View our staff picks for the best backpacking gear of the year – recommendations from our editors and guides for hiking and backpacking gear.
MSR WindBurner Review (Stove System)
This MSR WindBurner Review determines if this canister stove is a good choice for backpacking trips as well as if it is “windproof.”
The Holiday Gift Guide of Lightweight Outdoor Gear for Trust-Funded Gear Junkies
Petzl Ultra Rush Headlamp, Benchmade Osborne Knife, Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Duffel Bag, MSR Carbon Core Stakes, La Sportiva Stratos Cube Boots.
Searching for Wapiti: An Overnight Backcountry Hunt in the Gallatin National Forest
A backcountry hunting trip exposes the author to new ways of looking at his gear as well as an excuse to go off-trail and wander with a purpose.
Notes from the Field: Hidden Lakes, Montana
A quick overnight trip to a nearby lake chain offered opportunities for camaraderie with a friend and communion with nature.
Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 25
FBI Fugitive Found on Appalachian Trail, A Survival Video Game, The Zion Flash Flood, A “Walk In the Woods” Inspires People to Get Out, MSR FlyLite Tent, and much more!
New Lightweight Backpacking Gear – (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2003) – Public Version
If you are a member and would like to view a version that includes full product specifications and high resolution photos, click here Gear Availability Many of these products will be available in Spring ’04. Some are being released in Fall ’03 (as early as September) and a few are available now or in the […]
New Lightweight Backpacking Gear – (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2003) – Member’s Version
Gear Availability Many of these products will be available in Spring ’04. Some are being released in Fall ’03 (as early as September) and a few are available now or in the next few weeks. Please contact the manufacturer directly (let ’em know you heard about their products here!) for more precise product release dates […]
MSR, Snow Peak, and Backpacker’s Pantry 1-L + 1.5-L Backpacking Cooksets
Introduction Most hardcore solo ultralight hikers choose miniscule, titanium “pots” that are more appropriately described as “cups”. However, this style remains on the fringe and the defacto standard for a lightweight hiker’s cook kit is a 1-L pot in either titanium or aluminum. For hiking partners who share their cooking gear, the “fringe” seems to […]
MSR Overland Carbon Trekking Poles
Introduction The Overland Carbon trekking pole from MSR is an all-carbon, non-spring-loaded, 3-section trekking pole designed for backpacking and marketed in particular to ultralight hikers. This review focuses on the performance of the poles over a two-year period and approximately 1,500 miles of hiking. About the Poles The Overland Carbon trekking poles are made with […]