Expectedly, I follow many blogs, websites, and forums dedicated to backpacking (and perhaps secondarily to hiking, camping, and the outdoors).

As an avid backpacker, I appreciate new gear reviews, skill tutorials, meal recipes, and information on destinations and routes. And as an outdoor blogger myself, other outlets help keep my finger on the pulse of the community; and, occasionally, they inspire me.

Recently, I searched for “backpacking blogs,” in the hopes of discovering new ones worth reading. The results were generally disappointing, even though some of the lists purported to include “the best” and “top-ranked” sites, and even gave out awards.

Many of my favorite blogs were omitted. Personally, I appreciate high quality and insightful content; I value the credibility and first-hand experience of the blogger; and I find off-putting clickbait headlines and useless lists of gear full of affiliate links.

So I’ve decided to share my own top selections.

How to follow blogs

Rather than bookmarking each of these blogs and visiting them periodically, it’s easier to use a blog reader (my pick: Feedly), which aggregates all new content.

Blogs that I read most regularly

Blogs with potential

A few blogs did not make the list above because they simply don’t post often enough. I wish they did, but I understand the reasons they probably don’t: other full-time work, family responsibilities, and a preference to play instead of writing about play. Here they are:

My complete feed

There are several popular, highly regarded, and quality blogs and websites that deserve mention but that I don’t read regularly. In these cases, I do not typically find what they produce to be useful to me.

For example, Appalachian Trials focuses on the physiological challenges of thru-hiking, but that’s no longer my gig. Midwest Basecamp, Missouri Howell, Modern Hiker, and SoCal Hiker have strong regional content, but we live in different parts of the country. And Lady on a Rock and Walking with Wired have updates on their thru-hikes, but I don’t need an armchair adventure.

With quick searching, you should be able to find all of the websites in my feed, below.

Websites and forums

To compliment my blog reading, I keep tabs on a handful of websites and forums. Here, I get perspectives from more users, and I hear from knowledgeable community members who don’t share their wisdom on a personal site (e.g., RoguePhotonic, Richard Nisley, and Lone Wolf).

The primary challenge of forums is the signal-to-noise ratio. It’s difficult to find consistent information and credible contributors.

What have I missed? Leave a comment.

I’m sure that I have omitted worthy backpacking blogs and websites. I’d love to know about them — What are they?

I’m sure that we also rank blogs differently. Which ones do you love most?