Gear Reviews

Lightheart Gear has started making Polartec Alpha Direct hoodies that are great for hiking, backpacking, and lounging around at home. There’s an incredible demand for hoodies made with fleecy and warm Polartec Alpha Direct because it is such a good insulator and …

The REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie Jacket strikes an excellent balance between warmth, features, cost, and durability. Insulated with highly compressible premium goose down, it’s an ideal insulation layer for cold-weather camping and hiking when you need a warm jacket to enjoy …

The Osprey Renn 50 is a women’s-specific multi-day backpack with an adjustable and ventilated frame. Weighing just 3.31 pounds (53 oz), it’s lightweight, comfortable, and easy-to-use with plenty of pockets to stay organized. Priced at $155, it’s also surprisingly affordable considering how …

The Montbell Down Balaclava is insulated with 800 fill power down and can be used to augment an insulated jacket or as a part of a backpacking quilt sleep system. Weighing 3.1 oz (87 grams) it is a highly adjustable piece of …

Kahtoola Microspikes and the more aggressive Hillsound Trail Crampons are the most popular forms of winter traction used by winter hikers today. Their popularity is based on the fact that they: Require no training to use like crampons Provide traction on pretty …

MSR makes great snowshoes for winter hiking and backpacking that provide excellent traction and flotation over packed snow and ice in mountainous terrain and powder in higher elevations and drier climates. With an ironclad guarantee, MSR also has a great reputation for replacing …

The NEMO Quasar 3D Sleeping Pad (regular, non-insulated) is an inflatable sleeping pad with body-mapped baffles that are designed to gently prevent you from rolling off the pad at night. When inflated, it provides three and a half inches of luxurious support, …

The Brunton TruArc 10 is a baseplate-style compass with a declination adjustment that is best suited for use in forested or mountainous terrain where you can rarely see your destination. Featuring a global needle, you can also use the TruArc 10 compass interchangeably …

The Sierra Designs Nitro UL 0 is a lightweight winter sleeping bag that strikes an excellent balance between cold weather features and gear weight. Weighing just 2 lbs 8 oz, the Nitro UL 0 is insulated with 800 fill power DriDown. It …

The Deuter Rise Lite 26 SL is a women’s specific winter backpack that’s ideal for winter day trips, such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, climbing and snowshoeing. Being a women’s specific backpack, the torso length and width are designed for a smaller female …

The Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie is a lightweight breathable hoodie with a UPF of 15 which provides a moderate level of sun protection. It’s intended for use in hot weather during high-exertion activities such as hiking and trail running. While it has …

The Durston Gear Kakwa 40 Backpack is an ultralight, internal frame pack that weighs well under 2 pounds with a total volume of 55L including 40 liters in its main compartment plus 15 liters of additional external storage. It provides excellent weight …

Pike Trail High Gaiters are polyester gaiters with a unique fitting system and design that overcomes the sizing deficiencies of most high gaiters, including and especially Outdoor Research Crocodiles, which are the most popular high gaiters sold today. In addition to a …

The REI Trail 40 Backpack is a multi-purpose backpack that can be used for long day hikes, peakbagging, travel, or short overnight trips. It’s an internal frame pack with a U-shaped zipper that provides complete access to the main compartment when unzipped, …