How to Choose

Ultralight Adventure Equipment (ULA) is one of the oldest and most respected ultralight backpacking gear manufacturers. Their backpacks are quite popular with long-distance backpackers and weekend warriors in the United States, and they are frequently seen along our National Scenic Trails and …

MSR makes great snowshoes for winter hiking and backpacking that provide excellent traction and flotation over packed snow and ice in mountainous terrain and powder in higher elevations and drier climates. With an ironclad guarantee, MSR also has a great reputation for replacing …

If you’re gearing up for winter hiking and backpacking, it’s worth asking yourself if you want a backpack that’s designed for winter use, or whether you can get by using the backpack you use the rest of the year. Personally, I prefer …

The Garmin inReach Mini 2 and the inReach Explorer+ are two-way satellite communicators that can send and received status messages to loved ones or alert emergency services if you need assistance. The inReach Mini 2 received a major upgrade this year (2022) …

Gossamer Gear is one of the original ultralight backpack manufacturers. They have continuously refined its products to adapt to the needs of lightweight backpackers, thru-hikers, and, more recently, day hikers, fast packers, and urban commuters.  I started using their packs in 2008 …

Backpacking quilts have exploded in popularity in recent years and provide a great alternative to hooded sleeping bags for people, particularly side sleepers, who find them claustrophobic or uncomfortable to sleep in. But purchasing a quilt can be much more difficult than …

Jetboil’s camping cooking systems integrate a cook pot and stove into a highly efficient, easy-to-use, fast, and completely self-contained cooking system. Below, we explain how to choose between the different Jetboil cooking systems so you can find the one that best suits …

Many backpacking-style hammocks come in double-layer or single-layer models. How do you decide which hammock to get and what are the consequences of choosing one type over the other? Double Layer Hammocks A double layer hammock is so-called because the part you lie …

Packrafting with an inflatable raft is a fun way to enhance your backcountry adventure by giving you the ability to travel over water, not just overland by foot. However, water-based travel introduces a new set of risks and the need for additional …

A lot of backpackers own multiple pots, stoves, and windscreens, because like other backpacking gear, there’s often no perfect combination of components that will fit all of your needs. Here are some factors that you should weigh when selecting the components of …