Gear Guides

A backpacking or camping sleeping pad’s R-value measures its resistance to heat loss to the ground when you lie on it at night. Pads with higher R-values do this more effectively than pads with lower R-values. R-value isn’t a measure of warmth …

Winter hiking often requires the use of traction devices like microspikes or crampons that give your feet a better grip on ice and packed snow, while increasing your safety by preventing slips and falls on hard ice. The products listed below are …

The Best Winter Hiking Pants are highly breathable softshell pants that prevent the accumulation of perspiration when hiking, snowshoeing, climbing/mountaineering, or even ski touring in winter. They’re made with woven nylon or polyester that is warmer and more windproof than normal three-season …

A headlamp is one of the most important 10 essentials for backpacking, hiking, and any kind of outdoor adventure sport. Using your smartphone as a flashlight doesn’t cut it. But the days of old-school AA and AAA battery-powered headlamps are history.  USB …

Winter tents and shelters for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry skiing tours need to be stronger and wind-worthy for camping in exposed windy terrain that is subject to heavy snow loads. Some are single-walled since they’re only intended for winter use when …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

Sleeping bag stuff sacks are an essential piece of backpacking, camping, and outdoor gear that serve three important roles:  (1) to prevent your sleeping bag or backings quilt from getting wet when packed, (2) to minimize the space it takes up in …

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 …