Backpacking Light
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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.
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.
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.
Appealing Apparel (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008)
Mike Martin and Will Rietveld have the highlights on new apparel from ORSM08.
Big Agnes Clearview Air Pad Review
Finally - a really lightweight, thick, comfy inflatable sleeping pad. Used properly, it's a cushy alternative to a thin torso length pad.
Big Agnes Cyclone SL Chair Kit Review
Camp chair aficionados rejoice - the ten ounce barrier has been convincingly broken by Big Agnes with their six ounce Cyclone SL chair kit.
Hot Stoves (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008)
Stove technology continues to advance this year, with trends of additional remote canister stoves with preheat tubes that are suitable for cold-weather operation, new alcohol and canister "cooking systems" that combine stove, windscreen, and pots into highly efficient and compact packages, plus a further move towards lighter stoves in general.
Garmin Oregon Series and Delorme Earthmate PN-40 GPS (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008)
New offerings found at ORSM 2008
To Pack or Not to Pack? What constitutes an ‘essential’ item in a lightweight hiker’s overnight pack?
Essentials commentary from BackpackingLight reader, Mark Henley.
To Pack or Not to Pack? What constitutes an ‘essential’ item in a lightweight hiker’s overnight pack?
Essentials commentary from BackpackingLight reader, Jim Bailey.
Decision-Making and the Lightweight Pack
Carrying a lightweight pack has consequences, but they might not be what you think.
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.
SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker – Full Review
Does this highly anticipated technological breakthrough live up to the hype?
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.
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.
Komperdell Touring Glove Spotlite Review
Gloves made with Komperdell's new seamless bonding construction get a mixed review.
Fire and Ultralight, a US Forest Service Recon
Ultralight Backpackers Scouting Post-Disaster Trail Conditions for the US Forest Service.
Kamik Viper Insulated Boots SPOTLITE REVIEW
Good lightweight insulated boots for travel in dry snow, but they have some major drawbacks for wet snow travel and for normal hiking and backpacking.
