Adventure Alan has been your best source for honest & factual information on gear & technique for lightweight & ultralight backpacking & hiking since 1999. Featuring comprehensive gear lists, detailed gear reviews and recommendations, informative how-to guides, entertaining trip reports, and more.
Browse Adventure Alan’s top gear lists and recent posts below, and make sure to leave your feedback in the comments.
The new 2021 JetBoil STASH Stove is a game-changer. At half the weight of previous JetBoil stoves, the FLASH still retains the performance, fuel efficiency, and creature comforts that everybody loves about JetBoil stoves. A win, win. It competes head to head with the weight of many ultralight alcohol stoves but surpasses them on boil times, fuel efficiency, ease of use, and simmer control. As such we see it enticing many types of backpackers to switch to the STASH — backpackers that don’t carry a stove due to weight, ultralight alcohol stove users, MSR Pocket Rocket owners, and of course current JetBoil owners who want to save nearly half a pound.
Nine pounds of backpacking gear is all a hiker needs to be safe and warm. So, if you want to reduce pack weight without reducing comfort, look no further! The hiking gear in this guide is suitable for all 3-season conditions on trips around the world, from Alaska, to Patagonia, to Utah. Simply put, it’s better backpacking gear.
There is an exceptional and LIGHT tent here for every type of backpacker. But you’ll need to choose carefully to get the perfect tent for you at the right price! This guide to the Best Lightweight Backpacking Tents will help you do just that. We divide backpacking tents into 5 basic categories of features, weight and price. This makes it much faster and easier for you to find a fantastic backpacking tent at the right price that has the features that matter the most to YOU.
A backpack is the single most important piece of gear that any backpacker will own. As such, there is no reason to settle for a heavy, old-school pack. That’s why this buyer’s guide highlights the very best backpacking backpacks for hiking in 2020. Below you will find exceptional and light hiking backpacks for men and women, and for all types of backcountry adventures and budgets. From the top all-round performers, to ultralight backpacks we have you covered!
In this guide, we showcase the very best sleeping bags and camping quilts on the market. We back up these recommendations with a data-based analysis of weight, warmth, & cost as well as extensive field experience in a broad range of conditions. Save weight and money while still getting a great night’s sleep!
Looking to reduce backpack weight to the absolute minimum? Then you’ve come to the right place. This ultralight backpacking gear list has the lightest possible gear that still makes practical sense. If used properly, a five pound ultralight pack will keep you just as safe, warm and dry as heavier, more traditional gear. In fact, the core of this list can be used with great success on most three-season trips around the world.
Day hiking is supposed to be fun. And part of the fun is a light pack for easy walking. Unfortunately, most day hiking checklists are way too heavy. But on the other hand, you DO want all the right gear to be safe! So what to do? This ultralight day hiking checklist will help you select the right gear to keep your daypack light, a spring in your step, but still, keep you safe and happy.
Smartphones like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy outperform a conventional GPS in almost every way. This post has all the information you need to use your smartphone as the best backpacking GPS, including getting up to 7+ days of battery life without recharging. Best of all, you can do this for less than $20!
https://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/conness-gps.jpg8001200Alan Dixonhttps://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/adventure-alan-lightweight-backpacking-hiking.pngAlan Dixon2018-01-24 13:13:012020-07-18 20:36:05GAIA GPS the Best Hiking GPS and How to Use It
The right hiking clothes will drastically improve the overall trip experience by making you comfier, faster, and especially safer. As they say, there is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!
This post takes the BS & mystery out of finding the right camera. A camera that meets YOUR needs & YOUR budget. And you don’t need an expensive camera to take superb backpacking photos. Some of the best lightweight backpacking and hiking cameras cost far less than you think. You might already own one!
https://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/sony-a6000-kit-2.jpg4981200Alan Dixonhttps://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/adventure-alan-lightweight-backpacking-hiking.pngAlan Dixon2019-01-07 21:00:202020-04-21 13:24:16Best Camera for Hiking or Backpacking 2020
Keep it simple, nutritious and save weight: I take inexpensive trail foods which are both tasty and nutritious. Specifically, foods that give you calories, protein, good fats, vitamins and other micro nutrients. This keeps you healthy and cruising along the trail with a spring in your step. Just as important…
Avoid having to prematurely get into your sleeping bag to keep warm while backpacking. Checkout our picks for the warmest & lightest camp clothes on the market.
https://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/sleeping-bag-4x5-a2-lead.jpg12811600Alan Dixonhttps://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/adventure-alan-lightweight-backpacking-hiking.pngAlan Dixon2021-02-07 08:59:102021-02-07 11:40:31Sleeping Bag Jail & How to Avoid It
The HOKA Speedgoat 4 and the Challenger ATR 6 might look similar, but we put them head to head to see which is the best pick for you. And we compare both to Altra Lone Peaks and Olympus shoes.
The Showa Temres 282 Gloves are warm, waterproof, breathable, and comfortable, making them the perfect backpacking glove. We've used ours from Alaska to Patagonia with very good results. Hands down this is our #1 pick for gloves!
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