The best hiking day packs are functional, fit well, and durable. They have to be because they’re your home away from home, carrying all of your essentials including outdoor gear, food, water, and survival gear. Many daypacks are also good for multiple …

The Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Sleeping Pad is an insulated inflatable sleeping pad that is 4″ thick and has an R-value of 6.2 making it suitable for cold weather backpacking and camping use. Weighing 25.6 oz, it’s the winter version of …

Freestanding tents are the holy grail of backpacking tents because they can be set up quickly just about anywhere, on wooden tent platforms, rock, sand, snow, and even climber’s portaledges, without having to be staked to the ground first. This is particularly …

Tent weight is a frequent area of concern for many backpackers, especially for beginners who are faced with a tsunami of gear choices without understanding what they need for the weather conditions they plan to backpack in, what they’ll like or dislike …

The Durston Gear X-Mid 1 (second generation) is my favorite tent to use on backpacking trips. It’s a lightweight double-wall tent weighing (28 oz) that is comfortable to sleep in and easy to set up. Made with polyester, it’s much less expensive …

Fjallraven High Coast Hike Trousers are lightweight hiking pants that are cool enough for use in warm weather. They’re ripstop nylon pants with some stretch to them, which makes them quite comfortable, and they have five pockets, including three with zippers for …

What should you look for in a rain jacket for hiking and backpacking? While having a waterproof/breathable jacket can be a plus, it’s pretty easy to overwhelm their ability to vent moisture in the rain when you’re perspiring with a backpack strapped …

Alcohol backpacking stoves are popular with long-distance hikers because they’re inexpensive and lightweight. They’re also a good option for beginners looking to soften the upfront expense of buying backpacking gear. Here are the main reasons why alcohol stoves can be a good …

What are the best water filter and water purification treatment systems used by backpackers? That really depends on the quality of the water you need to filter or purify, the number of people you need to treat water for, and your personal …

The HydroBlu Versa Flow Water Filter can be used in a wide range of different configurations for treating backcountry drinking water, from inline filtering in a hydration system to gravity filtering and squeeze-style filtering with a water reservoir. Both ends are threaded …

Backpackers and campers have a wide range of stoves available to them ranging from all-in-one stove systems to general-purpose units that can be used across a wide range of temperatures and locales. Backpacking stoves fall into four popular categories: canister stoves, alcohol …

Knorr’s Rice Sides are a favorite backpacking food for thru-hikers, section hikers, and weekend warriors because they include all of the nutritional food groups important to backpackers: salt, carbohydrates, and easy. If you add a little protein like a can of tuna …

Waterproof/breathable rain jackets are coated with a polymer called DWR (Durable Water Repellency) that makes rain bead up and roll off the exterior surface of the jacket. Many, but not all, DWR coatings are based on fluoropolymers that have a fluorine atom …

The Osprey Exos Pro 55 Backpack is a ventilated and adjustable-length ultralight backpack that weighs 33.2 oz. It’s basically an ultralight redo of the heavier Osprey Exos 58 Backpack, that’s 11.8 oz lighter-weight using recycled fabrics with a few minor changes to …