Vintage Backpacking Gear

The Enlightened Equipment Recon Bivy is an ultralight bivy sack with a waterproof bathtub floor and a combination of mesh and breathable water-resistant fabric on the top. The layout of materials makes it very resistant to condensation while also providing splash protection when used under a tarp. It is well-constructed, …

KEEN Summit County Winter Hiking Boots are waterproof and insulated winter boots that are good for snowshoeing, winter hiking, and peakbagging. They have KEEN’s signature oversized toe box with body-mapped insulation to keep the parts of your feet that need extra insulation warm. Large non-marking lugged rubber soles provide a good …

The Kammok Hammock Winter Barrier, an accessory for Kammok’s Mantis and Mantis UL modular hammock systems, is a solid fabric replacement for the zip-off bugnet to be used for increased warmth and weather resistance in cold-weather hammocking. A winter barrier or cover can add a noticeable amount of warmth to …

The Kelty Escape 2 is a well-built but low-cost two-person tent that’s best used for car camping, base camping, and short backpacking trips. It’s compact and easy to set up with a free-standing inner tent, aluminum poles, and a roof vent for added ventilation. Sized for two people, it has …

The NEMO GoGo Elite Inflatable Bivy Tent is a 1-person minimalist shelter that’s more spacious and comfortable than a bivy sack, but far more compact than most 1-person tents making it ideal for trips that require carrying a low volume load like adventure racing, fast and light backpacking, or bikepacking. …

The NEMO Galaxi 2 Tent is a spacious and affordable ($199) two-person tent that comes with an included footprint. Setting the tent up is easy because it has a single hubbed pole and inner tent and rain fly can share the same corner grommets, while numerous interior pockets and gear …

The REI Camp Dome 2 Tent is an amazingly good value for only $99. With two doors and durable aluminum tent poles, it’s a perfect entry-level camping or backpacking tent that combines comfort, ease of use, and durability for multiple years of use. If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive …

REI Screeline Hiking Pants are super-comfortable spandex and nylon gusseted hiking pants with vents behind the knee and reinforced knees and rear. I like wearing them for my more rugged scrambly hikes, off-trail bushwhacks and harvesting firewood that would rip up a lighter weight pair of pants. While the Screeline …

The Gossamer Gear Ranger 35 is a technical day pack that’s ideal for day hiking, hut-to-hut hikes, multi-sport trips, and travel with numerous external and internal pockets for keeping yourself organized. Weighing 33.9 oz, it’s fairly burly for a Gossamer Gear backpack, weighing more than the company’s ultralight Mariposa 60 …

The Ultimate Direction FK Bivy is a bug-proof bivy sack designed to be used under a tarp shelter. It has a self-standing hood with two flexible wire-rods to keep the mosquito netting off your face, backed by solid fabric panels that can be rolled down for added wind protection and …

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 is a hybrid single-wall/double-wall 2 person tent made with several different grades of Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF) that are strategically placed at different points in the tent’s architecture to balance the competing needs of strength, weight, and ventilation. Weighing 28 oz, the Dirigo 2 …

Altra’s Lone Peak 4 Trail Runners are hiking and running shoes with an extra large toe box that lets your feet spread out and relax for more comfort on long hikes or runs. Made with breathable mesh, they drain well, dry quickly, and provide excellent underfoot protection on rocky or …

The Granite Gear Vapor Trail 60 is a remake of a vintage ultralight-style backpack that was retired about ten years ago and is no longer made. At one time, the Vapor Trail was the most popular backpack used by thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. REI decided to reissue it as …

The Exped Spica II UL is a lightweight, two-person tunnel tent with an aerodynamic and beak-like front vestibule designed for three season backpacking. Weighing just under 3 lbs, it’s a spacious double-walled tent that can be set up fly-first if required. While not freestanding, the Spica II is easy to …