Adam Roy
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Editor in Chief at @BackpackerMag. Not really here anymore. Find me on Bluesky (bsky.app/profile/adnroy.bsky.social) or my website (adamroy.net)
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Articles by Adam Roy
The Volpi FastPack 30 Might Just Convince Me to Ditch My Hipbelt
Hipbeltless packs are normally not part of how I hike. As a Backpacker editor, I’m blessed with a pretty deep gear closet, and I use most of the packs in there regularly: Burly conventional packs for gear-intensive winter and family trips, frameless ones for personal outings where I can pack as light as I want, and lightweight backpacks with a frame for anything in between.
A Saguaro Fell on a Hiker’s Head and Sent Her to the Hospital. Here’s How Bad Cactus Injuries Can Get
I was lost in the endless starry skies of southern Colorado when I walked directly into a cactus. I was 24 and on a camping and climbing trip to Shelf Road, near Cañon City, and as some readers may have already guessed, I was not exactly sober. After killing the better part of two bottles of Trader Joe’s Blended Scotch with my buddies around a campfire, I got up to relieve myself. It was a cold, clear night, and the edge-on disk of the Milky Way cut a slash across the sky.
I Took a $30 Keychain Camera Hiking to See If It Could Replace My Smartphone Camera
In Gimmick or Gamechanger, the Backpacker editors test hiking gadgets to see what’s worth your money—and what’s a waste of it. In late 2025, I finally got fed up with my smartphone. Sure, it made staying in touch with my friends and family simple, let me keep tabs on my job when I was away from my computer, and put any information I could possibly want at my fingertips.
Deal of the Week: This Lightweight Shelter Can Survive Any Storm—and It's Under $150
Backpackers have mostly ditched bivy sacks in favor of lightweight tents, and we can’t say we blame them: Today’s purpose-built ultralight shelters are lighter, more spacious, and just generally more pleasant to live in than bivvies. Still, if your plans include camping in deep winter or staying out in mountain storms and you aren’t prone to claustrophobia, these lightweight nylon envelopes have a lot to recommend them.
Hike of the Week: Catch Fall's Most Spectacular Show on This Newly-Rebuilt New Hampshire Trail
Trail: Little Haystack Mountain via Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Notch State Park, NH Length: About 6 miles out and back, with options to extend Elevation Gain: 2,868 feet Why hike it now: Take in primetime fall foliage in the White Mountains on a newly-rebuilt trail. As a onetime New Englander, I have a love-hate relationship with leaf season. Yes, the trailheads, campgrounds, and roadside parking choke up with camera-toting tourists out to catch that perfect snap. But who can blame them?
Forget Energy Bars—These “Walking Tamales” Are My New Favorite Trail Snack
Of all the ideas that I’ve seen in 20 years of covering the outdoors, the savory energy bar is the one that won’t die. Every few years, a company decides it’s going to buck the trend of sweet protein bars and energy gels and release an oat bar flavored with rosemary and sea salt or a nut-and-soy-crisp-based bar with curry and pepper.
5 Pickup Trucks Coming Out Soon That Might Be Worth Waiting For
Liked by +40 others Related Posts These Are The EVs Coming Out Soon That Might Be Worth Waiting For 77 · Abigail Lavoie · 25 days ago The 2026 Dodge Durango R/T Is Still Fun After 15 Years, But That Might Not Be Enough | Review 58 · Emma Morgan · 6 days ago · Dodge · Dodge Durango · Dodge Durango R/T 2028 Ram Ramcharger Is a Burly V-8-Powered SUV Worth Waiting For 30 · Hannah Macdonald · 8 days ago · RAM · SUV NHTSA now investigating fuel leaks on 20-year-old pickup trucks 87 · Adam Anderson...
Forest Service Rangers Helped ICE Detain a Group of Campers. Now, Congress Wants Answers.
What to know: Thirteen members of Congress are demanding that Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz explain his agency’s policies around participating in immigration enforcement after USFS rangers helped ICE arrest a group of campers last month. The incident follows another joint USFS-ICE operation that arrested visitors to a national forest earlier this year, and an incident where immigration agents arrested two wildland firefighters from Washington’s Bear Gulch Fire in 2025.
Deal of the Week: These Easy-Carry String Lights Make Any Campsite Feel Like a Party
As the days get shorter, nights on the trail get longer. While you could rely on your headlamp, making room in your pack for softer, ambient lighting to illuminate your backcountry living space can go a long way toward improving your quality of life, especially on group campouts where kicking back and connecting is part of the appeal. Of the different models we’ve tried in the past, BioLite’s Solar String Lights are some of the most-hassle free.
Deal of the Week: This Jacket Is Ready to Slay Your Dream Hike—and it's 50 Percent Off Now
There are certain partners that you want backing you up on your biggest days—think 30-miles-in-a-day hikes, big summit pushes, or ski missions that take you far into the backcountry. Helly Hansen’s Odin Stretch Hood Insulator 2.0 is that, but in jacket form.
These 14 Fall Camp Recipes Taste Like Pumpkin Pie, Apple Crisp, and Maple Everything
An autumn hike in the woods has a way of activating all of your senses at once. You see it in the color-changing foliage, feel and hear it in the crunch of leaves underfoot; you smell it the earthy scent of wet duff on the forest floor. But most of all, you taste it. If you’re doing your camp meals right, of course. The signature flavors of harvest season are varied. There’s pumpkin, yes, but maple, squash, and hot apple cider, too.
Forget Alpha Males: This Year's Fat Bear Week Winner Just Wants to Sit on His Rock
We are living through a shortage of heroes. Icons, we have—athletes, musicians, flash-in-the-pan influencers making the most of their 15 minutes of fame. But the real heroes, those role models worthy of being immortalized in bronze, are rare indeed. To that all-too-brief list, let me submit a new name: Bear 89, better known as Backpack.
Deal of the Week: This Ultra-Comfy Camp Pillow Is Your Ticket to Better Sleep on the Trail
Forget the stuff sack filled with extra layers: Packing a pillow is a tiny hack that can make a huge difference in your quality of sleep on the trail, and with modern inflatable models weighing in at as little as 2 ounces, there’s no reason for most hikers to leave them at home.
Feel Like You're Seeing More Spiders on the Trail Right Now? It’s Not Your Imagination.
If you’ve hit the trail in the past month or so, you may have found yourself sharing it with a few new, leggy friends. Around the northern hemisphere, the end of summer and beginning of fall is spider season, when arachnids seem to be popping up everywhere. It’s not just your imagination: On a recent trip to hike the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, I found orb webs festooning the underbrush and wolf spiders creeping through the leaf litter what felt like every dozen feet.
The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in September 2026
The leaves may just be starting to change, but at Backpacker, we’re in full fall mode. In September, we got around, logging a few last paddling days and flying to South America in search snow before heading to Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail to test gear for the 2027 Spring Gear Guide. This gear helped us start fall strong—and could be a valuable addition to your pack, too.
Truck Of The Future Aim Of New Bosch Technology
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New Mining Claims Filed in Bears Ears, and Digging Could Start “In Months”
Miners could start digging up Bears Ears National Monument within “months” after two companies filed new claims in the formerly protected area, advocates say. Mapping data from the San Juan County Recorder’s office in Utah show that two mining interests filed a total of 16 claims on September 11, the day that the Trump Administration’s proclamation shrinking the Utah monument took effect. Three claims filed by George W.
Deal of the Week: Score Our Editor's Favorite Sun Hoodie for 50 Percent Off
I have a closet full of sun layers, but few of them get as much of a workout as my REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie, which is comfortable enough that I often find myself reaching for it even when I could get away with short sleeves.
New Mining Claims Filed in Bears Ears, and Digging Could Start "In Months"
How we reported this story:Backpacker reviewed mapping data for 16 new mining claims in Bears Ears National Monument filed with San Juan County, Utah, read court documents, and spoke to two staffers from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which is currently suing the federal government over its reduction of Bears Ears. Miners could start digging up Bears Ears National Monument within “months” after two companies filed new claims in the formerly protected area, advocates say.
Freelander 8 Sets Guinness World Record For Highest Altitude Reached By A Hybrid
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It’s Spider Season. Here's What An Agricultural Biologist Wants Every Hiker to Know.
I was running on my local trail system one warm September morning when something caught my eye. On the concrete wall of a pedestrian overpass sat a large spider, legs stretched out from its glossy black body. It was probably an inch and a half across from the tip of its back legs to its front. I recognized it without even having to see the red hourglass on its stomach: a mature female western black widow.
Deal of the Week: This Sleeping Bag Brings Maximum Coziness at a Minimum Price
The Mountain Hardwear Yawn Patrol 15 is a cozy sleeping bag made for chilly shoulder-season nights. As fall mornings get chillier, willing yourself out of your sleeping bag gets harder and harder. You could fight it—or lean in and carry the kind of sleeping bag that makes sleeping something to look forward to. Marmot’s Yawn Patrol 15 is made for that.
From Protein Soda to Protein Bread, We Tried the Weirdest Protein Foods We Could So You Wouldn't Have To
Eating high-protein is among the most popular specialty diets in America right now, and food manufacturers are cashing in. Walk down the aisles of any grocery or convenience store, and you’ll see everything from bars to milk to breakfast cereal hawking just how much of the stuff it packs in.
Deal of the Week: Get This Ultra-Luxe Hiking Backpack for More Than 50 Percent Off
When your trip calls for carrying a few extra luxuries, the Gregory Katmai and Kalmia are perfect companions. Gregory-katmai-65 (Photo: Gregory) A supportive backpack that’s capable of toting a load can unlock new kinds of trips—think group basecamping trips at your favorite alpine lake with a few friends, or a weekend at a fire lookout with a bottle of wine and a special someone.
It's Spider Season. Read This Before You Get a Big Faceful of Web.
On trails and in shelters across the country, spiders are becoming more visible. Do hikers need to be worried? No, but there are a few things they should know. An Apache jumping spider in Golden, Colorado (Photo: Adam Roy) I was running on my local trail system one warm September morning when something caught my eye. On the concrete wall of a pedestrian overpass sat a large spider, legs stretched out from its glossy black body.
Toyota to build new Lexus EV in China before Japan, breaking its long-standing pattern
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Deal of the Week: One of the Most Comfortable Backpacking Tents We've Ever Tried Is 50 Percent Off
With a roomy interior, high peak height, and unbeatable storage, the Marmot Limelight is a perfect shelter for backpackers who like to spread out. Marmot Limelight (Photo: Courtesy of Marmot) It’s not always about the weight: On some trips, especially ones with minimal mileage or multiple days at the same basecamp, comfort is king. With 45.2 square feet of floor space the 3-person Marmot Limelight has plenty of room for three backpackers to spread out.
Plastic Is Poisoning the Earth—So This Designer Made a Backpacking Kit Without It
Transcript My name’s Tom Bonamici, I’m an assistant professor of product design at the University of Oregon , and I teach in general product design for undergraduates and also our master’s program in sports product design. So, my research is about lightweight backcountry travel, and I am particularly interested in backpacking, been doing it since I was a kid, and I’m also really interested as an Oregonian in sustainability issues.
A Massive Coalition Just Sued to Save Bears Ears and Grand Staircase—and the Outcome Could Decide the Future of U.S. Public Lands
What to know: A group of 18 Native, conservation, and scientific groups are suing the federal government over the Trump administration’s July cuts to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, which reduced each monument in size by 9o percent. The plaintiffs allege the president overstepped his authority when he shrunk the monuments, and say they plan to contest mining claims in the area.
'It Was Just Like a Monsoon': Hiker Recounts Scramble to Evacuate During Grand Canyon Flood
When a ranger showed up at the door of David Gregory’s cabin in Phantom Ranch and told him to start getting his gear together, he wasn’t worried at first. “She says ‘you might want to just kind of gather your things. We may do a temporary evacuation,’” Gregory recounted in an interview with Backpacker.
The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in August 2026
Even if, like us, your school days are long behind you, there’s a certain melancholy to summer’s final stretch. The days are getting shorter, and those warm-season trips are in the past. But for backpackers, the end of summer is just the beginning—crisp temps, changing leaves, and perfect hiking conditions are ahead. This August, our editors beat the heat in the Rockies’ high peaks, ran rivers, and went wildlife-spotting in our local national forests.
Map: Grand Canyon Closes Trails in Wake of Deadly Flood
Grand Canyon National Park has closed dozens of miles of trails, shuttered lodging, and cut off access to water following a deadly flood that killed at least one person and destroyed key infrastructure on August 29. In an update on its site, park administration said that it was indefinitely closing Phantom Ranch, including Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen, and the Phantom Ranch cabins; all of the North Kaibab Trail; and Black Bridge and Silver Bridge.
The 9 Best Deals for Hikers at REI's Labor Day Sale, Chosen by Backpacker's Editors
It’s one of the year’s biggest inflection points for hikers: Summer’s warm months are winding down as fall approaches. It’s the perfect time to start tailoring your packing list to shoulder season by prepping for variable weather, longer nights, and crisper temps. Found a hole in your gear closet that you need to fill? Labor Day is a convenient (and cheap) time to do it as brands and retailers across the outdoors discount product across their lineups.
Bentley’s Torcal Is Basically A Mid-Grade Cayenne Electric With 850 HP And A British Accent
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Should You Be Eating Earthworms on the Trail? We Revisit Backpacker's Weirdest Recipe.
In 1978, a disgusting rumor spread through several states in the southern U.S.: Fast food chains, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s, were grinding worms into their hamburger meat to save money. At first, the companies tried to ignore the chatter. But as their corporate offices began to field calls from alarmed members of the public and franchisees raised the alarm about dropping sales, they decided they needed to say something.
"I'd Mailed Myself Two Left Shoes": A New Doc Goes Behind the Scenes of an Appalachian Trail Speed Record
Jeff “Legend” Garmire is no stranger to moving fast. Since his first thru-hike at age 20, the runner (and sometimes Backpacker contributor) has notched fastest known times on more than 20 different routes around the U.S. and abroad, including the John Muir, Wonderland, and Colorado Trails. But his latest, a 45-day, 8-hour, and 37-minute thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2025 that broke the trail’s 8-year-old self-supported record by just 4 hours, felt different.
Is Your Pack Lying to You About Its Capacity? We Went to the Outside Lab to Find Out.
What we did: For this story, Backpacker tested the 18 traditional and ultralight backpacks featured in this year’s summer gear guide in the Outside Lab, comparing their claimed capacities against their actual ones and measuring how they divided those up between main and accessory pockets. What does that 40, or 50, or 60 in your backpack’s name mean? If you answered “the number of liters it can hold,” you’re correct.
Deal of the Week: The Best Budget Carbon Trekking Pole Just Got Even Cheaper
Cascade Mountain Tech's 3-section carbon poles are cheaper than most aluminum models. Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles (Photo: courtesy) Swapping your aluminum trekking poles for carbon fiber models can cut weight from your setup, but it has two main drawbacks: price and durability. Cascade Mountain Tech’s 3-piece poles excel on both accounts. At $52, they’re just slightly more than even budget aluminum poles, and a good deal lighter.
GM Brake Investigation Explodes From One Cadillac to 1.2 Million Vehicles
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Convince Your Hiking Buddies You're a Genius With These 39 Brilliant Camp Recipes
When it comes to food, most of us at Backpacker prefer to keep it simple: oatmeal for breakfast, tortillas and peanut butter for lunch, something freeze-dried for dinner, and bars or gas-station snacks in between. (My personal carb consumption has gone up by about 1,000 percent since I figured out I could cold-soak a half-block of ramen in a 16-ounce Nalgene and just eat it while I walk.) But sometimes, you want more. Maybe you’re trying to show off for a new friend, or a new partner.
Deal of the Week: A Sleeping Bag You Can Wear Like a Coat
The Exped Dreamwalker is a shoulder-season-ready sleeping bag that doubles as an adjustable poncho. Dreamwalker Sleeping Bag (Photo: Exped) We all know the feeling of willing yourself to get out of your sleeping bag on a chilly morning. The Exped Dreamwalker suggests an interesting solution: What if you just … didn’t? At night, the Dreamwalker is a 40-degree sleeping bag that sits somewhere between a rectangular cut and a mummy, with a blunt footbox, center zip, and jacket-like 3D hood.
3 Ways to Accidentally Blow Yourself Up With a Canister Stove, and How to Avoid Them
It’s been years since I last cooked with a liquid-fuel stove. They have their strong points—they’re indispensable for trips to remote areas, where all that’s available to burn is kerosene—but overall, they’ve been supplanted by the canister. Modern canister-based camping stoves are lighter and more reliable than ever, and with smart management can be used even on winter trips. But fuel canisters do have one big downside to them: every once in a while, they explode.
This No-Reserve 1931 Ford Model AA Sinclair Tanker Served as a Collector's Private Gas Station
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With New Fire Closure, a Quarter of the Pacific Crest Trail Is Shuttered in Washington
1 day ago Growing up in a hiking family with a history along the Appalachian Trail, I became obsessed this summer with 91-year-old Dale “Greybeard” Sanders’ attempt to recapture his record as the oldest person to complete the more than 2,190-mile trek across 14 states. Known as “thru-hikers,” these …
With New Fire Closure, a Quarter of the Pacific Crest Trail Is Shuttered in Washington
A new wildfire in Washington has closed 31 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, adding an additional obstacle for northbound thru-hikers trying to complete their journey of the renowned long trail. According to an update shared by the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) on August 15, the trail is now closed between Mica Lake (mile 2524) and Suiattle Pass (mile 2555) due to the Miner’s Fire.
Google Maps Is Great for Road Trips. On the Trail, It’s Getting Hikers Rescued.
“Bring a paper map” is a common piece of advice for hikers (and a good one, in my humble opinion). But when people suggest that, they’re generally thinking of a topo, not a printout from Google Maps. This summer, several hikers have required rescue after trying to plan challenging trips using Google’s flagship navigation app.
Deal of the Week: Our Favorite Rain Jacket for Backpackers Is Half Off
If you want to cultivate a healthy appreciation for rain, try living without it. Colorado is in the midst of a catastrophically dry year, the kind that drains reservoirs and leaves the understory in the forest shriveled. As the southwestern monsoon season has finally arrived over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself making excuses to go out in the rain—for the smell, for the cool temperatures, for the novelty of feeling the drops on my skin.
Deal of the Week: Our Favorite Rain Jacket for Backpackers Is Half Off
17 hours ago In 1990, a youthful Earl Swift hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Maine to Georgia. Along the way, the Virginia journalist met a young couple he’d followed south from Mount Katahdin and through the high, wild White Mountains of New Hampshire, and whom he had come to know through their entries in …
This Week's Perseids Will Be the Darkest in Years. Here's Where to Camp for Them.
This year, summer vacation is ending in a blaze of glory—literally. On August 12, two of the year’s most notable celestial events will happen in a single day. First, the Perseids, one of the year’s most attention-grabbing meteor showers, will peak, lighting up the sky as bits of comet debris burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Conditions will be optimal: This year’s peak coincides with a new moon, meaning that luna’s light won’t wash out the dimmer trails.
Colorado Fourteener Traffic Dropped to a Record Low in 2025. Here’s What Caused the Slump.
14 hours ago Under a full moon, after more than 20 straight hours of running, Roman Trach lifts his arms and sways back and forth, like a boxer who’s just gone 15 rounds in a heavyweight fight. “I can’t believe this, dude,” he says, shaking his head. “I want to cry so bad.” Trach’s body doesn’t let him squeeze …
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