Recommended Ultralight Backpacking & Hiking Gear

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!

best hiking shoes, backpacking shoes 20201

Best Hiking Shoes for 2022

Looking 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 Backpacking Gear of 2022 | Staff Picks

Gear Lists, Recommended Gear

Avoid being on the trail and not having what you need. Here's our top picks for backpacking gear in 2021!

Top 3 Hiking Pants of 2021 for Men and Women

Clothing, Pants

How to choose hiking pants that work for you just got a lot easier! Here are our top 3 choices!

Enlightened Equipment Torrid Pullover Review

Jackets, Clothing

Enlightened Equipment Torrid Pullover Jacket is an excellent choice for a light, warm, and weather resistant insulating jacket. It can do double duty as both a mid-layer and a in-camp or rest stop insulating jacket. Finally at this weight, compressibility, warmth & cost it makes a compelling argument that is the equal or better to many down jackets.

Best Men’s Hiking Pants 2021

Clothing, Pants

Find 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

Find 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.

New Hi-Tech Hiking Shoes Could Make You a Lot Faster

Ever wanted to go faster on the trails? Now you might be able to with the new technology of Hi-Tech Hiking Shoes!

How to Choose Hiking Shoes

How to choose hiking shoes that work for you just got a lot easier! We'll give you the lowdown on different factors that affect your shoe choice

sleeping bag jail with campers in warm clothes

Sleeping Bag Jail & How to Avoid It

Jackets, Clothing

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.

HOKA ONE ONE Challenger ATR 6 vs HOKA ONE ONE Speedgoat 4

HOKA Speedgoat 4 vs HOKA Challenger ATR 6 | How to Choose

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.

Best Camp Coffee | Backcountry Barista Pour Over Coffee

Food & Cooking, How To

Our camp coffee is delicious! Try our pour over coffee method to make your next backpacking coffee and be pleasantly surprised!

Showa Temres 282 Gloves Review | Best Rain Glove for Hiking

Gloves

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!

Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket & Pants 2020 Review

Jackets, Rainwear, Clothing

The Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket and Pants may well be the best deal on the market. Their latest update features Pertex Diamond Fuse fabric, making them up to five times more tear-resistant and twice as abrasion-resistant! They blow most ultralight rain gear out of the water!

Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping Review

The WanderLuxe Hammock Ultralight Kit is an ultralight, complete hammock camping setup, including bug net hammock, tarp, suspension, and stakes. If you want the very lightest and best hammock kit on the market—including a high-tech tarp and premium insulation with the top and bottom quilts—the WanderLuxe is the only game in town.

Enlightened Equipment Torrid APEX Jacket Review

Jackets, Clothing

The Enlightened Equipment Torrid APEX Jacket is an excellent choice for a light, warm, and weather resistant insulating jacket. It can do double duty as both a mid-layer and a in-camp or rest stop insulating jacket. Finally at this weight, compressibility, warmth & cost it makes a compelling argument that is the equal or better to many down jackets.

Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt Review

Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Backpacking Quilt Review

The Hammock Gear Burrow Quilt may well be the best deal on the market for getting a good night’s sleep in the backcountry. It blows most ultralight sleeping bags out of the water, costing 1/2 or less of a similarly rated down sleeping bag.

enlightened equipment enigma backpacking quilt review

Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 Quilt Review

The Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 is one of the most popular backpacking quilts in the entire backpacking market for a very good reason. Along with the very similar Enlightened Equipment Enigma it's our top pick for a backpacking quilt.

Free Three: Lighten Your Backpack Without Spending a Dime

The Big Three: tent, backpack & sleeping bag are expensive. The Free Three can shave tons of pack weight without spending a dime.

2020 Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent beside a lake

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent 2020 Review

The 2020 Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent is our #1 pick for an all around, 2 person ultralight backpacking tent. Find out why in this review!

Best Fanny Pack for Hiking & Everyday Use 2020

Backpacks, Recommended Gear

Fanny packs are perfect for backpacking or everyday use. Find out what we recommend for best waterproof fanny packs, men's fanny packs and more!

Enlightened Equipment Accomplice 2-Person Quilt Review

Looking for the perfect 2 person backpacking quilt? The Enlightened Equipment Accomplice is a great choice! This double sleeping bag checks all the boxes.

Durston X-Mid 2P Tent Review

The Durston X-Mid 2P Tent is a great 2-person tent with a winning combination of low cost, low weight, a ton of livable area & great storm performance

Gaia GPS Hiking App 2020 | The Best Gets Better

Navigation

Gaia GPS, the best hiking GPS App is even faster & easier to use. GAIA GPS maps are stunningly sharp & include National Geographic Trails Illustrated Maps...

Best Small 2 Person Tents for Backpacking or Camping

Here 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.

REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent Review

The 1.9 lb REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent is an exceptionally light user-friendly, 2-person ultralight tent that's also a great value.

HIKPRO 20L Pack Review - cliff top view of hiker wearing pack

HIKPRO 20L Backpack Review

Backpacks

The $16 HIKPRO 20L Backpack is a great value for a light daypack. Best, it delivers in-field performance at a fraction of the cost & weight of most daypacks from well-known brands.

Top Mistakes Using the Layering System – How to Stay Warmer and Drier

Hiking Clothes for 2020 | Hike Safe and Warm

Clothing

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!

SlingFin Portal Tent Review | Light but Strong

The SingFin Portal 2 is a significant tent! At less than 3 pounds, it may be the lightest, 2-person tent that can handle four-season conditions. As such, it adds a margin of safety and protection that most 3-season tents can’t provide.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Versa Fanny Pack | First Look

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Versa Fanny Pack is an ultralight way to make key gear quickly accessible on the trail without having to take your pack off. it makes a great catch-all for the day's trail food, maps, sunscreen, lip balm, iphone anything else that you want to quickly grab while walking. And it makes an excellent small fanny for minimal day hikes.

2019 Best Backpacking Food – simple and nutritious

Backpacking Food

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...

7 Reasons Why Hammock Tent Camping is Fantastic | How To Get Started

Hammocks, How To

For much of the US hammock tent camping is fantastic & arguably the best way to sleep in the backcountry. This is true anywhere with trees—nearly all of the eastern US & much of the Mountain West.

Hammock Gear Wanderlust Complete Kit for Hammock Camping | First Look

The Hammock Gear Wanderlust Complete Kit for Hammock Tent Camping raises the bar for an ultralight, low cost, easy to use, complete hammock kit. It has the some of the best thought out features and easy to use components/hardware we’ve seen...

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 Tent Review

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 Tent | First Look

At a scant 1.8 pounds the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 Tent is a serious contender for the title of “strongest, lightest and most storm-worthy backpacking tent” on the market.

Kammok Mantis UL Hammock Tent | First Look

Kammok with their Mantis UL Hammock Tent, brings modern Hammock Tent camping into mainstream camping, backpacking and thru-hiking culture as viable option to traditional tent camping.

Best Camera for Hiking or Backpacking 2020

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!

First Look: Therm-a-Rest Vesper Quilt & Therm-a-Rest Hyperion Sleeping Bag

Hydration & Water Purification

The New Therm-a-Rest Vesper Quilt. Finally, an Ultralight Backpacking Quilt For the Masses? And the new Therm-a-Rest Hyperion Sleeping Bags could be some of the lightest on the market!

Bottle Breather for Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter

New Lighter Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter & Game Changer Smart Water Bottle Adapter!

The new mid-sized Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter and new pouch is 1/2 the weight of their old system. The game-changer “Bottle Breather” makes it easy peazy to drink from a filter on Smart Water bottle.

Lightest Air Mattress the 1/2 Lb Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite Mattress

Air mattress comfort at foam pad weights! The new Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite Mattress is the lightest insulated backpacking air mattress.

Big Agnes Tent - Flycreek HV Carbon with Dyneema

Approaching the 1 lb barrier for a 2-person tent! Big Agnes Tent Carbon with Dyneema for 2019

The new Big Agnes Fly Creek HV 2 Carbon with Dyneema tent is just 1 lb 2 oz for a two-person, freestanding, double-walled tent with a full pole set!

2018 Light Pro Cameras for Hiking and Ultralight Backpacking

Hydration & Water Purification

The Sony a7R III and a7R II are the perfect pro cameras for hiking and ultralight backpacking. This Sony camera gear is capable of the highest image quality but still light enough to be easily carried into the backcountry for a long day hike or a multi-day backpacking trip.

Trail Designs Kojin Ultralight Alcohol Stove Review

Cooking & Stoves

Based on extensive field and lab testing, I believe that the Trail Designs Kojin Ultralight Alcohol Stove is the best alcohol stove system for ultralight backpacking (when paired with a Caldera or TriTi Cone). The new Kojin stove is incredibly…

GAIA GPS the Best Hiking GPS and How to Use It

Navigation

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!

Review of Sawyer Select S2 Water Purifier – fast, effective virus & chemical removal

Viruses, pesticides & harmful chemicals in water are a concern for international hikers, and even areas in the US! Sadly, until recently there were no inexpensive & lightweight water purifiers that could handle all these contaminates.…

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Daypack Review – Fantastic Do-it-all Pack

Backpacks

While the Southwest 2400 is our favorite backpacking pack, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Daypack is our favorite pack for every other need. It is the waterproof ultralight daypack that we trust with $5K to $10K of camera gear in rain…

10 hacks and accessories for better smartphone hiking photography

How To, Cameras & Photography

Many stunning outdoor photos are shot with smartphones. BUT most are no accident. The photographer used good basic techniques & inexpensive gear to get that great photo. The good news is that you too can do this with the 10 following hacks and accessories for better smartphone hiking photography.

Light L16 Computational Camera – Hands on First Look

How To, Hydration & Water Purification

The Light L16 is one of the first “computational” cameras to hit the market. If it works it’s a game changer for high resolution and lightweight photography. Especially for hikers, backpackers, outdoor adventures, travelers or anybody…

Review of Hyperlite Mountain Gear THE SHELL

Rainwear

Hyperlite Mountain Gear boldly calls their $450 rain jacket THE SHELL, and states "this jacket is unprecedentedly breathable, waterproof, and tough as f*#k for its weight." To see how well it stands up to the hype & price I took THE SHELL…

The Best Hydration – Drink When Thirsty

Drink When Thirsty debunks the many myths about hydration and dehydration like "If you are thirsty, it's already too late" and "If your urine is yellow, you are dehydrated." This article suggests that Drink When Thirsty is the best and healthiest strategy for hydration during exercise.

Review of Dutchware Chameleon Hammock – Light & Superbly Versatile

One hammock can do it all—and well! The Chameleon, works in all conditions from hot, bug-infested jungles to bitter cold winters of the Northeastern US. In the following "Review of Dutchware Chameleon Hammock," I discuss what makes it possibly…

Olympus OM-D EM-5 II Camera Review for backpacking & hiking

How To, Cameras & Photography

Superb zoom lenses & weather resistance set the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II apart as a great backpacking & hiking camera. With the EM-5 II you'll continue taking great pictures in tough environmental conditions that would shut down other…

5 Most Important Features for a Backpacking Camera

Alert! as a backpacker you are not well served by mainstream camera reviews like DPReview. That is, the 5 Most Important Features for a Backpacking Camera are quite different than those for a general use camera in mainstream reviews. Here…

Guide to Lightweight Down Jackets and Pants for Backpacking

Jackets

Forget synthetics! Down rocks. A lightweight down jacket is the most weight and cost effective way to stay warm. Lightweight down jackets are less expensive than synthetics,* they weigh less, but most importantly they are so much warmer! It…

The Point and Shoot Camera is Dead for Hikers

This post answers two questions. First, why is point and shoot camera is dead for hikers? And second, what are the best cameras for hiking now that the point and shoot camera...

Sierra Designs High Route 1 FL Tent Review

Beginners, Cameras & Photography

Used without the inner-nest, the Sierra Designs High Route 1 FL Tent deserves a serious look as an innovative, 2-PERSON pyramid shelter. But if you frequently use the outer shelter and inner-nest together, you might consider other options.…

Why You Should Make a Trip Plan and Leave it with Someone for Every Trip

Beginners, How To, Electronics

Most people know about Aron Ralston of “127 hours,” who cut his arm off to save his life. A major take-away from this was that he should have left a Trip Plan with a friend. Something as simple as a short note saying where he was going…

Best Lightweight Backpacking Electronics Gear

Electronics

This best lightweight backpacking electronics gear is supremely functional, but is also light, low-cost, practical, and durable. It is the gear I take backpacking. This post has many Tips on How to Effectively Use this Gear. This is part…

Nutritious Backpacking Meal Recipes

Backpacking Food, Beginners, How To

These tasty and nutritious backpacking meal recipes are healthier, have more calories and cost less than commercial, freeze dried backpacking meals. Keep it simple — there are enough nutritious backpacking meal recipes here to provide sufficient daily variety to keep meals fun and interesting. But there aren't so many recipes that I spend too much time buying ingredients and assembling a large meal inventory.

10 Pound Backpack to Hike 100 Miles

Trip Reports, Hammocks, How To

That's the total weight of everything in my backpack—gear, food, water, and stove fuel to hike 102 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in 3 days. No fair weather hiking: with rain, sleet, light snow and hard freezes at night. I think I am very close to dialing in a Light Pack that is also supremely efficient at covering long trail miles.

Great Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors

DIY, Hammocks, How To

This is an excellent Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors. It's fast and simple to use. It keeps the tarp doors neatly and securely out of the way dry weather or when you are getting in and out of the hammock. But it also quickly secures the tarp doors if needed—like when a rain storm quickly moves in. And it's a great do-it-yourself project.

Practical Light Gear List Appalachian Trail

Gear Lists, Recommended Gear

Just how light can you go on backpacking gear for the AT and still be an efficient hiker? I believe this "Practical Light Gear List Appalachian Trail" is very close to the lower weight limit of gear to efficiently walk long days on the AT without sacrificing comfort, functionality or miles hiked per day. My goal is a sub 12 pound total pack weight (gear, food, water & fuel) to do a ~100 mile section of the AT without resupply.

Lightweight Backpacking Camera Selection 101

This article addresses the selection of a lightweight backpacking camera and photo gear. In particular, you will understand the tradeoffs of camera size and weight vs. image quality. (Photo: A sudden opening in the clouds illuminates a lone tree and a small outcrop overlooking Loch Marie in Wester Ross.)

Best Backpacking Stove System – Trail Designs Caldera vs. JetBoil

Cooking & Stoves, Recommended Gear

Best Backpacking Stoves: Trail Designs Caldera, the best alcohol stove system, and JetBoil, the best canister stove system. What makes these systems “best” is that they are fuel efficient, wind-resistant, stable and stow into a small package. Which is the best for you?...

Quick ways to reduce backpack weight

Backpacking Food, Backpacks, Beginners, Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Tents, Tarps & Shelters, Hydration & Water Purification

Want to shed backpack weight with the minimum of effort? The following are quick ways to reduce backpack weight. A few may surprise you...

Recommended Lightweight Backpacks

Backpacks, Beginners, Recommended Gear

Do-it-all Packs: These are your first choice if you want one light pack to work for all your trips. These packs will carry gear and food for trips up to 7 days or more—yet at around 2 pounds they are not too heavy to use for a long weekend on the Appalachian Trail.

Recommended Tents, Tarps and other Shelters

Beginners, Recommended Gear, Tents, Tarps & Shelters

Possibly the best all-around, lightweight shelter is a pyramid shelter. I have used Pyramid Shelters on trips to Alaska, Patagonia, the Sierras, major European treks and around the world. (Picture of Alison in a Mountain Laurel Designs…

The Big Three – Recommended Backpacking Gear

Backpacks, Recommended Gear, Sleeping Bags & Quilts, Tents, Tarps & Shelters

To save as much as 10 to 12 pounds with with the minimum of effort, look at The Big Three. 1) Backpack, 2) Tent/Shelter, and 3) Sleeping bag (or quilt). The lighter versions of these are just as functional as their heavier counterparts.

Recommended Pyramid Shelters

A pyramid shelter is likely your lightest effective shelter, unless the weather forecast is for constant, pouring-down rain or there are going to be a bunch of bugs (and there is an optional Innernet to handle that). This is the collective…

Recommended Tarps and Shaped Tarps

Tarps and Shaped Tarps are significantly lighter and have more floor area than pyramid shelters. e.g. a 2-person MLD Grace Cuben Grace Duo tarp is 8 oz vs the 16 oz for the DuoMid XL. For many backpackers, Tarps and Shaped Tarps are more…

Recommended Tents and Tarptents

Beginners, Recommended Gear, Tents, Tarps & Shelters

If you aren't up to Pyramids and tarps: Consider lightweight tents like the REI Quarter Dome 1 Tent, or the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent. (If you want to save some weight, look at the Tarptents, altho these will not be from REI.)

Backpacking Gear Sources

Recommended Gear

Sources for Ultralight and Lightweight Backpacking Equipment This is only a small sample of the many sources for light equipment. Many other sources can be found by reading through the reviews and technique articles at Backpacking Light www.backpackinglight.com. …

Hammock Camping Part I: Advantages & disadvantages versus ground systems