Nashville Packs is a new cottage backpack manufacturer that’s fundamentally reinventing the way that vest-style backpacks are sized and made. I’ve been testing out their flagship product, the Cutaway Backpack, which is a frameless rolltop pack that’s hands-down the most comfortable, best-fitting, …
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Ventilated backpacks, also called suspended-mesh backpacks, keep you cooler and drier when backpacking in hot or humid weather or when you’re carrying a heavy load. First invented by Deuter Packs, they’re one of the most sought-after backpack features by backpackers. While many …
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Have you ever spent a cold night shivering in your sleeping bag under a backpacking quilt because the temperature dropped lower than you expected? Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to sleep more warmly using the gear and …
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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 …
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Using a Leave No Trace trowel is one of the most responsible things you can do to preserve the backcountry for others to enjoy. While there’s nothing quite as satisfying as having a good bowel movement outdoors in the crisp morning air, …
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While there are hundreds of hiking boots, trail shoes, and trail runners available, most hikers and backpackers choose from a small set of common makes and models. Preferences vary widely, however, and some hikers like waterproof mids and boots, while others prefer …
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Backpacking tarps are a great camping option if you want to reduce your backpacking gear weight while experiencing a deeper connection to the outdoors by sleeping under a shelter without walls. Backpacking tarps come in two basic flavors: shaped/catenary cut tarps that …
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Four-season tents for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry skiing tours need to be a good deal stronger than regular three season tents if you are camping in exposed windy terrain that is subject to heavy snow loads. The strongest and most wind-resistant …
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The most important attributes of a down sleeping bag for winter camping and backpacking are high-value insulation, compressibility, low weight, and ample interior space, so you ample room to store gear and water in your sleeping bag, so it doesn’t freeze overnight. …
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Winter hiking boots have evolved tremendously over the past 10 years and are now lighter weight and more comfortable than ever before. Gone are the days when you needed to choose between military surplus boots, plastic mountaineering boots, or heavy pac boots …
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Winter backpacking backpacks are more specialized than regular three-season backpacks, with a stronger emphasis on heavier weight loads, external attachment points, and durability for carrying bulky gear with sharp points like snowshoes, skis, ice axes, and crampons. They also favor more pockets …
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