Gear Reviews

The Ray-Way Tarp Kit is an excellent introduction to MYOG (make-your-own-gear) and for a reasonable price, makes a lightweight and highly-packable shelter which is flexible for many situations. I have used a Ray-Way Tarp as my primary solo and 2-person shelter since 2011. Specs at a Glance Type: DIY kit …

Big Sky International’s Tube Steak Tent Stakes have the most unfortunate product name imaginable. You have to wonder if it’s deliberate or not. Regardless, they’re great tent stakes for pounding into hard ground or compacted soil with excellent holding power. I use them with shelters that require a lot of …

The Outdoor Research Apollo Jacket is an inexpensive but fully featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. Priced at $99 dollars, but often available for less, it compares favorably with other value-priced rain jackets like the Marmot Precip and Patagonia Torrentshell Jackets. The Apollo …

The 2019 Granite Gear Crown2 60 Backpack (which is colored black with red highlights) is available in both the men’s and women’s sizes, with gender-specific shoulder straps and hip belts. Weighing 39.7 oz fully configured, it can be modified in several ways, bringing its weight down to 30.4 oz, depending …

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Shoulder Pocket is the best pocket I’ve found for carrying a smartphone, camera, or a Garmin inReach Explorer+ strapped to my backpack shoulder pads, where I can easily access them during a hike. This accessory pocket is easy to attach to any backpack with a vertical …

The MassDrop x Granite Gear x60 is a roll top backpack with an optional top lid and an adjustable length hip belt. Weighing 23.2 to 40.2 ounces (depending on the configuration), it has a max load of 30-35 pounds. The X60 is a modified version of Granite Gear Crown2 60 …

Altra’s Lone Peak 4 Trail Runners are hiking and running shoes with an extra large toe box that lets your feet spread out and relax for more comfort on long hikes or runs. Made with breathable mesh, they drain well, dry quickly, and provide excellent underfoot protection on rocky or …

The NEMO Banshee 20 is a quilt sleeping bag with a full length zipper, drawstring collar, and drawstring foot box. Weighing 27 oz, the Banshee 20 is best thought of as a hoodless sleeping bag rather than a backpacking quilt because it doesn’t have an open back and doesn’t require …

The MSR WindBurner is a canister stove system built around the wind-proof and super fuel-efficient radiant burner technology that MSR originally developed for its snow-melting powerhouse Reactor Stove. Unlike conventional backpacking stoves, radiant burners don’t have flames, which makes them impervious to windy weather so that they burn hotter and longer …

Frugal hiker that I am, really, I picked up a couple of pairs of REI Sahara Convertible Pants on sale. They’re quite thin nylon pants with color coded zip off legs and lots of pockets, including side cargo pockets. I’ve never been a huge fan of convertible pants or cargo …

The Montane Featherlite Smock is a wind shirt that’s good for trail running, hiking, and backpacking in cool or windy weather. Wind shirts are versatile ultralight  layering garment, usually weighing just a few ounces, that you can wear over a thin fleece or wool pullover to prevent the wind from …

The Big Agnes Pluton UL 40 is a minimalist mummy sleeping bag that weighs 15 oz, which is less than most comparable ultralight backpacking quilts at the same temperature rating. It’s insulated with 850 fill power DownTek water-resistant down and has a full length, two-way zipper, so you can vent …

Jetboil’s group and personal cooking systems revolutionized camping and backpacking cooking when they were introduced 18 years ago. Jetboil’s signature innovation was to tightly integrate the cook pot and stove into a highly efficient and wind proof cooking system that was easy-to-use, fast, and completely self-contained. Since then, Jetboil has …

The Eureka Solitaire AL is an updated version of the original Eureka Solitaire 1-person bivy tent, renamed the Eureka Solitaire FG-1 (see review) . The new model comes with more durable aluminum poles, replacing the fiberglass poles that broke frequently on the older model. The new model is also about …