Insulation - High Loft Down
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Cottage Gear Guide: Ultralight Hiking & Backpacking Gear from Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands
Discover the most unique, innovative, and ultralight backpacking gear from small, startup, and cottage brands in our Cottage Gear Guide.
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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!
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Episode 130 | Bivy Sack Camping
Discover Ryan’s discreet bivy sack camping methodology for alpine environments, encompassing essential gear, requisite skills, and a critical analysis of tent practicality. Embrace the experience of open-air slumber.
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Timmermade SUL 1.5 Down Sweater Gear Review
The Timmermade SUL 1.5 Down Sweater is a down jacket with an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio for ultralight backpackers.
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Minimalist and Backpacking Footwear
In this guide, we’ll explore the primary categories of footwear for backpacking and hiking, including minimalist footwear, examining their unique benefits, limitations, and use cases.
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Staff Picks 2024
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!
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The Dirt Catwalk: Modern Layering Ensembles for Backpackers
In this article, I discuss some of the challenges that an effective layering system needs to address. In addition, I highlight a handful of the layers that I use the most and how I combine them into various ensembles for different use cases.
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Backpacking Light Staff Picks: Our Favorite Gear
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!
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Timmermade SUL 1.5 Down Sweater
Gear reviews from our staff and members, buy/sell used, shopping tools, and more about the Timmermade SUL 1.5 Down Sweater.
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Episode 92 | Tenkara, Ultrarunning, and Performance Minimalism
In today’s episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast we’re going to talk about a very unique way to enjoy tenkara fly fishing in the backcountry, and the idea of minimalism vs. performance minimalism.
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Publisher’s Gear Guide Update (Nov ’23)
The Publisher’s Gear Guide has been updated. This gear guide contains recommendations in various categories by Backpacking Light Publisher and Founder Ryan Jordan. This is the gear he actually chooses to use on his own trips.
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Episode 89 | Fall Layering Systems
In episode 89 of the Backpacking Light Podcast, we are going to talk about fall layering systems.
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Episode 75 | Winter Layering for the Legs
Much attention is paid to layering for the torso, head, hands, and feet – but the legs are often ignored. However, during winter conditions, an intentional layering strategy for the legs can make the difference between comfort and misery. For mild winter conditions, a layering strategy may look similar to a 3-season lower body layering system. However, when temperatures drop below freezing, and snow and wind increase, the strategy needs to change a bit. Listen to this episode to explore some of these strategies so you can stay warm and comfortable when the mercury drops.
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2022 Backpacking Light Members Choice Awards
First annual Members Choice Awards – what gear do our members use and love as we near the end of 2022?
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Lightweight Clothing Layering Systems for Backpacking (Member Q&A)
How to assemble and save weight on a clothing layering system for hiking and backpacking to stay warm, dry, and comfortable.
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Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody
Our review of winter-worthy down parkas recognized the Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody as perhaps the best all-purpose winter down parka. At only 17.1 oz, the Fitz Roy packs an…
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PHD Yukon K Pullover
If you’re not on a budget, and you are looking for the lighest possible box-baffled hoody that is light enough for summers in the U.S. Mountain West but warm enough…
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Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket is one of the most popular “summer” down jackets used by ultralight backpackers, and packs a lot of warmth into its half-pound weight…
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Feathered Friends Eos Down Vest
The Feathered Friends Eos Down Vest is a simple, well-constructed, well-fitting down vest with a high warmth-to-weight ratio. The Eos Down Vest is, as you might suspect, the vest version of the…
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Goosefeet Gear Down Socks
Down booties are usually overbuilt with durable soles, too much insulation, and heavy fabrics. Not so with the Goosefeet Gear Down Socks, which do one thing, and do that one…
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