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How to Use a Buff as a Backpacking Pillow

May 21, 2014 By Jeff H 3 Comments

I love my Buff. It’s the multi-purpose headwear that can be a neck gaitor, a face mask, a headband and a about a dozen other configurations. I’ve worn my Buff on the Trans-Catalina Trail and the John Muir Trail. But not until a recent backpacking trip did I learn that a Buff could also become […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: Backpacking, buff, tips

3 Tips for Turning a Boring Hike into a Micro-Adventure

January 23, 2014 By Kam Altar 2 Comments

3 Tips to Make Hiking a Micro-Adventure - SoCalHiker.net

I love to hike. I remember hiking to Rainbow Falls just outside of Mammoth Lakes, CA when I was maybe 5 years old…floppy blue hat, pink striped shirt, my trusty pink “hiking pole” and my teddy bear tucked away in my backpack. I remember stopping in the shade to snack on Vienna sausages, canned fruit […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: adventure, guest post, tips

The Ten Essentials

February 4, 2010 By Jeff H 40 Comments

The Ten Essentials is a list of items deemed by many hiking authorities to be necessary for safe travel in the wilderness. They were first described in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a hiking and mountain climbing club in Washington state. According to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, the ten essentials are: Map – trails […]

Filed Under: Gear & Tips Tagged With: 10 essentials, Gear & Tips, tips

About SoCal Hiker

Jeff on Mount Rainier

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking and backpacking trails with enough detail to make it an enjoyable experience for you. And while I started with trails in Southern California, I’ve expanded across the west. We hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more…

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Hiking Black Butte from the Lower Trailhead

Black Butte is an iconic mountain that stands alone, prominent and proud. The 6,436' … [Read More...]

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A popular hike in north-inland San Diego County, Monserate Mountain provides a good … [Read More...]

Hiking Sutton Mountain

Sutton Mountain gives you a sense of just how big Oregon is. Nestled between the … [Read More...]

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