Vintage Backpacking Gear

I’ve been using a Deuter Speed Lite 30 backpack for most of my dayhikes and bushwhacks since last June. I like it so much that I find myself using it regularly on my weekday training hikes near home and up in the mountains when I don’t need to carry an …

The Jetboil Sol Ti is really good for heating up water fast. Really good. With heat exchange fins, it’s also pretty miserly on canister gas. When used with a small canister it also packs up small in your backpack, a desirable feature when you need to carry a lot of …

It was only a matter of time before Inov-8 revamped their Terroc 330 running shoe –  one of the most popular shoes used by hikers who have switched from traditional hiking boots to lighterweight and faster drying trail runners. But change is bad when it comes to hiking shoes and …

I’ve owned a pair of Golite Tumalo Rain Pants for over a year and use them for 3 season hiking because they’re so lightweight and such a great deal ($50/pair). I got to use them for nearly 6 days of continuous drizzle, rain, wind, snow, sleet, and hail in Scotland …

I’ve been using a Golite Roan Plateau 800 Fill Down Hooded Parka for winter hiking and backpacking for the past 5 years. It’s a great parka to pull out of my pack when we stop for breaks that last longer than 10 minutes (so I don’t get cold), if we …

One of my goals for this winter has been to switch to a more comfortable, lightweight mountaineering boot without a removable liner, at least for day hikes. While my other pair of plastic boots, Scarpa Omegas  (5 pounds 2 ounces/pair), are probably the lightest weight and most comfortable boots with …

The purpose of using gaiters in winter is to keep your socks dry by preventing contact with deep snow. They can also serve secondary functions such as blunting self-inflicted crampon strikes, which tend to occur when you get tired and lose your aim, or by adding another warming layer to …

I’ve owned a MSR Simmerlite Liquid Gas Stove for 4 years. I’ve used it every winter since then for one and only one purpose: melting snow for drinking water and boiling it to store in insulated containers or rehydrate winter backpacking meals. I originally bought Simmerlite because it was the …

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 accumulates on your back under your pack. What …

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 on can’t retain warm air and is just …

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 an area, set up a base camp and …

Last summer, Sierra Designs introduced a new ultralight, 900  fill goose down, mummy style sleeping bag called the Cloud 15. Available in one color, a retro-looking cloud white, it weighs just 1 pound 12.3 ounces in the 78″ regular length, making it one of the lightest 15 degree bags available today. I’d never …

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 needs of up to five people, I feel …

The Sierra Designs Discovery 30 Backpack is fairly beefy for a day pack with a plastic frame sheet and wider hip belts, but man does it carry great. I’ve loaded it up with 15-20 pounds of gear and I barely notice the load. This is definitely a pack I’d recommend …