Buyer’s Guides
Our buyer’s guides shortcut readers directly to the best lightweight and ultralight hiking and backpacking gear within any particular category. We want you to make an informed purchase that saves money, reduces carried weight, and performs optimally in the backcountry. This page shows all of of our buyer’s guides. Dial in the assortment by jumping straight to apparel buyers guides or gear buyers guides.
Best Merino Wool Leggings For Base Layer 2023
Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesFind the statistically optimal merino wool leggings for your next trip. We cover fabric blends, temp ranges, base layering, pros and cons.
Best Fastpacking Backpack For Multi-Day Trips 2023
Backpacks, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesOur recommended multi-day fastpacking backpacks are ultralight, low volume, and offers an extra secure torso fit to prevent gear from bouncing. This buyer's guide covers all of our top picks.
Best Lightweight Down Parka For Winter Backpacking 2023
Buyer's Guides, Apparel Guides, Winter GearEnjoy maximum warmth-to-weight ratio when you choose a lightweight down parka for backpacking in winter. These parkas are ultralight and packable!
Best Alpaca Hoodie For Hiking, Sun, Travel 2023
Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesEach alpaca hoodie in this guide is adventure-proven. We cover sun hoodies and fleece alternatives with pros, cons, fabric blends, and more.
Best Winter Sleeping Pad For Backpacking 2023
Sleeping Pads, Sleeping, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Winter GearA winter sleeping pad for backpacking should have an extremely high R-Value to weight ratio. The warmest and most lightweight mat is best.
Zpacks Tents – How To Choose
Recommended Gear, Tents, Tarps & Shelters, How To, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Gear ComparisonLearn how to choose the best Zpacks Tent for you needs. We dive deep into specs, features, and materials to help inform your decision.
Best 1 Person Tent For Backpacking Ultralight 2023
Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesWith an ultralight 1 person tent for backpacking, you will carry less weight, increase comfort, and be more protected from the elements.
Best Merino Wool Hoodie Base Layers For Hiking 2023
Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis is a data-based guide to choosing a merino wool hoodie base layer for hiking. We cover sun hoodies, all-season, and cold weather.
Best Sun Shirt for Hiking 2023
Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThe best hiking shirts are all sun shirts! This guide reviews & recommends the best sun hoody, t-shirt, button up, and merino base layer.
Best Lightweight Fleece Jacket Hiking & Backpacking 2023
Jackets, Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis guide will identify the best lightweight fleece jacket for you. The average fleece on this list is warm and weighs just 7 oz.
Best Rain Pants For Hiking 2023 Ultralight & Lightweight
Rainwear, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThe best rain pants for hiking are ultralight, waterproof, breathable, and hold up on the trail. Stay dry, save weight, and upgrade today!
Best Small 2 Person Tent for Backpacking or Camping
Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesHere are the best inexpensive 2 Person Tents (some in the $100-$150 range) that are light enough for backpacking, while being comfortable enough for more luxurious car camping outings.
Best Hiking Gloves 2023 | Liner, Sun, Rain, Cold, Snow
Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesWe'll help you find the best hiking gloves for any condition or use-case: cold, sun, wind, rain, sleet, snow, we've got your hands covered.
Best Windbreaker Jacket 2023 | Lightweight & Ultralight
Jackets, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis guide will help you find the best lightweight windbreaker jacket for your hiking, climbing, & running. All ultralight under 5 oz.
Windbreaker Pants – Best of 2023
Clothing, Pants, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis guide will help you find the best windbreaker pants for hiking, backpacking, trail running, and travel. Comfy. Lightweight. Stretchy.
Best Hiking Shorts 2023 – Men’s & Women’s
Clothing, Apparel Guides, shortsThis buyer's guide to the best hiking shorts of 2023 prioritizes features, materials, performance, functionality, and trail comfort.
Best Hiking Shoes 2023 | Trail Runners
Footwear, Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesLooking for the best hiking shoes ? Read our no BS, unbiased guide for the best hiking shoes & backpacking shoes for men and women. Your feet are arguably your most important asset on the trail. Blisters, Achilles tightness, and foot pain can all quickly derail a hiking or backpacking trip. So, finding the right hiking shoes is imperative. We can help!
Best Trail Running Shorts For Hiking 2023
Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis guide to the best trail running shorts for hiking focuses on models with zippered hand pockets and stretchy, breathable fabric.
Best Lightweight Rain Jacket For Hiking & Backpacking 2023
Rainwear, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesFind the best lightweight jacket & pants for your needs, your travel, and your budget. No BS! All these lightweight rain jackets have all earned their spot on this list by performing far better than the competition.
Sawyer Squeeze vs Katadyn BeFree vs Platypus Quickdraw
Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Gear ComparisonFor the best ultralight backpacking water filter, here's how to choose between Sawyer Squeeze vs Katadyn BeFree vs Platypus Quickdraw.
Best Down Pants For Ultralight Backpacking 2023
Buyer's Guides, Apparel Guides, Winter GearThe best down pants have a statistically superior warmth to weight ratio. Browse ultralight down pants and winter warmth all in this guide.
Best Lightweight Down Jacket for Backpacking 2023
Jackets, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThe very best ultralight and lightweight down jackets significantly outperform a standard issue puffy sweater, and upgrading will save weight in your pack and keep you warmer in the backcountry.
Best 4 Person Backpacking Tent 2023
Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesWe will help you choose a 4 person backpacking tent optimized for weight, volume, and price. Choose a 4 person tent and bring the family!
Best Down Booties For Backpacking 2023
Footwear, Recommended Gear, Buyer's Guides, Apparel Guides, Winter GearWhen temps drop to freezing put on a pair of lightweight down booties for backpacking. These models are ultralight, warm, and packable.
Best Lightweight 4 Season Tent For Backpacking
Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Recommended Gear, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Winter GearFor backpacking in windy, stormy, and snowy conditions, you need a lightweight 4 season tent. These light and ultralight shelters are best.
Best 0 Degree Quilt For Winter Backpacking
Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Sleeping, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Winter GearAn ultralight 0 degree quilt is the best way to stay warm in sub-freezing temps, and offers the highest warmth to weight ratio.
Best 0 Degree Sleeping Bag For Winter Backpacking
Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Sleeping, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Winter GearThis data based guide evaluates each 0 degree sleeping bag based on its warmth-to-weight ratio. We focus on lightweight and ultralight winter sleeping bags for backpacking.
Best Backpacking Stove System 2023 Ultralight
Cooking & Stoves, Recommended Gear, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesThese are the best backpacking stove systems for ultralight style food prep. They are the lightest weight, smallest, and most fuel efficient.
Best 3 Person Tent For Backpacking Lightweight 2023
Recommended Gear, Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesA premium 3 person tent for backpacking will provide adequate space and shelter without excess weight. These 3p tents are best-in-class.
Best Ultralight Puffy Jacket 2023 Packable & Lightweight
Jackets, Clothing, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis round-up of ultralight puffy jackets is the lightest on the internet, averaging just 10.2 oz per garment, and conservatively 30% less than competing buyer's guides. Perfect for hiking and backpacking.
Best Alpha Direct Hoodie 2023
Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesA Polartec Alpha Direct hoodie is the best way for ultralight backpackers to save weight on insulation without sacrificing warmth.
Best Backpacking Tent & Ultralight Tent 2023
Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesUpgrade your backpacking tent or ultralight tent using this buyer’s guide. Lighter, smarter, comfier shelters for the backcountry.
Lightweight Fleece Pants For Backpacking Ultralight 2023
Clothing, Pants, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis buyer's guide to lightweight fleece pants for backpacking and hiking prioritizes high warmth-to-weight ratio and comfort at camp.
Best Sleeping Pad for Backpacking 2023 | Complete Guide
Sleeping Pads, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesIn this guide, we showcase the very best sleeping pads on the market, the ones we use the most. 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. With better sleep comes more spring in your step, more alertness on the trail, and wider smiles all day long. Sweet dreams!
Best Freeze Dried Meals For Backpacking 2023
Backpacking Food, Food & Cooking, Buyer's GuidesYou're researching which are the best freeze dried meals for backpacking, and we've got recommendations! There have been lots of new brands and dietary options popping up in the freeze dried sector over the past decade, and this buyer's guide highlights a few of our favorites.
Best Hiking Fanny Pack 2023
Backpacks, Recommended Gear, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesA top tier hiking fanny pack is very useful and extremely versatile. Keep your valuables safe and essentials on-hand!
Best Ultralight Daypack & Day Hiking Backpack 2023
Backpacks, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesThis guide will help you find the best ultralight daypack averaging less than 1 lb. Full size, fully-featured day hiking backpacks can be very lightweight.
Best Backpacking Backpack & Ultralight Backpack 2023
Backpacks, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesA 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.
Best Hiking Pants 2023
Clothing, Pants, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesThis buyer's guide to backpacking and hiking pants highlights models optimized for functionality, comfort, and protectiveness.
Best Ultralight Sleeping Bag For Backpacking 2023
Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Sleeping, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesFind the best ultralight sleeping bag for backpacking! We've compiled the lightest and warmest backpacking sleeping bags in existence.
Best Backpacking Quilt For Ultralight Camping 2023
Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Sleeping, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesThe best backpacking quilt for you is right here! We've compiled the warmest, most affordable, ultralight camping quilts of 2023.
Best Trekking Poles 2023 Hiking & Backpacking
Recommended Gear, Trekking Poles, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesGet the best trekking poles for hiking & backpacking. Our picks are backed by scientific analysis & extensive field experience all over the word!
Best Satellite Communicator | ZOLEO vs inReach 2023
Emergency & SOS, Buyer's Guides, Gear GuidesBuy wisely and be safe! This post has the best Satellite Communicators that will get help when needed and reassure family and loved ones that you are OK when everything is hunky dory. And yes, there are HUGE differences between devices.
GAIA GPS the Best Hiking GPS and How to Use It
Navigation, Buyer's Guides, Gear Guides, Gear TechSmartphones 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!
Best Men’s Hiking Pants 2021
Clothing, Pants, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesFind the best backpacking hiking pants for your needs, your travel, and your budget. No BS! All these men's hiking pants have all earned their spot on this list by performing far better than the competition.
Best Women’s Hiking Pants 2021
Clothing, Pants, Buyer's Guides, Apparel GuidesFind the best backpacking hiking pants for your needs, your travel, and your budget. No BS! All these women's hiking pants have all earned their spot on this list by performing far better than the competition.
Buyer’s Guides Conclusion
The gear in these buyer’s guides have performed marvelously for us, and we’re confident that it will for you too. We hope you have found what you’re looking for. But if not, drop us a line on social media to request a new buyer’s guide.