The NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P Tent is a spacious freestanding double-wall tent for two people that is lightweight enough for backpacking but roomy enough for other camping adventures. Designed for two people, it has two doors and two vestibules, including 1 optional …
Read More »Philip Werner
10 Best Ultralight Backpacks of 2023 (with Frames)
Backpacking packs and backpacking gear have gotten much lighter weight in recent years due to innovations in the materials and fabrics available to backpack manufacturers. Most 40-60L ultralight backpacks now weigh between 2 and 3 pounds. The ones we list below all …
Read More »Feathered Friends Tanager 20 Hoodless Sleeping Bag Review
The Feather Friends Tanager 20 CFL Sleeping Bag is a hoodless, full length, and zipperless sleeping bag designed for thru-hikers, ultralight backpackers, and alpinists who want to minimize their gear weight and bulk. Weighing 18.6 oz, the Tanager is insulated with 12.6 …
Read More »Best DEET, Picaridin, and Natural Insect Repellents: How to Choose
DEET and Picaridin-based insect repellent sprays and lotions (bug dope) are available from a wide range of brands and in a variety of forms factors. How effective are they are repelling mosquitos and ticks? What are the best concentrations to get? Which …
Read More »REI Active Pursuits Long Sleeve Baselayer Shirt Review
The REI Active Pursuits Long-Sleeve T-Shirt is a high-performance synthetic baselayer shirt that is surprisingly affordable, even when it’s not on sale. It’s also available in a wide range of sizes for men, even big men. I prefer wearing sheer synthetic shirts …
Read More »How Many Liters Do You Need for a Day Pack?
When sizing a day pack, you want to aim for 20-30 liters of volume in order to carry drinking water, extra clothing, food, and other essentials. The easiest way to decide how much capacity (in liters) you need is to ask yourself …
Read More »10 Best Rechargeable Headlamps of 2023
A headlamp is one of the most important 10 essentials for backpacking, hiking, fastpacking, trail running, climbing, and any other kind of outdoor adventure sport. Using your smartphone as a flashlight doesn’t cut it. But the days of carrying extra AA and …
Read More »Six Moon Designs Swift X Backpack Review
The Six Moon Designs Swift X is a 45L liter roll-top backpack with an adjustable torso length that will appeal to any lightweight backpacker or thru-hiker. It carries great and is absolutely loaded with features. It’s also made with XPac (a Liteskin …
Read More »Trekking Pole Tents: Pros and Cons
Trekking pole tents use hiking poles for setup instead of tent poles as a weight-saving measure for backpackers. They’re also a good example of how to use the same backpacking gear in multiple ways, one of the core principles of gear weight …
Read More »Hiking a Bonds-Z Traverse in February
The Bonds is a group of three adjacent 4000+ foot mountains – Bondcliff, Mt Bond, and West Bond in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. They’re usually hiked along with Zealand Mountain as a 23-mile traverse when the forest service road leading …
Read More »La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Trail Runner Review
The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II is a trail runner with mesh uppers and a sticky rubber sole that is great for hiking and backpacking in mountainous terrain. La Sportiva is a climbing shoe company after all, so it figures that they’d …
Read More »MSR Access 1 Tent Review
The MSR Access 1 is a freestanding, double-wall tent designed for ski touring and winter backpacking that only weighs 3 lbs. While it’s much warmer than a three-season tent and strong enough to handle moderate snow loads, it’s intended for use in …
Read More »Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2 Tent Review
The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2 is an ultralight double-wall tent that only weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. It has two doors, making it ultra-convenient for couples, or as a palace for one, with dual vestibules for gear storage. But the …
Read More »Supai Adventure Gear Olo Packraft Paddle Review
The Supai Adventure Gear Olo Lightweight Paddle is specifically designed for packrafting, a sport that combines backpacking and rafting in inflatable boats on whitewater or flatwater. This review explores the use of the Olo paddle for flatwater paddling since Supai only makes …
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