Gear Guides

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.

Winter 2004 Gear Watch: Backcountry Equipment for Climbers, Skiers, and Snowshoers

Soft Shells: The Real Story

Clothing and Sleep Systems for Mountain Hiking, 1st Edition (August 2002)

Clothing and Sleep Systems for Mountain Hiking, 1st Edition (August 2002)

Face-Off: First Aid and Emergency Gear

Face-Off: First Aid and Emergency Gear

Lightweight First Aid Kits for Hiking

Lightweight First Aid Kits for Hiking