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Water Treatment and Backpacking Hygiene: Recommended Gear & Supplies

Resources for water treatment and hygiene supplies for ultralight backpacking.

MYOG: SUL Remote Inverted Canister Winter Stove Version 7

Roger Caffin details the process of designing and constructing the newest version of his SUL Remote Inverted Canister Stoves

Episode 103 | Cottage Industry Trends

Ryan Jordan and Lloyd Vogel discuss trends within the Cottage industry in episode 103 of the backpacking light podcast.

Backpacking gear attributes: the relationships between weight, cost, durability, versatility, and performance

Ryan discusses the relationships between weight, cost, durability, versatility, and performance in ultralight backpacking gear.

Backpacking in Grizzly Country

Backpacking in grizzly habitat: considerations and best practices for bear spray use, food storage, safety, and ethical considerations.

Episode 102 | Polartec Alpha Direct

In episode 102 of the Backpacking Light podcast you're going to learn about the origin, evolution, and use of Polartec Alpha Direct in modern ultralight layering systems.

Gear Guide: Satellite Messaging Devices (“Messengers”)

This gear guide summarizes the category of satellite messaging-centric devices, i.e., devices that focus on satellite messaging as its primary, rather than secondary, function. This is in contrast to navigation-centric devices (which usually offer integrated mapping on the device), such as the Garmin inReach Explorer or Garmin GPSMap.

The Dirt Catwalk: Modern Layering Ensembles for Backpackers

In this article, I discuss some of the challenges that an effective layering system needs to address. In addition, I highlight a handful of the layers that I use the most and how I combine them into various ensembles for different use cases.

Hiking with Tripod on the Colorado Trail
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions of animal abuse and trauma related to a rescue dog. Introduction: Tripod’s Story Can anyone own a 4-legged canine rescue? Three-legged? Toothless? Hacked off...
New Gear Guides: REI & Cottage Brands (+2024 Sale Info)

Quick reference to information and links to the new REI and Cottage Brand gear guides & 2024 Spring Sales.

Shell Game: Wind and Rain Jacket Breathability Tests vs. Trail Performance

I sent several top wind and rain shells to the lab to measure breathability and then took them on the trail for real-world testing.

What Properties Influence the Air Permeability of Wind Shirt Fabrics?

The purpose of this report is to investigate the relationship between air permeability, fabric porosity, weave type, and yarn structure via photomicrography and image analysis. This is not an exhaustive research study, but rather, an exploration of some of the fabric design attributes that have an impact on air permeability rates.

Member Q&A (Members-Only Livestream)

Join us on our monthly members-only "Q&A" live stream with Backpacking Light owner/founder Ryan Jordan for short presentations + member Q&A.

Episode 101 | Take Less, Do More, With Glen Van Peski

In episode 101 of the Backpacking Light podcast we're going to talk to Glen Van Peski about the life lessons we can learn from ultralight backpacking.

Bear Canisters: Design, Use Cases, and Reviews

We hope this guide will help you understand bear canisters a little bit better. You'll learn about various testing agencies, bear canister design, materials, usability, and user experiences. Lastly, we’ll make some recommendations for bear canisters that reflect unique combinations of value, weight, and capacity.

Episode 100 | Celebrating our Listeners and Gear for Hiking in the Sun

In episode 100 of the Backpacking Light Podcast we're going to celebrate sunshine and the one hundredth episode of the backpacking light podcast featuring stories from our listeners and more.

How to Choose Backpacking Gear (Shelter Case Studies)

In this video, we walk through a framework for making decisions about how to select gear based on benefits, features, and design attributes, with a focus on shelter systems.

Episode 99 | How to Hide Your Food from Bears

In episode 99 of the Backpacking Light podcast we're going to learn about how bears smell, and what you can do to hide your food from the nose of a bear.

Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul Review

The Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul is a 35 to 50 L internal frame backpack weighing 2 pounds made from Ultra and EPX fabrics.

Book Review: Trail of the Lost

Mark Wetherington reviews the Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford and reacts to the implications it unveils for backpackers.

Navigation and Communication Devices: Strengths, Limitations, and Use Cases

In this video, I will cover various types of navigation and communications devices, their benefits and limitations, and use case scenarios where you might use one or a combination of multiple devices.

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