Gear Reviews
Backpacking Light has built a hard-won reputation for comprehensive and fair product reviews, reflecting our Editorial Values of Objectivity, Trust, Authority, Inclusivity, and Clarity.
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Latest
Rab Microlight Jacket Review
Trim-fitting ultralight three-season down jacket with a great shell and basic feature set, but its numerous horizontal seams allow down fragments to leak out.
Le Parcour de Wild Race Report
With temperatures that ranged from -5 F to 40 F, the Bob Marshall Wilderness threw some formidable weather our way and reminded us: this stuff ain't for the faint of heart!
Olympus E-620 Digital SLR Camera Review
The E-620 is the lightest mid-sized or "crop sensor" format DSLR with all the functionality and image quality for serious backcountry still photography - even in difficult situations like handheld shots in low morning and evening light.
Gossamer Gear Gorilla Backpack Review
Lower volume ultralight backpack with removable stays and other components - so you can set up the pack for individual trips and personal preferences to your heart's content.
The North Face Beeline Sleeping Bag Review
The specifications look great, but the devil is in the details.
The North Face Thunder Jacket Review
Not the lightest down jacket to be found, but it's an excellent balance of warmth and durability, and versatile the year around as an outer layer or midlayer.
New Balance MT875OR Joggers Review
Totally synthetic, luggy soles, and a breathable draining upper, plus a range of width fittings including really wide (4E). (Updated 9/22/09)
Alpacka Ultralight Paddle Review
A packrafting paddle is not a particularly special thing. It’s simply a kayak paddle, capable of being broken down into two or four pieces for easy stowage while inside or attached to a pack.
GoPro Wide Helmet Cam Review
Practical application review on using the helmet cam in the backcountry... essentially, how does it do?
Western Mountaineering Hooded Flash Jacket Review
Perfect balance of warmth, light weight, and performance for less extreme conditions.
Garmin Oregon 550t Handheld Color Mapping GPS Review
Garmin trumpets the addition of a camera to this gadget, but are the improvement they DON'T mention even more impressive?
Panasonic Lumix LX3 Digital Camera
A compact digicam with a professional pedigree, the LX3 tempts outdoor photographers with a fast wide angle (f:2.0/24 mm equivalent) zoom lens, RAW file capability, high-definition video and solid performance.
Nemo Nano Elite Tent Review
The Nemo Nano Elite is marketed by the manufacturer as a lightweight, fast set-up tent aimed at adventure racers and the fast-and-light crowd. Since I can't run with the former, I try to hang with the latter.
New Balance MT1110GT Joggers Review
Totally synthetic, good soles, and a XCR membrane for wet weather use, plus a range of width fittings including really wide. Very good under some winter conditions, but with a curious defect which limits their use.
Tarptent Scarp 2 Tent Review
Although the Scarp 2 incorporates several weight-saving and space-making design elements to create a friendly, roomy, well ventilated, and stable tent for two campers, these benefits do not come without compromise.
Terra Nova Laser Photon Elite Tent (2008 Model) Review
With a trail weight of just 1 pound 11 ounces, it's the Guinness World Record holder for the lightest double-wall tent commercially available, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.
ZPacks Blast 18 Backpack Review
At less than four ounces and roomy enough for a weekend of SUL gear (30L), the ZPacks Blast 18 certainly qualifies as "SUL" by the standard set several years ago by the Gossamer Gear G6, but is far more durable (yet has a similar weight as the first G6).
MSR Hyperflow Microfilter with Modified Cartridge Review
The MSR Hyperflow was previously reviewed in 2008, and was found to be light and convenient for crystal clear water, but it died very quickly in any other water. MSR acknowledged this problem and modified the cartridge to handle poorer water quality. The modified cartridge is tested here to see if there is an improvement.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad Review
Backpacking Light has been able to spend time with a pre-production Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Pad in the laboratory, in our living rooms, and in the field. Does the product deliver?
MSR Carbon Reflex 2 Tent Review
MSR utilizes lightweight fabrics, carbon fiber poles, and elegant design to achieve a sub-three-pound double-wall tent for two.
