Vintage Backpacking Gear

The Black Diamond Beta Light is a single wall, ultralight tarp shelter that weighs 19 oz. It’s also a very affordable ultralight shelter, with an MSRP of just $200, making it an excellent value if you’re trying to save money. The Beta …

Atlas’ Serrate Snowshoes are teardrop-shaped, nylon-decked snowshoes with crampons and a heel lift designed for hiking and snowshoeing in mountainous terrain. They have a simple-to-use binding system that’s compatible with virtually any kind of winter boot or shoe but runs a little …

The Kelty Redwing 50 Backpack is a multi-faceted pack that can be used for day hiking, backpacking, school, or travel with a plethora of pockets and features to keep your gear well-organized and accessible. Featuring a new adjustable length frame, its greatest strength …

The Montane Future Lite Hoodie is a lightweight, down hoodie that’s insulated with 750 fill power HyperDry RDS-sourced down. It has what manufacturers now call an “under-helmet” hood that’s thankfully tighter-fitting than the Godzilla-sized helmet-compatible down jacket hoods of yesteryear which were …

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 …

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 …

The Big Agnes Scout 2 Platinum is a 17 ounce, single wall trekking pole tent designed for three-season use. It has a pup-style, A-frame shape, with side struts that create vertical internal sidewalls for improved livability and ceiling height. While the tent …

The Montane Yupik 50 is an adjustable-length backpack with a top lid weighing just over 3 lbs. It’s the successor of the Montane Grand Tour 55 Backpack (see our review) which is no longer available. The Yupik 50 is well-sized for overnight …

The MSR FreeLite 2 is a two-person, double-wall tent that has a trail weight of 41 ounces. Considered a semi-freestanding tent, it has a single-pole system that is quick and easy to assemble. There are two doors with vestibules and the interior …

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 …

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 …

The Outdoor Research Panorama Point is a lightweight rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking, backpacking, and all of your recreational pursuits. That’s actually harder to come by than you think. While there are lots of lightweight rain jackets that …

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 …

The MassDrop Pine Down Blanket is an inexpensive down comforter ($100) that’s been augmented with cordlocks, drawstrings, and cord channels so it can be used as a blanket, a top quilt, or even as a hammock underquilt with some minor augmentation. It’s …