Ultralight Backpacking Gear Reviews

I know my wife really loves me because she bought me a Dyneema DCF Grace Duo Tarp from Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) for the holidays last year. I finally got to practice setting it up this weekend in preparation for an upcoming trip and I am very pleased with it. …

I purchased a pair of ultralight snowshoes this winter designed for mountaineering and winter backpacking that are manufactured by a company called Northern Lites. Weighing just 43 oz per pair, these 30″ snowshoes are 57 oz lighter than 30″ MSR Lightning Ascents which weigh 100 oz per pair. I got …

Over the holidays, my wife gave me an ultralight cuben fiber backpack cover from Zpacks.com. Weighing 1 oz, it replaces a silnylon Equinox pack cover I’ve been using the past few years that weighs 3.2 oz. A backpack cover is an important piece of gear that you should have if …

? Here’s a nifty new ultralight wood stove that I found on London Backpacker’s blog over the weekend that is manufactured and sold by backpackinglight.co.uk, (which has no affiliation with backpackinglight.com.) I recommend that you visit their site. They have some cool gear that is not available in the US …

The Montbell Ultralight Thermawrap Jacket is a lightweight insulation layer (a size XL is 9.1 oz.) that is exceptionally warm.  I wear it directly over a base layer, replacing bulkier garments like a fleece pullover. It’s also windproof, which means I can shed an outer shell layer during aerobic activities such as snowshoeing or cross-country …

If you are like me and eat a lot of freezer bag or dehydrated meals out of plastic bags, chances are good that you are going to drop some oatmeal or curried chicken down the front of your shirt. That’s not good, because the bears will come for you at …

The Photon Freedom Microlight is an ultralight LED light weighs a mere 6 grams (0.2 oz) and can easily replace that clunker of a head lamp you are wearing today. It comes with a detachable hat clip that you can wear on a baseball style cap or clip to a …

I’m into freezer bag cooking. It’s fast, it’s easy, you can prepare healthy and hearty meals, and best of all there is no cleanup. So when I cook breakfast or dinner on a backpacking trip all I need to do is to boil water and use it to rehydrate my …

There are a plethora of alcohol stoves designs available today for lightweight backpackers. However, one of my all-time favorites remains the Brasslite Stove (1.4 oz.) which is completely self-contained and includes a built-in simmer control, base plate and pot holder. I have also found that the Brasslite is easier to …

There are two main differences between a tarp tent and a conventional tent: rain flies and ventilation. Tarp tents, like tarps, (hence the name) are really just single walled tents. They don’t have rain flies and I’ve never been in a situation where the absence of a rain fly has …

I spent a significant portion of this year experimenting with different insulation options for my Hennessy Hammock in order to extend its season for optimal use into the early spring and late fall, and I must confess that I fell in love with the JRB Nest, Down Under Quilt, shown …