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Latest
Staff Picks 2024
Our staff selects their favorite hiking, backpacking, and other backcountry gear that they’ve used over the past year - the next edition of our infamous Staff Picks!
Ultralight, Ultra-Performance Backcountry Electronics (Revised and Updated)
In this updated gear guide, I'll provide some insight into the backcountry electronics I use, discuss their use cases, and explain why I chose those brands and models.
Inflatable Sleeping Pads: Finding Comfort when Sleeping on the Ground (Updated)
The product category of inflatable sleeping pad is trending towards larger, warmer, and more comfortable pads - with very little weight penalty.
A Place to Sit: A Perspective on Ultralight Camp Chairs (Updated)
My perspective on camp chairs, and perspectives on how it has changed in the past five years.
How do tent stakes interact with soils to create holding power?
Tent stake holding power, especially in adverse wind conditions, relies on principles of engineering and physics, including cross-sectional shape, length, soil interaction, and insertion angle.
Water Treatment and Backpacking Hygiene: Recommended Gear & Supplies
Resources for water treatment and hygiene supplies for ultralight backpacking.
Gear Guide: Satellite Messaging Devices (“Messengers”)
This gear guide summarizes the category of satellite messaging-centric devices, i.e., devices that focus on satellite messaging as its primary, rather than secondary, function. This is in contrast to navigation-centric devices (which usually offer integrated mapping on the device), such as the Garmin inReach Explorer or Garmin GPSMap.
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.
Bear Canisters: Design, Use Cases, and Reviews
We hope this guide will help you understand bear canisters a little bit better. You'll learn about various testing agencies, bear canister design, materials, usability, and user experiences. Lastly, we’ll make some recommendations for bear canisters that reflect unique combinations of value, weight, and capacity.
Navigation and Communication Devices: Strengths, Limitations, and Use Cases
In this video, I will cover various types of navigation and communications devices, their benefits and limitations, and use case scenarios where you might use one or a combination of multiple devices.
Backpacking Light Staff Picks: Our Favorite Gear
Our staff selects their favorite hiking, backpacking, and other backcountry gear that they’ve used over the past year - the next edition of our infamous Staff Picks!
Publisher’s Gear Guide Update (Nov ’23)
The Publisher's Gear Guide has been updated. This gear guide contains recommendations in various categories by Backpacking Light Publisher and Founder Ryan Jordan. This is the gear he actually chooses to use on his own trips.
LIVE: The Gear Q&A (Spring ’23 Edition)
Got a question about backpacking gear as you assemble your '23 kits and gear lists? Now's the time to ask it - this live event will be all about gear. In addition, Backpacking Light Publisher Ryan Jordan will discuss some of the gear he's using in '23, with updated recommendations in the categories of minimalist, high-performance, comfortable, and budget-friendly gear across several categories.
Tenkara Fishing Rods and Gear for Backpacking – Hane, Rhodo, Ito, Satoki, TF39TA
In this video overview, I present the five rods that I've been using over the past few years for most of my backcountry tenkara fishing. They include four models from Tenkara USA (including the new Satoki) and one model from Tenryu (the TF39TA) that remains the staple of my kit. In addition, I'll walk through the basic gear I use and take while tenkara fishing on hiking and backpacking trips.
Staff Picks 2022
Updated: Click here for 2023 Staff Picks. Each year, our staff selects their favorite backcountry gear from the past year, and we look forward to you sharing your favorite gear of the year as well in the forum comments below!
2022 Backpacking Light Members Choice Awards
First annual Members Choice Awards - what gear do our members use and love as we near the end of 2022?
BatteryBench Tests of Nitecore and Anker Portable Battery Chargers
Anker Powercore PD 10000 and PD 20000 and Nitecore NB10000 and NB20000 carbon fiber portable battery chargers are put through the BatteryBench testing protocol.
Publisher’s Gear Guide
Backpacking Light owner, founder, and publisher Ryan Jordan's commentary on the hiking, camping, and backpacking gear he's been using this year.
Staff Picks 2021
Each year, our staff selects their favorite hiking, backpacking, and other backcountry gear that they’ve used this year - our infamous Staff Picks!
Ultralight Rain Mitts for Backpacking: Reviews & Gear Guide
In this gear guide, we review 16 models of waterproof mitten shells ("rain mitts") weighing less than 4 ounces (113 g) within the primary context of 3-season backpacking.
