Stoves 101: How Much Fuel Should I Carry?
Multiple factors come into play. Learn what they are and how they impact fuel use.
A Guide to MSR Backpacking Stoves
For every adventurer and need out there, there’s an MSR stove to match.
MSR Dromedary Bags: My Guardian Angels For More Than 50 Expeditions
MSR Dromedary Bags have become my guardian angels, providing me life—yes, literally providing life—on more than 50 expeditions around the world to complete major athletic goals. From first desert crossings in China to climbing huge first ascents on vertical rock walls in Greenland, on every continent and beyond, they have kept me alive. Let me explain: Water. It is the sweet giver of life. This transparent fluid forms the world’s streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of living things. We are water and water is life. And, of course, life is sweet. My body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water, depending on the day or my activity. To function properly I need to drink between one and seven liters of water per…
From Sea to Source: Misadventures & Camping on the Hudson River
In August of 2019, my friend Kirk and I fulfilled a childhood dream, paddling the Hudson River from source to sea. Growing up, my friends and I would explore my small hometown and go as far as we could get before making it home for dinner. We would go paddling, swimming, cliff jumping, hiking and occasionally jump trains when they were moving slow enough. Setting off to wander our town each day was an exploration, even if we had been there before. As kids, my friends and I were too naïve to even realize that our exploits rarely took us more than a mile or two from home, yet they still had a sense of adventure that built the kind of lasting friendships that are only forged in the outdoors….
Camp Recipes: Apricot Couscous with Za’atar
This one-pot meal is the ultimate blend of sweet and spicy.
Your Pre-Season Backpacking Gear Checklist
You’re ready to hit the trail, but is your gear? Run through this list before packing up and heading out into the back of beyond!
MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove vs. PocketRocket 2
Which of these ultralight stoves is right for you?
MSR Water Products & Treatment Systems Guide
Perhaps nothing is more important to a good time outdoors than having a handy supply of fresh, clean water. In fact, MSR’s very first stove—the Model 9—was built explicitly to improve the hydration–and thus the performance–of high altitude mountaineers. No matter what your goals, we know that hydration is a key element in reaching them. Over the years, MSR has built the most comprehensive and reliable assortment of water treatment and storage products available. From ultralight and portable solutions for trail ultras to basecamp and emergency purifiers for demanding high-capacity needs, we’ve got you covered. However, with many options come many choices, and that’s why you’re here. So let’s dive in with a comprehensive overview of what each water filter and water purifier was built for, so you can choose…
In Terms of Backcountry Water Treatment, When is Water Considered Safe to Drink?
Brown, silty streams, tea-colored rivulets, even clear, ice-cold lakes—any backcountry water source can serve up a cocktail of contaminants. But not everything that’s present in an undeveloped water source is necessarily harmful, and only some things pose an immediate threat to your health. In fact, it’s impractical and unnecessary to remove everything, all the time. So in terms of backcountry water treatment, when is water considered safe to drink? First, what’s commonly in backcountry water? The types of contaminants that make water “dirty” depend a lot on that source’s surrounding environment. But most contaminants can be placed into these categories: Microorganisms- Simply put: tiny bugs or germs. Microbes are the primary focus of treatment devices because of their immediate and potentially serious risk to your health. The pathogenic ones include…