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Big Agnes Insulated Double Z Sleeping Pad Review
The Big Agnes Insulated Double Z sleeping pad is a wide and comfy pad that adds luxury to sleeping in the backcountry.
MYOG: Seam Construction and Taping of New Dimension-Polyant Fabrics
This article presents the results of some cursory material construction tests using the newer Dimension-Polyant (DP) fabrics from the LS, VX, and WX families, as well as seam-taping using DP-supplied seam tapes. The context here is MYOG/DIY backpack construction.
Garmin inReach Mini Review
The Garmin inReach Mini is the smallest, lightest, and most powerful satellite messaging device on the market.
High Sierra Trail (Film) Review
The High Sierra Trail Film by Chris Smead explores the history and wonder of the John Muir Trail's little brother in this festival circuit documentary.
Atom Packs Prospector Review (First Looks)
The Prospector is the flagship pack from Atom Packs, a British Company. Each pack is hand-built to order by owner Tom Gale, and the packs are made either as a standard configuration or fully customizable. This Atom Packs Prospector Review takes a first look at this rucksack.
Case Studies: Using Google Earth to Plan Wilderness Trips
This article presents some case studies of using Google Earth for wilderness trip planning, with a presentation of my process and lessons learned.
Podcast 003 | Backpacking Food and Nutrition
In this episode we tackle the science, myths, and dogma surrounding backpacking food and nutrition. Featuring guest Brian Rigby, certified sports nutritionist and author. We tackle food and nutrition issues as they relate to thru-hiking, ketogenic diets, plant-based diets (veganism and vegetarianism), gluten-free issues, and macronutrient-micronutrient nutrition. Some questions we ask: what are the caloric and nutritional needs of backpackers? Why do we need to address dogma and pseudo-science in this field? We also take a look at some new cooking and water treatment gear and discuss what’s going on in the world of Backpacking Light right now.
Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried Backpacking Dinners (Gear Guide)
This gear guide features several dozen options for freeze-dried and dehydrated backpacking dinners from many different brands and provides nutritional information on each one for comparison purposes.
National Monument Reduction: What Are We Really Losing?
Late last year, United States President Donald Trump took action for national monument reduction in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. This article explores the issues.
Wandering in a Thirsty Country – Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
When Donald Trump took office he appointed as his Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, a former member of Congress with a 4% lifetime score from the League of Conservation voters. Like Trump’s other cabinet members, much ink has been spilled concerning Zinke’s qualifications, the “fox guarding the henhouse” nature of his appointment, the various scandals that have surfaced during his time at Interior. Perhaps less well known to the general public is that Secretary Zinke, under orders from President Trump, recommended major changes to ten of the nation’s National Monuments. The most famous and contentious of these Monuments are Bears Ears and Grand Staircase - Escalante. But Organ Mountain - Desert Peaks, tucked away in a quiet corner of New Mexico, made the list as well.
Patagonia 19 Degree Sleeping Bag Review
Of the approximately 70 different sleeping bags I've used, the Patagonia 19 Degree Sleeping Bag is the most comfortable all-purpose mummy bag for use above freezing.
Alcohol Stove Comparison: Trail Designs (12-10 and Kojin) vs. Zelph (Starlyte and Starlyte Mod)
This review compares the boil time and fuel consumption performance of the Trail Designs 12-10 and Kojin alcohol stoves, and the Zelph Starlyte and Starlyte Mod alcohol stoves, under a variety of wind conditions.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Shell Jacket Review
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Shell Jacket is made using Dyneema Composite Fabric bonded to a polyester fiber outer face for durability, and to a monolayer eVENT membrane on the inner face for breathability.
Podcast 002 | Dyneema Composite Fabrics
In this episode, we dive into the design, manufacturing, and applications of Dyneema Composite Fabrics.
Xero TerraFlex Review
This Xero Terraflex review features shoes that should interest both trail runners and ultralight hikers looking for a true minimalist shoe option for rugged terrain: super-flexible sole, zero drop, some cushioning, and very good traction.
A “Speshul” Hiker: Junaid Dawud and the Colorado 14ers Thru-Hike
Junaid “Speshul 41” Dawud may have cut his teeth on the Pacific Crest Trail - twice - but he earned one of the top ten FKTs of 2013 for completing his "14ers" thru-hike. This route links all 58 of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.
Vancouver Island: Trauma on a West Coast Trail Backpacking Trip
Vancouver Island and I are on a collision course for a rematch. Here's a story about my recent trials on a West Coast Trail backpacking trip.
Synthetic Insulated Jacket Review & State of the Market Report
This comprehensive State of the Market Report presents more than a dozen synthetic insulated jacket reviews and performance comparison to evaluate their durability, warmth, weather resistance, breathability, and features.
Podcast 001 | Synthetic Insulation
In this episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast, Ryan and Andrew take a deep dive into synthetic insulation: its technology, strengths, weaknesses, and applications.
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Review
Our Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Review features one of the highest-performing synthetic jackets we've ever evaluated. It's performance- and feature-to-weight ratio is extremely high and should be a top pick considered for ultralight backpacking.
Nunatak Skaha Apex Review
The Nunatak Skaha Apex is our highest rated windproof synthetic insulated jacket. Even though the jacket costs less than its closest competitors, it is custom-made in Utah. We highly recommend the Skaha Apex to anyone who wants the either the best fitting jacket or the highest warmth to weight ratio.
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Garage Grown Gear Hidden Gems
Discover under-the-radar ultralight gear from small brands.
