SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Guides, Gear Reviews, and FAQs

The Sea-to-Summit Spark IV is a 5-degree (F) down ultralight sleeping bag that can be used for cold weather and winter and backpacking. It is insulated with 850 fill power goose down and comes with cold-weather features including a full-length snag-free zipper, a down-filled draft tube, and a draft collar.  …

The Fjallraven Bergtagen 38 is a waterproof mountaineering backpack that’s designed for winter hiking and climbing with modular components that added or removed depending on your needs. It has wooden frame stays, a lid, and hip belt that can all be removed for long approach hikes, ski tours, or summit …

Ultralight backpacking tents are a good option when you’re trying to reduce the weight of your backpacking gear but you’re unwilling to give up the comfort of a tent and sleep under a tarp without insect protection. The lightest weight ultralight backpacking tents are made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF) …

Ultralight backpacking tents are a good option when you’re trying to reduce the weight of your backpacking gear but you’re unwilling to give up the comfort of a tent and sleep under a tarp without insect protection. The lightest weight ultralight backpacking tents are made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF) …

More and more backpackers are switching from sleeping bags to backpacking quilts because they’re lighter weight, more compressible, and more comfortable, especially for side sleepers. While top quilts have always been popular with the hammock crowd because they’re easier to use in the confined space of a hammock, they’re also …

An insulating sleeping pad is a must-have for backpackers who sleep on the ground in tents and under tarp shelters to prevent body heat loss to the ground. The best backpacking sleeping pads are air mattresses or foam pads because they’re lightweight and compact. While they vary in composition and …

What are the best water filter and water purification treatment systems used by backpackers? That really depends on your preferences, the quality of the water you need to filter or purify, and the number of people you need to treat water for. For example, squeeze-style water filters, UV purification, and …

Women have a better selection of female-specific lightweight multi-day backpacks weighing less than 3 pounds than ever before. With more and more women on the trails and in the hills, major backpack companies have responded by building new products for this rapidly growing segment of the backpacking population. Gone are …

Backpacking packs and backpacking gear have gotten much lighter weight in recent years due to innovations in the materials and fabrics available to backpack manufacturers. Most lightweight backpacks now weigh between 2 and 3 pounds and have 40 to 60 liters of storage volume. They have frames and can usually …

One person, solo backpacking tents are ideal if you’re thru-hiking, fast-packing, or backpacking big miles and want to trim your gear weight as low as possible. More livable than bivy sacks, one person tents are designed for sleeping and bad weather protection. While some solo tents are more plush and …