Gear That Will Take You from Back to School to Back to the Trails

August 29, 2026

Four friends hike along a dirt forest trail with backpacks, smiling and chatting under a fallen tree.

There are two kinds of September treks: students trekking back to school and hikers trekking into some of the best conditions of the year. From elementary to university, the end of summer means giving up holiday spontaneity for the regime of timetables. Meanwhile, the trails are quieter, the temperatures are cooler and the scenery is arguably better. School and outdoors need not be mutually exclusive. Here at explore, we believe that settling into a back-to-school routine is best done with a hea...

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Ryan Stuart

As a full time freelance writer and Explore's field editor, Ryan Stuart has no typical day. He could be out testing gear in his backyard, the mountains, rivers and oceans of Vancouver Island, on a far-flung adventure or mixing prose at his standing desk. A jack of all trades in the outdoor adventure world Ryan dabbles in just about every sport from whitewater kayaking to mountaineering, ski touring to surfing.