Backpack: Bear Country: Basics
Personal safety is the first priority; a bear can be dangerous if provoked or habituated to humans. Safety of the bear is also a concern.

Backpack: Bear Country: Camping & Food Security
In bearcountry, secure all food, including freeze-dried and canned foods, beverages, and odorous items such as soap, toothpaste, and sunscreen.

Backpack: Bear Country: Hiking & Bear Encounters
Although the risk of an encounter with a bear is low, there are no guarantees of your safety. Minimize your risks by following these guidelines.

Backpack: Desert: Basics
Water. From beginning to end, from one moment to the next, water is the most important factor in a hike through arid country.

Backpack: Desert: Camping Considerations
Desert plants and animals eke out a precarious existence in dry climes. Consider your impact as you hike in their habitat.

Backpack: Desert: Hazards
The 2 most important considerations in the desert are water and shade to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Backpack: Desert: Hiking
When most of us think "desert," we think "heat." It is important to plan your hikes around keeping cool.

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Dry Camping
It's not uncommon for water sources in the desert to be spaced so far apart that you can't walk from one to the next in a day. Learn to dry camp.

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Finding & Carrying
Planning for water is crucial in deserts, because neither natural nor man-made sources are 100% reliable: Springs can dry up.

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Food
You may find that your appetite decreases in really hot weather. Food planning for desert travel incorporates both preference and practical elements.