Related: See our Gear Guide to Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands Here ยป
The 2024 REI Labor Day Sale & Clearance runs from August 23 to September 2, 2024. Itโs REIโs 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.
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 Womenโs Spark 30F Spark 30F Womenโs |
|
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. | Womenโs Menโs |
|
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 |
DISCLOSURE (Updated April 9, 2024)
- Backpacking Light does not accept compensation or donated/discounted products in exchange for product mentions or placements in editorial coverage. Some (but not all) of the links in this review may be affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and visit one of our affiliate partners (usually a retailer site), and subsequently place an order with that retailer, we receive a commission on your entire order, which varies between 3% and 15% of the purchase price. Affiliate commissions represent less than 15% of Backpacking Light's gross revenue. More than 70% of our revenue comes from Membership Fees. So if you'd really like to support our work, don't buy gear you don't need - support our consumer advocacy work and become a Member instead. Learn more about affiliate commissions, influencer marketing, and our consumer advocacy work by reading our article Stop wasting money on gear.
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