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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

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Staff Picks 2020

Dec 24, 2020 by Backpacking Light

backpacking light staff picks - a photo collage showing all of the gear

Backpacking Light staff and contributors give their 2020 staff picks – their favorite backpacking and hiking gear of the year.

altra, big agnes, biolite, dirty girl, enlightened equipment, feathered friends, golite, Good To-Go, gossamer gear, GSI Outdoors, helly hansen, hoka, injinji, janji, klymit, minus 33, montbell, mountain safety research, Mountainsmith, msr, Nemo, Nemo Equipment, Nunatak, Outdoor Research, Patagonia, pstyle, Rab, RBH Designs, rogue panda, seek outside, ULA, vargo, vargo outdoors, zpacks

Winter Backpacking When There’s No Snow?

Dec 1, 2020 by Ryan Jordan

feathered friends lark sleeping bag

My shelter, sleep, clothing, water, and cook system for when temps drop but full-on winter snow and wind hasn’t yet arrived.

black diamond, feathered friends, hyperlite mountain gear, mountain safety research, msr, Nemo, phdesigns, Tarp, tarp camping, Western Mountaineering, winter backpacking

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Is a heat exchanger pot worth the weight?

Mar 2, 2020 by Roger Caffin

This article attempts to determine how a heat exchanger welded to the bottom of a pot actually affects fuel consumption.

canister stoves, mountain safety research, msr, stove systems

Podcast 024 | The Backpacking Gear We Love, and Why

Feb 27, 2020 by Backpacking Light

Andrew and Ryan talk about some of the BPL Staff’s favorite gear, our gear review philosophy, current news, and more!

arc'teryx, backpacks, canister stoves, coffee, footwear, gear, hyperlite mountain gear, insulating clothing, katadyn, Kokopelli, kuju, Mountainsmith, msr, Nemo, packrafting, Patagonia, podcast, rei, shelters, Sleep System, snowpeak, sony, Staff Favorites, tenkara, Therm-a-Rest, topo athletic, ultralight sleep systems, Wilderness adventure treks, zpacks

2019 Staff Picks

Dec 28, 2019 by Backpacking Light

The Backpacking Light staff offer their ultralight and other gear recommendations for lightweight backpacking, hiking, and camping.

arc'teryx, brynje, buff, clamcleat, exofficio, feathered friends, firebox, garmin, hyperlite mountain gear, katadyn, Kokopelli, kuju, locus gear, madshus, mountain safety research, Mountainsmith, msr, Nemo, Northern Lites, Patagonia, rei, Snow Peak, sony, staff picks, starbucks, tenkara, Tenkara USA, Therm-a-Rest, thrunite, topo athletic, Ursack, zpacks

Nemo Airpin Stake Review

Dec 2, 2019 by Mark Wetherington

NEMO Airpins are ultralight aluminum tent stakes designed with notches that function as a three-point locking system.

msr, Nemo, shelter systems, tent stakes

REI Quarter Dome SL 2 Review (Tent)

Nov 15, 2019 by Nicholas Ramey

This REI Quarter Dome SL 2 Review features a 2-person, double-wall, double-entrance, double-vestibule tent that weighs about 3 lbs.

big agnes, double wall tents, mountain safety research, msr, Nemo, rei, shelter systems, Tarptent, zpacks

Lightweight Backpacking Gear for Mountain Travel (Case Study)

Aug 31, 2019 by Ryan Jordan

In this video, I walk through my gear during a 9-day summer trek in the high mountains of the western US. This was a trip with friends and family – 3 other adults and four children ages 7-11. We moved camps every day but one, and spent 70% of our miles off-trail, with camps up to about 11,600 feet. Scroll down for gear notes and trip photos!

aqua mira, backcountry fly fishing, Darn Tough, dcf, dyneema composite fabrics, fire maple, Hydrapak, hyperlite mountain gear, Katabatic Gear, katadyn, liteaf, locus gear, McHale Backpacks, msr, Nemo, Patagonia, platypus, scarpa, Smartwool, Snow Peak, suluk46, tenkara

Podcast 011 | Canister Stove Reviews

May 30, 2019 by Ryan Jordan

This episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast features highlights from our recent round of canister stove reviews.

BRS, canister stoves, cooking systems, fire maple, GSI Outdoors, kovea, mountain safety research, msr, podcast, Primus, Snow Peak, soto

Field Notes: Wet, Snowy, Cold – Spring Backpacking with my Son in Wyoming with Lightweight Gear

May 26, 2019 by Ryan Jordan

Unseasonably cold May temperatures and a winter storm warning were too much to pass up, so we set out for an overnighter in SE Wyoming.

arc'teryx, cascade designs, enlightened equipment, Katabatic Gear, McHale Backpacks, msr, Patagonia, Smartwool, Tarptent, Therm-a-Rest, Wyoming

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