HOB-blog
Featured Hobnailers: Russ & Susan Moore
Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Russ and Susan Moore of Buhl, Alabama. The Moores are Hobnail's most tenured trekkers, having undertaken three previous adventures with us — Everest Base...
Featured Hobnailers: Paul & Linne McGowan
We are excited to begin a new "Featured Hobnailer" series that profiles past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. Our first Hobnailers are Paul and Linne McGowan, who are embarking on our Croatian Culinary Adventure on September 27. Paul and Linne are pictured here in...
Why an overseas trek costs what it does
If you've ever looked at the price of an overseas trekking adventure and thought, "Why the heck does it cost that much?", you're not alone. We get it and we've had the exact same reactions ourselves, so I want to address that today. Booking a multi-day guided trek is...
Diamox: What it is and why you should consider taking it
When planning a high-altitude trek with Hobnail Trekking — whether it’s Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail, or one of our other epic destinations — you’ll likely hear about Diamox (Acetazolamide). Some trekkers swear by it, while others question whether...
The Top 10 Things Every American Trekker Should Know Before Their First Overseas Adventure
So, you’ve decided to take your trekking skills international and travel overseas — or to a new country — for the very first time with Hobnail (or some other, less-cool trekking company). Good for you for stepping outside of that pesky, American comfort zone! I can...
10 Reason why you should hike Ecuador’s Quilotoa Loop as soon as possible
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path trek with breathtaking views, charming Andean villages, and just the right amount of challenge, then the Quilotoa Loop should be at the top of your list. This multi-day trek in the Ecuadorian highlands is a hidden gem,...
The Science Behind Trekking Poles: How They Make Every Step Smarter
If you’ve ever hiked with trekking poles, you know they’re more than just fancy walking sticks or something to fight off mean dogs with. But did you know that there’s actual science behind why they make trekking easier, safer, and more efficient? From distributing...
Five things to consider when choosing a rain shell for trekking
When you’re trekking in the great outdoors, rain isn’t a question of if—it’s a question of when and how much. Whether you’re trudging through the misty Scottish Highlands, dodging downpours in the Andes, or braving a Himalayan storm, having the right rain shell can...
Top 8 considerations when buying hiking boots
I've written about hiking boots before, but decided to go a little more in-depth this time. After all, what's more important to trekking than boots? Not much. The right hiking boots can literally make or break the experience that you've spent all that time training...
My Top 6 Travel Hacks
Everybody loves hacks, no matter what the topic is. It's just cool to learn some little thing that makes life a bit easier, right? There are a million travel hacks. (I haven't counted them, but I'm estimating around a million, so that's the number I'm going with.) But...
Why is Nepal’s time 15 minutes off?
If you've had a chance to look at the world clock to figure out the time difference between your local time and Nepal time, you've probably noticed something really unusual. Nepal is "off" by 45 minutes. If it’s 10am in Nashville, it’s 4pm in London — and it’s 9:45 pm...
10 ways to prepare for an overseas trek
You've finally pulled the trigger and booked that overseas trek — woo hoo! Chances are, your departure is at least three months away, and more likely, at least six. Whatever that block of time is, consider it to be a gift from the Travel Gods. This is the time frame...
Why itineraries come and go
As you might imagine, running treks in a dozen foreign countries can be challenging at times, like herding cats or trying to get a teenager to empty the kitchen trash can without constant prompting. The adventures you see listed on our website represent a LOT of...
Get busy livin’
I'm writing you tonight (Aug. 14, 2024) via a most wonderful thing: my MacBook laptop featuring a brand-new keyboard, touchpad, and battery. In some kind of miracle of nature, I dropped the laptop off at the Apple Genius Bar in Nashville last Saturday, and it was sent...
Why Mt. Toubkal in Morocco? Here’s why.
Alright, adventure seekers, gather ‘round! If you’re on the hunt for your next epic trekking experience — and why wouldn't you be? — I've got you covered. Let’s talk about Morocco’s Mt. Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. Here are five rock-solid reasons why...
Kuhl Hiking Pants go on Safari
The kind folks at Kuhl reached out to us shortly before, back in May, I headed to Tanzania on safari while Mark headed to Ecuador for some high-altitude trekking. They offered to provide us with some gear in return for an honest review of their products. As we were...
Three simple tips for a happy Camino de Santiago trek
So, you’ve decided to take on our Camino de Santiago abbreviated trek, the Camino Classic. Congratulations! You've just committed to walking 81 miles, which is roughly equivalent to trekking across the length of a Netflix binge session — but with more fresh air and...
The Kuhl Engineered™ Hoody stood up to Ecuador’s Quilotoa Loop
When Holly and I were contacted by a team member of the outdoor clothing company Kuhl back in April, 2024, we were thrilled. As it turned out, Kuhl wanted to send us some trekking gear to try out, and we were more than happy to oblige. The timing was great, because...
Adventure travel: It’s not only for ‘those other people’
Do you ever feel like overseas adventure travel is too "fancy," complicated, or scary for you? Does it seem reserved for "those other people" who have mysteriously acquired travel knowledge and a skill set that is necessary for such things, and that you could...
Trekking with total strangers
When it comes to overseas adventure travel, everybody starts somewhere. For some first-timers, the idea of being put together with a group of total strangers for a week or two can seem daunting — even a little off-putting. I get it. But don't let that stop you. Let me...
About our scottish Three Lochs way trek
Hey, folks! Today, I want to give you a little more info about our upcoming Three Lochs Way trek, set to depart on September 15, 2024. If you've been dreaming of exploring Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, this 8-day/7-night trek is your...
Don’t be a slave to your bucket list
A few days ago, I was out hiking alone and thinking (always dangerous) and I had a bit of an epiphany: I believe that we, as a travel community, sometimes limit ourselves by adhering to the concept of the "bucket list." Now, I don't have a problem with bucket lists in...
The allure of adventure travel
Adventure travel offers an exhilarating escape from the ordinary, taking us to new places and pushing our physical limits. Whether it's trekking through the Himalayas, hiking the Peruvian Andes, or exploring the Albanian Alps, adventure travel allows us to immerse...
A day in the life of the EBC trail
When Holly and I do our "Everest Base Camp Trek Experience" presentation, we always have one slide that covers a typical day on trek — and it's really fun. So today, I've decided to provide you the same thing, but in writing. Let's say this is Day 2, Phakding to...
‘Living vicariously’ isn’t living
May I vent for a moment? OK, thanks. Social media is often The Devil, I'm convinced. But, it is an interesting devil. It can be very revealing about us humans. For example, one of our trekkers just posted something on Facebook about he and his wife booking a trip to...
What we do, what you do
Today, I want to provide you with some of the basics about why Hobnail exists and what it is that we do. First, there are lots of adventure travel companies, and I'm sure that most of them are great. Like anything else, you have plenty of choices with whom to travel,...
HOw tough is a trek to everest base camp, anyway?
Today, I want to address what, on the surface, seems like a very simple question: How tough is a trek to Everest Base Camp? First, we must agree that is a very subjective question, and it really depends on who you are. For a super fit, experienced mountaineer who has...
Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 5
One thing about it, flexibility is important! While our itinerary said we leave at 8am, Ruben sent a note and said 7:15am is the plan. Partly to pick up a couple of folks for the Pisac tour, partly to beat the crowds, and partly to get us to our Salkantay Trek team...
Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 4
This post was a hard one. I wanted to keep it relatively chronological (this is an odyssey after all, it’s what Homer would do). And I didn’t want to bore anyone with too much detail (but then again, Homer’s Odyssey is not a short fiction either). But it’s a packed...
Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 3
Our international flight from Houston landed in Lima around midnight on the 2nd of September. Customs was surprisingly easy. No forms to fill out and there was a departure gate that said “Nothing to Declare.” We went through it and….were on the street in Lima? The...
Jeff & Patricia’s peruvian odyssey, Pt. 2
Planes, trains, vans, buses, taxis, boats, bikes, horses, and of course, our feet. I enjoy maps. And I like looking back and seeing what’s been accomplished. I tried two methods of capturing the trek using my iPhone. One was to use a mapping software, the other was to...
Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 1
A whut? An odyssey. (ŏd′ĭ-sē) – noun An extended adventurous voyage or trip. An intellectual or spiritual quest. An epic poem, attributed to Homer, in which are celebrated the adventures of Odysseus (this may have to wait until we get back) How did this come about?...
Why travel with Hobnail?
I've heard the question of "why should I travel internationally through an American company?" batted around a bit, so I wanted to address it for you today. Traveling can be a very personal thing, and there is no set way to do it. Because we live in a free country and,...
Trekking with Thubten
I met Himalayan trekking guide Thubten Sherpa in 2011 when I signed up for a trip to Tibet with REI Adventures. I had seen a picture of the Potala Place in Lhasa on their website and thought that would be an interesting trip. I arrived in Kathmandu to start the trip...
Scary logistics? We got you.
Let's address the elephant in the room: planning an overseas adventure holiday can be daunting and downright scary, especially if you've never done it before. In fact, most people simply give up before they ever book a trip; they just feel like it's too much of a...
How we choose our treks
When Holly and I first conceived of Hobnail Trekking back in the fall of 2016, we quite literally had no clue that it would become what it is today. Back then, we developed the idea around a single partnership created by a chance encounter with a Nepali Sherpa in...
Take it from Harry — The time is now
Committing to an expensive, two-week-long overseas trekking adventure can be a bit daunting; I get it. Back in 2016, when Holly and I made the decision to book Everest Base Camp for 18 months later, we had absolutely no clue how we would pay for the trip or how our...
Devilish beauty along the Peaks of the Balkans trail
By Oliver SmithReprinted from Lonely PlanetFebruary 28, 2020 Make your way to the remote borders of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo to set foot in a once-forbidden mountain wilderness where, today, walkers are warmly welcomed. God took six days to create the...
4 Critical Tips For Mental Toughness in Trekking
When planning a long-distance trek, it's natural to consider physical fitness first. After all, propelling yourself up and down rough terrain over multiple miles is no easy task, so you obviously have to be ready. But what about mental toughness? It's an element that...
Why you should never wait for the ‘right time’ to travel
As you would expect, the adventure travel industry has been all but shut down since the appearance of COVID in the spring of 2020. For the first year or so, the world essentially freaked out, crawled inside itself, and hid under the covers. Here we are two years...
