Gear Reviews by Manufacturer

The MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filter is a pump-style backcountry water filter that removes bacteria and protozoa from hard to reach water sources. It’s also compatible with wide mouth water bottles and hydration bladders from Nalgene and MSR. If you need additional protection from viruses, try the MSR MiniWorks EX …

The Big Agnes C-Bar Two Person Tent is a surprisingly affordable backpacking tent with a trail weight of 3 lbs 9 oz. Fully-featured, this double-wall tent is easy to set up and made with heavier and more durable materials than Big Agnes’ ultralight backpacking tents. If you’re looking for a tent …

The Kelty Trekker 65 is an external frame backpack with an adjustable torso length and ventilated back. Weighing 5 lbs 2 oz, it’s better for carrying heavier loads, bulky, or awkwardly sized gear than most internal frame backpacks because you can lash gear to the frame instead of having to …

If you want to save gear weight, but you’re not willing to give up the luxury and comfort of using an inflatable sleeping pad, try a torso-length one like the 47″ size “Short” Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite. Weighing 8 oz*, it weighs 4 oz less than the 12 oz, 72″ size …

The DragonTail Hydra zx390 is an adjustable-length zoom Tenkara Fly Fishing Rod which can be fished at two different lengths: 13 ft and 11.5 ft. Zoom rods have become popular because they give you two rods for the price of one: a longer rod for landing bigger fish and a …

The problem with a lot of bicycle hitch racks is that they don’t fit 5″ fat tire widths or you can only get them in a 2″ truck-sized size hitch. I recently bought a new car with a towing hitch, so I could get a hitch rack capable of carrying a …

I’m a big fan of REI’s clothing because it’s affordable, good quality, and virtually indistinguishable from the other name brand products they sell. This includes their Waterproof/Breathable Rain Pants (the latest update has been renamed “Essential Rain Pants”) which are a steal at $60/pair (often available for less), and are …

Sawyer’s Select Water Filter and Purifier Bottles combine a Sawyer’s 0.1 micron absolute hollow filter membrane filter (same as a Sawyer Mini, just smaller) with a foam purifier to remove contaminants found in fresh water. Labelled S1, S2, and S3, you can purchase different purifier bottles which remove different classes …