All Articles, Dispatches, Podcasts, and Trailheads

Fatbiking Iceland’s Volcanoes

My intention was to link the most active volcanoes of the island. I would travel 410 miles on my fat bike, carrying all of my own food and gear, combining mountaineering and fat biking in the traverse.

Tarptent Aeon Review (First Looks)

The Tarptent Aeon Li is one of the lightest solo (1-person) backpacking tents available. Made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF), the Aeon is a single-wall design featuring a zippered side-entry with a vestibule. The Aeon requires 4-7 stakes and is pitched with a single trekking pole.

Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra Gear Review

Mountainsmith Zerk 40L Fastpack Review (First Looks)

This review of the Zerk 40L Fastpack provides a first look at Mountainsmith's new ultralight backpack aimed at thru-hikers.

Book Review – Ultralight Recipes for Outdoor Explorers

24: Idaho (Video – Couples Backpacking)

Ryan and Stephanie Jordan venture into Idaho's Sawtooth range for a couples backpacking trip.

Nemo Switchback Sleeping Pad Review (First Looks)

A first looks review of NEMO Equipment's Switchback Sleeping pad based on initial impressions at from at home and in the field.

MYOG Ultralight Fastpacking ‘Tivy’

Step by step instructions on how to construct my MYOG tivy model and videos and pictures of it in use.

Sport Kilt Review and Kilt Wearing FAQ Companion Guide

The Atom by Atom Packs PERFORMANCE Review

The Atom is a simple pack with a clear mission, having a minimal design and being built for fast and efficient travel.

Field Notes: Winter Backpacking in Southeast Wyoming

Lightweight backpacking in winter: field notes from SE Wyoming - tarp camping, firebuilding, wood stove cooking, and more (VIDEO).

First Impressions: Black Diamond Glidelite Ski (“Snow Trekkers”) Review (Video)

I put together a 4-minute video montage with my initial thoughts about the Black Diamond Glidelite skis that includes footage from both tracked and untracked trails, with inclines up to about 15 degrees.

Navigation & GPS App Reviews & Gear Guide

This Gear Guide features GPS App Reviews, including AllTrails, Gaia, Google Maps Offline, Guthooks, Hiking Project, MapMyHike, Outdoor Active, Ramblr, REI - National Parks, Spyglass, and ViewRanger.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite Sleeping Pad Review

This Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite review presents our performance assessment of the lightest full-sized air-filled sleeping pad on the market.

Tarptent Stratospire Li Review

Tarptent's Stratospire Li is a two-person DCF shelter with well-considered features and has enough chops for year round use.

StoveBench: A Stove Testing Protocol for Comparing the Performance of Backpacking Stoves

StoveBench defines a protocol that is used to measure two important backpacking stove performance features (power and efficiency) in order to determine a single, quantifiable performance factor called the StoveBench Score.

2018 Year in Review

Our 18th year of publishing has brought some exciting new things to our community! Here's a review of our top highlights from the last year, and what's coming up in 2019.

Staff Picks 2018: Our Favorite Backpacking Gear of the Year

Backpacking Light's editorial team, guides, contributors provide their favorite gear choices in BPL's Staff Picks gear guide for 2018.

Crossing the Adirondacks

Ari Jutkowitz goes backpacking in the Adirondacks to the tune of 161 miles over the span of 8 days. He shares his thoughts and experiences.