The Packing Habit That Made Every Rainy Camp More Difficult
A practical examination of inaccessible gear, wet shelters, and the small packing changes that improve camp setup.
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Miles, Meals & Mosquitoes
Backpacking adventures, trail wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way.
James McAfferyJames McAffery is a lifelong backpacker who believes the best lessons are learned somewhere between the trailhead and the next campsite. He writes practical guides about gear, trail skills, backcountry meals, and avoiding mistakes—especially the ones he has already made himself.
Recent articles
View archiveThe Pack-Weight Lesson I Learned After Carrying Too Much Food
A practical guide to planning backpacking food without carrying unnecessary weight, using consumption tracking, appetite, uncertainty, and a sensible emergency margin.
Read articleThe Pack-Adjustment Routine I Use Before the First Steep Climb
A practical, repeatable sequence for adjusting a backpack’s hip belt, shoulder straps, load lifters, and sternum strap before the first steep climb, helping beginner backpackers catch pressure points early.
Read articleThe Night I Ignored Condensation and Woke Up with a Wet Sleep System
A practical, first-person guide to managing condensation in tents, choosing drier campsites, and recovering a damp sleep system during humid and coastal trips.
Read articleThe Navigation Mistake That Turned a Short Day Into a Long One
A practical guide to avoiding navigation errors caused by assumed junctions, misleading map scale, and dwindling daylight on Ontario backpacking trips.
Read articleThe Morning I Left Camp Too Late—and the System I Use Now
A practical, first-person account of how a slow camp morning can quietly consume valuable daylight, followed by a repeatable breakfast and packing system that keeps beginners moving without skipping important safety tasks.
Read articleThe Gear Swap Checklist for Buying Used Backpacking Equipment
A practical checklist for inspecting used tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and stoves before buying, so budget-conscious backpackers can avoid expensive surprises.
Read articleThe Food I Carried for Morale but Never Wanted to Eat
A practical guide to choosing backpacking treats that support morale without becoming unwanted food, including a simple system for testing appetite, texture, preparation, and packability before a long trip.
Read articleThe Five-Minute Morning Camp Breakdown That Prevents Lost Gear
A simple five-minute sequence for breaking camp in the morning, even when everything is wet or the site is crowded, so tent parts, stakes, food, and small essentials make it into your pack.
Read articleThe First Trip I Planned Around Mileage Instead of Recovery
A practical guide to planning backpacking days around recovery, terrain, and camp arrival rather than distance alone.
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