Vintage Backpacking Gear

I got turned onto the Marmot DriClime Catalyst Jacket  when I was winter backpacking in the White Mountains. Several very experienced hikers on our trip had the DriClime Catalyst and they raved about it. Whenever you carry a backpack in winter, sweat …

The Therm-a-Rest Haven is a special type of sleeping bag that doesn’t have any back insulation. Called a Top Bag, all of the insulation in the Haven is located on top of your body and along the sides, because insulation and fabric you lie …

The Gossamer Gear Bearister food hanging system is built around a 11oo cubic inch (18.25 liter) 30 denier silnylon daypack called the BigBag, which is used to hang your food. It’s a clever dual use idea, especially if you like to hike into …

I spent the majority of this summer wearing a RailRider’s Madison River Shirt for hiking and backpacking that proved ideal for the hot buggy weather we had in New England this year. Like my Railriders EcoMesh pants, also worn above, the Madison River …

If you like tarp camping or want to get a substantially lighter weight shelter without paying through the nose, I recommend you consider getting a straight cut square or rectangular silnylon tarp. They’re far less expensive than you might realize and provide …

I like square flat tarps because they give me the opportunity to select or create different pitches depending on my environmental needs or aesthetic desires for the night. It’s like shelter origami ( see Square Tarp Pitches.) Contrary to what you might expect, …

The Jetboil Helios is a highly technical, group cooking system designed to accommodate the larger capacity cooking needs of 3-5 people at a time. As a result the Helios is not necessarily a small or lightweight set, but considering it serves the …

The MSR Fast Stash is a bold crossover shelter that offers all of the ventilation benefits of tarp camping with the comfort of a mainstream hiking tent. Based on a traditional flat tarp pitch tarp called an Adirondack Wind Shed (my favorite), …

The REI Stoke 29 is perfectly sized for long day hikes, with a large main compartment and three exterior mesh pockets (2 side, 1 front.) I adore mesh packets like this because I can me stow all of the gear or food …

I’ve been using Inov-8 Terroc 330 trail runners for 3-season hiking since April 2010. I just started using my fifth consecutive pair for peakbagging and backpacking, plus I bought another two pairs so that I’ll have more when I wear these out. …

I got interested in Rivendell Mountain Works, makers of the Jensen Backpack, after discovering them on the web last year. I posted a message about the Jensen Backpack on Facebook and Cameron McNeish responded by saying that it was one of his …

Brooks Range Mountaineering makes an ultralight 4 season tent that weighs under 2 lbs and has a vestibule. That’s right, under 2 lbs. It’s called the A2 Rocket Tent presumably because of the space age material it is made out of. The …

I really like the Deuter Spectro 38 backpack. At 2,320 cubic inches (38L) capacity, it’s a great pack for longer day hikes, hut-to-hut routes, or fast and light overnight backpacking trips. If you’re not familiar with Deuter (pronounced Doy-ter), you should check …

The CamelBak Highwire 25L is a large capacity hydration pack that’s ideal for long-distance day hikes and peak bagging adventures. Complete with a 100 oz/3L hydration reservoir, it can hold 1526 cubic inches of gear, giving you plenty of capacity to carry …