This is the part where I’m supposed to explain why you’d want to learn from me.

The truth is, you can absolutely learn everything I teach in these courses on your own. Do enough research, spend enough time outside, make enough mistakes, and eventually you’ll figure a lot of it out. That’s essentially what I did.

Getting to where I am today and understanding not just what works, but why, took more than a decade of continuous studying, testing, failing, adjusting, asking questions, and spending time in the backcountry.

What I’m offering you is a shorter learning curve and a structured place to start.

I can’t make you an expert overnight. Experience is still part of the deal. But I can help you understand the fundamentals so you can head into the backcountry with more confidence, make better decisions, and actually enjoy being out there.

I started seriously studying backpacking in 2013. What began with hunting quickly expanded into long-distance hiking and a much broader curiosity about outdoor travel.

Since then, my experiences have ranged from backpack hunting to thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

I’ve backpacked solo and in groups. I’ve taken brand-new backpackers on their first trips. And now, as a father, I’m introducing my own kids to backpacking.

Along the way, I realized my own experience could only take me so far.

So I started talking to other people.

I’ve interviewed experts in thru-hiking, hunting, mountaineering, bikepacking, conservation, and other outdoor disciplines. I’ve also talked with weekend backpackers, beginners, and everyday people who simply love spending time outside

I wanted to compare their notes to mine.

These courses are the result of all of that: established fundamentals, years of personal experience, plenty of mistakes and experimentation, and lessons learned from people whose experiences are different from my own.

I teach the fundamentals through the lens of someone who remembers exactly what it felt like not to know them. Because starting a new outdoor hobby can be overwhelming.

You want to do this, but you want to be safe.

You want to do this, but you’re worried about what you don’t know.

You want to spend your money wisely, but you don’t yet know what matters and what doesn’t.

That’s why I built these courses.

My goal is to teach you what you don’t yet know in a thoughtful, structured way so that by the end, you understand how the pieces fit together. Not so you can memorize a list of rules, but so you can start making good decisions for yourself.

My obsession was never perfection. It was understanding.

I didn’t just want to know what gear to buy or what technique to use. I wanted to understand the system underneath it all. That mattered a lot because the fundamentals transfer.

What I learned about carrying loads as a hunter helped me as a thru-hiker.

What I learned about simplicity and carrying only what I needed as a thru-hiker helped me become a better backpack hunter.

Backpacking made me a better campground camper.

Campground camping helped me become better at taking my kids hiking and backpacking.

It’s all connected.

Once you understand the foundations, you stop needing someone to give you an exact answer for every scenario. You start learning how to adapt what you know to whatever situation is in front of you. That’s when things really start to open up.

So, am I the world’s foremost expert on everything I teach here? No. Surely not. I’m still learning too.

To this day, I never stop asking questions. I change my mind when better information comes along. I listen to people with experiences different from mine. And I think being willing to do that makes me a better teacher.

There’s something else that matters to me, too.

I love teaching beginners, and I also love helping people reconnect with something they used to do but somehow lost along the way.

I try to meet people where they are.

If your dream is to thru-hike a long trail, I’ll help you think through things from that perspective. If you just want to comfortably spend a weekend or two outside each year, I’ll help you do that.

Your goals don’t have to look like mine. And if you need help figuring out what your goals are in the first place, I can help with that too.

Backpacking has given me a lot over the years.

It has introduced me to incredible people, taken me to incredible places, and given me opportunities to grow that I’m deeply grateful for. Now I want to pass along what I’ve learned so you can use it however you want.

Maybe you’ll thru-hike. Maybe you’ll backpack once a year. Maybe you’ll take your kids. Maybe you’ll simply become a little more confident stepping beyond the trailhead.

That part is up to you. If I can play a small role in helping you get there, I consider that an honor.

Thanks for trusting me.

I take that seriously.

-Emory