The MSR Lightning Trail Snowshoe is an ultralight snowshoe designed for snowshoeing over rolling hills and level terrain, featuring a serrated 360-degree frame, horizontal struts, and toe crampon. MSR changed the binding on the Lightning Trails this year, replacing the former (fussy) …

Have you ever spent a cold night shivering in your sleeping bag under a backpacking quilt because the temperature dropped lower than you expected? Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to sleep more warmly using the gear and …

  Should you carry a separate pair of sleeping clothes on backpacking trips? Is it worth the added weight? What about when it’s really hot or humid at night and you’re having trouble staying cool? I carry a separate set of clothes …

What are the best gifts you can buy for an ultralight backpacker who’s a minimalist and eschews material possessions? It’s a quandary, isn’t it? Here are some tried and true gear favorites that all ultralight backpackers lust for. They may be minimalists, …

The Zpacks Duplex Tent is a single-wall 2 person tent made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (formerly called cuben fiber) that weighs 19.4 oz. It has two doors, two vestibules, and requires two trekking poles to erect. Despite its high-tech construction, the Duplex …

Peakbagging is the oldest and most elemental of all hiking pursuits. Best defined as an insatiable desire to climb a list of mountains, it’s certainly one of the toughest forms of hiking requiring physical fitness, mental toughness, and dogged persistence. Many peakbaggers …

A GPS receiver or Smartphone GPS App is a powerful hiking and backpacking navigation device, but it must be configured properly for use and has important limitations that trip up most beginner GPS users who may put undue trust in its ability …

Merrell’s Moab Speed Thermo Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots are 200g insulated waterproof winter boots with aggressively lugged Vibram soles that are perfect for cold weather and winter hiking. They have wide toe boxes so your toes can splay out naturally and rock …

Every hiker should carry some survival gear so they can stay alive long enough for search and rescue teams to arrive. If you can signal for help, you’ll be rescued eventually, but the wait can kill you. At a bare minimum, you …

One of the most important skills that you’ll want to develop for backpacking is a consistent camp routine so you don’t misplace important gear and you have plenty of time to get cleaned up at the end of the day, eat, and …

Hoodless ultralight sleeping bags, also called rectangular sleeping bags, share some of the same advantages as backpacking quilts and are a great alternative if you want to switch from a mummy bag to something less confining, but you’re not that enthused about …

Backpacking gear has gotten a lot lighter weight due to the development of ultralight backpacking materials and fabrics allowing you to swap out old heavier backpacking gear for new lighter gear. The gear weight difference can be quite significant and makes hiking …

The Bonds are a group of three peaks – Bondcliff, Mt Bond, and West Bond – 11 miles from the nearest road in the middle of the White Mountains Pemigewasset Wilderness. They are spectacular mountains to climb with breathtaking views. With daylight in …

The Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket is a minimalist waterproof/breathable rain jacket and a long-time favorite with thru-hikers and section hikers because it is so lightweight. Weighing a mere 6.8 ounces in a men’s size X-Large,  it is best used in warm …