Gear Reviews

The Osprey Mutant 52 is a winter backpack suitable for four-season overnight hiking, climbing, or backcountry ski trips. It’s the big brother to the Osprey Mutant 38 which I reviewed at the beginning of the winter which has less volume and is …

The Tarptent Rainbow Li is a one-person, wedge-shaped UL Dyneema backpacking tent (21.8 oz | 619 g) that is pitched with two carbon-fiber tent poles instead of trekking poles. Yes, that’s right. It uses tent poles instead of trekking poles, thereby increasing …

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 …

The FarPointe Alpha Cruiser is a hoody made with Polartec Alpha Direct, an ultralight polyester fabric with an open mesh weave that makes a good insulating mid-layer when worn under a wind shirt or rain jacket. While it traps warmth very effectively …

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 …

The QuickDraw Microfilter System is a squeeze-style backcountry water filter kit that’s compatible with Platypus soft bottles and reservoirs, SmartWater Bottles, and bottles with a standard 28 mm opening. It comes with a transparent 1L soft bottle but is also available by …

The Zpacks Vertice Rain Jacket is an ultralight 3-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket with a two-way adjustable hood, adjustable wrist cuffs, pit zips, waterproof zippers, and a large chest pocket. It’s cut longer in the torso and arms than most lightweight rain jackets, …

The REI Rainier Rain Jacket is an inexpensive but well-featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. Priced at $89 dollars, but often discounted, the Rainier is virtually identical to the Marmot Precip Eco Rain Jacket and …

The DryGuy DX Forced Air Boot Dryer is a life-changing product that I wish I’d discovered years ago. When you hike and ski as much as I do in winter (4 to 5 days per week), it’s hard to get your boots …

The Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT is a two-person floorless tarp shelter that requires two trekking poles to set up. Weighing 29.5 ounces, it’s not the lightest weight two-person tarp you can get by a long shot, but it is inexpensive, spacious, and …

The Gregory Baltoro has long been the Rolls Royce of expedition-sized backpacks, combining superb load-carrying comfort with a highly functional set of pockets, access points, and external attachment options for wilderness backpacking and international trekking (available in 65L and 75L models). While …

The Therm-a-Rest Z-lite sleeping pad (long and short) is a top-rated non-inflatable foam sleeping pad you can buy from a mainstream manufacturer. With an R-value of 2, it doesn’t absorb rainwater and folds up like an accordion so it can be easily …

The Paria Outdoors Zion 2 is a spacious, freestanding two-person tent with two doors ($155) that can actually fit two people with room to spare. It comes complete with aluminum poles, a footprint, and good quality tent stakes. With a trail weight …

The Outdoor Research Versaliner Sensor Gloves (Men’s and Women’s) are a two-part glove system featuring an inner fleece glove with a pocket to hold a chemical hand warmer and a removable exterior wind shell that can be layered on top for extra …