Hiking Daily is a resource for everyone who enjoys hiking, backpacking, trekking, or camping in the wilderness.
Many hikers are super prepared to the extreme. It is inspiring. At the same time, many less experienced hikers wing it and leave unprepared. While that can be fun and spontaneous, it can also be very costly or dangerous.
Hiking Daily offers novice, intermediate and advanced hikers an in-depth guide to hiking skills, travel, and gear.
For all hiking gear product reviews, we do thorough research and testing.
Our gear recommendations are the best products made by the most trusted brands or what we collectively use in the backcountry.
All content on Hiking Daily is produced by experienced outdoors enthusiasts who participate in hiking and other outdoor activities.
Contributor Bios:
Matt Varty (Founder + Audience/Business Development)
Matt has spent a significant chunk of his life in the outdoors. Countless hiking adventures. 15+ canoe trips spread over 210+ days in the wilderness of Ontario and Quebec in Canada.
An experienced outdoorsman who spent 4 seasons planting (500,000+) trees (reforestation of clearcuts) in remote areas of British Columbia, Canada. These operations are deep in the forests and up high in the mountains. Sometimes you drive until the road ends and work there for weeks. Other days you are flown to clearcuts by helicopter and dropped off on the steep slope of a mountain. A tough job and an unforgettable experience.
For most of 2013, Matt backpacked around Europe and spent time in 15 countries.
Matt lives in Colorado where exploring the outdoors is a way of life.
Instagram: matthewvision
Email: matt @ hikingdaily.com
Ellie Stanton (Contributing Writer)
Ellie is a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder and
Her love for the outdoors began in Buena Vista, Colorado, where she spent her summers hiking and backpacking in the Sawatch Range with her dad and grandparents. Over time, she realized the open spaces she loves are greatly threatened by climate change and exploitation. In an effort to preserve these areas, she hopes to promote sustainable outdoor companies and practices like Leave No Trace. After Ellie graduates, she hopes to earn a degree in environmental law and complete the Pacific Crest Trail!
Instagram: twellie
Jack Barker (Contributing Writer)
Jack is a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder and is majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in atmospheric sciences and Arctic studies.
While not studying or writing, Jack enjoys hiking, climbing, mountaineering, and skiing. He loves to share his love for the outdoors with others.
In 2017, Jack spent 6 months hiking and climbing in South America, and can’t wait to go back.
After Jack graduates, he looks forward to being a positive impact in combating climate change by working with those in the outdoor industry and the policy world.
Instagram: jack.barker
Anna Kristina (Contributing Writer)
Anna Kristina is an English and History double major at UC Davis.
She spends as much time as possible outside (preferably barefoot), and is absolutely in love with hiking and climbing.
She’s spent extensive amounts of time in the Sierra Nevada, Wind River, Sawtooth, and Norwegian mountains, as well as having worked as a climbing guide in Spain and a raft guide in Utah.
She earned her Wilderness EMT in 2018, and hopes to work outside (and write) for the rest of her life.
Jordyn Milbrath (Contributing Writer)
Growing up in Colorado, Jordyn has spent much of her time on the trails exploring what the mountains have to offer. Her love and appreciation for the outdoors really started after an ACL injury, where she gravitated away from soccer and towards trail running and mountain biking. Once she discovered the mad world of ultra-running and bike-packing, she never looked back. Combining interests with careers, she graduated from CU Boulder with an Integrative Physiology degree and a newfound passion for sitting in the dirt eating smooshed granola bars.
When she isn’t lost on a trail or planning her next challenge, her nose often finds its way to the nearest coffee shop – always on the hunt for the perfect espresso. After spending some summers in Chamonix, France, she has decided that Moody Coffee Roasters has her favorite Ethiopian blend, along with some of her favorite trails.
While she has many personal goals, her biggest endeavor is to help and encourage more women to feel confident and comfortable starting something new and getting out on the trails.
Instagram: @jordyn.milbrath
YouTube: Chasing Jo
Rachel Scully (Contributing Writer)
Rachel is a social media curator and reporter at The Hill in Washington, D.C. Next to politics and journalism, she loves the outdoors and exploring everything the world has to offer.
She started hiking in college, where she fell in love with everything the community and the outdoors. She’s a true believer that you are never too old to start something new.
Besides writing, Rachel enjoys staying active as much as possible, whether miles away in a desolate mountain range or down the street at her local climbing gym.
Instagram: @rscully9
Jackie Florman (Contributing Writer)
Jackie grew up in southern California, making frequent trips up to the high granite peaks of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains throughout her childhood. During the summer season, Jackie is a guide at Lasting Adventures, Yosemite-based guide service, and outdoor education program, where she leads youth and adult hiking and multi-day backpacking trips in Yosemite National Park. During the school year, Jackie is a student of Environmental Studies and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. At CU Boulder, she serves as the president of the CU Alpine Club, an outdoor climbing club with a strong focus on outreach and community engagement, and as a board member of the CU Backcountry Club, a student-run backcountry ski and snowboard organization. Before transferring to CU Boulder, she spent a year living in Mammoth Lakes, CA, teaching snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain. Jackie’s favorite outdoor activities include scrambling, running, and backcountry snowboarding in the mountains!
Instagram: jackieeflor
Maytal Agasi (Contributing Writer)
Maytal, otherwise known as Carrot Top on the trail, is a recent graduate of The University of Colorado Boulder. She majored in Environmental Studies and hopes to heal the planet through sustainable waste management and permaculture. She is a yoga practitioner, thru-hiker, compost advocate, trash sorter, tomato lover, world traveler, and scuba diver.
Protecting the planet and experiencing its magic go hand in hand, which is why she loves thru-hiking. She has completed the John Muir Trail, the Colorado Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail.