Gear Reviews

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT is an improved version of the NeoAir XLite inflatable sleeping pad which is now thicker, quieter, and warmer than ever. The NeoAir was the first really viable inflatable lightweight sleeping pad to hit the market some 10 …

It can be difficult to anchor a tent to a wooden camping platform if it has to be staked out to set up. You usually need to prepare for this in advance by bringing extra cordage to rig up long guylines or …

The Zpacks Zip-Around Sleeping Bag is a hoodless sleeping bag insulated with 900 water-resistant goose down. It has a two-way full-length zipper that wraps around the footbox so you can open it up fully like a blanket or you can just vent …

The Outdoor Research Bugout Brim Hat (formerly called the Sentinel Brim Hat) is well suited for summer hiking and backpacking, rain or shine. It has a wide brim to protect your face from the sun, a UPF 50 rating,  mesh side vents, …

The Feathered Friends Murre EX 0 Sleeping Bag is a mummy-style down bag specifically designed for women. Weighing 2 lbs 13 oz, it has 25.5 oz of 900+ fill power goose down with cold-weather features that include a draft collar, continuous baffles, …

The Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket is a minimalist waterproof/breathable rain jacket and a long-time favorite with thru-hikers and section hikers because it is so lightweight. Weighing a mere 6.8 ounces in a men’s size X-Large,  it is best used in warm …

The REI Flexlite Air Chair is a portable camping chair that is lightweight and compact enough to take backpacking. Weighing 16.2 oz (459 g), it’s definitely a luxury item, but one that is easy to rationalize if you want to hang out …

The Framus 48L is an ultralight backpack made by Bonfus, a Norwegian company, one of a handful of cottage backpacking gear companies in Europe and the UK. It’s set up like most ultralight backpacks with a roll-top closure, two side pockets, and …

The Tarptent Aeon Li is a one-person Dyneema trekking pole tent that weighs 15.8 oz. It’s basically a half-pyramid shape, modified so that it has more usable headroom and interior space than regular pyramid tents and tarps. It has a built-in bathtub …

I replaced my old Titanium camping pot with the more compact 1 liter, 3.9-ounce Evernew titanium pasta pot (formerly sold by REI), in 2010 before hiking coast-to-coast in Scotland’s TGO Challenge. While my primary reason for doing this was to compress the …

The Sitka Fanatic Hoody is a versatile hooded grid fleece mid-layer that’s great for on-trail hiking and off. It has an integrated face mask which is good for wind and sun protection, mittens sewn onto the end of its sleeves, a kangaroo …

I have a fondness for my Exped Schnozzel, a large 42L dry-bag style stuff sack (2.1 oz) that can serve double duty as a pack liner and an inflation bag for an inflatable sleeping pad. (I’ve actually been using it since 2015!) …

The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX boots are hybrid leather and textile backpacking boots that weigh less than many mid hiking boots but have deep lugs, a large toe kick, and a reinforced midsole that offers better foot protection. The boots …

The Six Moon Designs Deschutes Tarp is a one-person, single-wall ultralight pyramid tarp which weighs 13 oz (although ours weighs 12 oz seam-sealed). Made with silnylon, this floorless tarp requires one trekking pole or tent pole to set up and six tent …