2024’s Best of the World-Renowned Light Feet Blog
As we prepare to welcome in 2025, we’re taking time to look back at the trail we’ve traveled to get here. Specifically, we’re looking at where the world-renowned Light Feet blog has taken us over these last 12 months.
Our goal is to make Light Feet our community’s go-to destination for inspiring interviews with outdoor enthusiasts, useful tips and tricks for the trail, adventuresome tales from the backcountry, helpful gear highlights, and all things lightweight backpacking. Thanks to guest contributors, expert interviews, and our top-shelf, in-house creative brainstorming team, we’ve published some pretty fun content this year, if we do say so ourselves.
To determine the best Light Feet blogs from the past year, we used a highly scientific process that involved looking at the number of views each of our articles got this year and combining that with an overall vibe check. Following this thorough review, we’re excited to present you with the top 15 Light Feet blog posts from 2024!
1. 6 Shelter Tips for Camping in Windy Conditions
We kicked off the year with some tips on setting up your favorite Gossamer Gear shelter when it’s windy out. Pitching your tent in the wind can be a frustrating process, but with insights from our blog, we hope you’ve been able to confront these situations with more confidence and ease. There’s nothing quite like cozying up in the backcountry when it’s blustery out but you’re snug as a bug.
2. Kumo vs. Fast Kumo: Which Superlight Backpack Is for You?
With the launch of some new and updated products this year, our community was hungry for more content about how to put our gear to use and choose which pack is best for different adventures. Two of our brand ambassadors, Lauren “Sparkle” Veloz and Riley “Waldo” Ormiston, are power users of both our Kumo 36 Superlight Backpack and Fast Kumo 36 Fastpack. They helped us put together this blog to help customers better understand the differences between the two.
3. 6 Common Mistakes Made on a First Thru-Hike
Preparing for your first thru-hike can be a daunting task. One of our favorite ways to get ready for a new adventure is to learn from those who have traveled the trail before us. One of our most popular blogs this year was a roundup of advice from our brand ambassadors on mistakes they made during their first thru-hikes. We hope you’re able to glean some good tips from their experiences to make your next trek a smoother one!
4. When and How to Use Trekking Poles: The Ultimate Guide
Have you ever felt like you can’t ask a question because it seems like the answer should be obvious? Well, this blog proves you’re not alone. One of our most-read articles this year was about how to use trekking poles. We get it! If you’re new to them, it’s easy to feel like a silly giraffe tromping through the woods. We hope these tips from the Light Feet blog help you use your trekking poles with more confidence on trail going forward. Your knees will thank you!
5. 3 Triple Crown Thru-Hikers Compare the AT, CDT, and PCT
We’re pretty proud of the combined badassery of our brand ambassadors. Four have completed the Triple Crown of thru-hiking, including Heather “Anish” Anderson who was the first woman to complete a calendar-year Triple Crown—meaning she hiked all three trails within the same year. Our other three, Zelzin Aketzalli, Arlette “Apple Pie” Laan, and Gabe Vasquez, shared their insights with us about each trail. The AT, CDT, and PCT are all incredible options, and we hope the takeaways in this blog help you choose where to start or which to hike next!
6. What Do These Things on My Gossamer Gear Pack Do?
Throughout the year, our team has lovingly referred to this blog by its very simple acronym: WDTTOMGGPD. The WDTTOMGGPD blog was full of all the special Easter egg features hiding in plain sight on your Gossamer Gear pack—from thumb loops and headphones cord routing to an AirTag holder and emergency whistle. Next time someone asks you, “WDTTOMGGPD?” we hope you’ll be able to enthusiastically share the wisdom!
7. What Is a Pivot Frame + Belt on Backpacks? 4 Benefits of This System.
This year, our Gorilla 50 and Mariposa 60 backpacks got a major glow up. We excitedly introduced our new patent-pending PVT Frame+Belt system. This pivoting backpack system offers a more comfortable experience because it automatically adapts with your changing movements on trail. We know this feature is new to many, so we wanted to share all the details on how it aims to make your trail experience extra comfy. If you want to learn more, this blog is a great place to start!
8. Trip Shakedown Series: 27 Days Thru-Hiking the Colorado Trail
This year we launched the Light Feet blog’s Trip Shakedown Series. We know our community is always looking for new backcountry adventures to try and tips for preparing and packing for them with an ultralight mindset. In this series, our brand ambassadors meet that trail hunger with details on their latest and greatest travels. Nancy East kicked us off with an overview of her first thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, which proved to be a big hit with our audience. We can’t wait to see all of your CT photos in 2025!
9. Backpacking Baseweight Series: Glen Van Peski Shares How He Goes Lighter
We also launched our Backpacking Baseweight Series this year with an interview with our founder Glen Van Peski. This series aims to help readers learn ways to lighten their load over time with insights from a range of other backpackers. Glen’s baseweight runs around 5 pounds and is sometimes as low as 2.89 pounds! We get that this isn’t everyone’s style, though, so make sure to check the blog in 2025 for more contributions to this series that show a range of backpacking styles.
10. 7 Tips for Hiking During Wildfire Season
Particularly for those of us who hike in the West, wildfire is something we need to keep in mind when mapping out a trip in the backcountry. Yes, we can plan trips for earlier in summer and during shoulder seasons when it makes sense, but smoke season has also been lasting longer in recent years, well into fall. To be able to enjoy the outdoors while keeping safe during the wildfire months, we have to take some precautions. We hope this blog helps you keep hiking safely as we adapt to a changing climate.
11. 10 Tips to Return to Hiking and Backpacking After a Break
Ever find yourself in a hiking rut after completing a big trip or having a significant life transition? You’re not alone! Our blog editor (me!) shared tips this year on how she got back into a rhythm with the outdoors after a cross-country move and finishing a large hiking goal. Revisit this read if you’re looking to jumpstart your 2025 resolutions with more time outside!
12. 6 Best Waterfall Hikes in the Pacific Northwest
If you’re visiting the Pacific Northwest, you should definitely go chasing waterfalls. This green, mossy slice of the world is rewarded with beautiful waterfalls in stunning evergreen forests in exchange for its seemingly endless rain in the winter. If you haven’t visited these waterfalls yet, make this blog your PNW travel bucket list for 2025.
13. 6 Parents Share Their Tips for Getting Kids Outside
The great outdoors is a magical place for all ages! If you’re a new parent planning your first hike with your kids or a parent simply looking for new ideas for engaging your children in the outdoors, we wrote this blog for you. It includes tips and tricks for getting kids outside from our staff and brand ambassadors at Gossamer Gear. We hope their ideas continue to inspire your 2025 adventures!
14. How Recycled Fabrics Help Keep Backpacking Light and Green
In case you missed it, Gossamer Gear is transitioning to using recycled fabrics and materials! We’re excited about how these changes are allowing us to make the same great gear with a lower environmental footprint. You can learn more about these changes in this Light Feet blog.
15. 7 Popular Park Dupes for More Adventure and Fewer Crowds
Overcrowding in parks can strain local resources, leading to delayed emergency response and other safety concerns. It can also create unpleasant traffic and resource damage. Considering another option for your travels when high-visitation parks are at their peak can both ease pressure on land management agencies and give you an opportunity to adventure somewhere you may not have otherwise known about. That’s why we rounded up these 7 “park dupes” on the Light Feet blog to help with your 2025 travel planning!
Thank You and Happy New Year!
From all of us at Gossamer Gear, we want to express how much we appreciate you being a part of our community. You made the journey a great one this year and we’re excited to get to keep hiking with you into the grand vistas of the future. As we close out the year, we wish you all the happiest of trails in 2025 and the years to come!
Make sure to share your adventures with us by tagging tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and using the hashtag #takelessdomore. And if you have an idea for a guest blog in the New Year, feel free to reach out to korrin@gossamergear.com!