Gear Reviews

The Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 is a trail running shoe built for covering long distances comfortably while giving you confidence with each step, no matter the terrain. The Speedgoat’s most impressive feature is its Vibram MegaGrip rubber outsole with 5mm lugs …

The Exped Lightning 60 Backpack is a four-season multi-sport backpack that’s equally at home on the long trail, hauling climbing gear to the local crag, or pulling a pulk in the backcountry. Featuring an adjustable torso, full-body compression, and numerous external attachment …

The Seek Outside Divide is a 4500 cubic inch (74L) lightweight external frame backpack capable of hauling 50, 60, and even 70-pound loads even though it only weighs 44 ounces. Best suited for backpacking, packrafting, hunting, fishing, and expedition-style trips, the Divide …

If you use a canister backpacking stove like a Jetboil Flash or an MSR Pocket Rocket 2, you probably have a lot of partially used isobutane canisters in your gear closet. While the ease of using canister gas stoves has revolutionized backcountry …

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 …

The Slingfin 2Lite is a lightweight double-walled two-person tent that has excellent interior room and is easy to set up. Weighing 2 pounds 10 ounces (minus tent stakes) it has two doors enabling easy entry and exit, with large side vestibules for …

The Western Mountaineering Meltdown Jacket is a 17 oz jacket for shoulder season and winter adventures. While it isn’t long enough to fall into the parka category, it has enough loft to keep your core warm even in very frigid conditions. As …

When autumn rolls around, it’s time to watch more TV in camp, backpacker TV that is. This is the time of year when I start carrying a folding saw and bushcraft style knife on my overnight backpacking trips to cut firewood and …

The CAMP USA Minima SL 1  is a compact double-walled tent that weighs 2.0 pounds. One step up from a bivy sack, it packs up impossibly small, making it an option when you need a waterproof shelter that doesn’t require much space …

The Exped Mira HL 1 is a surprisingly lightweight and comfortable one-person tent weighing just 35 oz. It has two vestibules, one for gear storage, and a second for easy access and exit. A long arched ridge-pole provides lots of headroom, making …

The Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle is an innovative water treatment solution designed to remove viruses, bacteria, protozoa, chemicals, and heavy metals from backcountry water sources. Unlike other water filters and treatment methods, the Grayl Purifier does not require batteries, ultraviolet light bulbs, …

KUHL Renegade Cargo Convertible Pants are great for hiking, backpacking, and outdoor recreation because you can unzip and remove the lower legs if you start to overheat. They’re made with a super comfortable softshell-like fabric called Duralux which combination of nylon and …

The Nunatak Arc UL 20 Quilt is a thoughtfully-designed, lightweight three-season quilt. While fairly expensive at $425, its features and execution make it worth every penny. There are a number of quilts out there that cost a good $150 less than this …