About

You don’t have to be an expert to get outside.

There is something about spending time outdoors that makes life feel a little simpler.

You walk a trail. You slow down. You notice things you normally miss. You challenge yourself, but you also get a chance to step away from the noise of everyday life.

I believe more people should have the opportunity to experience that.

But getting started can feel intimidating.

There are endless gear lists, complicated advice, unfamiliar terminology, navigation apps, food systems, fitness questions, and the outdoors can feel uncertain.

However, it doesn’t have to be that complicated.

That’s why I created Great Minds Think Hike.

My goal is simple: help you feel confident getting outside.

Great Minds Think Hike is a place for practical, approachable hiking and backpacking information.

Not because I think there is one perfect way to do things.

And not because you need to become an ultralight expert, hike 20 miles a day, or spend thousands of dollars on gear.

I believe the outdoors should be accessible to ordinary people.

My goal is to help you learn what you need to know, prepare for the experience, and then get out there and figure out what works for you.

Because the best way to become more comfortable outdoors isn’t to read everything first.

It’s to learn, prepare, go, and learn some more.

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What you’ll find here

  • Hiking & Backpacking Basics
    Straightforward guides to help you understand the skills and decisions that matter.
  • Gear & Equipment
    Practical advice about what you actually need, what you can skip, and how to make smarter gear decisions.
  • Trip Planning
    Resources to help you choose a trail, plan an overnight, prepare for conditions, and feel more confident before you leave home.
  • Food & Water
    Simple approaches to eating, drinking, and managing water on the trail.
  • Trail Skills & Safety
    The knowledge that helps you become more self-sufficient and make better decisions outside.
  • Trail Guides & Outdoor Resources
    Ideas and resources to help you discover places worth exploring.

My Story

My path to backpacking didn’t start with a backpack.

I’d been an avid camper and fisherman for years. Spending time outside wasn’t unfamiliar to me.

Before I started backpacking, I was a trail runner.

Running trails taught me to appreciate moving through the woods in a completely different way. I became more comfortable with distance, terrain, weather, and simply spending time outside.

Then I got the urge and decided to try backpacking.

And while the outdoors itself wasn’t new to me, backpacking was.

I had to learn a whole new way of experiencing the trail.

I needed to figure out how to plan an overnight trip, what gear actually mattered, how to carry everything I needed, how to manage food and water, how to prepare for changing conditions, and how to make good decisions when I was responsible for myself miles from the trailhead.

I quickly realized something:

Knowing how to hike doesn’t automatically mean you know how to backpack.

Backpacking has its own skills, systems, and learning curve.

After over covering over 1k miles in trails and making many mistakes. I wanted to help other people not make the same mistakes and build confidence to get out on the trails.