Staying warm on backpacking trips is critical. Cold weather can ruin a trip and if backpackers are unprepared, hypothermia can lead to a life-threatening situation. Staying warm and dry are critical priorities when in the back country. Escaping the wind, rain and cold means having clothing and shelter that can protect backpackers from inclement weather. Exposure to the cold can lead to death in less than an hour.

Being self-sufficient on a backpacking trip means more than just carrying the appropriate supplies and equipment. Knowledge of how and when to use it is equally important.

Alaska remains as America’s last great outpost, undisturbed and unexplored compared to the rest of the country. For those intrepid RVers up for the long haul, Alaska offers a rugged landscape virtually unmatched by any other in the United States. While the winter months, much longer than those in the lower 48, are often forbidding, Alaska’s summer season offers its visitors unique escapes to some of the most remote, yet beautiful areas in the world. Because of Alaska’s huge size and far-away proximity from the contingent 48 states, many people fly to Alaska and rent and RV, staying in wonderful Alaska RV camping resorts and Alaska campgrounds in the beautiful state.

In Alaska’s southernmost reaches are a series of web-like islands and inlets. Here you’ll find Misty Fjords National Monument and its nearly 2.3 million acres. This northern, rainy woodland produces lush, green forests and meadows, where several impressive waterfalls cascade over craggy cliffs. Widely known for its bald eagle population, Misty Fjords is also a haven for other indigenous animals such as bears, moose and mountain goats. Whale watching is also a popular pastime for visitors.

Much like its southern neighbor, Oregon, Washington State gives its visitors a pleasing array of outdoor pursuits. From the peaceful scenery of Puget Sound, to the devastated landscape of Mount St. Helens, Washington is a land of extremes, and its natural attractions beckon visitors year-round.
The Cascade Mountains are home to several state and national parks that provide as much breathtaking scenery as they do diversity. Olympic National Park in northwest Washington boasts some of the most varied landscape in the entire world. On one hand, the Olympic Peninsula showcases alpine mountains, coastal wildlife havens, and temperate-zone rain forests, all of which can be found within miles of each other in this park. Walkers will not only delight in the park’s climatic diversity but also in its many prized wildflowers, found nowhere else in the world.

Washington is a land of extremes, and its natural attractions beckon visitors year-round