No items found.

Empty Your Pack: A Weekend Warrior in PNW Bear Country

When you have to carry a bear canister, it pays to pare down the rest of your gear. Active Pass member Matt Wise shows us how he does it.


Ah, the dreaded bear canister. Even the lightest ones are bulky, heavier than a bear bag, and having to carry one can affect every gear choice. Here, Active Pass member and weekend warrior Matt Wise, 51, spills his kit to show how he accommodates the bear canister [read: How to Pack a Bear Canister] when he heads into the trails in Olympic National Park, where bear canisters are often required. In his five years of wilderness backpacking, he’s discovered that less is most definitely more when it comes to weight. That’s a lesson he learned the hard way on a too-heavy overnight to the Buckhorn Wilderness in 2019. Read the full article here.

LAST UPDATED

December 3, 2023

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

Backpacker

Media Mentions from Backpacker

At BACKPACKER, we inspire and enable people to enjoy the outdoors by providing the most trusted and engaging information about backcountry adventure in North America.

We are committed to honesty, respect, and cooperation in all our relationships.

We understand and respond in a timely fashion to the product and service needs of our consumers.

We take a leadership role in educating and partnering with others who share our interests and values.

We support programs, policies, and behavior that encourages protection of our current wilderness areas and well-considered designation of new ones.

We are committed to display the highest quality of compelling photographs and inspiring stories.

We provide our industry with superior service, resources, and audiences. </p>

We promote sustainable, low-impact use of wilderness.

We support and encourage one another to innovate, lead, grow, take risks, share ideas, and express a passion for the wilderness.

Explore More Content

Media Mentions

Lucky for us trail-goers, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has hundreds of hiking products on sale, and here are 15 of the best deals to stock up for this season’s outdoor adventures.

Travel + Leisure
Media Mentions from Travel + Leisure

Media Mentions

Lastly, before receiving Sawyer filters here, Sinchu Al-Haggi, a village of 9 compounds and 121 residents relied exclusively on drinking straight from these 2 open wells.

Water Charity

Media Mentions

In the meantime, bring your baggage, so that when you are ready, you can learn to let go and carry your weight. Trust me, you’ll unpack things in due time when it’s all done.

Ben Kirkland