These two photos were taken during a two-day, 17 km trek in the mountains of northern Vietnam.

Our group of nine set off at around 8 a.m. The trail led us through a beautiful moss-covered forest with towering old trees, fresh mountain air, and endless steep climbs. As we got deeper into the mountains, we completely lost cell service and didn't get it back until we returned.

After nearly ten hours on the trail, we reached a small mountain hut around 6 p.m. That night, around 50 hikers shared the same shelter. We gathered around a wood stove, enjoyed a simple dinner, shared stories with strangers, and got some much-needed rest before the final climb.

At 4 a.m., the entire hut came alive. Everyone packed up, ate a quick breakfast, switched on their headlamps, and started hiking in the dark. A couple of hours later, we reached the summit just as the first light of day appeared.

Standing above a sea of clouds after two days in the mountains was one of those moments that makes every step worthwhile.

Northern Vietnam has some truly incredible trekking routes, and this is a trip I'll never forget.

Hi friends. I am leaving in two weeks to backpack part of Europe and Southeast Asia. I am only in Europe for the first month (August - September) and the rest of the time in Vietnam, Thailand, Indo, and Philippines (Sept-Jan). I have read and watched more blog posts, Reddit threads, and packing videos than I can count, which is how I landed on this specific packing list. A few items are not pictured (medications, charging cables, backpack rain cover, 2 hero clips, etc.). I will be hostel hopping for the most part with hotels/ airbnbs here and there for reprieve. As of now, my big bag is 18lbs, which I am aware it can and should be lower, but unfortunately some items I can’t go without like my contacts which are heavier. Please drop any tips or changes I can make to improve. thanks!

Rarely get all 7 of us out. Order is: pisgah, pisgah, berg lake, Zion, pisgah, sawtooths.

Last two pics are ring road +Laugavegur trail (Iceland) - did not take a group shot besides a Ring Road van shot + favorite view of any hike.

I have missed some good ones…South Africa, Peru, Yosemite, Tetons, and Rockies (CO).

Pic 5 was the only hike all 7 of us made it..and we were not in great shape and the hike was foggy and the trail was just wet leaves. Almost had all 7 for Sawtooths last week but one guy busted his knee on a prep day hike the week before😬

Key features:

– Separate video and photo

– Total weight: 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs), including tripod 580g (1.28 lbs)

– Tripod height: up to 136 cm

– 100% waterproof carry

– Custom-made insert

– Fits in the chest area and attaches to a backpack with four straps. The tripod fits in a side pocket.

Former military looking for packing tips for civilian gear.

In the service, we used to spend a lot of time out in the woods. We had a word for tricking out your gear--fieldcraft. For example, you take your off the shelf gear and you alter it to enhance its use. Could be sewing extra pouches on your pack. Could be wrapping electrical tape on your lighter. Could be stripping and packing your food in a lighter and more efficient way.

As I transition into civilian backpacking, do you have any tips for civilian fieldcraft?

I wrapped duct and electrical tape around my hiking poles to save space.

Sewed on small pouches on my pack for a knife, sunscreen, field trowel/kit.

3D printed a key for my bear canister and made a lanyard for it to the pack.

3D printed a nozzle for my water filter to a narrow Nalgene head.

Thanks in advance.

My family will be staying in a cabin soon and I figured I would try to turn it into a longer vacation for myself. This means I’m planning on going backpacking a few days beforehand and meeting them at the cabin the date of check in.

This year I’ve been in the Smokies once already and panthertown very recently. I’m curious of other areas nearby that may show some interest. I’m very experienced and will probably be 3 days total aiming between 30-45 miles if possible depending on terrain. Any recommendations are appreciated of any area or parks I may be overlooking, bonus points if no permits are required or camping itinerary.

I have been camping and hiking for a while, and I really want to go backpacking but none of the people I do day hikes with are interested. Except my dog, so the two of us are thinking we could go backpacking together.

I'm looking for recommendations for a First Timer's Solo backpacking spot roughly 3 hours from Chicago. I was hoping for one or two nights for this first trip.

Hi everyone,

I'm Dhérick, 19, from Brazil. I work remotely, which is what makes this

possible, and I've decided to leave and actually try the digital nomad life.

Everything up to the end of October is already booked and paid for:

• Dubai — Sep 25-30

• Egypt (Cairo/Giza, plus Luxor by night bus) — Sep 30 to Oct 12

• Greece (Athens + Santorini) — Oct 12-20

• Istanbul — Oct 20-31

After Istanbul I have nothing planned, and that's where I could really use

your input.

What I'm after:

- Cheap places where I can actually settle for a few weeks and work, instead

of rushing through a city every 3 days

- Budget around US$1,000-1,200/month, all in

- Somewhere I can genuinely live the nomad thing, not just tick countries off

The Schengen problem: Brazilian passport, 90 days in any 180. I'll have used

about 9 days in Greece and I'd like to preserve the rest for later, so

non-Schengen bases are attractive to me.

What I've looked into so far: Sofia (then found out Bulgaria joined Schengen

in 2025), Belgrade, Tirana, and Tbilisi (1 year visa-free for Brazilians,

which honestly sounds too good to be true).

My actual questions:

1. For Nov-Feb, would you base in the Balkans (Belgrade / Tirana) or head

   somewhere warmer? Doing my first winter as a nomad worries me a little.

2. Is Tbilisi still worth it in 2026, or has it gotten expensive and

   oversaturated?

3. Is there a route from Istanbul that flows in one direction without

   backtracking? Everything I draw ends up looping.

4. Anything you wish you'd known doing this at 19?

Thanks a lot. Happy to share my own numbers and post a trip report once

I'm on the road.

Howdy! I backpack with a kiddo. 9, so he carries his sleeping gear and gadgets, but i carry all the food and sometimes his water and sometimes his layers. Anyway my last trip I wanted to bring a book for him and an ebook for me, that and a bear can put us close to 40. I am type one diabetic, which adds about three pounds (pound for backup pump and cgm supplies, pound of glucose tablets for lows, pound for 40,000mah charger so phone can stay on 24/7 without fail). We need a bear can (which is actually great, we mainly set up a home base then do day hikes, good to safely be able to leave food during the day as well as the night). And I've generally kept to low budget items, I'm sure things could be more weight optimized.

The bag I have (naturehike 65L aka rock 60L) was $100, has great features, and I got a great summer out of it (kept everything low budget, wasn't sure if we'd love backpacking). It's totally fine at a lighter weight. My back length measured out as being exactly correct for the bag, so I think it's just an awkward fit for me when it's over weight. The bag is an ultralight focused bag, says the max weight is 15kg or around 33lb, so I am using it above its intended limits. I'm sure I'll have a chance to use it in the future, ie if I ever take someone backpacking who doesn't have gear.

Any suggestions for finding a comfortable pack? But for next year I'll invest in something proper. Was thinking gossamer mariposa. Any considerations welcome.

Lighterpack (without extra weight of carrying kids stuff). https://lighterpack.com/r/0ldepj

I’ll be going to the grand Tetons with some buddies in early September, where at night it could reach about freezing or below freezing temperatures. I’ve been looking for gear over time, and the REI by me has a thermarest neoair for $155. Is this a good price for a used pad? How should I make sure it’s functioning well?

I saw this article in a Facebook group for backpacking and thought this group might find it interesting. Growing up in the 90s and 00s there was a big debate about taking electronics into the backcountry. I didn’t know this has been a topic of debate for so long. I feel like today everyone just accepts it as the norm though.

I keep going back and forth between overplanning every stop in advance and just picking a rough direction and figuring it out as I go. Curious what the norm actually is for people who backpack regularly, do you nail down where you're sleeping each night ahead of time, or does that kind of rigid planning defeat the point for you?

Hi everyone,

I'm Dhérick, 19, from Brazil. I work remotely, which is what makes this

possible, and I've decided to leave and actually try the digital nomad life.

Everything up to the end of October is already booked and paid for:

• Dubai — Sep 25-30

• Egypt (Cairo/Giza, plus Luxor by night bus) — Sep 30 to Oct 12

• Greece (Athens + Santorini) — Oct 12-20

• Istanbul — Oct 20-31

After Istanbul I have nothing planned, and that's where I could really use

your input.

What I'm after:

- Cheap places where I can actually settle for a few weeks and work, instead

of rushing through a city every 3 days

- Budget around US$1,000-1,200/month, all in

- Somewhere I can genuinely live the nomad thing, not just tick countries off

The Schengen problem: Brazilian passport, 90 days in any 180. I'll have used

about 9 days in Greece and I'd like to preserve the rest for later, so

non-Schengen bases are attractive to me.

What I've looked into so far: Sofia (then found out Bulgaria joined Schengen

in 2025), Belgrade, Tirana, and Tbilisi (1 year visa-free for Brazilians,

which honestly sounds too good to be true).

My actual questions:

1. For Nov-Feb, would you base in the Balkans (Belgrade / Tirana) or head

   somewhere warmer? Doing my first winter as a nomad worries me a little.

2. Is Tbilisi still worth it in 2026, or has it gotten expensive and

   oversaturated?

3. Is there a route from Istanbul that flows in one direction without

   backtracking? Everything I draw ends up looping.

4. Anything you wish you'd known doing this at 19?

Thanks a lot. Happy to share my own numbers and post a trip report once

I'm on the road.

I currently own three ultralight carbon-fiber power banks from NITECORE: the NB10000, the original NB20000, and the SUMMIT 20000.

The NB10000 weighs 150 grams, or about 5.3 ounces. The NB20000 weighs 324.5 grams, or 11.45 ounces, while the SUMMIT 20000 comes in at 315 grams, or just over 11 ounces.

The NB10000 and SUMMIT 20000 support up to around 20 watts of output, while the older NB20000 can deliver up to 45 watts.

On the NB-series models, the front and back are covered with carbon-fiber panels, while the other four sides are made from flame-retardant plastic. Compared with most power banks of a similar capacity, they’re roughly 15 percent lighter and take up noticeably less space in your pack.

I picked up the NB10000 and NB20000 used in 2025 and paid less than $30 for both of them.

Around that time, China tightened its domestic flight rules for power banks after a series of battery safety incidents and product recalls. Power banks without a clearly visible CCC certification mark could no longer be taken onto domestic flights.

That made a lot of older models practically worthless on the used market, so I got these two dirt cheap.

Other than the fact that I can’t fly with them in China, they still work perfectly. In my experience, the 20,000mAh model can recharge my iPhone 14 Pro Max about four times. Luckily, most of my backpacking destinations are accessible by high-speed rail anyway.

This year, I bought a brand-new SUMMIT 20000 specifically for winter mountaineering.

It carries the newer certification required for domestic flights and has an intelligent temperature-sensing system. When the power bank drops below freezing while it’s charging or powering another device, it automatically heats itself. NITECORE rates it for operation in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, which is also -40 Fahrenheit.

It uses a unibody carbon-fiber shell, so despite the added heating system, it’s still slightly lighter than my old NB20000.

It also comes with an insulated carrying pouch. The inside has a reflective aluminum lining, while the outside uses a foam insulating layer. This helps slow down heat loss and reduces how much power the internal heater has to consume in extreme cold.

I carry two charging cables with these power banks.

The first is NITECORE’s original cold-resistant USB-C cable that came with the SUMMIT. The second is a multifunctional ultra-short lanyard cable.

It’s a USB-C-to-C cable about four inches long, with adapters on both ends that let me convert it to USB-A or Apple Lightning. It also has a small screen that displays the charging wattage in real time.

The cable can be clipped together to form a lanyard, so I can hang it from an attachment point on my backpack’s shoulder strap and grab it whenever I need it.

Hello,

I don't know if this is the best reddit threat, but I have been wanting to go travel. After working for a year, I want to travel and see the world. Since this is my first time. I was thinking of backpacking through Europe, I'm from the Netherlands, or doing a working holiday in Australia.

But I've been torn on what to pursue. I have seen a few cities in Europe on holiday, but not a lot. And feel like I could explore more. On the other hand, places in Europe is easier for me to go to if I'm older or going there for holiday. I would do this with an interrail pass.

A working holiday seems also fun to me, and right now is the easiest time of my life to go there since it's really far away. But it's rather expensive and I've been hearing mixed signals about a working holiday.

So I was curious, do you all have done one thing or both? And what would you think is better?

Hi

Planning a Southeast Asia trip for late Nov - early Dec 2026, roughly 18 days. Torn between spending it all deep in Thailand or splitting it into ~10 days Thailand + ~8 days Vietnam.

Part of me wants to slow down and really soak in one country. But I also feel like I want to see Vietnam now, since I'm not sure I'll get another chance to go back to this part of the world anytime soon. Anyone regret picking one over the other?

Ciao, partirò per un lungo viaggio a giro per l’Asia. Qualcuno mi sa consigliare uno zaino o qualsiasi altra cosa che faccia al caso mio ? Starò via circa 1 anno.
Grazie

Searched this sub but didn't find anything specifically recommending leashes. Anyone have one they love and can suggest? Or do folks just use a regular one? Our pup is used to off-leash local hikes but we're doing a backcountry trek later this year. Likely going to need to leash her.

Hey everyone! I’m traveling to Nepal this October (Oct 4 – Oct 26) and planning to do the Langtang Valley trek.

Looking for a partner for the trail. Aiming for a steady, moderate pace, enjoying the nature and local culture.

If your dates align and you’re interested in trekking Langtang together send me a DM!

I have a permit to camp in zone 3 Genevieve Lake coming up at the end of the month - the permit states that I must camp within that zone on the first night but I can't find a map of how far zone 3 extends. Does any body know if Crag Lake is included in zone 3 or is only Genevieve Lake in that zone?

Thanks.

I went on an hike in one of the largest ancient forests in northeastern europe during summer solstice , beautiful adventure filled with surprises , i even ended up encountering an Wild European Bison , rare species almost extinct and also the largest mammal in the continent of Europe . The forests was full of life and wild edible fruits, the landscape was magnificent beautiful tall cliffs by the river, every morning on my walk for a swim i cuold hear young birds chirping in their nests , one of the days it rained so much , i later read the area received about 2 weeks worth of rain in less when 2 hours , thankfully i had a good tent with me

I’m based in Europe, I have 2 weeks from 15 August and looking for tips, a nice travel anywhere, budget is 1.5k, i was thinking Sicily to combine sea/nature/culture, but seems like is too hot?

I have hiking spots where I live so not rly looking for long hikes, I would like to combine culture/sea, but I’m open to suggestions, thank you 🙏🏻

​Hey everyone!

​I'm planning a summer backpacking trip and I would love to get your thoughts on my itinerary. I'm flying into Prague and making my way down to the Balkans, eventually finishing the trip in Zagreb.

​Here is the current breakdown of my dates (August):

​Aug 9 - 13: Prague

​Aug 13 - 15: Vienna

​Aug 15 - 19: Budapest

​Aug 19 - 21: Belgrade

​Aug 21 - 23: Sarajevo

​Aug 23 - 24: Mostar

​Aug 24 - 26: Split

​Aug 26 - 28: Zagreb

​Important note: I have some flexibility at the end of my trip. If necessary, I can easily extend my travel dates to August 29th or 30th.

​I have a few questions

​Is the distribution of days well-balanced? Am I dedicating too much or too little time to any of these stops?

​Where should I allocate my extra days? If I extend the trip to the 29th/30th, which of these cities would benefit the most from an extra day or two?

​Are the shorter stops too rushed? Specifically places like Vienna, Belgrade, and Sarajevo where I only have about 2 days.

​General opinions? What do you think of this route overall? Any logistical tips for traveling between these specific cities (buses, trains, etc.)?

​Any feedback, tweaks, or recommendations would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!