Hiking trail guides, gear reviews, packing tips and route planning advice. Everything you need to plan your next multi-day hike — from the HikeLoad team.
The West Highland Way is a 154 km route from Milngavie to Fort William. Complete 2026 guide with 8 stages, accommodation costs, essential kit and midge strategy.
Read articleMaking dehydrated backpacking meals at home costs $2–4 per serving vs $10–15 for commercial pouches. Here is how to start with a basic dehydrator and hit 100+ kcal per 100 g.
Read articleThe Laugavegur Trail is a 55 km route from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk through Iceland's highland interior. Full 2026 guide with hut booking, river crossings and gear list.
Read articleEffective altitude preparation combines aerobic base training, VO2 max intervals and progressive load work. Here is a complete 10-week plan for mountain trekkers in 2026.
Read articleThe best hiking mid-layer jackets of 2026 weigh 200–350 g and pack to fist-size. Arc'teryx, Fjällräven and Norrøna tested and compared.
Read articleThe Azores offer volcanic calderas, summit ascents and jungle gorges unlike anywhere else in Europe. Complete hiking guide for São Miguel, Pico and Flores in 2026.
Read articleThe best backpacking foods hit 120–200 kcal per 100 g. This calorie density guide shows which foods to pack for 4,000 kcal days at under 1 kg of food weight.
Read articleNorway's 5 best hikes compared: Trolltunga, Preikestolen, Kjeragbolten, Besseggen and Romsdalseggen — distance, difficulty, permits and best months.
Read articleRucking — walking with a weighted pack — is 2026's fastest-growing hiking training method. A 10-week program improves VO2 max 6–8% and builds the posterior chain needed for mountain days.
Read articleMerino wool wins on multi-day odour control; synthetics dry faster and cost less. Here's how to choose the right hiking base layer for 2026.
Read articleThe Dolomites offer Europe's most dramatic hiking, from the iconic Tre Cime circuit to the 120 km Alta Via 1 multi-day traverse. Here's how to plan your 2026 trip.
Read article500 g of food per day gives you 3,000 calories and keeps 3 days under 1.5 kg. Calorie-density table, a full meal plan and freeze-dried vs DIY costs.
Read articleThe W Trek in Torres del Paine covers 80 km in 4–5 days and is one of the world's great multi-day hikes. Here's everything you need to plan and book it for 2026.
Read articleStair climbing and treadmill incline sessions are the most effective gym-based hiking prep. This 6-week progressive plan builds uphill power and knee-saving descent strength.
Read articleThe Coros Apex 2 Pro matches the Garmin Fenix 8's trail navigation for $450 less. Four hiking watches compared on GPS battery, topo maps and weight.
Read articleMadeira packs 1,862 km of marked trails into 57 km of coast. The 5 best levada walks and mountain hikes for 2026, with distances, permits and how to plan.
Read articleMost hikers eat only 40–60 g of protein per day on trail, far below what's needed to prevent muscle breakdown. Here's how to close that gap with real food.
Read articleNew Zealand's 10 Great Walks span 915 km of fiordland, volcanic plateau and rainforest. Here's how to book, prepare and choose the right trail in 2026.
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