Vintage Backpacking Gear

The Backpack Light 50L ($149) is a frameless ultralight style backpack weighing 34.5 oz (L) sold by My Trail Company, which has started manufacturing the same backpacks and tents that GoLite sold before it went bankrupt in 2014. The Backpack Light 50L …

The Sierra Designs Backcountry Quilt 700/35 is a down quilt rated to 35 degrees that combines all the advantages of an ultralight down quilt with a hood, ideal in colder weather when you need extra thermal protection for your head. The unique hideaway hood on this …

The Icebug DTS2 BUGrip GTX Shoe is designed for running and walking on ice-covered roads, sidewalks, and trails covered with hard-packed snow. The sole of each shoe has 19 carbide steel studs that provide traction, much like studded snow tires on icy roads. …

Columbia Bugaboot Plus III Titanium Omni-Heat Winter Hiking Boot (where do they come up with these product names) is a 600 gram insulated winter boot rated down to -65 fahrenheit. If you get cold feet on winter hiking trips or at home, these …

The Montane Alpha Guide Jacket is designed to insulate your core while giving greater freedom of movement for your arms. It is insulated with Polartec Alpha, a highly breathable and compressible insulation that was designed for soldiers to eliminate the need of shedding or …

The Mid-Atlantic Mountain Works (MAMW) Marcy 20 is a 20 degree 850 fill power down top quilt with an innovative side cinching system that blocks side drafts without the awkward and easy-to-lose strap systems used by other quilt makers. Owned by Jared …

The Ultimate Direction Ultra Jacket is a 6.3 ounce lightweight rain jacket (in a size men’s XL) that is light enough to be used as a wind shirt or a rain jacket. Specially designed for ultra runners in Europe’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, it has …

The Kelty Salida 2 Person Tent is a great value at a great price (MSRP is $150, without a footprint.) It is very easy to set up and comes with standard features, like a gear loft, that other manufacturers make you pay …

The Montane Minimus 777 jacket is a lightweight, 3-layer waterproof/breathable shell that weighs just 5.1 ounces (144 grams) in a men’s XL, making it lightweight enough to be used as a rain jacket and wind shirt when you want one garment that can …

Update: Therm-a-Rest has killed off the SV valve concept and this product because consumers could not operate it correctly or reliably. Don’t buy it. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite MAX SV inflatable sleeping pad is a lightweight inflatable three-season sleeping pad that is …

The Sierra Designs Tensegrity 1 FL (feather-lite) is a lightweight trekking pole tent that provides the benefits of ultralight tarp camping with the comfort of a screened-in and rain-proof tent. A single wall shelter without a separate rainfly, (you can pitch it …

Klymit has introduced an ultralight variant to its Static V line of sleeping pads, co-designed and sold exclusively by Drop, called the Insulated Static V Ultra Light. With an R-value of 4.4 (pre-sleeping-bag-standard), it’s an excellent pad to use for sleeping on cold …

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 mtnGLO may be the nicest one person double-walled tent I’ve ever slept in. It doesn’t feel cramped, which is unusual for a one person tent, and it has a lot of extra space along the sides, head, …

The Sierra Designs Lightning FL 2 person tent is a spacious, lightweight tent that’s exceptionally easy to pitch. It features two side vestibules at the head end of the tent that can be used to store gear, and free up interior space, so occupants …