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Lightweight Backpacking for Couples
Introduction Most of us do not venture into the backcountry alone. Sharing the outdoors with another person heightens our outdoor experience. That person can be a good friend, parent, brother,...
Catenary Curvature as an Element of Ultralight Tarp Design
Introduction There’s a saying that “there are two types of tarp pitches, hummers and flappers.” You definitely want a hummer. Almost everybody has spent a noisy, miserable and possibly sleepless...
New Lightweight Backpacking Gear – (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2003) – Member’s Version
Gear Availability Many of these products will be available in Spring ’04. Some are being released in Fall ’03 (as early as September) and a few are available now or...
New Lightweight Backpacking Gear – (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2003) – Public Version
If you are a member and would like to view a version that includes full product specifications and high resolution photos, click here Gear Availability Many of these products will...
Pertex Shield Raises Ante in DWR Finishes for Soft Shell Garments
Woven soft shell fabrics such as microfiber polyester and ultralight ripstop nylons suffer from poor DWR finishes that make their utility in the rain very limited. Perseverance Mills of the...
Revisiting Wind Shirts
Revisiting Wind Shirts: Breaking the 3 oz Barrier When we last reviewed wind shirts in “Windshirt Wars”, the lightest fabrics were 1.4 to 1.1 oz/sq.yd. nylons and the lightest hoodless...
Marmot Precip vs. Cloudveil Drizzle: Raingear for Lightweight Backpacking
Introduction It seems like all major manufacturers have an “ultralight” rain jacket in their line. The problem, however, is that all is not what it seems to be…ultralight often results...
BackpackingLight.com Breaks From Mold as the Anti-Establishment Authority in Lightweight Backcountry Travel
Backpacking Experts Unload the Heavy Gear and Marketing B.S. to Enlighten Outdoor Enthusiasts with Meticulous, Frank, Wilderness-Tested Reviews of Niche Outdoor Gear for Ultralight Hikers
Gerber Sports Saw
Editor’s Note: This product is described only for your information. It has not been submitted for review and thus, has not undergone our normal testing procedures. The lightest Sven saws...
Cloudveil Prospector Jackets
Introduction We like softshell garments. You know that. They are superbly breathable and offer a wider range of comfort than traditional hardshell clothing. Stretchwoven softshells, in particular, with their trim...
Arc’Teryx Alpha Comp
Weight: 14.3 oz size M The Alpha Comp softshell/hardshell hybrid is a solid performing alpine hiking/climbing jacket. If you don’t expect to be inundated with rain, this jacket can handle...
Cloudveil Veiled Peak Jacket
Weight: 16.3 oz size M The Veiled Peak is Cloudveil’s midweight softshell jacket for aerobic activities. Unlike their famed Serendipity Jacket, which uses a heavier Schoeller Dryskin Extreme, the Veiled Peak...
Ibex Icefall Jacket and Glacier Vest
Both the Icefall and Glacier use Ibex’ Climawool™ Lite, which is similar to Schoeller Dynamic. It has a woven shell of Nylon and Lycra but has a napped merino wool...
Feathered Friends EPIC Jackorak
Imagine this. A highly water resistant, hooded wind and shower shell sized large enough for layering and to cover your butt with a full-length zipper, massive mesh-vented torso pockets, and...
Soft Shells: The Real Story
Soft shells like the Cloudveil Rodeo Jacket (shown here) are becoming increasingly popular among backpackers and alpinists alike. Introduction Given only 60 seconds to choose our clothing for a hike...
MSR, Snow Peak, and Backpacker’s Pantry 1-L + 1.5-L Backpacking Cooksets
Introduction Most hardcore solo ultralight hikers choose miniscule, titanium “pots” that are more appropriately described as “cups”. However, this style remains on the fringe and the defacto standard for a...
Integral Designs George Tarp
See how this shelter rates with others in our Comparison Review of Tarps and Other Floorless Shelters Introduction The Integral Designs George Tarp applies economies of scale to a silnylon...
GoLite Vapor Ultra-Lite Local Barrier Vest
The GoLite Vapor Vest capitalizes on vapor barrier principles to keep your insulation dry while wearing a backpack and hiking (or skiing, or climbing) in very cold conditions.
Summer Alpine Ice Climbing in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains
This trip report describes a four day backpacking and alpine climbing trip to Whitetail Peak in Montana’s Beartooth Range, July 9-11, 2002. See end of document for gear notes &...
Hennessy Hammock REVIEW
Introduction We received two models of Hennessy Hammocks, the Ultralight Backpacker and the Extreme Light Racer. The only functional differences between the two lie in the material that is used...
Six Moon Designs Europa Tent (2003)
Introduction The Europa Tent (now in Version “II”) by Six Moon Designs is a single-wall, silnylon tent with a hooped rear pole and a single pole (e.g., trekking pole) front...
