Happy Monday (or whatever day it is that you find this email in your overflowing inbox)! It's a stormy week in Denver, which means plenty of catching up on work, editing photos, videos, and writing articles. (The fun life of a single-person business owner who has to do everything!)

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What's inside

• Free-standing tents vs semi free-standing
• National Park Spotlight - Wrangell St. Elias
• Gear Corner
• Current Events from the outdoor space
• New Articles and YT videos

Picking a backpacking tent: Free-Standing vs Semi Free-Standing

This might be a little niche to some who may not backpack, but I wanted to do a quick dive into picking backpacking tents as we're getting closer and closer every day of the week now.

The two main types of backpacking tents are free-standing (what you normally envision when you think of a tent) and semi-freestanding.

Really, they're very similar: Both have poles, doors, and stakes. But the differences are in the details... or ounces - which is what some people VERY MUCH focus on.

The High-level Difference

Free-standing tents are what the name suggests. It can stand up on its own. It's more secure and a little bit heavier. You also get the full floor area without having to use ropes and guy lines to expand the area. This is also an easier and quicker setup.

Now, semi-free-standing tents can stand up on their own, but they're less stable, and if you want to maximize the floor area, you'll have to use your guy lines to pull out one (or more) corners to expand the area. This is because the tent has fewer poles, making it lighter.

Which one is the best for you?

Backpacking location, distance, and your strength matter.

1) Backpacking location: If you're going somewhere windy/snow/rainy, you may want to opt for a free-standing tent as it'll hold up better. Additionally, if you're going somewhere where using stakes/guy lines may not be possible for latching on, again, opt for a free-standing tent

2) Distance: If you're doing a thru-hike and weight matters, but you have ample dirt to stake into, a semi-freestanding isn't a bad option to save weight.

3) Your body: You know your body. If you can handle carrying an extra 9oz per day, then maybe opt for the more stable tent. But if you really want to pinch ounces, the semi-freestanding may be best.

Free-standing options: Lightweight Big Agnes 3-person that I own

Semi-Freestanding options: 2P Big Agnes Tiger Wall (25% off) or 2P Nemo OSMO​

National Park Spotlight of the Week - Wrangell St. Elias

This is one of the hardest-to-reach, yet most stunning National Parks America offers. It's full of glaciers, gorgeous mountains, rivers, and more. And hardly anyone visits. Only 108,000 people visited, making it 55/63.

• America's Largest National Park at over 13.2M acres (it's larger than many states and countries)
• Best time to visit: May through September
• Plan for three days/two nights
• Top things to do: Root Glacier Hike, Flightseeing tour, and explore the town
• It is home to the second-tallest peak in North America. Mount St. Elias is 18,
• Contains 150+ glaciers, including the Malapsina Glacier, which is bigger than Rhode Island. (We REALLY don't want that to melt)
• Only two roads into the park (one is a 60-mile dirt road)
• Read my articles on it: Visiting McCarthy, Alaska, Hiking on the Root Glacier, and Top Things to Do in Wrangell St. Elias NP​

Gear Corner - Upgrade Your Backpacking Gear

Backpacking season is creeping up very fast. If you're looking for some new gear to help you sleep better, I have a couple of suggestions.

​Ultra-light 2P Tent - Nemo Dragonfly - Less than 3 pounds and free-standing. I tend to use 2P tents by myself because then I can put my bag inside to keep it dry/away from rodents. But if you want, you can get two people inside. It'll just be cramped.

​All-Season Sleeping Pad: Nemo Tensor - With an R-Value of 5.4, this is truly an all-season sleeping pad. My current one is in the mid-3's, so I'm excited to see how warm this keeps me. Annnd it's honestly not any heavier.

​15-degree UL Sleeping Bag - Not everyone needs a 15-degree bag (a 30-degree is fine for three seasons), but I'd rather have one bag to deal with than bounce between multiple bags.

​Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Backpacking Pillow - I'm all about a little splurging to help me sleep better. Having a pillow is just the luxury I'm looking for!

Interesting Articles From the Outdoors Space

• The Trump administration has proposed cutting the National Park Service budget by approximatley 25% for FY27
• ​New stats are out on the most and least visited national parks​
• ​Eddie Bauer is closing all of its stores across the US​
• ​Keep an eye out for ticks and tick-related illnesses. America is off to a worrisome start to the year.

Recent Articles I've Written That You May Have Missed

• ​The 15 Best Day Hikes Near Denver That You’ll Enjoy​
• ​The Perfect 2-Day Itinerary for Exploring Jasper National Park​
• ​15 Best Things To Do in Austin, Texas for the Outdoorsy Person​
• ​9 Best Hikes in Kauai for Epic Views, Waterfalls, and Adventure​
• ​Chic-Choc Mountains: The Winter Adventure Mecca in Quebec You’ve Never Heard Of​

A YouTube Video You Might Like from Costa Rica

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As always, let me know if you have any travel questions, itinerary help, or anything else! I love to hear from you all!