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Gear Suited for Wet, Cold Weather Hiking
Cold & wet: really only good when it describes your dog's nose. But you can still be comfy in these conditions with the right (lightweight) gear.
Lightweight in Wonderland
Circumnavigating Mount Rainier's premier walk with lightweight gear has J. Sinclair Oal grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Podcast: Carol Crooker Puts Waterproof Footwear to the Allegheny Test
Four footwear systems in as many days: Carol does her best to get cold feet.
Paramo Waterproof Directional Clothing
Waterproof clothing without coatings or membranes: how they do it and how it works.
Osprey Exos Backpack Review
Osprey's new Exos 46 and Exos 58 backpacks are designed specifically for lightweight backpacking, and, at just over 2 pounds, set a new weight standard for an internal frame backpack with a built-in frame. Plus, they're durable and full-featured.
Podcast: Journey on the Wild Coast – Raising an Adventurer
Erin and Hig's mothers weigh in with childhood anecdotes that give us a glimpse of young explorers in the making.
Wanderlust: Backcountry Meandering with My Family in the Wallowa Mountains
Join Regina WB for her annual family trek to Blue Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa Mountains.
State of the Market Report: Single Wall Tents (2008)
Veteran gear editors Chris Townsend and Will Rietveld unlock the mystique of the single wall tent - identifying their advantages and disadvantages, evaluating designs and technologies, listing specifications on the lightest ones available, picking their favorites for a range of applications, and speculating on future trends.
AntiGravityGear O2 Tent Review
This new single wall tent provides convenience and ventilation, plus loads of room for one person and gear and can accommodate two people when needed.
MontBell Crescent 2 Tent Review
Two-person single wall tent with a twist: one side is double wall, so the fly can be rolled up in good weather for extra views and ventilation.
BPL Launches Wiki as Lightweight Backpacking Reference
The new BPL Wiki hosted by Backpacking Light!
Photon ReX Review
The Photon ReX looks like another one of those little button-cell LED lights, but it has a couple of very nice surprises - and it even works well. Testing it presented some difficulties, but these were generally easy to overcome.
Podcast: Journey on the Wild Coast – Maintaining Health and Preventing Injury
Erin and Hig discuss their minimal first aid kit and strategies for staying alive and well throughout a year of wilderness trekking.
PHD Design Your Own Sleeping Bag
Chris Townsend walks us through the PHD Design Your Own Bag feature online.
Patagonia Traverse Softshell Review
Don Wilson explores the new Patagonia Traverse Softshell clothing, with input from Ryan Jordan.
PODCAST: Journey on the Wild Coast – Vacation Spots for the Adventurous
Got a week (or two) and a taste for adventure? Hig Higman and Erin McKittrick highlight hidden gems along the coast from Seattle to the Alaska Peninsula.
Komperdell Nature Stick Carbon Trekking Poles Review
With a natural bamboo overlay and a leather grip and strap, these poles have a beautiful and classic look. Underneath the bamboo is a modern tapered carbon fiber trekking pole that is both lightweight and very stiff.
Backpacking Light Magazine Announces Discontinuation of Print Version
Publisher Ryan Jordan recalls moments worth celebrating.
PODCAST: Journey on the Wild Coast – The Newlywed Game
Erin and Hig take part in Backpacking Light's version of the Newlywed Game and reveal themselves to us.
MSR Hyperflow Microfilter Review
A new development in the area of microfilters which is both light and field maintainable, but does it work well enough? There are problems when the water is not crystal clear.
Six Moon Designs Refuge/Refuge X Tent Review
At 25.2 ounces for the Refuge and 15.8 ounces for the "world's lightest two-man" Refuge X, Six Moon Designs now has two of the lightest floored single-wall shelters on the market (and the only floored tent made of Cuben Fiber). Were the design compromises and added expense worth the weight savings?
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Garage Grown Gear Hidden Gems
Discover under-the-radar ultralight gear from small brands.
