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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Archives for Blog

Life in the Dog House: A Survey of the One-Person Tent, With History

Jan 15, 2021 by John Seward

Some observations on cheap one-person shelters, including on their design, proliferation, and history, and comparison between some shelters.

bivy, black diamond equipment first light, CangQiong 1, cheap gear, Durston X-mid 1P, hilleberg, One-person, pole-supported, Six Moons Designs Lunar Solo, two-person, Tyvek, Wenzel Starlight

Gratitude and Recovery After Outdoor Trauma

Jan 8, 2021 by Rex Sanders

BPL author Rex Sanders meditates on gratitude and 2020 as he recovers from a traumatic brain injury during the time of COIVD and wildfires.

brain, concussion, cycling, Injury, recovery, rex sanders

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A Gear Confession

Dec 11, 2020 by Maggie Slepian

Chances are, you’ve got something in your pack that could be lighter, but it works for you. Maggie Slepian shares her heaviest items.

30-degree quilt, big agnes tiger wall 2p, camp clothes, camp shoes, dcf, feathered friends petrel ul 10, hyperlight mountain gear 3400 southwest, isobaa merino tights, mummy bag, quilts, sea to summit aeros ultralight pillow, single-wall shelter, sleeping bag, Tarp, therm-a-rest neoair xlite, tracksmith harrier long sleeve, trekking pole supported, ultralight

Winter Backpacking When There’s No Snow?

Dec 1, 2020 by Ryan Jordan

feathered friends lark sleeping bag

My shelter, sleep, clothing, water, and cook system for when temps drop but full-on winter snow and wind hasn’t yet arrived.

black diamond, feathered friends, hyperlite mountain gear, mountain safety research, msr, Nemo, phdesigns, Tarp, tarp camping, Western Mountaineering, winter backpacking

How to Get Water Out of a Frozen Stream Where the Ice is Several Inches Thick

Nov 29, 2020 by Ryan Jordan

ryan using a suction tube to get water out of a frozen creek

We invited this challenge from our community on the forums and Instagram. Here’s our solution – thanks for your feedback and suggestions!

hydration, hydration systems, water treatment, winter backpacking

GPS: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Oct 13, 2020 by Rex Sanders

BPL author Rex Sanders tackles the pros and cons of navigating by GPS in a short blog post that includes links for further info.

electronics, garmin, gps, inreach, maps, navigation, smartwatch, spot, spotx, technology

Backpacking Trip Planning Resources

Oct 3, 2020 by Backpacking Light

hikers planning a backpacking trip with maps and a computer

Here are some of our favorite trip planning resources. These are curated by our staff and include products we’ve personally used and recommend.

fenix, garmin, guthook, inreach, navigation

CS Instant Coffee Review

Oct 2, 2020 by Andrew Marshall

CS Instant Coffee is a small instant coffee product designed to compete with Starbucks Via and other popular backcountry coffee solutions.

coffee, food

The HydraPak Flux 1L – A Smartwater Bottle Replacement?

Sep 25, 2020 by Andrew Marshall

The HydraPak Flux 1 L (2.7 oz / 77 g, MSRP $20) is a soft-sided, collapsible, 42 mm threaded, reusable water-bottle aimed at the single-use Smartwater or sports-drink bottle crowd.

filter, hydration, smartwater, water bottle, water treatment

Keeping Gear Handy on the Trail with Multi-Use Accessory and Utility Pouches

Sep 19, 2020 by Ryan Jordan

Having accessible “pockets” on your pack is useful for keeping little bits of gear handy without taking off your pack. But consider a multi-use pouch that can also be worn as a standalone fanny-style pack.

fanny packs, gossamer gear, hyperlite mountain gear, liteaf, packing systems, thrupack, zpacks

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