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Latest
New Gear Guides: REI & Cottage Brands (+2024 Sale Info)
Quick reference to information and links to the new REI and Cottage Brand gear guides & 2024 Spring Sales.
BPL Live! Tour, News, and Q&A
Join us for BPL Live! and take a tour of Backpacking Light, find out what's new, and get answers to your questions about Backpacking Light, using the website, getting the most out of your membership, and more!
Hiking and Backpacking Injuries and Other Medical Issues Dominant inReach SOS Incidents
Data from 10,000 inReach SOS incidents show that hikers and backpackers needing emergency assistance for injuries and other medical issues is the predominant inReach use case.
Garmin inReach Messenger (Preview/Updated)
The Garmin inReach Messenger provides seamless messaging across cellular, WiFi, and satellite networks for only 4.0 ounces. It offers some compelling features over its closest competitor, the Zoleo Satellite Communicator, including an on-device display that makes it a viable standalone device when used without a smartphone.
Can Apple’s New iPhone 14 Replace Your Garmin inReach?
Should/will the iPhone 14 replace my Garmin inReach (or similar satellite messaging devices)?
LiteAF, Printing on DCF, and Screaming Cat Packs
Maggie takes a look at the new DCF printing technology being used by LiteAF.
Jeff Garmire is Attempting an Unsupported FKT of the Colorado Trail
Jeff Garmire is attempting a Colorado Trail FKT (fastest known time). Here's his approach, gear, tracking info, and more. He started today.
2020-2021 Website Development Timeline
In this post, we share about Backpacking Light’s plans for its next phase of website development. Over the past several months, we have been vetting enterprise website development agencies. We have made our final decision and are excited to announce that we are building a new site and plan to launch it in 2021.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – Resources for the Backpacking Light Community
This document provides information for the Backpacking Light community on matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus.
2019 REI Sale (11/15 – 11/25) – Recommendations, anti-recommendations, and other ideas
The biggest REI sale of the year is going on right now - November 15 through 25, 2019. It's called the GUGO sale - "Gear Up, Get Out". Here are some resources to help you save money on decent gear.
Publisher’s Blog: Unlimited Members No Longer See Banner Ads
This post is available for Unlimited Members only. As of today (October 30, 2019), we've turned off all network banner advertising for Unlimited Members, providing a faster, less cluttered, and less intrusive browsing experience - this post provides the details.
2019 Highlights + What’s Coming (Video Podcast for Unlimited Members)
This blog post is available only to Unlimited Members.
2018 Year in Review
Our 18th year of publishing has brought some exciting new things to our community! Here's a review of our top highlights from the last year, and what's coming up in 2019.
#AskBPL No. 1
Today's Questions: Will you be holding a live film festival event this year? What do you think about adding a chat room at the backpackinglight.com website to allow members to interact with each other? Do you work from home, or do you go to an office every day? When are you going to offer another Lifetime Unlimited Membership sale? If I want to take my summer backpacking clothing and sleep system into winter conditions, what do you think are the most essential pieces of gear to add? Are you ever going to sell your Melanzana High Loft Hoodie?
Q&A on the Publisher’s Blog
I'll be starting a new Q&A series where I'll answer questions about lightweight backpacking, the outdoor industry in general, outdoor gear technology, Backpacking Light behind-the-scenes and future strategy, outdoor lifestyle, minimalism, and more!
Calendar / Updates (Unlimited Members Only)
Unlimited-members-only updates: editorial calendar, podcast, new Unlimited Members benefits, the new webinar series, and Guide's Training course in Montana.
What we have done about your customer service complaints
Over the last 12 months, Jessica has received a "Great" rating from 92% of our customers who have filed support issues and decided to write a review.
BPL-v5 Vision (Sneak Peek) – Updated Dec 22 ’17
Initial home page mockup of BPL-v5, with some vision behind what we're planning to do with the site menu, ads, and more.
71g BlackYak Emergency Jacket Provides Waterproof Protection at Lightest Weight Possible
The BlackYak Emergency Jacket is a waterproof shell that weighs 71 g (2.5 oz), is made with DSM, and probably costs a fortune.
Now
I'm inspired by Derek's Now concept, and I think it may provide some value to you. Here's what we're doing now.
