Staff Picks 2025

[Backpacking Light]

Companion forum thread to: Staff Picks 2025

Our staff selects their favorite hiking, backpacking, and other backcountry gear that they’ve used over the past year – the next edition of our infamous Staff Picks!

To our community: what was YOUR favorite gear from 2025?

[Nick Gatel]

During the first four years of my blog, I would post my favorite gear of the year. I haven’t published a favorite gear list in 10 years, the last being in 2015. This was mostly because I rarely buy new backpacking equipment.

I thought it might be interesting to create a 2025 version and compare it to 2015, to see what has changed (very little).

[Megan W]

Nick, it seems like your favourite gear list is a list of trusted old friends 🙂.

I appreciate that. Stuff that lasts and lasts and does its job well. And when it dies, replace it with a younger version of itself.

I need to retire some gear after a long, hard walk. I find myself apologising to those old friends. I will try to reincarnate as much of them as possible (repair pieces for other gear etc.)

Cheers

Megan

[Terran]

My daily driver for the last month has been a Patagonia R1 Air hoodie over mesh. More or less replacing an AD90 quarter zip. A bit heavier. Much more durable and it doesn’t ride up at the waist.

My other go to is a five+ year old Patagonia DAS Hoodie Light. Lots of tape. Scorched cuffs from putting wood in a stove. I highly recommend it. I’d buy one again. When it’s on sale of course. Even with the tape, I think I’ll get another year or two from it.

For colder weather. Something we haven’t had here in Colorado this year. New to me is a Rab Mythic Ultra. It’s downfall is that the collar can push up on my ears a bit. The weight to down ratio is very good.

[Alex Wallace]

Standout for me in 2025 was my trusty backpack: Superior Wilderness Designs LongHaul 50. Very capable, comfortable, and durable. From dad pack mule trips to quick overnight ‘fast & light’ backcountry resets. It adapts to all my needs and just works. Looking forward to many more seasons.

[Terran]

+1 SWD (Wolverine)

[Brad W]

My 2025 favorite are 2 pieces-1)Zimmerbuilt Quickstep in Xpac VX21 backpack. Had Chris customize it for me. 36L including all pockets. Replaced outer mesh with Xpac. It’s my day pack and it’s held up very well to bushwhacking and rough use. Light and durable. 12oz. I have about 500 miles on it.

2) Black Diamond Waterproof Over mitt shells. These are fantastic. Not only at keeping your gloves dry, as heat traps. The gauntlet is long enough to tuck under rain jackets cuffs, durable material that has held up great to heavy trekking pole use. I have had no issues with these. I won’t hike in PNW in early spring/fall/winter without these.

 

[Dan]

Nothing really new for me this past year, but I finished my second season with a new “quilt” and a new tent.

I am really liking my ZPacks classic sleeping bag that I modified to work as a quilt by adding snaps. This was my second season using it, and it’s my go-to these days because of the flexibility.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/add-pad-strap-to-zpacks-classic-sleeping-bag/

The Durston X-Mid 2 Pro is an excellent tent and I really have nothing to complain about. But it has more space than I need (even with one BIG dog) and a really large footprint from my perspective, and I often find myself spending a lot of time looking for a large enough site. I am actually thinking about going back to my old Nemo Hornet 2, which is more compact (really a 1.5P tent), although heavier.

[Scott S]

I am glad to see the Xero Mesa II shoes on the list.  They are my go-to hiking shoes but I don’t see many other people using them.  It has taken me several years to work up to doing unlimited miles but my feet are now very thankful.  The soles can be a bit more slippery than you would expect on some surfaces, e.g. rocks with algae, but the upside is they are very light and durable.  A pair is 6oz lighter than the standard lightweight trail runners, thats 6oz you are not repeatedly lifting up – down – up – down.  Many hours on uneven gravel is a bit tiring on the feet but I’ve never had them not feel great the next morning.

[GW Hayduke]

I ordered a custom 17″ Bearikade which gives me a 16 day capacity.

I used it in July for a two week trip and really enjoyed not having to figure in the hassle and route compromises of resupplying.

[Ben Kilbourne]

One note on Mark’s excellent ski pick. (It’s hard to find a poplar ski with sidewalls at that weight!) They have rebranded the Free 97 as the Radical 97. Same ski, new graphics and name.

[John B]

Nick, I was glad to see that your McHale LBP pack made your 2025 list. Do you know whether McHale is still making packs? I wrote to him in November but never heard back, and his “Letter from Dan McHale” (https://mchalepacks.com/letter/index.htm) hasn’t been updated since May.

[Nick Gatel]

Send him an email. I heard from him a couple months back via email. Seems he can’t update the website from where he moved to (apparently a somewhat remote location).

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