The technique that’s revolutionizing aquatic science Looking for brook trout? Back in 2009, I passed a memorable summer in Yellowstone, helping the National Park Service exterminate the alien trout that past generations of biologists and anglers, in their finite wisdom, had carelessly introduced. One week, in an effort to purge the park’s northeast corner of invasive brook trout, we used backpack shockers: ungainly apparatuses that zapped streams with electric current, stunning nearby fish into submission so that we could net and kill the interloping brookies. It was hard work, plagued by uncertainty and inefficiency. We once waded up a steep tributary for hours, fruitlessly waving our electrodes beneath logjams and waterfalls, certain that the stream was uncontaminated — only to shock an intrepid, lonely brook trout at the headwaters. Our sweat-soaked shoulders slumped. A day of back-breaking work to find a single fish? There had to be a better way. No wonder, then, that scientists around the West are spreading the eDNA gospel.

Among the converts is Matthew Laramie, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist who recently employed the technique to find summer chinook salmon in northern Washington's Methow and Okanagan basins. The fish head upriver in spring, when melt-swollen creeks make traditional sampling methods like snorkeling or electrofishing impractical. By contrast, says Laramie, using eDNA barely requires getting out of the car: “A single person could sample the whole Okanagan Basin in a day or two.”dcshoecousa backpack More important than convenience, of course, is accuracy. f-stop gear backpack lokaFortunately, eDNA passes that test. stm ranger 13 laptop backpackIn streams where Laramie knew chinook were present, he generally found their DNA; wvu backpack cooler

in streams that the fish couldn’t access, he didn’t. Now that the test has been proven effective on chinook, says Laramie, it can be used to track the salmon restoration efforts of the Colville Confederated Tribes, which plan to reintroduce spring chinook into the Okanagan within the year. eDNA is also being employed to combat those pesky brook trout, an eastern species that have displaced bull trout, a threatened native cousin, in many Western streams. g74 backpackTracking the fishes’ relative distributions may help researchers like Taylor Wilcox, a PhD student at the University of Montana, understand exactly what happens when the invader enters a system — especially whether bull trout can survive by fleeing to connected streams elsewhere in the watershed. backpack winkel duivenSuch a vast study is tailor-made for environmental DNA.

“With eDNA, you can have really high detection probability over very large scales, and the cost of sampling is lower than doing backpack electrofishing,” Wilcox says. Indeed, he and collaborators have picked up traces of brook trout genetic material in situations where backpack electroshocking had stunned nary a fish. Still, eDNA remains immature in many ways. The technique has only been in widespread use for a few years, and there are important questions it can’t yet reliably answer. How many fish — or frogs, or salamanders — live in a stream? Are they old or young, healthy or sick? Though traces of Asian carp DNA have led some scientists to suspect that the infamous invader has finally reached the Great Lakes, others claim the samples could have come from bird droppings or boats. Distinguishing the DNA of close relatives like brook and bull trout, or coho and chinook salmon, is also challenging. Scooping up water samples might be easy, but creating sufficiently sensitive PCR assays, claims Laramie, "is where the hard work of this method comes in."

Nonetheless, eDNA is already changing the face of aquatic science and conservation — and as methods improve, its role will only expand. “There are still so many unknowns,” Laramie says with relish. “It’s a field that’s just ripe for research.” Ben Goldfarb is a Seattle-based correspondent for High Country News.The Dragonfly is a great entry-level backpack, designed for young hikers (pre-teens and older youths). It features a top-loading main compartment and dual side pockets that fit a 32-ounce-size water bottle (available from Outdoor Products; sold separately). Outdoor Products' packs are designed with comfort in mind. This model features padded shoulder straps and a hip belt made to fit smaller-framed bodies. A mesh suspension system helps keep hikers cool even with heavy loads. A bungee compression system keeps pack contents from shifting while walking. About Outdoor Products Outdoor Products is a worldwide outdoor sporting goods manufacturer, established in 1973.

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Backpack Guide Finding the Right Backpack For extended trips into the backcountry, there's no getting around the fact that you'll have to carry life-sustaining supplies on your back. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a backpack: Internal vs. External Up until late 1970's, external frame packs--which consist of an exposed, lightweight metal frame attached to a fabric pack-bag--were the only thing going. In recent years, though, packs that place the support structure of the pack inside the pack, known as internal frame packs, have boomed in popularity. The good news about internal frame packs is that they hold the weight of your load close to your body, making it easier to maintain your balance on uneven terrain. Meanwhile, internals provide stiffness and support, but they are not completely rigid, which makes them more flexible when you're doing active sports. With the added flexibility comes a high degree of compressibility, meaning you can use the pack's compression straps to cinch down your load and keep items from shifting and throwing you off balance.

Internals also sport slimmer shapes that allow for more arm movement in all directions--another big plus for off-trail bushwhackers, skiers and climbers. Last but not least, internal frame packs offer a greater range of adjustability in the shoulder harness and hip-belt than external frame packs. There are some negatives for internals. First, once packed, it can be difficult to grab needed items out of them quickly. And because internal frame packs consolidate the load into a single, body-hugging unit, proper packing is very important. To distribute the weight properly, you should pack your heaviest items close to your back and in the middle portion of the pack-bag. Plan on getting a sweaty back with an internal, too, given the fact that they are pressed right against you. Finally, internal frame packs are priced higher than external models. External frame packs are very good at focusing the weight of a load directly to the right place: your load-loving hips. While internals, when properly packed, do this effectively, too, you can always rest assured that an external will distribute the load evenly, no matter how unevenly packed it may be.

Externals also offer easy access to your gear via multiple, easily-accessible compartments. Plus, because externals don't situate the load directly against your back, you'll enjoy far more air flow. Finally, if you're on a budget, or you're buying for a growing child, externals are more affordable. If you plan on hiking on easy to moderate trails and you don't need a lot of body movement, you'll probably be fine with an external. But because externals are so rigid and inflexible, challenging trails or any kind of off-trail pursuit can become painful and frustrating. Also know that your balance is far more compromised with an external frame pack during activities like stream crossings and hops through talus fields. Packs for Shorter Trips In addition to backpacks designed for overnight trips, rucksacks are great for day-trips, warm-weather one-nighters, single-day ski trips, or fast alpine assaults. Some rucksacks blur the line between backpack and rucksack with integrated internal supports and sophisticated hip belts and shoulder harnesses.