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Integral Designs Rundle Jacket SPOTLITE REVIEW Review
Hoodless, synthetic insulated jacket with an optimum balance of warmth, durability, wind/water resistance, and light weight.
Packraft Rating (PR) System
Roman Dial demystifies whitewater for the packrafter wanting to understand the natural progression of learning to packraft in the context of increasingly difficult whitewater.
An Ultralighter Paddles on the Dark Side: Packrafting a Remote Canyon “Heavy” Style
Packrafters need to limit their gear so it fits on the bow of their six-foot-long craft. This means dehydrated food for dinner, sleeping under a tarp and wearing wet clothes dry. What is river running like when big rafts haul the food and gear...Can an ultralight packrafter be enticed to the dark side?
Outdoor Research DryComp Summit Sack SPOTLITE REVIEW
This multi-purpose bag serves as a waterproof day pack, compression stuff sack, dry bag, and pillow.
Gossamer Gear The One Shelter REVIEW
The One optimizes light weight, roominess, features, convenience, and weather/bug protection in a seventeen ounce single wall tent.
Decision-Making and the Lightweight Pack
Carrying a lightweight pack has consequences, but they might not be what you think.
Make Your Own Gear: Wide-Brimmed Rain Hat
Complete instructions to construct a 2.8 ounce (size L), waterproof, wide-brimmed hat.
Track Notes Part 1: GR5 in France
Roger Caffin shares his notes on trekking the GR5 in France.
Packrafting the Bear Trap Canyon
Bill Stadwiser shares his notes on packrafting Bear Trap Canyon with Ryan Jordan.
Packraft Trekking in Montana’s Bear Trap Canyon (Videocast)
Ryan Jordan and Bill Stadwiser explore the Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness (the nation's first BLM-managed Wilderness Area) by foot and packraft.
Rab Top Bag AR Review
An old favorite gets some important upgrades and stands out as a great value for an ultralight 30 °F sleeping bag.
SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker – Full Review
Does this highly anticipated technological breakthrough live up to the hype?
Coleman Pack-Away Lantern Spotlite Review
A compact LED lantern, lighter than canister lanterns and fairly bright, but not yet perfect.
Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld Color Mapping GPS – REVIEW
Garmin's latest mapping GPS has a large, high-resolution display, streamlined controls (including the new "Rock 'n Roller" input wheel), and topographic maps for the entire United States at 1:100K scale. In many ways, it represents an advance in handheld GPS for the general consumer...but it appears to have missed the mark for lightweight backpacking.
Professional Perspectives on Backcountry Photography
Perspectives from Tom Murphy, Rainbow Weinstock, and Rick Dreher on how professional photography fits with lightweight principles.
GSI Outdoors Cascadian Bowl SPOTLITE REVIEW
Strong polypropylene, almost twenty-four fluid ounces capacity, 1.55 ounces weight and $1.50 USD: it can't be too bad!
GSI Outdoors Cascadian Cup SPOTLITE REVIEW
Strong polypropylene, will not burn your lips, twelve fluid ounces capacity, 1.7 ounces weight and $1.75 USD: it can't be too bad!
MYOG Titanium/Carbon Fiber Ice Axe
Following the Review of the ULA Helix Potty Trowel, there was considerable discussion on the Backpacking Light Forum (MYOG, DIY walking axe) regarding the use of a light "ice axe" in areas where one's life or ultimate safety would not be an issue. The author, Steven Evans, asked specific questions regarding the required length of such an ice axe, the general use of such an ice axe, and what people used in situations where a UIAA-certified ice axe would be overkill, but where a tool of some sort would be nice to have. Such a tool could be used to assist in small steep sections of snow and ice and general up-hill travel in less then desirable conditions, but it would have a weight which would be negligible on one's back when not in use. This project was born from that discussion.
Podcast: NOLS and the 40 Pound Initiative
NOLS Rocky Mountain discusses the process and progress of the 40-Pound Initiative, a branch effort to reduce student pack weights to 40 pounds or less for all Wind River courses.
Outdoor Research Endeavor Mitt SPOTLITE REVIEW
Lightweight durable shell mitt especially suited for snow sports or any situation where a more durable waterproof-breathable mitt is needed.
MYOG – A Winter Canister Stove using your Summer Upright Stove and the Brunton Stove Stand
The Brunton Stove Stand is a nice bit of engineering, but is it really of any use? Oh yes: it can be turned into a neat winter stove with just a little DIY effort.
