Gear Reviews

The Deuter Trail Pro 36 is a great mid-sized backpack that’s good for technical hikes where you need to carry extra gear, hut-to-hut trips, and even overnight backpacking. It has a lightweight spring steel frame capable of hauling 30-pound loads, a sewn-on …

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 …

The Gregory Facet 55 Backpack is a lightweight ventilated women’s backpack weighing 2 lbs 8.8 oz / 1.16 kg that is designed for backpacking and thru-hiking. It’s an internal frame backpack with a wire perimeter frame, a floating top lid, load lifters, …

The REI Flash Air 50 Backpack is an ultralight, roll-top backpack that weighs 1 lbs 14 oz. Available in men’s and women’s sizes, it’s quite similar to the REI Flash 55 Backpack (link to our review) with its reconfigurable pack-mod accessory pocket …

The Six Moons Design Pack Liner is an inexpensive ($20) 50L waterproof bag that helps keep your backpacking gear and clothing dry when it rains. It’s seam-taped and has a dry-bag style roll-top closure, with a D-ring so you can hang it …

The Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite Rain Jacket is an inexpensive and durable rain jacket with a fully adjustable hood, zippered side pockets, velcro wrist closures, and a cord-adjustable waist. This well-fitting jacket is a great waterproof and windproof layer with fully-taped seams …

The Outdoor Research Shadow Wind Hoodie is a lightweight windbreaker that’s good for hiking or trail running when all you need is a thin jacket to keep the wind from chilling you. It’s made with a stretchy breathable fabric that’s 90% nylon …

The Lifestraw Flex is a screw-on style backcountry water filter that is compatible with a wide range of soda-sized water bottles and reservoirs. While it comes with its own 22 oz soft-bottle, you can also screw it onto standard-sized soda bottles, Platypus …

Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat is a sun hat with a wide brim and a neck cape to protect your neck from the sun and a UPF rating of 50+. It has many great features to recommend including a unique sunglasses holder, …

The Ursack AllMitey is a bear-proof and critter-proof food storage bag for camping and backpacking. It differs from Ursack’s other food storage bags, (the Ursack Major, Ursack Major XL, and Ursack Minor), which are either bear-proof or critter-proof, but not both. If …

The ULA Ohm (formerly called the ULA Ohm 2.0) is a 63L ultralight style backpack that’s durable enough for rough and tough adventures. It’s also available with the same male and female shoulder straps and hip belts (available in multiple lengths) offered …

Gossamer Gear’s “The Two” is a single-wall, two-person ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 23.5 oz and costs $320. It has two doors and two vestibules, making it ideal for couples (or a palace for 1), with all-mesh interior sidewalls that provide …

The REI Trail 40 Backpack is a multi-purpose backpack that can be used for long day hikes, peakbagging, travel, or short overnight trips. It’s an internal frame pack with a U-shaped zipper that provides complete access to the main compartment when unzipped, …

The Hammock Gear Dyneema 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 …