Gear Reviews

Paria Outdoors Tri-Fold Carbon Cork Trekking Poles are adjustable length, z-style trekking poles that fold away for travel or when they’re not needed. At just $60/pair, they’re much more affordable than other folding carbon trekking poles with cork handles and offer a durable and functional alternative to much more expensive …

The Zpacks Pocket Tarp w/ Doors is a one-person tarp weighing 6.1 oz with guylines attached. It is constructed from 0.55 oz/sq. yard Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a fully waterproof material that doesn’t stretch or sag when wet. I purchased this tent primarily for use in the desert southwest where …

The Black Diamond Distance 15 Pack is a cross between a low profile running vest and a durable mountaineering backpack. At 15L, the capacity of the main compartment might not seem like a lot, but with the right lightweight gear and good planning, it can be more than enough space …

The Osprey Mira 22 is a well-constructed, feature-rich hiking daypack that comes with a hydration system that holds 2.5 liters of liquid. The size works well for shorter hikes and/or hikes in warmer weather conditions that don’t require a lot of gear. It has a ventilated tensioned mesh back panel …

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 …