REI Gear Guide (Updated August 2024)

Related: See our Gear Guide to Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands Here »

August 23 to September 2, 2024

REI Labor Day Sale & Clearance

The 2024 REI Labor Day Sale & Clearance runs from August 23 to September 2, 2024. It’s REI’s biggest sale of the summer season and is a good opportunity to find ultralight backpacking gear (some of it quite expensive, especially packs, shelters, and sleeping bags) at large discounts - 30% to 40% off. In addition, REI-branded goods are available at steeply discounted prices up to 40% off.

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Introduction

This REI Gear Guide contains an updated collection of hiking and backpacking products available at REI Co-Op that are recommended by Backpacking Light.

The primary purpose of this gear guide is to provide REI Members with a highly-focused list of products that meet the following criteria:

• High Performance – The product is representative of the most performant products available among its market peers in the same weight range.
• Light Weight – The product is representative of the lightest products available among its market peers in the same performance/functionality class.
• Reliability – The product is not characterized by systemic functional flaws as a result of unsound design principles or defects in material or manufacturing quality.
• Market Resilience – The product has an established market presence with a positive reputation among users. These two factors generally place the product among the top 10% of products in its category in terms of retailer sales volumes and low return rates.

Ratings

• Minimalist – A product that is uniquely characterized by its light weight and simple design. Minimalism is most often reflected in material and design choices.
• Performance – A product that is uniquely characterized by a notably high performance-to-weight ratio. Performance may include factors such as durability, feature set, storm resistance, suspension performance, etc.
• Comfort – A product that is uniquely characterized by a notably high comfort-to-weight ratio. Comfort may include factors such as warmth, padding, load-carrying ability (packs), ease of use, etc.

Disclaimers

• All products appearing in this gear guide have been used, tested, and inspected by Backpacking Light as part of its product review or guided wilderness trekking programs.
• This gear guide contains affiliate links. However – buyer be aware – just because REI sells some gear that is lightweight and performant does not mean that the lightest or most performant gear available in a category is available at REI! In many categories, lighter and more performant options are available from cottage manufacturers and other retailers. For example, check out Garage Grown Gear, Feathered Friends, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Tarptent, Durston Gear, and others in our Gear Brands database.
• We do not recommend all products for all situations. We leave it up to the user to identify the strengths and limitations of a particular product in a specific use case scenario.

Video: About the Gear Guide

Learn more about this gear guide and watch this video tutorial:

Browse the REI Gear Guide (Product Database)

• Use the search and filter drop-down boxes to narrow your search.
• On smaller screens (i.e., tablets and small laptops), scroll right to see the entire table (not required on phones, which show the product data below each product photo.
• Click a link in the OPTIONS column to see the product at REI.

	CATEGORY	BRAND	PRODUCT	RATING	RECOMMENDED FOR...	OPTIONS
	gifts	REI	Membership	n/a	10% dividend annually, members-only specials, early access to sales.	Membership
	gifts	REI	Gift Card	n/a	A versatile gift for just about everyone!	Gift Card
	backpacks	REI	Flash 55	Comfort	Modularity, ease of organizing gear, and load-carrying comfort.	Men's Women's
	backpacks	Hyperlite Mountain Gear	Southwest	Performance	Durability, load-carrying stability, waterproofness.	2400 3400 4400
	backpacks	REI	Tarn 40 Backpack	Comfort	Slim profile, comfortable harness, durable, gear organization and access features.	Kid's
	backpacks	Osprey	Eja / Exos Pro 58	Performance	Load-carrying comfort at lighter (< 30 lb) weights, gear access, sleek profile, manufacturing quality.	Eja Pro 58 Exos Pro 58
	backpacks	REI	Flash Air 50	Minimalist	REI's first entry into the sub-2-lb backpack market, the Flash Air 50 is simple, light, comfortable, and durable.	Men's Women's
	shelters	Big Agnes	Copper Spur HV	Comfort	Headroom, porch with awning configuration, interior volume.	UL1 UL2 UL3
	shelters	NEMO	Hornet Osmo	Performance	Wind-resistant low profile, very light weight, small packed size.	2P 3P
	shelters	REI	Flash Air Tent	Minimalist	Very light and packable, easy to pitch.	1 2
	shelters	Kammok	Mantis Ultralight Hammock System	Comfort	A complete turnkey ultralight hammock system, hanging comfort, high-quality materials.	Mantis
	shelters	Sea to Summit	Escapist Tarp	Minimalist	Simple rectangular shape with quality materials.	Escapist
	shelters	Kammok	Kuhli Tarps	Minimalist	Quality materials, catenary edges, trapezoidal shape.	Standard Ultralight Pro XL
	sleeping bags	REI	Magma Trail Quilt	Minimalist	Being one of the best values on the market with a very effective pad attachment system.	30F
	sleeping bags	REI	Magma Sleeping Bag	Performance	Value-to-weight ratio is high, quality materials, down fill, draft collar make this a warm bag at this weight.	30F 15 F
	sleeping bags	Thermarest	Vesper Down Quilt	Minimalist	Surprisingly warm for its weight, owing to ultralight fabrics, high quality down fill, and a generous draft collar.	20F 32F
	sleeping bags	Rab	Mythic Ultra 360	Comfort	Meticulous design and construction, 900 fill down, and a radiant reflective lining that's soft, comfortable - and yes, warm.	Mythic Ultra 360
	sleeping bags	Sea to Summit	Spark	Performance	The Sea-to-Summit Spark line of down sleeping bags combines sound engineering with high-end materials to create a line of bags with some of the highest warmth-to-weight ratios available.	Spark Pro 30 Spark 45F Spark 45 Women’s Spark 30F Spark 30F Women’s
	sleeping pads	Thermarest	NeoAir NXT Sleeping Pad	Performance	Gold standard of inflatable sleeping pads, now upgraded with more warmth; stable, light, durable, and reliable.	XLite XLite MAX XTherm XTherm MAX
	sleeping pads	NEMO	Switchback Sleeping Pad	Minimalist	A durable, light, no-fuss, no-fail option.	Switchback
	sleeping pads	Sea to Summit	Ether Lite XT	Comfort	Stable, durable, easy to inflate, and warm.	Mummy Insulated Rectangular Insulated Women's Insulated Air
	sleeping pads	NEMO	Tensor	Performance	A former recommendation of ours has returned to the list, now warmer and as stable and quiet as the OG models.	All-Season Ultralight Insulated Extreme Conditions Ultralight Insulated Trail Ultralight Insulated
	footwear	Merrell	Moab 3	Comfort	Trusted design, reliable, durable, supportive.	Hiking Shoes Men's Hiking Shoes Women's Waterproof Hiking Shoes Men's Waterproof Hiking Shoes Women's Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Men's Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Women's
	footwear	La Sportiva	Ultra Raptor	Performance	Technical design suitable for more difficult terrain.	Mid GTX Boots Men's Mid GTX Boots Women's Trail-Running Shoes Men's
	footwear	Danner	Trail 2650 Hiking Shoes	Minimalist	Durability for long miles in a minimalist design.	Hiking Shoes Men's Hiking Shoes Women's
	footwear	Hoka	Speedgoat	Performance	Highly protective midsole and cushion for moving fast or carrying heavier loads.	Trail Running Shoes Women's Mid GTX Hiking Boots Men's Mid GTX Hiking Boots Women's
	footwear	La Sportiva	TX Approach Shoes	Minimalist	Alpine & desert scrambling in a minimalist design.	TX4 Women's TX Guide Men's
	footwear	Altra	Lone Peak	Comfort	Zero-drop trail shoe with wide toebox.	Women’s Men’s
	footwear	Salomon	Speedcross 6	Performance	The only shoe in this gear guide with a sole designed purposefully with deep lugs for loose terrain, and rubber that's sticky when wet. One of our favorite off-trail mountain shoes.	Trail-Running Shoes - Men's Trail-Running Shoes - Women's GORE-TEX Trail-Running Shoes - Men's GORE-TEX Trail-Running Shoes - Women's
	cooking	Soto	Fusion Trek Stove	Performance	The most efficient remote-canister stove on the market, a good choice for cold weather backpacking.	Fusion
	cooking	Soto	Windmaster Stove With 4Flex Pot Support	Performance	A top-rated stove in our most recent Stovebench survey of upright canister stoves.	Windmaster
	cooking	MSR	Windburner Stove System	Performance	A top-rated stove in our most recent Stovebench survey of upright canister stoves.	Windburner
	cooking	MSR	Pocket Rocket 2 Stove	Performance	The #1 stove we tested in our most recent Stovebench survey of upright canister stoves.	Pocket Rocket
	cooking	Esbit	Solid Fuel Stove and Cookset	Performance	A tightly-integrated package that provides weather resistance and efficiency not normally found in solid fuel stove systems.	Stove and Cookset
	cooking	Toaks	Light Titanium Pots	Minimalist	The lightest titanium pots available.	550 ml 650 ml 750 ml 900 ml D115 mm
	cooking	Humangear	GoBites Uno Spork	Minimalist	Compact form factor, durable, and comfortable to eat with.	titanium
	cooking	Toaks	Long Handled Titanium Spoon	Minimalist	Recommended when eating packaged meals out of their plastic or mylar bags.	Spoon
	hydration	Hydrapak	Flux Water Treatment System	Performance	High-quality filter cap + durable and taste-free soft-sided bottles; our recommendation for a squeeze filter over other options from Platypus, Sawyer, and Katadyn.	42mm Filter Cap Flux 1.5 L Bottle + Filter Cap System Seeker 3.0L Bottle + Filter Cap System
	hydration	Platypus	GravityWorks Water Treatment System	Performance	Recommended for groups and basecamping, one of the lightest gravity filters available.	4L
	hydration	Aquatabs	Water Purification Tablets	Performance	Recommended for backup or additional water treatment when crypto or giardia cysts highly suspected (e.g., sheep or cattle-grazing mountain and desert areas of the US West).	Aquatabs
	hydration	Sawyer	Squeeze Water Filter System	Performance	#1 choice of water treatment by thru-hikers, compatibility with Smartwater bottles a big plus.	Squeeze System
	hydration	Aquamira	Aquamira	Minimalist	Very effective, fast, light, with no foul tastes or odors.	Aquamira
	hydration	Platypus	Water Bottles	Minimalist	The gold standard of collapsible water bottles - still the lightest.	34 oz 70oz
	hydration	Hydrapak	Seeker Water Bottles	Minimalist	When you need more water storage in a collapsible form factor.	2 L Seeker 3L Seeker 4 L Seeker
	electronics	Fenix	HM50R Headlamp	Performance	Recommended when you need a lightweight headlamp that offers a very bright mode for navigation when needed.	HM50R
	electronics	GoPro	Hero 11 Black Camera	Performance	High frame rates, high resolutions, ease of use, image quality, waterproof, extensible, easy to use, capable of pro/cinematic audio and video.	Hero 11
	electronics	BioLite	Charge PD Power Bank	Performance	Durable, reliable, light, fast-charge delivery.	20 40 80
	electronics	Garmin	epix Watch	Performance	Better battery life and a much better screen than the Fenix line, this is our new recommendation for GPS watches.	Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition (Gen 2) Sapphire Multisport GPS Pro (Gen 2) Standard Edition (Gen 2) Multisport GPS
	electronics	Garmin	inReach Mini 2	Performance	The most functional and lightest standalone satellite communicator and GPS, with versatility when paired with a smartphone.	Mini 2
	electronics	ZOLEO	Satellite Communicator	Comfort	Easy to use smartphone app, seamless communications across satellite & cellular channels.	Satelite Communicator
	electronics	Garmin	inReach Messenger	Minimalist	Less bulky than an inReach Mini, with a much longer battery life. Best option if you predominantly use your phone and don't need the inReach Mini's more robust navigation features.	inReach Messenger
	chairs	Helinox	Chair Zero	Comfort	Light, compact, comfortable for more upright sitting position.	Chair Zero
	chairs	REI	Flexlite Air Chair	Performance	Lightest real chair, comfortable for slightly reclined sitting position.	Flexlite Air
	chairs	REI	Flexlite Air Stool	Minimalist	The new Flexlite Air Stool shaves 5+ ounces off the weight of the popular Flexlite Air Chair for people wanting a faster-to-deploy and more compact place to sit, especially useful for on-the-trail breaks when you normally wouldn't pull out your chair.	Flexlite Air Stool
	chairs	Crazy Creek	Hex Chair	Minimalist	When you need a chair for sitting in your tent, or to serve multi-use as part of sleeping pad system.	Original Longback
	jackets - rain	Arc'teryx	Beta LT	Performance	Lightest jacket with absolute reliability for consistently stormy conditions and moderately abrasive environments.	Men's Women's
	jackets - rain	Patagonia	Torrentshell 3L	Performance	High breathability and low weight at a very reasonable price point.	Men's Women's
	jackets - rain	Outdoor Research	Foray / Aspire	Performance	When ventilation is your highest priority - 2-way hem zips vent the entire sides of the jacket.	Men's Women's
	jackets - rain	Outdoor Research	Helium	Minimalist	When light weight is your highest priority, and you only need a rain jacket for intermittent use.	Men's Women's
	jackets - insulated	Patagonia	Nano Puff	Comfort	A thin and very layerable jacket, especially under a rain jacket when layering bulk is not desirable.	Men's Jacket Women's Jacket Men's Hoodie Women's Hoodie
	jackets - insulated	Arc'teryx	Atom LT	Performance	Warmer and loftier than the Nano Puff, with more breathable fabrics that mitigate overheating.	Women's Jacket Women's Hoodie
	jackets - insulated	Arc'teryx	Cerium	Performance	Moderate warmth-to-weight ratio, high manufacturing quality, durable but light fabrics.	Men's Jacket Men's Hoodie Women's Hoodie
	jackets - insulated	REI	650 Down Jacket	Minimalist	A very budget-friendly option that provides solid performance for the value.	Men's Jacket Women's Jacket
	jackets - insulated	Mountain Hardwear	Ghost Whisperer	Comfort	A minimal-loft, ultralight down layer for mild weather.	Men's Jacket Women's Jacket Men's Hoodie Women's Hoodie
	food storage	BearVault	Food Storage Canisters	Comfort	Cost-effective, clear view of contents, easy to use, extremely reliable.	BV425 Sprint BV450 Jaunt BV475 Trek BV500 Journey
	food storage	Ursack	Major Food Storage Bags	Performance	Very light and easy to use food storage option for areas not requiring hard-sided bear canisters.	Major Major XL Major 2XL
	trekking poles	Black Diamond	Alpine Carbon Cork	Performance	For the weight, one of the sturdiest and durable trekking poles on the market.	Unisex Women's
	trekking poles	Swiftland TT	Carbon Folding Trekking Poles	Minimalist	The new Swiftland Carbon folding poles weigh only 5-6 ounces per pole and fold down to a size compact enough to strap to shoulder straps using bungee cords, making them accessible for thru-hikers, runners, and hikers who don't need poles all the time and don't want to take their pack on/off to access them.	Carbon Folding Trekking Poles
	trekking poles	Black Diamond	Distance Carbon Trekking Poles	Minimalist	Compact, folding, lightweight carbon poles with a long-standing reputation for durability.	Distance Carbon Z Distance Carbon FLZ
	jackets - wind	Arc'teryx	Squamish	Performance	High exertion levels, durability, and storms. High MVTR, high APR, and a real storm hood.	Men's Jacket Women's Jacket
	jackets - wind	Patagonia	Houdini	Performance	A lot of bang for your buck for a moderate MVTR, low APR wind shirt for high winds, cold temps, and lower exertion levels.	Men's Jacket Women's Jacket
	jackets - wind	Patagonia	Airshed Pro	Performance	Warmer conditions or higher exertion levels where a high MVTR, very high APR wind shirt is desirable.	Men's Jacket

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