The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor is a top-loading backpack with a unique top lid and compression straps on the sides and front that let you modify the pack’s volume or strap bulky gear to the outside. This is complemented by a stiff …
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Oboz Sawtooth II Low Hiking Shoes Review
Oboz Sawtooth II Low Hiking Shoes are ventilated, non-waterproof shoes for hikers and backpackers who want shoes that are lighter weight and less constricting than hiking boots but are more stable and protective than trail running shoes. While they look similar to …
Read More »Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator Low Hiking Shoes Review
Merrell’s Moab 2 Ventilator Low Hiking Shoes are the best-selling non-waterproof hiking shoes of all time for the simple reason that they’re stable, affordable, and available in wide sizes. I hiked in them for many years myself, all over the Catskills Mountains …
Read More »Gossamer Gear DCF One Tent Review
The Gossamer Gear DCF One is a one-person, single-wall ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 15.3 oz and costs $539. It has an all-mesh front door and vestibule and requires two trekking poles to set up. While it has a Dyneema DCF …
Read More »Gregory Octal 55 Women’s Backpack Review
The Gregory Packs Octal 55 is an ultralight backpack with a ventilated frame that helps evaporate back sweat and keep your shirt dry when hiking. Weighing 2 lbs 10 oz, it’s also one of a very small handful of female-specific ultralight backpacks today, …
Read More »ZPacks.com Arc Blast Ultralight Backpack Review
The ZPacks.com Arc Blast Backpack is an ultralight Dyneema DCF backpack with an external carbon fiber frame that is available in three sizes: 45L, 52L, and 60L. Weighing just 17.4 ounces in the 60L version (shown here in orange), the Arc Blast …
Read More »Granite Gear Crown2 38 Backpack Review
The Granite Gear Crown2 38L backpack is a lower volume version of its popular big brother, the Crown2 60L backpack. It’s a highly configurable ultralight backpack that has an adjustable-size hip belt so you can get a perfect, customized fit, with an …
Read More »Osprey Levity Ultralight Backpack Review (60L and 45L)
The Osprey Levity is an ultralight backpack available in a 60L or 45L size and weighing just under 2 lbs. Much-anticipated, the Levity packs are one of the first ventilated ultralight backpacks available with a suspended mesh back to help keep you …
Read More »The North Face Cobra 60 Backpack Review
The North Face Cobra 60 is a versatile winter backpack suitable for climbing, multi-day mountaineering-style winter trips, and backcountry skiing. Like many specialized winter packs, it can be configured in a number of different ways, depending on your trip needs, with optional …
Read More »Nitecore NU20 Rechargeable Headlamp Review
The Nitecore NU20 is a very bright, lightweight rechargeable headlamp that’s ideal for backpacking and hiking. Weighing just 1.66 ounces, including a comfortable head strap, it has 4 brightness levels, ranging from 1 lumen to 360 lumens on full power, in addition …
Read More »Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Gloves Review
Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Gloves provide great warmth and excellent dexterity, which can be a difficult combination to achieve in an insulated winter glove. While mitts and mitten shells are a winter hiking essential, they don’t provide enough dexterity to hold an ice …
Read More »REI Quarter Dome SL Tarp Review
The REI Quarter Dome SL Tarp is a lightweight waterproof 9.25’ x 9.25’ square tarp with lots of perimeter tie-outs for infinite pitching options. The included guylines connect to the tie-out loops with attached toggles, which makes adding and removing guylines for …
Read More »MSR Needle Stake Review
MSR Needle Stakes are lightweight aluminum tent stakes with square-shaped shafts, a wedge tip, and a hook at the top. Weighing 8 grams each and 6 and 3/8″ long, they’re ideal for staking out tents and tarps that use cords as guy-lines. …
Read More »REI Essential Waterproof/Breathable Rain Pants Review
I’m a big fan of REI’s clothing because it’s affordable, good quality, and virtually indistinguishable from the other name brand products they sell. This includes their Waterproof/Breathable Rain Pants (the latest update has been renamed “Essential Rain Pants”) which are a steal …
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