Gear Reviews

The Tarptent ProTrail Li is a single wall Dyneema trekking pole tent that weighs 15.95 ounces. It’s basically a very simple A-frame style rainfly with a floating bathtub floor that is attached to the sidewalls and ends with noseeum mesh. This lets you pitch the fly “high” so that air …

SlingFin’s SplitWing Shelter bundle is a 1-2 person, ultralight, three-piece modular shelter system with a tarp, mesh body with a solid floor, and an optional vestibule. This setup allows you to have one system that you can dial in for different 3-season conditions, and save weight by leaving the extra …

The Seek Outside Flight One Backpack is a lightweight 61 liter internal frame backpack that weighs 2 pounds 4 ounces. With a max recommended load between 35 – 50 lbs (depending on torso length and frame height), it’s built to withstand hard use for wilderness backpacking and thru-hiking. The Flight …

The Enlightened Equipment Visp is an ultralight 3-layer waterproof breathable rain jacket with a fully adjustable hood, velcro wrist cuffs, a waterproof zipper, and drop tail, that’s fully seam-taped seam taped.  The Visp is lightweight and breathable enough that it can be used as a wind shirt or a rain …

Katadyn MicroPur MP1 Chlorine Dioxide Tablets are a convenient water purification method for treating backcountry water sources. They’re ideal for day hikes, overnights, or international travel to augment a water filter or as a standalone solution. I’ve been using them for close to 15 years and they’re incredibly convenient and …

The Ultimate Direction Mountain Vest 5.0 is UD’s latest version of their mid-volume mountain running pack. At 13.4L storage capacity and up to 4 liters of hydration, the Mountain Vest 5.0 is an excellent choice for longer, single day, and ultra-light trail adventures. Also, because it’s so lightweight, it serves …

Expedition Foods is a UK-based freeze-dried camping meal manufacturer that makes really good 1000 calorie and 800 calorie meals. You can buy their meals in the USA from Racing the Planet, an organization that runs extreme ultramarathon events in deserts around the world. Not only are they packed with calories, …

Black Diamond’s Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles are three-piece, lever-lock, carbon-fiber hiking poles with cork grips that include removable 38 mm trekking baskets and 100 mm powder baskets for skiing or snowshoeing. They come in a unisex green version, a women’s magenta version, and a unisex blue version with whippet-ready …

A lot of backpacking gear companies are making masks these days, but I like the Mystery Ranch Street Mask the best because it has a head strap like a surgical mask and not just ear loops, so you get a tighter, more secure fit. One end of the head strap …

Ben’s Invisinet XTRA Head Net with Insect Shield is a black colored head net that’s pretreated with Insect Shield to keep insects from biting your head and neck. While you can slather DEET or Picaridin on your head, face, and neck, I’ve found I get much better insect protection by …

The Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt is one of the lightest weight backpacking sleep system options available. Quality construction and wise choice of both fill and shell fabrics, combined with its superior sleeping pad attachment system, comfort, and warmth, make for an excellent backpacking quilt that excels in above-freezing temperatures.  The …

The Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear 45 Liter Backpack (CTUG-45) is an ultralight roll-top backpack made with XPAC, a lightweight waterproof fabric related to Dyneema DCF, but more abrasion resistant and less expensive. The pack is fairly unique in that it has an optionally removable internal frame made from carbon fiber …

The RapidPure Universal Purifier Bottle Adapter is a portable water purifier that you can screw onto wide-mouth bottles from Nalgene, Camelbak, Hydro Flask, or Kleen Kanteen to turn them into water purifiers. It’s a great add-on to your existing bottle/hydration setup when you hike or travel to an area where …

The Gregory Juno 24 is a ventilated women’s daypack with an integrated mesh back panel and hip belt that cups your hips and torso like a second skin while keeping you cool and dry in hot and humid weather. Unlike many smaller backpacks, the Juno 24 has a fully-featured hip …