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- ARCHIVES (Before 30.Nov.2015)
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Latest
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.
Tenkara for Backpackers: State of the Market Report – Part 2
Part 1 helped you choose the rod. After reading part 2 you'll be all set with the tackle needed to fish tenkara in the backcountry.
2012 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
An eclectic assortment of the staff's favorite gear for 2012.
2011 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear/cool dealio/thingy-dingy of 2011.
2010 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear/cool dealio/place of 2010.
2009 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear of 2009.
2008 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear of 2008.
2007 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear of 2007
Lightweight Backpacking Gear for Kids
A review of commercially-available, lightweight gear suited for - if not made for - backpacking with kids.
Ultralight Knives and Other Sharp Things
Find out what BPL staffers carry to cut, slice, chop, and snip.
Lightweight Footwear Systems for Snow Travel Part 3: Model Lightweight Footwear Systems for Snow Hiking, Snowshoeing, and Snow Camping
Based on our research and testing, we recommend lightweight footwear systems for specific conditions and activities. In addition, our Backpacking Light staffers describe their favorite systems, and two ultralight nomads – Andrew Skurka and Chris Townsend – share their wisdom.
Lightweight Footwear Systems for Snow Travel Part 2: Components
We cover the components of a lightweight footwear system – shoes/boots, footbeds, socks, vapor barriers, booties, overboots, and gaiters (everything on or around the foot), discuss the pros and cons of different options, and identify our favorites.
Lightweight Footwear Systems for Snow Travel Part 1: Principles and Techniques for Keeping Feet Dry and Warm
High-tech gear to keep your feet dry and warm is useless without the proper knowledge on how to use it, and that’s especially true for lightweight footwear in cold and wet conditions.
Bushwhacking Gear: Heavyweight Fabrics and Compatible Construction Techniques to Improve Clothing Longevity for Off-trail Bushwhacking
Thorns, scrub and sandstone can rip ultralight clothing to shreds. What materials and construction techniques hold up to serious bushwhacking?
2006 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
An eclectic assortment of favorite gear for 2006.
Stove Windscreen Dynamics and Design: Part II
Practical Applications for the Field
Have you tried a double windscreen to maintain alcohol and fuel tab stove performance in the wind? It really works, and one piece doubles as a GearSheet.
Stove Windscreen Dynamics and Design: Part I
Wind Effects on Stove Performance
The theory (Bernoulli Effect, laminar and turbulent flow) behind how wind affects backcountry cooking.
2005 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Staff Favorites - Our gear picks from the 2005 hiking and backpacking season.
2004 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Staff Favorites - Our gear picks from the 2004 hiking and backpacking season.
