it from abroad.

When most people talk about “the Camino”, they’re . Also known as the Camino Franc茅s (the French Way), this route starts at St. Jean Pied-du-Port in France, crosses the Pyrenees, and continues westwards across Spain about 60 miles south of the coast. It passes through Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, and a host of smaller towns and villages and is about 500 miles long, depending on how many detours you take.

While the walk itself is the main attraction today, that wasn’t always the case. In the Middle Ages, the whole idea was to arrive in the holy city of Santiago de Compostela, and you started at your own front door; there was no official “starting point”. Because it was safer for people to walk together, common routes were established, and many of the paths through other European countries converged in St. Jean.

But what if you lived in England? Or Portugal? Or Madrid? Traveling to France to start your pilgrimage there wouldn’t make sense. So many smaller routes were established by pilgrims making their way from their homes and are named accordingly: The Camino Portugu茅s travels northwards through Portugal, while the Camino Ingl茅s catered to English pilgrims who arrived on the north coast by boat. Today, as the French Route draws more and more tourists, many walkers are starting to rediscover these secondary paths.

How to Prepare to walk the Camino de Santiago

There are a plethora of guidebooks and online resources to help you plan your pilgrimage, but I鈥檓 of the opinion that you should do the minimum amount of planning possible. If there’s any hike that’s worth improvising, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is it.

That said, it’s a good idea to bring a basic route guidebook, such as the ones . Have this posted to you before you start and use it to figure out what kind of pace you’ll have to set and what sights you want to see, based on the length of your trip.

Once you’re on the way, you’ll find this plan changes. You’ll meet some people you want to walk with for a few days; you’ll want to push yourself to do another few miles; you’ll decide it’s a perfect time to sit by the river and think about life. Unlike a backcountry hike, there’s enough infrastructure around that you don’t need to have every detail perfectly laid out.

There’s very little technical walking on the main Camino routes鈥攜ou’ll mostly be on well-maintained tracks or pavement鈥攕o you don’t need much backpacking experience. If you don’t hike much, get out and around your neighborhood for an hour each day, and take care to break in your shoes beforehand. If you don’t do a lot of walking, get out and about around your neighborhood for an hour or two each day. I always said my training for the Camino was the first week of the Camino: by the time you’ve pushed through those first five days, things become a lot easier.

The clothing and technical gear you’ll need for the Camino depends on what season you’re hiking in, but err on the lighter side. Your fully-packed bag, with a bit of food and a full water bottle, should weigh no more than 15 percent of your body weight, with a goal of 10 percent. For my 155-pound frame, I aimed for 22 pounds or less. Start with this list:

• A 30-40 liter backpack.
• Your credential, passport or valid ID, journal, and a pen in a waterproof bag. Bring a journal so you can add stamps and jot down notes.
• A water bottle of some kind. I like a two-liter Platypus with cap, which you can use on those days where it’s a long way between water stops.
• Toiletries. No make-up, but plenty of sunscreen and soap suitable for hand-washing clothes. If you can endure it, many men and women avoid shaving on the Camino to eliminate the weight of that gear.
• A small first-aid kit, including painkillers, antiseptic cream, bandages, blister plasters and a sterile needle to drain blisters. Pharmacies are easy to find, so you don’t need medical supplies for the whole way unless you rely on a particular prescription.
• Two t-shirts, two pairs of zip-off trousers, and three pairs of underpants and socks. Wash at your stops and dry overnight.
• Hiking layers鈥攚hatever you need to stay warm and dry. Sometimes you might be walking over plains in 40-degree heat; a week later snow will start falling in the mountains. I recommend merino wool thermal underwear (top and bottom), a fleece top for warmth, a wind- and water-proof outer jacket and pants, and a pack cover to protect your things from the rain.
• I favor light, comfortable walking shoes or hiking sandals over boots for most of the Caminos, with the possible exception of the Primitivo. I always bring along a pair of flip-flops to allow my feet to breathe and dry after walking.
• As few electronics as you can bear. Bring a camera and a phone, but leave the laptops and iPads at home.
• Basic eating utensils. Most refugios and albergues have kitchens, but I’d recommend carrying a spork, sharp knife, lightweight plate, bowl and cup. It’s not uncommon to have someone spontaneously cook a communal meal, or pilgrims to all chip in and make something together.

Camino de Santiago Routes

The network of Caminos crosses Europe, and you can follow a Way from Finland or Turkey. The possibilities are beyond the scope of this article, but these are the main routes.

Camino Franc茅s (the French Way)

The Camino Franc茅s is the most popular option for a reason: The varied scenery and good infrastructure mean that it鈥檚 an enjoyable walk. Most of the routes from other parts of Europe converge in St. Jean Pied-du-Port, which is where the Camino Franc茅s officially starts.

Camino del Norte (the Northern Way)

Hugging the northern coast of Spain, this route starts in Ir煤n on the border with France and travels west through Bilbao, Santander, and Oviedo. The 510 miles of pathway will take about 35 days to complete, and though the distances between towns are reasonable, the sparse accommodations mean that you have to stick to a fairly rigid itinerary.

Camino Portugu茅s (the Portuguese Way)

In contrast with many of the other routes, the Camino Portugu茅s is relatively flat, without too many hills. It starts in Lisbon, passes through Porto and Pontevedra on its way north through Portugal, and is approximately 380 miles long. The infrastructure is reasonable, but much of the route takes you alongside motorways.

Via de la Plata

The “plata” in the Via de la Plata’s name comes from a corruption of an Arabic word that means “wide surfaced road.” In this sense, it’s well named, as most of the route follows an old Roman road north from Seville; if you’re interested in Roman history, this is the route for you. At 620 miles, it’s the longest route through Spain, and it passes through Merida, C谩ceres, Salamanca, Zamora, and other cities.

Camino Ingl茅s (the English Way)

English pilgrims arriving by boat from Britain started their walk at either La Coru帽a or Ferrol, and the English Way is a Y-shaped route that can be started in either of these cities. The 75km from La Coru帽a can be walked in three days, though you won’t earn a Compostela as it’s under 62 miles. From Ferrol, the 70-mile walk will take five days.

Camino Primitivo (the Original Route)

Oveido isn’t on the Camino Franc茅s, but many pilgrims detour there to visit the city’s cathedral. The Camino Primitivo is the most direct route from Oviedo to Santiago (passing through Lugo), and it rejoins the Camino Franc茅s about 40 miles from Santiago. The walk is about 180 miles long and is quite challenging, as it includes a fair amount of hill climbing, and the weather can be very erratic.

Camino de Finisterre (the Finisterre Way)

Instead of finishing their walk in Santiago, many pilgrims continue on to one of the westernmost points in Europe: Finisterre, whose name literally translates to “end of the world.” The route from Santiago to Finisterre adds 55 miles and is best walked in five stages, with an optional extra 18-mile walk to Muxia afterward. Organizations in Finisterre and Muxia both offer Compostelas to those who complete these routes.

Spanish Terms to Know

Everyone who walks the Camino should get familiar with the following Spanish terms:

A compostela is the “pilgrim certificate” you get at the end of the walk if you’ve completed 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) or more on foot. If you are not Catholic but did the Camino for ‘spiritual reasons, you can still get a Compostela. If you say your goals were non-spiritual, you get a rather plain certificate of completion.

Albergues and refugios are the pilgrim’s accommodation stops. Run by churches, town councils, non-profit organizations, and private for-profit groups, they provide cheap beds in dorm rooms, mattresses in church bell towers, or hotel-like rooms with prices starting at five euros a night.

A credential is the ‘pilgrim passport’ issued by various Camino-friendly organizations. Each albergue or refugio has its own stamp, which you’ll receive each night. You need a credential to stay in pilgrim accommodations and a complete record of stamps to get your Compostela. Arrange to have one posted to you in advance if you’re not starting at a popular stepping-off point. Accommodations are first come, first served, with preference given first to walkers, then horse-riders, then cyclists.

Craig Martin has been traveling full-time since February 2006 and has walked three Caminos in that time: the Camino Franc茅s, the Via de la Plata, and the Camino Ingl茅s. A Kiwi, he loves wine and is addicted to the new. Find more of his travels on his or on X.

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On the first night of the Dientes de Navarino circuit in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, I burrowed into my sleeping bag in my tent perched on the banks of the alpine Laguna del Salto. When I peered outside, I saw an opaque gray sky and a jagged, silent landscape dusted with snow from the blustery weather. As I yanked my hat down to cover my ears, I noticed a feeling I鈥檇 never had on a backpacking trip before: I was burned out.

I鈥檝e planned and executed dozens of backpacking trips, including a solo hike of the Colorado Trail. Usually, at the end of a tough day of hiking, I鈥檓 tired but still motivated to complete the adventure.

But that night on the Dientes de Navarino circuit, I felt different. We鈥檇 only hiked seven miles with about 2,500 feet of vert that day, but a late afternoon start, relentless wind, and zero visibility had limited our progress. While pushing through crappy weather wasn鈥檛 anything new for me, that night I felt a deeper level of exhaustion seep into the more profound layers of my being. It was emotional fatigue, a lack of that fiery determination that would usually get me through the discomfort and dread of icy days ahead in these mountains at the end of the world.

I shouldn鈥檛 have been surprised. I鈥檇 been running my life as a tight ship, traveling vigorously and working remotely for the previous year. I鈥檇 spent six months exploring Mexico from Jalisco to the Guatemalan border, then a summer in the Southern Hemisphere, traveling through Chilean and Argentine Patagonia and completing several multi-day hiking trips.

Managing my mobile lifestyle felt increasingly overwhelming. Deep in the Chilean backcountry, I began to crave stability and consistency. But I stubbornly maintained a vice-like grip on the vision of doing and seeing as much as I could on my way down to Tierra del Fuego before I needed to return to the U.S. for a family wedding. I gave myself periods of respite here and there, like a couple of months in Santiago and a month in the Argentine Patagonian town of , but I was beginning to realize these well-intentioned stints weren鈥檛 sufficient to soothe my scattered and travel-wearied soul.

Yet, every time some part of me whispered to stop, I ignored it. I simply could not turn away from the unbelievable luck I felt I had, having the opportunity to spend four months in one of the best hiking regions in the world during peak season. Making it down to the bottom of the Americas felt like a tantalizing adventure I couldn鈥檛 let go of.

My travel approach is usually centered around seeking the unsought. I was looking for remote, almost unheard-of trails, which is how I came to discover the Dientes de Navarino circuit one night in my apartment in Santiago, reading through the last hidden corners of my guidebook. When Google returned a scant few results about the trail, I knew I was on to something.听

In , Charles Darwin鈥檚 journal of his navigation around the Americas in the 1830s, he describes with awe the 鈥渟avage magnificence鈥� of Tierra del Fuego. One glance at the spiked peaks jutting into the somber gray sky, and it鈥檚 easy to understand why. The Dientes de Navarino mountain range, or 鈥淭eeth of Navarino,鈥� so called for its jagged namesake peaks, is located in the Fuegian Andes on Navarino Island, one of the last landmasses before Antarctica. This small island is ever-so-fragmented from the main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, with Cape Horn directly to its south.

To arrive at Navarino Island, visitors must take a plane or 150-mile overnight ferry across the Magellan Strait from Punta Arenas, the entry point to Tierra del Fuego and the last city on the mainland before the terrain collapses into a network of glacier-covered fjords and islands. I arrived at the 3,000-person town of Puerto Williams, Navarino Island鈥檚 hub and the southernmost settlement in the world.

The island鈥檚 Dientes circuit is a remote and wild 27-mile route that circumnavigates the Dientes peaks with 7,000 feet of elevation gain, running through perpetually damp and cold subantarctic forest past lagoons, craggy boulder fields, snowy summits, and a variety of endemic trees, mosses, and lichen.

It鈥檚 challenging, principally due to badly maintained or nonexistent trails over rugged terrain and unpredictable, severe weather conditions. A single day in high summer can include anything from blue skies to snowstorms and violent subpolar winds. It鈥檚 difficult to plan your trip around good weather because of rapidly changing forecasts. Route finding is fundamental鈥攁nd stressful. The way forward is often indiscernible, with trail markers like signs, cairns, and ribbons, few and far between.

Each of these factors wouldn鈥檛 be as daunting on their own, but put together, they can make for a formidable challenge demanding constant caution, forcing sometimes painstakingly slow progress when conditions are bad.

Of course, it was this guaranteed adventure that I could not resist. The fact that very few people I had met on my travels in South America had heard of the Dientes de Navarino mountain range told me I was headed to the right place. I spoke to anyone I could along my way who knew about it, and spent my evenings crammed into hostel bunks all over Patagonia, scrolling endlessly through hikers鈥� trip reviews on . I decided to roll into town and see who else was planning to hike the trail.

On a clear summer day in January, I arrived at my friendly hostel in Puerto Williams. Shortly thereafter, I received a WhatsApp message. 鈥淗i! I got your number from AllTrails!鈥�

(Weeks past, I had left a comment on the trail鈥檚 AllTrails webpage looking for hiking companions.) The woman who had messaged me was named Lisa. She was 26, from the Netherlands, and had recently embarked on a solo hitchhiking odyssey through South America. A savvy hiker who had completed many long-distance backpacking trips, I liked her spunk and fearlessness. After talking through logistics, we agreed to team up and tackle the trail together.

The day of our departure was gray and blustery, nothing like the glowing recent trip reports of gorgeous weather, which in this part of the world is a blessing seldom enjoyed. During the first few hours, we walked a pleasant path through the lush Fuegian forest, the darkness and cold giving the landscape a melancholy, gloomy quality. Eventually, the gusts and snow picked up, and once we broke above treeline heading up to the first of the circuit鈥檚 four passes, the rest of the day was a white vortex. We finally got to our campsite on the banks of spire-framed Laguna Salto.

There, in my sleeping bag that first night, I felt the oppressive weight of my type-A ambition bearing down on me physically and mentally. I felt devoid of motivation. I knew I was wildly fortunate to be sleeping in this otherworldly landscape, but, for the first time, I felt smothered by the months of constant motion. The captain of the Beagle, the ship Charles Darwin navigated around the Americas, said that the oppressively somber weather in Tierra del Fuego was such that 鈥渢he soul of man dies in him.鈥� His words, to my surprise, resonated.

I could鈥檝e decided to turn around the next day and go back, but I didn鈥檛 want to abandon Lisa, and I also couldn鈥檛 bear to walk away from my goal. So I continued.

I endured three more days of an unrewarding suffer-fest. The morning of day two, navigating a slippery, icy rock face along the ridge up to Paso de los Dientes, staring down the sheer drop into the depths of the frigid Laguna del Paso below, I sunk further into mental fatigue.

My surroundings were as wild and gorgeous as I ever could鈥檝e wanted, but I was weary and depleted. At one point, coming down the steep descent from that pass, I slid and fell in the mud. The weight of my pack lurched me forward, and I hit my knees on the sharp rocks sticking out of the forest floor. I burst into tears, more from the shock and emotion than the pain itself.

I knew in that moment that I was ready to listen to myself and take a break.

But I had to complete the hike first. Lisa and I put our heads together to hunt down precious trail marker after trail marker as we tramped through the miles of muddy peat bogs and twisted dwarf forest under the gently falling snow. Her zeal and upbeat attitude, even through the most unpleasant moments, kept me from descending further into a pit of negativity.

On the third day, we began our ascent up 2,800 foot Paso Virginia, the biggest pass of the circuit. We moved past the treeline and entered the alpine tundra. As we gained more elevation, the weather conditions deteriorated. We began to move farther away from the last flat, semi-protected patch of ground in view and headed through the boulder field toward the gray void above. It occurred to me that my extremities were as numb as I had ever felt them. My hands and feet burned and tingled so painfully that I could barely move them. I had been wet since the day before due to the constant precipitation and complete lack of sunshine, but it didn鈥檛 become an issue until we gained more elevation and hit worse weather and lower temperatures.

With so many unknowns ahead of us and with such poor visibility, I told Lisa we should pitch our tent to warm up for a while in that last flat spot before moving on. I wanted to stay for the night and let the snowstorm pass, but she reminded me that the weather would probably get even worse that night; coming down the other very steep side of that pass in fresh snow the following morning could be dangerous. We chose to forge ahead.

Arriving at the top of Paso Virginia, we peered down to find a heart-stoppingly steep scree slope down to the valley. A few ginger first steps into the loose jumble of small rocks, sand, and snow soon felt like skiing through gravel.

We made it down the pass and set up camp at the bottom just as the snowstorm started intensifying. My pack, which had always been totally waterproof in the climate back home in Colorado, had soaked through. This left my sleeping bag barely dry enough to keep me warm. I was cold and wet. Lisa offered me her extra dry clothes.

Miraculously, the next morning we woke up to civil, temperate weather that had caused the snow to mostly melt while we slept. I pulled on my icy trail runners with exhaustion, but also relief for the weather shift and excitement that we were so close to leaving this experience behind.

The biggest hurdle we had remaining was to work our way through the rest of the forest for the next few hours until we hit cow pastures, which would signify our proximity to civilization. Even though this last stretch was all downhill, it wasn鈥檛 easy.

The original trail had long since been dammed and flooded by beavers, which had arrived in the 1940s after a disastrous idea by the Argentine government to start a fur trade. The lack of natural predators created a population explosion that has since led to waterway disruption and trail destruction, pushing us into the dense forest surrounding the original trail.

After a few hours of bushwhacking, we broke through the last of the beech forest and caught sight of the Beagle Channel stretching out in the distance. Looking out at the lumpy green cow pastures that indicated the last couple miles of trail, I felt a rush of relief.

As we emerged from the trail, we approached a quiet country road. We plopped down and waited for someone to drive by that might take us back to town.

Olivia James is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 former newsletter producer. She writes about travel and health from Buenos Aires. Spending parts of her childhood in Asia ignited a love for adventure, which has led to her solo traveling and living in Latin America since 2018. You can follow her travels on her , and stay tuned for more of her stories for us at 国产吃瓜黑料, to come.

The post I Hiked the Southernmost Trail in Patagonia. Here鈥檚 What I Learned. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Depending on the conditions you encounter on a multi-day hike, medication storage can require quite a bit of forethought. A medication鈥檚 potency can be affected by temperature, sunlight, moisture, and humidity. So, what exactly is the best way to pack your meds to protect them from the elements for days, or even weeks, on end?

We鈥檝e chatted with three pharmacists鈥攚ho are outdoor enthusiasts鈥攖o give you their most helpful tips. They also offer advice on ensuring you can properly store the medications so that you can traverse the wilderness with peace of mind. Here鈥檚 what they had to say.

Schedule a 鈥淰acation Override鈥� with Your Doctor to Get More Doses in Advance

If your current batch of medication refills is going to run out while you are in the middle of your trip, and you anticipate that it will be difficult to get a pharmacy refill in the area you鈥檒l be in, organize a “vacation override” beforehand.

A vacation override allows you to get earlier fills of your prescription, so you have what you need on your trip. Speak with your doctor and pharmacist about your plans to fill your prescription early, says Adam James, a pharmacist and manager of immunization and clinical programs at Rite Aid. They will work with you to request the vacation override from your insurance provider. Your insurance coverage for the refill differs depending on the plan you are on.

Of course, if you鈥檙e only going to be away for a couple of days and you happen to have a surplus of medications handy, go ahead and pack those extra doses. Stashing away some extra medication will also save you if you have to extend your trip, says James. Plus, if you happen to drop a pill in a river or between rocks, you鈥檒l be covered.

Ask Your Pharmacist to Fill Your Prescription at a Pharmacy Near Your Destination

An alternative to a vacation override is 鈥渉aving your pharmacy transfer your prescription and history information to a local pharmacy in the area close to where you plan to be, says , a clinical pharmacy manager at the University of Utah Health. It can be an independent pharmacy or pharmacy chain.鈥� If you know that you鈥檙e headed to a relative鈥檚 or friend鈥檚 house, you can also mail the medication there, provided you use a tracked mail service, and the person receiving it knows how to store the medication properly, says James.

Just keep in mind, you cannot ship medication internationally, says , a clinical pharmacist at Gourlay鈥檚 Pharmacy in Alberta, Canada.

It鈥檚 a good idea to have a copy of your recent prescriptions from your physician, up-to-date lab results, and medical history with you when you鈥檙e on a multi-day hike, says Eshenko. It can be printed or stored on an electronic device like a phone. Not only does it aid the process of getting a refill at a pharmacy that is unknown to you, but it also helps in the event that 鈥渁n emergency responder would need to give you some kind of medical attention or rescue you in an emergency situation,鈥� says James. 鈥淓mergency responders are trained to look for that type of information, whether it be in your backpack or on your electronic device,鈥� he says.

4 Ways to Store Medications Safely in Your Backpack

Here are four pharmacist-approved ways to pack your medications safely before your next hike.

1. Protect Pills and Tablets From Moisture and Sunlight

Exposing your medication to moisture (like humid conditions) can cause a decrease in your medication potency or, in some cases, make it toxic, says James.听The same goes for ultraviolet light rays听from the sun.

To protect your medication, if it comes in its manufacturer鈥檚 bottle, simply keep it stored in there, James shares.听But if听it’s been dispensed into plastic prescription vials, transfer the medication to a pill box that is specially designed for outdoor activities, he says.

Look for pill boxes that are waterproof, airtight, made of metal or anodized aluminum, and do not simply snap shut but have the added security of a locking clip鈥攍ike . Unlike plastic prescription vials or generic plastic pillboxes, these specialty pillboxes are unlikely to crack or pop open and spill their contents out.

If you鈥檙e going to be in a humid environment, Eshenko suggests asking the pharmacist if the medication is originally packed with , packets of silica gel that absorb moisture, in its stock bottle. If it is, request for desiccants to be included in your repackaged medication.

Terry also suggests placing your medication bottles or pill boxes inside a . 鈥淚f you drop it accidentally in a lake, it floats so you can easily retrieve it,鈥� she says. Neoprene fabric is also , so you won鈥檛 need to worry about your meds getting soaked. As a bonus tip: it鈥檚 still probably a good idea to toss your pills in a plastic storage bag to be extra safe.

2. Account for Temperature

Temperature is another thing that can . When a medication label directs you to store it at room temperature, James says the ideal storage temperature range is 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, though it can generally be stored between 59 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

To shield your medication from heat, always store it deep in the center of your pack, says Terry. In very cold climates, where temperatures plummet below freezing at nightfall, Terry advises keeping your medication in the inside pocket of your jacket. This helps prevent the medication from freezing while also keeping it from being exposed to direct body heat.

If you have a medication that must be refrigerated at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, the first thing to do is to ask your pharmacist if there鈥檚 any leeway to this rule. 鈥淪ome medications that are normally kept cold can be kept out at room temperature, whether it be for a few hours, a few days, or even up to a month. It鈥檚 important for people to ask their pharmacist so that they’re able to get that information and plan accordingly for their hikes,鈥� says James.

Should the pharmacist advise keeping your medication or injections cold while hiking, you could try this trick that Terry has seen work. Create an “ice well”听in an insulated water bottle to store the medication by freezing water around a cylinder-shaped object and removing it to leave a hole. Alternatively, use an insulated cooler bag with ice blocks or packs.

3. Protect Brittle Medications

Something else to keep in mind when hiking is that your tablets are likely to be bouncing around in their containers. They could break into pieces or disintegrate into powder, especially if they鈥檙e the fragile kind, Terry says.

When the time comes for you to take a dose, there鈥檚 a chance that you won鈥檛 be consuming the full, accurate dosage if you鈥檙e ingesting pill fragments or pills with broken surfaces. Because of this, she suggests packing your medications within gauze pads in the bottles or pill boxes. She prefers gauze pads over cotton balls because you can always repurpose them to treat a cut or graze.

4. Use a Pill Box to Prevent Medication Mix-Ups

According to Terry, it鈥檚 important to 鈥渉ave the description of the tablet or the capsule, of what it looks like, what the medication is, and how you’re supposed to take it, and have that affixed to either the top or the inside cover of the pillbox.鈥�

This way, you can differentiate between your pills and easily remember what your听dosing schedule is.

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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Whenever I encounter mud puddles on a trail, I flash back to one of the best-loved books of my 1990s childhood, . After contending with tall grass and a river, the characters in the book find themselves facing their latest obstacle, 鈥渢hick, oozy mud.鈥� 鈥淲e can鈥檛 go over it, we can鈥檛 go under it,鈥� they muse. The solution they land on: go through it. (Spoiler: They find the bear in a cave and run away鈥攏ot at all hiker protocol.)

As it turns out, that鈥檚 good advice on soggy trails: Walking around it causes erosion, compacts soil, tramples vegetation, and unnecessarily widens the path.

Because mud is a possibility on any given trail, even on the clearest and driest of days, it鈥檚 best to embrace it and know ahead of time what to do when you find yourself in front of a seemingly impassable mud swamp. We asked folks at the (AMC) and the (GMC), which both oversee trails that can get quite muddy, to share their best advice for getting through mud season and dealing with mud in general.

1. Assess conditions before you go

As with any hike, check the weather and trail conditions ahead of time so you know what you鈥檙e getting yourself into. Peruse hiking apps and blogs for recent reviews from hikers who might mention mud. Local hiking organizations also do their best to post trail reports. Some recreation areas, like in Vermont, will even close trails during muddy conditions to reduce hazards and protect the trails.

Spring is the season you鈥檙e most likely to encounter mud, says Emily Davenport, a guided outdoors program manager at AMC. When possible, she hikes on dry days, avoids trekking through lowland and wetland areas, and opts for south-facing and rocky trails that tend to be drier during the wetter months. She鈥檒l also skip trails with too many stream crossings, which swell with melting snow in the springtime. 鈥淓ven smaller streams in the summertime might be more consequential in the spring,鈥� she says.

2. Stay on sturdy surfaces when available

To help hikers navigate the muck, proactive trail maintenance crews strategically place rocks, logs, and planks of wood鈥攚hich are called 鈥渂og bridges鈥� in the White Mountains, Davenport says. These landing pads can make it easier as well as cleaner to cross the muddy sections.

You鈥檒l find these mud diversions especially in the northeast, where many of the historic trails were built straight up the mountain without switchbacks. That means snowmelt runs straight down them, creating muddy messes.

3. Build in extra time to go slow

Carefully picking your way through mud crossings can slow you down. Davenport suggests factoring in that the hike might take a little bit longer when it鈥檚 slick than when it鈥檚 dry. 鈥淭ake your time and go a little bit more slowly,鈥� she says. There鈥檚 nothing worse than feeling the pressure to rush and falling on your bum into a mud puddle.

4. Pack and wear the right gear

Footwear is the first piece of gear to consider for a muddy hike. Some hikers designate a pair as their mud shoes. Others prefer light hikers that aren鈥檛 waterproof but can drain water when submerged. Both Davenport and Emily Mosher at the GMC said they prefer waterproof boots for the protection and stability. Pair them with gaiters to keep out even more debris, and pack an extra pair of socks just in case you end up accidentally submerging your feet.

鈥淎s long as my feet are dry and warm, I鈥檓 okay,鈥� Davenport says.

Traction devices and trekking poles can also be useful, Mosher adds. Mud often signals ice and snow higher up, so ice cleats or other traction can come in handy. And trekking poles can add stability and act as a measuring stick to see how deep the water and mud goes. 鈥淚鈥檝e used them to find rocks in the trail so I don鈥檛 sink down into a muddy section of trail,鈥� Mosher says.

5. Have a cleanup plan

Whether you hose off your boots right away or let the mud dry first is up to you. But coming up with a clean-up system will help you manage your muddy gear. If there鈥檚 not a spigot available, Mosher recommends shaking off as much mud as you can at the trailhead, then after it has dried.

For the drive home, keep muddy things contained in a tub or bag in the back of your car. 鈥淪omething I always recommend is having an extra pair of shoes and socks to leave in your car so you don鈥檛 have to drive home in muddy boots,鈥� Mosher says.

6. Don鈥檛 let the dry weather fool you

Just because the ground is dry at the trailhead doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 dry the whole way, especially in areas that experience snow melt. It might start out dusty, but quickly turn into mud and then snow. 鈥淚鈥檝e been on some hikes mid-May where down in the valley it鈥檚 beautiful and then higher up we鈥檙e postholing in waist-deep snow,鈥� Davenport says.

Mud season is a good reminder to not get too comfortable with the weather and to stay prepared for any conditions. And as always, 鈥淚f a trail gets to be too muddy or out of your experience range, it鈥檚 okay to turn around,鈥� Mosher adds.

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Two hikers in California are lucky to be alive after one of them fell 100 feet down a sheer cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The incident occurred on Saturday, March 22 on a remote stretch of California’s famed , a rugged 53-mile hiking route along the Pacific Coast in Humboldt County. published by the U.S. Coast Guard, firefighters in nearby Shelter Cove, California received a call on Saturday afternoon of a stranded hiker on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

Rescuers were dispatched by a boat and jet ski and found one of the hikers “barely holding on” to a vertical cliffside approximately 60 feet above another band of cliffs. The hiker was clinging to the washed out slope with his hiking poles, the update said. He hiker had fallen more than 100 feet down the slope and had suffered a dislocated shoulder and cuts and bruises.

“The hiker was unable to move up or down, making it unsafe for rescuers to access him by land,” the post said.

The fire crews called the local requesting help, and the agency sent a rescue helicopter and crew. But the mission to locate and save the hiker was anything but easy. Due to the lack of wind and the limited power of the helicopter, crews had to jettison fuel, position the aircraft above the precipice, and then lower a rescuer 160 feet on a cable.

The hiker was “bleeding and injured” when the rescuer found him, but safety personnel were able to get him aboard the helicopter听and transport him to an medical station in the town of Shelter Cove. The helicopter crew then returned and plucked the second hiker from the the top of the cliffs and carried him to safety.

“Both hoists required intense crew coordination due to the loose cliffside, dead trees, and limited power,” the Facebook post said.

Rescuers reminded hikers of the numerous hazards facing them along the Lost Coast Trail. The hazardous trek is a major draw for hikers across California and the United States, as it traverses one of the state’s last remaining stretches of untouched shoreline. The trail boasts views of lush redwood forests, scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean, and black sand beaches.

The steep cliffs and crumbling precipices are too treacherous for roads or development. But the dramatic topography also creates hazards for hikers.

Erosion and deadfall often block the trail, and some sections of the hike take trekkers across narrow beaches that are frequently washed over by waves. Hikers must be wary of tides when traversing these sections鈥攁t high tide, the ocean simply washes up to the cliffs and prevents anyone from getting across.

In 2022, a rogue “sneaker” wave crashed into the beach and ; rescuers eventually saved one but the other drowned. In 2024, a group of teenagers from a nearby summer camp and hypothermic along the trail.

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When I bought my first pair of Merino wool underwear鈥攁 鈥攆rom a Vermont gear shop in 2017, it was a game changer. I dubbed them my 鈥渁dventure undies,鈥� since they were the first pair I鈥檇 reach for when packing for every type of outing. On long hikes, multiweek canoe camping trips, and snowy mountain excursions, they beat out my other undergarments in every category: comfort, breathability, and a feeling of relative cleanliness I crave when crawling into my sleeping bag at night. Since then, I鈥檝e grown my fleet of wool pairs, and they are my favorites across the board.

Turns out, I鈥檓 not the only member of the. I found that most of my male hiking buddies don鈥檛 put too much thought into this small gear choice, and don鈥檛 mind wearing the same pair for days on end. But for women, the right choice of undergarment can make or break a backpacking trip. Moisture trapping, chafing, and excessive odor are veritable hike ruiners that can sometimes escalate to UTIs or yeast infections. Plus, packing a clean pair for every day of your hike isn鈥檛 always an option on long treks. Merino underwear can solve many of these problems.

Dr. Lillia Loriz, a professor of nursing at Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida and accomplished long-distance hiker, agrees.

鈥淯nlike synthetic materials that trap sweat and odor, Merino wool naturally wicks moisture away and has antimicrobial properties that keep bacteria in check,鈥� she says.

And Loriz is no stranger to long stretches on trail: She鈥檚 hiked a 750-section of the Appalachian Trail, 1,300 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, 600 miles on , the entire Colorado Trail, and others.

Loriz says that Merino wicks moisture better than cotton, and while some synthetics have antimicrobial capabilities, this is where Merino wool shines. While your synthetic undies might pick up stink after a day or two on the trail, Merino wool pairs tend to feel and smell fresh for longer.

In addition to choosing the right pair of underwear for hiking, there are steps hikers can take to feel clean and comfortable on trail and in camp. Loriz recommends always packing a second pair of underwear on a long backpacking trip.

鈥淪witch between pairs to allow for drying. Wash when water source allows,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ome [hikers] also wear them right-side-in then inside out. However, switching between pairs to assure clean and dry use is best.鈥�

If sweaty underwear does , Loriz recommends using a skin barrier like Body Glide, , or Udder Butter.

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Sure, backpacking is tiring. But if you鈥檙e feeling extra sore, sluggish, and crummy during or after a hike鈥斺€渂onking,鈥� you might say鈥攜ou might not be getting enough protein in your diet.

Fatigue is one of the telltale signs of protein deficiency, says Madi Niemi, a fitness coach in Portland, Oregon with a degree in integrative health. This essential macronutrient helps you build and repair muscle, supports your immune system, and boosts energy, which is especially important for active people. When you don鈥檛 get enough, your body can start breaking down muscle for energy, leading to weaker muscles, increased risk of sickness, and slower recovery.

鈥淲ithout protein, your body can鈥檛 perform at its best,鈥� Niemi says.

On the trail, it can be difficult to get enough protein because you鈥檙e limited to lightweight, non-perishable ingredients鈥攍ike granola bars鈥攖hat only contain so much of the nutrient. Quick, on-the-go meals tend to be heavy in carbohydrates and fats but lacking protein, Niemi says.

Protein intake, like calorie intake, is relative and depends on your body weight and energy output. As a rule of thumb, nutritionists recommend eating 0.8 to 1 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight on a normal day. While backpacking, Aaron Owens Mayhew, the dietitian behind , suggests upping your intake to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for a relatively easy hike and 1.8 grams per kilogram for a harder hike.

Be careful not to overdo it though. 鈥淗ikers think they need way more protein than they really do,鈥� Owens Mayhew says. 鈥淛ust meeting your personal needs is enough.鈥�

Owens Mayhew adds that an average body can only fully utilize about 25 grams of protein at a time. Consume more than that, and it just ends up being extra calories. Accordingly, she tries to consume roughly 25 grams of protein for every meal, then 10 to 15 grams of protein per snack.

鈥淛ust check it against your body weight and add whatever you鈥檙e missing,鈥� she says.

Another common misconception is that you must eat meat to hit your protein goal, but you can easily consume protein through plant-based foods including legumes, lentils, nuts and seeds, certain grains, and soy-based products like edamame and tofu. You can also get it through dairy and eggs. In a pinch, mix milk powders or egg white powders into your meals for a flavorless boost.

As an ultralight backpacker, Owens Mayhew prefers what she calls 鈥渃ombination foods鈥� that are calorie dense and have protein as well as fat, fiber, and carbohydrates. Her favorite combination foods include nut butters, quinoa, chia seeds, textured vegetable protein (or TVP), chickpeas, and soy milk powder.

A combination food recipe she鈥檚 known for is the 鈥攑erfect if you don鈥檛 get hungry at altitude, aren鈥檛 a breakfast person, or need to eat lunch on the go鈥攆or a blast of 600 calories and 39 grams of protein, plus electrolytes, fiber, fat, carbohydrates.

As you focus on your protein intake, don鈥檛 forget about the other nutrients. Carbohydrates are equally important because they are your body鈥檚 source of energy, while protein is most useful for muscle repair. Pairing proteins with carbohydrates will satiate you for longer.

鈥淎 balanced diet is the best thing you can do for your body, ensuring you are getting the proper nutrients from each macronutrient,鈥� Niemi says. 鈥淧rotein is super important, but it鈥檚 all about balance.鈥�

Backpacking will leave you relatively sore. But eating better will prevent the painful bonk.

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