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How Effective are Backflushing and Storage Practices for Backcountry Squeeze Filters Using Hollow-Fiber Membrane Technology?

We provide data that evaluates backflushing and storage in maintaining flow rates of the Platypus Quickdraw, Sawyer Squeeze, and Katadyn Befree hollow-fiber membrane squeeze filters.

Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer Review

The Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer is a fantastic - and fantastically expensive - way to prepare backpacking meals.

“Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia to Zion Journey Through Every National Park” by Conor Knighton (Book Review)

Mark Wetherington reviews a book about national parks and uses it to examine his own relationship with iconic public lands.

Episode 49 | Untraditional Layers

Ryan and Andrew discuss lightweight layering options for backpacking clothing that fall outside the norm of function.

Leave No Trace Winter Backpacking Best Practices

An overview of how Leave No Trace techniques can be applied to winter backpacking.

Tarptent ProTrail Li Review

The Tarptent ProTrail Li (17.7 ounces / 502 g, from $529) is a single-wall, double trekking-pole, single-vestibule, front-entry Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) 1-person shelter.

By the Numbers: the Search for a High-MVTR Waterproof Breathable Shell Jacket

A high MVTR waterproof-breathable shell jacket may be the holy grail that can replace both a wind shirt and a rain jacket. Do they exist, and where do we find them?

The Blue Lights of the San Rafael Swell

Sometimes we backpack to get a taste of the unknowable: blue lights and pictographs in the San Rafael Swell.

Episode 48 | Waterproof Breathable Fabrics

Andrew and Ryan chat with Backpacking Light contributor Stephen Seeber about layering and waterproof-breathable fabrics.

Ultralight Rain Mitts for Backpacking: Reviews & Gear Guide

In this gear guide, we review 16 models of waterproof mitten shells ("rain mitts") weighing less than 4 ounces (113 g) within the primary context of 3-season backpacking.

I’m Breaking Up with the West

Andrew Marshall uses a trip around the Collegiate Peaks Loop in Colorado to ponder his future in the American West.

Episode 47 | Mark Wetherington Reads “The Backpacking Tithe Project”

Mark spends ten percent of every year backpacking - he just doesn't do it all at once.

Remote Inverted Canister Winter Stove V6

Longtime Backpacking Light contributor Roger Caffin debuts the V6 model of his inverted canister stove.

Choosing an Ultralight Shelter for Backpacking (Member Q&A)

How to make the decision of what type of ultralight shelter to use on various types of backpacking trips in different seasons.

How Biking to Trailheads Can Enrich Backpacking

Mark Wetherington explores how trading auto for bicycle for home-to-trailhead transportation impacts the hiking and backpacking experience.

BioLite Headlamp 750 Review

The BioLite Headlamp 750 (MSRP $99.95, 5.3 ounces / 150 g) is a performance-oriented USB-rechargeable headlamp with several unique features but crippling reliability issues.

By the Numbers: Crushing It – How Bad is Thermal Degradation in Synthetic Insulation?

In part two of this investigation, we see what happens when you crush insulation beneath a stack of concrete pavers - again and again.

Episode 46 | Water-resistant Down

Andrew chats with the down experts at the IDFL Laboratory and Institute about water-resistant down.

Vargo ExoTi BOG Backpack Review

The Vargo ExoTi BOG backpack (2 pounds 9 ounces / 1.16 kg, MSRP $299.95) is a roll-top, external, titanium framed backpack with a removable 40-liter 70 denier primary compartment.

Dealing with Mental Lows on Trail

Maggie Slepian uses past experiences on trail to push through rough days on Colorado's challenging Collegiate West.

Durston X-Mid 2P Review

The Durston X-Mid 2P is a 2-person, double-wall, dual side-entry, silpoly shelter with two vestibules that weighs 40 oz (1134 g).

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