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Cris Hazzard Hiking Guy

About Hiking Guy (aka Cris Hazzard)

I'm Hiking Guy, aka Cris Hazzard, a professional hiking guide and author. I like to get outdoors, walk, and then write about it. However, it wasn't always like that.

As a kid, I played outside like everyone else in my generation. Unfortunately, I didn't have an especially outdoorsy childhood experience. We rode BMX bikes around, got into trouble, and tried to get out of trouble. As a teenager and "young adult," I was an elite bike racer. Like Lance Armstrong, without doping and bullying.

Then I graduated college. And life happened. And by life, I mean work. As the years went on, my fitness level went down, as did my health and happiness. Thousands of hours in front of computer screens started to take their toll.

When life zigged, I zagged, and decided to take a survival course. I went into the woods with nothing but a knife, the clothes on my back, and an open mind. I learned that I could live off the land. I had a blast. I felt renewed, connected, and energized. I realized that a connection with nature was vital to my happiness and well being.

cris hazzard survival
Practicing building a scout pit shelter that I learned at survival school.

If you look at it objectively, humans have been around for about 300,000 years. That's 300,000 years of being outside, intimately connected with the earth, sun, and stars. The culture of staring at screens all day has been around for about 20 years. So for 99.9999% of our existence, our DNA was wired to do something else than what it does now.

Getting back to "real" life, I went back to work, but made getting outside on a regular basis a priority. Hiking and camping was the perfect way to keep my connection with nature alive. And it provided a nice low-impact workout with lots of fresh air and vitamin D. I noticed that I was much happier (they've found that 2 hours a week in nature significantly boosts your health too). Hiking every weekend provided a healthy way to balance out my life.

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.
— Henery David Thoreau

Why HikingGuy.com?

My goal for this website is to make hiking simple, easy, and safe. Too many people look at the outdoors as a danger zone of killer bears, hypothermia, and blisters.

My hike directions make your time on the trail simple and straightforward by giving you images of every turn. This let's you mentally visualize what the hike will be like, and remove any uncertainty that may cause fear.

I also review the essential hiking gear that will keep you safe and happy on the trail.  Along with gear reviews are tips and techniques on how to hike. Knowledge is power.

My hope is that as more that people enjoy the outdoors, the more they'll share that joy, and the more happy people they'll be in the world. And from that will come respect, care, and stewardship of the earth.

Here's How to Get Started

It's pretty simple. Just go for a walk in nature. If you don't have wilderness nearby, find a park. If you want some beginner's tips on how to hike, read this article on how to get started.

Another great resource is the 52 Hike Challenge website. The idea is simple. Go for a hike every week and see how it changes you. They're good people.

HikingGuy Q&A

People ask me questions. Here are some answers.

What boot/backpack/GPS/whatever do you use?

I have a full list of my gear here.

What's your favorite place to hike?

I love hiking in Switzerland. In 1997 I lived there for a year and did a ton of hikes. I hope to revisit them and post them on the site.

These days I love hiking in San Bernardino National Forest, but you can find me pretty much in any of the National Forests in SoCal.

a fun trail outside of Luzerne Switzerland
A fun trail I did outside of Luzerne, Switzerland.

What's your least favorite place to hike?

Well, I don't have a specific place, but I really hate hiking anywhere with crowds. So this means the popular hikes. I love hiking alone with my thoughts or with a select friend or two. When I do hikes that are popular, I do them at sunrise to avoid the crowds.

What's the hardest hike you've ever done?

I've done some pretty intense hikes in New Zealand after rains where I was shin-deep 12 inches of mud with every step. That was really hard. I don't have those hikes on the blog. You don't need to do them.

In recent history, I'd say Cactus to Clouds, followed by Mt Whitney

How do you grade the difficulty of a hike?

Check out my page breaking down the hike brief here.

Have you ever gotten lost hiking?

Thousands of times. Today I use a combination of a GPS watch, offline maps on my iPhone, and a backup paper map. You can see the specific models that I use on my gear page. When I think I'm lost, consulting with one of those three sources will give me the information I know to get back on the trail. I also carry a satellite communicator in case I get so lost that I can't find my way out. But I haven't gotten to that point yet.

What outdoors school did you go to?

I went to Tom Brown's Tracker School. Tom Brown has a bit of a cult-like following, which I'm not really into. But the class is solid and you will learn a lot. Tom Brown has written some great narratives and outdoor guides. I've also gone to various NOLS classes such as wilderness first aid.

Please do! Links to HikingGuy.com are great. Copying content is not. If you want to quote my content, please attribute my site and link back to me.

Do you do media appearances? Can I use you as an expert source?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I've been quoted, interviewed and linked to in in media outlets as diverse as the CNN, FOX News, CNA News Singapore, the Washington Post, LA Times, Outside, and KCRW. For more information, visit my media expert page.

Will you guest blog on my site or write for my publication?

I'd love to guest blog on good websites or even offer a short blurb.  I've also written for various print publications. I'm down to do whatever I can do to help folks enjoy the outdoors.

Will you be on my podcast or radio show?

Sure. You can check out my appearances on KCRW, Just Trek, Interviews with Technical People, Backpacking and Blisters, Dan Becker's YouTube, and Globetrotters.

What are your thoughts on the benefits of nature?

Almost everything we experience is through the filter of other humans in modern life. We live in countries defined by leaders; we follow laws and societal norms established by man; we consume video and content created by other humans; we work in jobs based on society's needs. Other humans influence everything in our lives, and maybe that's okay.

But nature is pure. No human decided to put a mountain somewhere. The forces that created the natural world are the same forces that created you. The same power that gives them life is the same power that gives you life. It doesn't matter whether you believe in Gods, God, or nothing. Nature is real no matter what. Leaving the world created by humans behind and reconnecting with the world made as you were is what restores us. You don't need to know why or the name of the power behind it. It doesn't matter. Just connect. Connect with reality.

How did you start your website?

I started with a WordPress theme and started sharing. As time went on, I evolved the website based on your feedback into what it is now.

How long does it take to write a post?

Usually it takes anywhere from 20 to 80 hours. There's a lot of research and prep that goes into every guide. Gear reviews take an especially long time.

Can you hire writers to post from a female / racially diverse / senior perspective?

Occasionally I get feedback that the guides here come from the perspective of me, a middle-aged (but young at heart!) white guy, and that I don't represent any different perspectives on HikingGuy. And that's correct; I'm just a person who loves to hike and share my knowledge with everyone. My intention is to create guides that anyone and everyone can use, regardless of how you identify, how much outdoors experience you have (or don't), what you look like, or who you are in general.

In the past, I've experimented with engaging others to create guest posts and content, but it didn't work out well. I could not produce content at a quality level that I was happy with. So today, you won't see any work on the site that I didn't write. I'm not Outside or Backpacker magazine. I don't have a budget to hire writers; I do this because I enjoy sharing my love of hiking and the outdoors, not because I want to start a business involving managing writers, editing, or setting financial goals. So as far as I can tell, it will just be me offering my perspective, striving to have the guides be accessible as possible.

That said, if you read one of my guides and think there is something valuable to be shared from a specific perspective, please contact me, and we can discuss it. The guides are all about helping people and if there's some information that can help, let's get it up there.

Will you create an app so I can view your guides online?

I wish it were that easy. Creating a mobile app version of the website is a whole world of software development that is very different than running a website. And if you're a techie, a PWA won't work with the embedded content. And even if I had a budget to do it, I think I'd rather put that time toward getting more guides up. If you want to keep a copy of my guide offline on your phone so you can use it on the trail, simply print it to a PDF file, and then save it on your phone (offline). There's a ton of how-to articles on the web, just Google it for your phone and you'll be good.

How do you decide what gear to review?

I only review what I use and like. I choose my gear by doing research on REI, Amazon, and other blogs. I don't post reviews for gear that doesn't meet the cut.

Will you review my hiking gear?

I don't accept testers or free gear, but if I find it and like it, I may recommend it.

I read your guide and I'm having tech problems with gear, can you help me?

I'm not able to help folks with their tech troubleshooting. There are so many variables involved that it's usually not as easy as a simple answer and would require a lot of back and forth. I try to post support resources at the end of every tech review so that you can turn to community experts for help. If you want to ask me a question, please support me using Patreon.

Where can I leave comments on your guides?

The best place to leave comments is on the YouTube video page for a guide. I experimented with a comments and trip reports section on the website, but it was just too much of a technical and time issue. So for now, YouTube is the place to go.

How do I stay in touch with updates?