Field guides

Notes from the trail

Written by the crew between shifts. No sponsored content, no affiliate links, just what worked and what did not.

Lenticular clouds, afternoon build-up and the hour you should already be heading down.

Permits, water sources, campsite etiquette and where the mosquitoes are worst in July.

Five staff pack lists, weighed to the ounce, with the things we leave behind.

Headlamp placement, stake order and why you practice in the yard first.

Water boils cooler up high. Grind coarser, steep longer, bring more.

Distance targets by age, snack strategy and a packing list that a seven-year-old can carry.

Which trails in Montana allow dogs, how to fit a dog pack and when to leave them home.

Bins, labels and a loading order that gets the kitchen out first.