Gear Guides

Winter backpacking packs are more specialized than regular three-season backpacks, with a stronger emphasis on heavier weight loads, external attachment points, and durability for carrying bulky gear with sharp points like snowshoes, skis, ice axes, and crampons. They also favor more pockets …

Today’s winter boots are waterproof, insulated, and compatible with traction aids such as microspikes and snowshoes. While 200 gram Thinsulate insulated mids are fine for commuting and short local walks down to about 20 degrees, we recommend buying boots with higher calf …

The most important attributes of a down sleeping bag for winter camping and backpacking are high-value insulation, compressibility, low weight, and ample interior space, so you ample room to store gear and water in your sleeping bag, so it doesn’t freeze overnight. …

Windbreakers and wind shirts are ultralight lightweight jackets, running shells, pullovers, or anoraks weighing 2 to 6 ounces, that hikers and backpackers wear as a barrier to prevent winds from stripping away their body heat. They’re usually made of highly breathable and …

You don’t need a big knife for hiking and backpacking when an ultralight folding pocket knife or multi-tool is just as good for opening freeze-dried food packages, slicing cheese and salmi, adjusting sunglasses frames, cutting guylines and cord, shaping moleskin, cutting strips …

An insulated hoodie or lightweight synthetic jacket can be used for hiking or backpacking as a warm outer layer or mid-layer during spring and autumn when mornings and nighttime temperatures stay cool. Our preference is to use jackets that have hoods because …

Down insulated sleeping bags are still the most popular nighttime insulation option with backpackers because they’re highly compressible and warmer in cold, damp, or drafty weather particularly in the spring and autumn when temperatures are close to freezing. While mummy bag designs …

For winter snowshoeing on hiking trails and in the backcountry, you want a winter hiking snowshoe that is durable, with aggressive crampons for traction and a secure binding system that locks your boots to the snowshoes. If you’re interested in getting off …

A down hoodie or lightweight down jacket is a hiking and backpacking essential during spring and autumn when nighttime temperatures stay cool. Our preference is to use jackets that have hoods because we think that’s a must-have layering feature for hikers and …

Hiking pants are an important piece of hiking gear but one that we often take for granted. They have to be highly breathable and quick-drying, easy to vent when you get too hot, but warm when the temperature drops. Fit, freedom of …

Backpacking packs and backpacking gear have gotten much lighter weight in recent years due to innovations in the materials and fabrics available to backpack manufacturers. Most lightweight backpacks now weigh between 2 and 3 pounds and have 40 to 60 liters of …

More and more backpackers are switching from sleeping bags to backpacking quilts because they’re lighter weight, more compressible, and more comfortable, especially for side sleepers. While top quilts have always been popular with the hammock crowd because they’re easier to use in …

Two-person backpacking tents can be used by couples or solo backpackers who want a little bit more space to store their gear inside the tent in bad weather or on long treks. When shopping for two-person backpacking tents, we recommend that you …

Hammocks Tents, also known as camping hammocks and backpacking hammocks, include a hammock, bug netting, a tarp, and a suspension system. The biggest advantage of buying an all-in-one hammock tent is that all the components fit together and you can take them …