Mount Rinjani Trek: 3 Days From Sembalun to Senaru, Summit Included
My 3-day Mount Rinjani trek from Sembalun to Senaru: the 2 AM summit scree, crater lake, hot springs, monkeys, dust, and the boots and poles that mattered.
Melvin Claassen
Based in the Netherlands, and an avid outdoorsman, mountain addict, and hiking enthusiast. When he isn’t hiking, Melvin is passionate about running, trail running, hitting the dirt on his mountain bike, and scaling rock faces.
He has successfully climbed several peaks around the world, including Mt Taranaki and Pico Duarte. His deep-rooted passion for the outdoors and mountaineering helps inspire numerous people to hit the trails and fulfill their own adventurous spirit.
Are Barefoot Shoes Good for You? 5 Clinicians Weigh In (2026)
When I interviewed Dr. Ashley Katzenback about shin pain on the trail, I asked her if the right shoe could help. Most advice leans toward more cushioning, but she recommended minimal, zero-drop shoes, so your feet feel more of the…
What to Wear Hiking: Gear Planner
Free trail tool Hiking Gear Planner Describe the trail and the forecast. You get footwear, layers, pack, poles and safety kit for that exact hike, split into what to wear, what to pack and what to leave at home. Try…
Behind the APMA Seal: How Podiatrists Really Judge Your Footwear
There’s a small round badge that turns up on shoe boxes and product pages, reading “Accepted, American Podiatric Medical Association.” That badge is the APMA Seal of Acceptance, and after enough years of testing footwear, I’d come across it on…
I Walked Four Days of the Pieterpad Without Booking a Single Bed
My mother suggested the Pieterpad. We are both keen hikers, but we had never walked anything of length together, and we hike differently. I go too fast and too far. She goes further than she should and then pays for…
Hiking in Wildfire Smoke: AccuWeather Explains
On the first weekend of August 2026, wildfires around Spokane, Washington forced roughly 60,000 people from their homes and damaged or destroyed at least 600 structures. The smoke did not stay with the fires. It rolled across the Northwest, greyed…
Ankle Strengthening Exercises for Hikers: A 3-Stage Progression
I know a lot of hikers who worry their ankles will get hurt without the right footwear. I used to be one of them. While trying to find out if ankle support for hiking is a must or not, I…
Pacific Crest Trail Guide (Thru-Hike Planning Tips)
If you look at photos of the Pacific Crest Trail, it seems like one continuous highlight reel. Alpine lakes and volcanic ridges and desert sunsets. It indeed is all of those things, which explains why so many people have this…
2026 Ultralight Gear Trends: The End of “Stupid Light”?
Every year we test footwear, talk to gear makers, and watch the ultralight backpacking market reshuffle itself. This report is where we stop reviewing individual products and step back to map the bigger picture: where the money is going, what…