A summary of gear that I’ve used in 2017, and enthusiastically recommend for lightweight backpackers this holiday season.
Gear Guides
Gear Guides offer a cursory overview of a product category, with a summary of available products with their features, specifications and applications compared. Gear Guides offer less emphasis on field performance than in a State of the Market Report (i.e., this is sort of a “SpotLite” version of a State of the Market Report), but increased emphasis on showing the breadth of the product category. Gear Guides are a great resource for comparison shopping as a starting point for further research.
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Staff Picks 2016: Our Favorite Backpacking Gear of the Year
View our staff picks for the best backpacking gear of the year – recommendations from our editors and guides for hiking and backpacking gear.
Hiking Underwear & Shorts – Men’s (Guides’ Notes)
Underwear acts as a moisture (sweat) transfer layer to keep you reasonably dry “down there”. This guide highlights some important considerations about materials, design, fit, weight, and performance criteria when selecting a pair of hiking underwear (or shorts).
Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear of 2015: Our Staff Favorites!
This article summarizes our staff’s best backpacking gear of the year – the ultralight hiking, backpacking, and camping gear they pick as their favorites for their annual adventures.
2014 Staff Picks
Backpacking Light’s staff is some of the most passionate backpackers around. Take a look at the ultralight gear we use and treasure.
Gear Guide: Ultralight Inflatable Pillows
Neck problems? Back problems? An ultralight inflatable pillow may be an ideal solution, but don’t dive in head first. Read this first to see which ultralight pillows are the best.
Gear Guide: Packrafts
Review the current offerings in the packraft market and find out which boats are most appropriate for a variety of purposes including alpine lake fishing, incidental river crossings, flatwater boating, expedition packrafting, and whitewater paddling.
ISPO 2014, Munich, Part 3
We’ve covered the materials, the combinations, and now ISPO wraps up with a look at some innovative ski gear.
ISPO 2014, Munich, Part 2
ISPO 2014 features some innovative products. From sleep systems to clothing the new technology is exciting.
2013 Staff Picks
As we close out the year, take a minute and see which gear our staff uses often.
Backpacking Tights – Part 2
Take a more in depth look at the tights best suited for the backcountry.
2012 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
An eclectic assortment of the staff’s favorite gear for 2012.