Gear Reviews

The Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt (“Econ Burrow”) is a fantastic value for a high-quality top quilt and perfectly suited as a hammock top quilt for the backpacker who doesn’t mind a few extra ounces in exchange for a much lower price. …

The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is a single-wall trekking pole tent that weighs 26 ounces (740 g). It is a six-sided shelter, shaped like a half pyramid, with a side door and vestibule area that’s good for gear storage or cooking …

The Therm-a-Rest Ohm 20 is a hoodless sleeping bag insulated with 900 fill power hydrophobic goose down that weighs 1 pound 6 ounces (652 g). It is box-baffled and has a full-length, two-way side zipper with a draft tube, a puffy draft …

The Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Sleeping Pad is an insulated inflatable sleeping pad that is 4″ thick and has an R-value of 6.2 making it suitable for cold weather backpacking and camping use. Weighing 25.6 oz, it’s the winter version of …

The Zpacks Duplex Zip Tent is a single-wall 2-person tent made with Dyneema DCF that weighs 20.4 oz. It has two doors, two vestibules, and requires two trekking poles to erect. Despite its high-tech construction, the Duplex Zip is a remarkably simple …

The REI Flash Air 2 Tent is a two-person, single-wall trekking pole bikepacking/ backpacking tent that weighs 2 lbs 4.5 oz on our digital scale. It has two doors and two vestibules and comes with 2 black collapsible poles to pitch the …

The Featherstone Moondance 25 is an off-the-shelf 850 fill power down-insulated backpacking quilt with a zippered/drawstring footbox, draft collar, and pad attachment system that’s affordably priced and available for purchase on Amazon. It has a box baffled construction used by higher quality quilts …

The REI Flash Air 1 Tent is a single-wall ultralight pyramid-shaped tent with a deep bathtub floor and a large front vestibule. Weighing 27.2 oz / g, it’s an affordable ultralight trekking pole tent (optional pole included) designed for backpacking that’s quite …

The Western Mountaineering Versalite 10 sleeping bag is the sleeping bag I would choose if I could have only one. It can be used comfortably between 10 and 40 degrees and pushed a little further in either direction. I’ve taken it below …

The REI Flash Insulated Hybrid Hoodie is a synthetic insulated hooded jacket that packs down small but provides an impressive amount of warmth in cool weather. It’s loaded with storage and performance features including five pockets including a stuffable chest pocket, an …

The Outdoor Vitals ShadowLight 60 is a 31.5 oz ultralight-style backpack pack designed for multi-day backpacking and thru-hiking. It’s a rolltop backpack made with Robic nylon ripstop (details below) with an unusual external pocket system and a front zipper so you can …

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L is a moderately priced, 3-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that’s surprisingly affordable with premium features important to hikers and backpackers. It has a two-way adjustable hood with a front brim, pit-zips, zippered handwarmer pockets, rip-and-stick velcro-style cuffs, and is …

The Oboz Bridger 10″ is a waterproof and insulated winter hiking boot with 400-gram Thinsulate insulation, making it suitable for extreme cold weather. Oboz doesn’t publish a temperature rating for them, but they’re comparable to other 400-gram insulated winter hiking boots (-40F) …

The North Face Vectiv Enduris 3 is a maximum cushion trail runner with a highly rockered (curved) sole that is designed to channel your momentum forward and make walking or running easier. They have a wide toe box that provides plenty of …