Gear Reviews by Manufacturer

The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor (updated in Fall of 2019) is a top-loading backpack with a unique top lid and two side water bottle pockets. Designed by Andrew Skurka, it has wrap-around compression straps that let you shrink or expand its capacity from 40L to 60L so you can fit …

The Hammock Gear Economy Phoenix 30 Underquilt (“Econ Phoenix”) is a 3/4 length down-filled underquilt for hammock users. We found it very easy to use and the slight increase in weight over Hammock Gear’s Premium underquilts will be a good trade-off for many users for the significantly lower ($70 less) …

The Montane Future Lite Hoodie is a lightweight, down hoodie that’s insulated with 750 fill power HyperDry RDS-sourced down. It has what manufacturers now call an “under-helmet” hood that’s thankfully tighter-fitting than the Godzilla-sized helmet-compatible down jacket hoods of yesteryear which were designed to fit over climbing helmets. Designed for …

The Kelty Escape 2 is a well-built but low-cost two-person tent that’s best used for car camping, base camping, and short backpacking trips. It’s compact and easy to set up with a free-standing inner tent, aluminum poles, and a roof vent for added ventilation. Sized for two people, it has …

The REI Magma 15 is an ultralight sleeping bag for three-season use. Weighing just 1 lb 12.2 oz, it’s insulated with 850 fill power goose down with an outstanding warmth-to-weight ratio. Its variable-sized baffle construction, a draft collar, zipper draft tube, and trapezoidal footbox are all high-end features commonly found …

The Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt (“Econ Burrow”) is a fantastic value for a high-quality top quilt and perfectly suited as a hammock top quilt for the backpacker who doesn’t mind a few extra ounces in exchange for a much lower price. The Econ Burrow works on the ground, too, …

The Sea-to-Summit Women’s Ultralight Insulated Air Sleeping Pad is a 66″ x 21.5″ inflatable sleeping pad that is 2 inches thick and has an R-value of 3.8. Weighing 13.8 oz, it is a very quiet and comfortable pad, with individual “air sprung cells” that conform to your body like a …

The Big Agnes Scout 2 Platinum is a 17 ounce, single wall trekking pole tent designed for three-season use. It has a pup-style, A-frame shape, with side struts that create vertical internal sidewalls for improved livability and ceiling height. While the tent does not have a front vestibule for gear …

REI’s Merino Midweight Half-Zip Base Layer Top is a 200-gram wool base layer available in men’s and women’s sizes.  It falls between Minus 33’s mid-weight Sierra 1/4 Zip (230 gram) and the Minus 33 lightweight (170 gram) 1/4 zip tops, at a comparable price.   However, REI frequently has these on …

The North Face Venture 2 Rain Jacket is a value-priced but fully-featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. The Venture 2 has a fully adjustable hood, 8″ long pit zips, velcro wrist cuffs, two side pockets, and an elastic hem adjustment which I consider …

The Mountainsmith Zerk 40 is a speed hiking backpack designed for ultralight thru-hiking. Weighing 25 oz, it has a roll-top closure, removable, hip belt strap, a running vest-style shoulder strap system, and removable foam framesheet. Numerous open mesh pockets make it easy to store frequently accessed gear and food on …

The Hammock Gear Dyneema Fiber Hex Tarp is a six-sided catenary cut tarp made with Dyneema DCF that weighs between 4.75 oz and 6.57 oz, depending on its length (10′, 11′, 12′) and whether you want a green or camouflage-colored tarp. It’s a doorless tarp designed for use with a …

The Gregory Jade 53 (2019 model) is a ventilated, adjustable-length backpack that weighs 3 lbs 6 oz. While the Jade 53 has been on the market for many years, this latest version has been completely redesigned. The pack frame has an adjustable torso length so you can get a personalized …

The X-Mid 1P is a single-person double-wall trekking pole tent that weighs 27.9 oz. It requires two trekking poles to erect and can be set up in rain without getting the inner tent wet. The inner and outer tents both have two doors and can be rolled up for enhanced …