About
Laura Lancaster is Outdoor Life’s gear staff writer where she focuses on in-depth testing of backpacking and camping gear, with a particular interest in lightweight and ultralight gear. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and daughter.
Experience
Lancaster, who was born in Washington State, went on her first backpacking trip with her dad at the age of 12. She backpacked and camped throughout college, and continued to spend time in the backcountry of the West, even after moving to the concrete jungle of New York City. She went back West permanently in 2014, first to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (earning the trail name "Chop Chop"), then the Wonderland Trail, and the Colorado Trail. In between hiking sections of the Pacific Northwest Trail and the Oregon Coast Trail, she freelanced for various outdoor publications, including Backpacker, Survivor's Edge, and American Survival Guide, as well as editing memoirs by Heather Anderson, Dierdre Wolownick, and Barney Scout Mann. She joined the OL gear team in February 2022, where she tests gear and publishes her findings in detailed articles.
Education
Laura graduated from the University of Washington with a major in English Literature.
Highlights
- Thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014 and the Colorado Trail in 2017
- Wrote the “Wild Woman” column for Survivor’s Edge magazine for three years
- Wants to know what tent stake and water filter brands are in your pack
Notable Works
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Portfolio
Laura Lancaster
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The Best Backpacking Water Filters
Outdoor Life
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Here's What It Takes to Kayak 2,400 Miles from California to Hawaii, Alone and Unsupported
Outdoor Life
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How Are Bear Cans Tested? They’re Mauled, Stomped, and Chewed by Hungry Grizzlies
Outdoor Life
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The Best Tent Brands of 2022
Outdoor Life
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Best Kids Backpacking Gear: The Items You Need to Keep Your Toddler Happy in the Backcountry
Outdoor Life
Words of Wisdom
The destination is just how we give ourselves permission to be on the journey.
