Gear
- GEAR • Gear Reviews
- GEAR • Gear Guides
- GEAR • Gear Checklists
- GEAR • Make Your Own Gear
- GEAR • Gear Testing & Research
- SKILLS • Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
- SKILLS • Wilderness Skills
- SKILLS • Training
- SKILLS • Trip Planning
- SKILLS • Food Preparation
- PLACES • Trips
- PLACES • Routes
- CULTURE • Essays
- CULTURE • Stories
- CULTURE • Issues
- CULTURE • People
- CULTURE • News
- CULTURE • Media Reviews
- ARCHIVES (Before 30.Nov.2015)
- SEARCH LIBRARY
- TRAILHEADS
Latest
Soto OD-1R Canister Stove Product Review
This Japanese stove is small, light, and well-made, with a unique miniature pressure regulator instead of a needle valve.
JakPak All-In-One Garment Review
Is this the "Three Musketeers" of backpacking gear (all for one, one for all!), or does it leave Chris feeling cold?
Stoves, Tents and Carbon Monoxide – Deadly or not?
Supplement 6: Primus Eta PackLite System
We cover yet another Primus heat-exchanger stove system in this Review: the Primus Eta PackLite. This is basically modelled on the Eta Power system, but smaller and lighter.
Eddie Bauer First Ascent Downlight Sweater Review
This jacket really rocks - an excellent balance of light weight, basic features, warmth, wind and water resistance, and cost.
Adventures in Laminating Silicone-Impregnated Fabrics
Silnylon and spinnaker fabric have long been mainstays in making ultralight gear, but they require careful construction to avoid failures at seams or damage from abrasion. Laminating the fabric offers a solution to those problems.
Sierra Designs Nitro 30 Sleeping Bag Review
Remarkably lofty and warm for a 30 F (-1 C) rated bag – this is the first sleeping bag I have tested that’s warmer than its claimed temperature rating!
REI Quarter Dome T2 Tent Review
There's a lot of bang for the buck in this roomy, lightweight, double-wall tent!
PHD Minim 400 Sleeping Bag Review
This zipperless down mummy-style 23 F rated sleeping bag is elegant for its simplicity, light weight, and high loft-to-weight ratio.
Petzl Tikka XP2 and Tikka Plus2 LED Headlamp Reviews
Petzl has been busy upgrading and gives us two new versions of an old stand-by.
PHD Mountain Software Ultra Down Pullover Review
The ultimate down jacket for ultralight backpacking and lightweight cold weather pursuits.
MontBell Ex Light Women’s Down Jacket Review
The lightest down jacket to be found, but the women’s version doesn’t have as much loft and warmth as the men’s version.
Mountain Hardwear Nitrous Jacket Review
An ultralight down jacket that performs well in active pursuits, but it’s not the best choice for ultralight backpacking.
Marmot Hydrogen Sleeping Bag Review
The Hydrogen is a well designed, high loft, roomy, warm, mummy-style down 30F-rated sleeping bag, but its shell fabric is heavy and wets out too easily.
2009 Backpacking Light Staff Picks
Backpacking Light staff pick their favorite gear of 2009.
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent Review
Big Agnes raises the bar for two-person double-wall tents by creating their lightest offering ever. In fact, it is the lightest tent in this category from any manufacturer. Will it Fly high, or leave us up a Creek?
MontBell UL Spiral Down Hugger Sleeping Bag Review
A lot to like and a great value for a 30 F rated down mummy bag weighing only 19 ounces.
Pak-Rifle Review
My expectation for a small game rifle is to be able to shoot a very small and compact group on a target at 25 yards or less, and the Pak-Rifle makes my heart beat faster.
Olympus E-P1 Camera Review
Sure, it's lighter than its DSLR brethren, but it's also heavier and bulkier than its compact cousins. Does it offer improvements to justify carrying the additional weight and bulk?
GoLite Footwear Competition and Fire Reviews
GoLite Footwear has developed a unique underfoot suspension system that largely accomplishes their intentions. The shoes are comfortable, but there are durability concerns for the soles.
Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32 Sleeping Bag Review
A warm, refined sleeping bag, but not the lightest in its class.