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Is Bikepacking BETTER Than Backpacking?

Darwin on the Trail is one of the most influential hiking vloggers

BUT he’s slowly adding bike touring trips to his annual calendar.

AND Darwin argues that Bikepacking is even better — overall — than thru hiking.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gear guru Halfway Anywhere agrees:

10 Reasons Bikepacking Is Better Than Backpacking

Of course cycling requires more gear. Higher cost.

I bought my first touring bike about 10 years ago. As I age, I expect to do more and more cycling as it’s easier on the body.

In 2026 I plan to do plenty of both.

Section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Section cycling the Tour Divide.

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Mocking Arc’teryx

If you want to look cool — but kinda a douche — buy Arc’teryx.

Great stuff. But by far the most overpriced in the industry.

Though launched in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve only ever been able to afford one piece of Arc’teryx gear. A cap. 😀

It’s currently owned by Amer Sports, Inc., Finland. Which is owned by the Chinese company Anta Sports since 2019.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Walking Malta

By BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Short montage from my unexpected visit to Malta in the Mediterranean, March 2026.

Great destination for a day hiker. I walked a lot both on the pretty coastline and in the ancient cities. Malta is particularly spectacular at night.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Tent, Pack, Sleeping Bag & Pad under 2kg (4.4lbs)

Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada launched online April 21, 2026 something they call The 2Kilo Project .

Gear looks great, but not inexpensive. You can pay by the piece if you don’t want the entire system.

In the era of Trump, many are trying to avoid purchasing from American companies. This is an alternative.

I’m looking forward to real world reviews.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – Bikepacking.com – THE MEC 2KILO PROJECT IS A COMPLETE ULTRALIGHT SYSTEM

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 7 days Great Ocean Walk, Australia

One of our top 10 coastal hikes in the world.

In 2004, the Great Ocean Walk opened, connecting 104 km of walking trails that follow the coastline near the Great Ocean Road, stretching from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles.

Parks Victoria Great Ocean Walk

Plenty of koalas.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Alpenpässe-Weg Route in Switzerland

David Myers tests his sanity and calf muscles on the Alpenpässe-Weg, a journey of 40 cols and nearly 700kms to discover how the Swiss Alps were lived in and connected together long before the combustion engine.

What: The Alpine Passes Trail is the longest, wildest, and most challenging of the Swiss National Trails (Route 6).

David fastpacked the 695km route in 15 days but the recommended, and more sane approach, is a 39-day itinerary starting at St. Moritz and finishing at St. Gingolph on Lake Geneva.

Although not technically difficult, the 49,000m of ascent and sometimes exposed nature of the trail make it one of the most vertiginous and demanding long-distance trails in Europe.

When: The best time to walk is June-September but keep an eye on potential snowfall at the end of the season and any lingering snow in June. Although fully signed in both directions, navigation aids are essential.

Read David’s trip report:

Alpenpässe-Weg: walking the Swiss Alps wildest trail

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Wildlife Impacts of Trump’s Border Wall

Eric Hanson went down to the south trailhead of the Arizona Trail to see for himself what’s happening with Trump’s wall in the Sky Island mountains.

The biggest impact of the wall is not on immigration, but on the environment, and wildlife that use the mountain corridors as a key migration corridor.

It’s one of the most important places in the US for biodiversity. This video explores the way the wall will impact the wildlife and the ecological impacts of the border wall.

Many experts conclude that a physical wall is the most expensive, least effective way to reduce illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

U.S. taxpayers on the hook for billion$. I predict future governments will give up on walls. Abandon the white elephant for satellite and drone border protection. And — hopefully — open the wall for wildlife.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.