The new and improved Petzl e+LITE ultralight, ultra-compact headlamp is twice as bright as the earlier version and comes with a more comfortable elastic head-strap, emergency whistle, swivel stand and plastic protective case, all standard. Still powered by two CR2032 batteries, the …

The LifeStraw Water Filter is a 2 oz straw-style water filter that you drink through. While LifeStraw (the company) likes to say that you can use it to drink directly from a stream or pond, that’s an exaggeration. Crouching down like that …

Elemental Horizons is a well-regarded cottage backpack manufacturer based in North Carolina with a small but loyal customer following. They’ve recently added XPac fabric as a material option to their backpacks, including the adjustable frame Kalais XT reviewed here. XPac is an ultralight …

I started using a different pair of snowshoes a few years ago, switching from a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents to a pair of Evo Ascent Snowshoes, also from MSR. While the Lightning Ascents are great snowshoes for mountainous winter hiking and …

Mt Faraway and Mt Roberts are two peaks in the Ossipee Range in New Hampshire, about 30 minutes south of the White Mountain National Forest. Closer to New Hampshire’s “Lake District”, winter conditions there tend to be a bit milder than up …

If you’re just getting into hiking, everyone is going to recommend that you pack the 10 Essentials when you go for a hike. Then they list about 30 pieces of gear that you should bring with you, but they never actually tell …

The UGQ Outdoor Winter Dream is a large hammock tarp with doors that snap close at the end to protect you from wind and rain spray. The snaps run down the length of the door along both edges and are a real …

Superior Wilderness Designs is a Michigan-based ultralight gear manufacturer that has just introduced a backpack designed for thru-hiking called the 50L Long Haul. Weighing 29 ounces, it’s made with X-Pac, an ultralight waterproof laminate like cuben fiber, but less expensive and more …

Darn Tough Mountaineering Extra Cushion Socks are serious socks for seriously cold weather. They are Darn Tough’s thickest sock and 25% thicker than their standard cushion sock. They are made of a combination of merino wool, nylon and lycra spandex to improve …

Eagle Cliff and Downing Mountain are two New Hampshire 500 Highest peaks located near Stinson Lake outside of Rumney, NH. They’re in a section of the White Mountain National Forest that doesn’t have many maintained trails, so they’re seldom visited. Snowmobiling is …

An ice axe is an essential safety tool for winter hiking and climbing. With proper instruction, it is easy to learn the basics and serves as a foundation for all subsequent winter hiking and mountaineering skills. If you’re new to winter hiking …

Towns Mountain and Mt Misery are located north of Littleton, NH, within spitting distance of the New Hampshire and Vermont border. They’re both on the New Hampshire 500 Highest peak list that my friend Ken and I are working through. This being …

Winter backpacking is very different from three-season backpacking. It requires more gear, good decision-making, and many new skills. It’s almost like backpacking on a different planet because so many things you take for granted during the rest of the year are different. …

Garnet Mountain and Lewis Hill are two trailless mountains just outside the quaint town of Bethlehem, NH. Both are on the New Hampshire 500 Highest peak list that my friend Ken and I are working through. As he says, “There are 2000 …