Gear Reviews

The REI Active Pursuits Long-Sleeve T-Shirt is a high-performance synthetic baselayer shirt that is surprisingly affordable, even when it’s not on sale. It’s also available in a wide range of sizes for men, even big men. I prefer wearing sheer synthetic shirts …

The Six Moon Designs Swift X is a 45L liter roll-top backpack with an adjustable torso length that will appeal to any lightweight backpacker or thru-hiker. It carries great and is absolutely loaded with features. It’s also made with XPac (a Liteskin …

The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II is a trail runner with mesh uppers and a sticky rubber sole that is great for hiking and backpacking in mountainous terrain. La Sportiva is a climbing shoe company after all, so it figures that they’d …

The MSR Access 1 is a freestanding, double-wall tent designed for ski touring and winter backpacking that only weighs 3 lbs. While it’s much warmer than a three-season tent and strong enough to handle moderate snow loads, it’s intended for use in …

The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2 is an ultralight double-wall tent that only weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. It has two doors, making it ultra-convenient for couples, or as a palace for one, with dual vestibules for gear storage. But the …

The Osprey Aether 65 is a multi-day expedition-style backpack with an adjustable torso length frame, adjustable length shoulder straps, and an adjustable length hip belt length so you can dial in a custom fit without having to swap out components or heat …

Danner Trail 2650 GTX Hiking Shoes are lightweight leather and textile hiking shoes lined with waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex. They’re a good shoulder season (late fall, early spring) alternative to mesh trail runners when you want footwear that’s warmer than trail runners and provides …

The Outdoor Research Superstrand LT Hoodie Jacket is a lightweight jacket insulated with a new type of polyester insulation that OR claims is as soft, light, and lofty as 700-800 fill power down.” Called VerticalX Superstrand, it consists of lofted polyester strands …

The Osprey Mutant 38 is a versatile alpine backpack that’s equally at home on winter hiking trails, ski mountaineering tours, or ice-climbing routes. It’s an internal frame pack that is loaded with external attachment points that make it easy to haul bulky …

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 …

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. …

The Hilleberg Niak is a bomber, 2 person, lightweight tent designed for three-season use in remote wilderness conditions. Weighing 3 lbs. 5 oz. it has a dome style architecture with two cross-poles that slot into sleeves, not clips, making it much more wind …

The Osprey Exos 58 Backpack is one of the most popular backpacks used by thru-hikers and lightweight backpackers because it has a ventilated, suspended mesh back panel that keeps you cooler and drier in warm weather and it weighs under 3 lbs. …

The La Sportiva Bushido II is a lightly cushioned mesh trail runner that provides excellent traction and stability. It is designed for hiking and trail running in rugged terrain with numerous design elements designed to protect your feet including excellent toe protection, …