Gear Reviews
Honest, spec-driven reviews of backpacking and hiking gear.
Pack
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Fjällräven Abisko Friluft 45 Review
Fjällräven's Abisko Friluft 45 is a ventilated, framed trekking pack that carries well in heat but weighs 1,640 g, which is heavy for its volume.
Muji Polyester Gusset Case Review
Muji's $9.90 mesh packing case is a well-liked, flat-folding organizer for suitcases and carry-ons, but at 70 g it's a travel tool more than a trail one.
Osprey Exos Pro 55 Review
Osprey's 950 g Exos Pro 55 brings a tensioned mesh back panel and a four-inch torso range to ultralight packs, with thin fabric as the price.
Osprey Pack Pocket Padded Review
Osprey's 81 g Pack Pocket Padded clips onto a shoulder strap or hipbelt and gives phones, keys and cameras a cushioned home. It costs weight and money to do so.
Osprey Ultralight Zipper Sack Review
Osprey's Ultralight Zipper Sack weighs 17–21 g, closes with a zipper instead of a drawcord, and suits hikers who want quick-access organization over weather protection.
REI Co-op Flash Air 50 Review
REI's first true ultralight pack pairs a sub-two-pound weight with plush padding and a real frame, but durability and a 25-lb load limit hold it back at $299.
Shelter
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ENO DoubleNest Review
The ENO DoubleNest is a 538 g, 400 lb-rated two-person hammock that packs to a grapefruit. It's easy and durable, but straps and bug protection cost extra.
NEMO Dagger Footprint Review
NEMO's 70D PU polyester Dagger Footprint weighs about 221 g and protects the tent floor on rough ground, but it costs $70 and adds weight.
Robens Arrow Head Review
The Robens Arrow Head is a 1.8 kg side-entry solo tunnel tent that trades grams for durability, storm stability and a low price.
Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock Review
A budget gathered-end nylon hammock with straps and carabiners included: easy to hang and roomy, but heavier and less refined than true ultralight rigs.
Zpacks Plex Solo Review
The Zpacks Plex Solo is a 394 g Dyneema trekking-pole tent with a full floor and bug netting. It's roomy and storm-ready, but pricey and fussy to pitch.
Hilleberg Kaitum 3 GT Review
Hilleberg's Kaitum 3 GT is a roomy, storm-ready 3-person tunnel tent at 3.4 kg minimum weight, built for long trips where space and strength matter more than grams.
Sleep System
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Carinthia Sleeping Bag Cover Review
Carinthia's 1,000 g GORE-TEX Gas Permeable bivy is a German Army-issue bag cover built to be sealed shut, at a weight and price ultralighters will question.
Forclaz Trekking Silk Bag Liner MT500 Review
Decathlon's 110 g mummy-cut silk liner adds a degree or two of warmth and keeps your bag clean, at a price well below Cocoon and Sea to Summit.
Forclaz Trek 900 Down Sleeping Bag Review
Decathlon's Forclaz Trek 900 pairs 800-fill down with a snug alpine cut at roughly half the price of boutique bags. The catch is a tight fit and a weight that trails cottage-brand bags.
Mammut Perform Down Bag Review
Mammut's Perform Down Bag -7C trades ultralight efficiency for a roomy, quiet, centre-zip design at 1,020 g. Here's who it suits and who should skip it.
Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Review
Marmot's recycled-fill synthetic mummy bag is a warm, durable, roughly $190 workhorse for wet-weather trips, but it is heavy and bulky next to down.
Pajak Core 400 Review
Pajak's Core 400 is an 800 g, 700-fill duck down mummy bag rated to 0°C comfort and -6°C limit, with a roomy cut and a sub-€330 price.
Cookware
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Jetboil JetSet Utensil Kit Review
Jetboil's 37 g telescoping nylon spoon, fork and spatula set reaches the bottom of pots and meal pouches, but the handles can slip apart.
MSR Folding Spoon Review
MSR's 10 g nylon folding spoon reaches the bottom of a freeze-dried pouch and nests in a mug or pot, but it's less durable than titanium.
Trangia Mini 28-T Review
The Mini Trangia 28-T packs a brass spirit burner, 0.8 L pot and 15 cm non-stick frypan into a 331 g solo kit. It's durable and quiet but needs a better windscreen.
Sea to Summit Passage Dinnerware Set Review
Sea to Summit's 168 g Passage set packs a bowl, lidded cup and four snap-together utensils for one. It's tough and easy to use, but heavy for ultralight kits.
TOAKS Titanium 550ml Bowl Review
A 62 g uncoated titanium bowl with folding handles that nests in TOAKS pots and doubles as a double boiler. Great for eating, thin on versatility.
VAR 2 Windshield and Stabilizer Review
A 110 g Czech-made windshield for the VAR 2 canister stove that flips over to double as a cartridge stabilizer. Effective, cheap, and fussy about fit.
Water System
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HydraPak UltraFlask Speed Review
HydraPak's 46 g, 600 ml UltraFlask Speed is a collapsible TPU soft flask with a flip-open cap. It suits vest and shoulder-strap carry better than it suits hard use.
MSR AutoFlow Gravity Filter Review
MSR's 4-liter AutoFlow hangs from a branch and filters about 1.75 L/min with no pumping. It's built for groups and basecamps, not solo ultralighters.
Nalgene Wide Mouth Sustain Silo Review
Nalgene's 48 oz Tritan Renew Silo is a tough, leakproof, filter-friendly bottle for big water carries, but at 209 g it's a poor fit for gram counters.
LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Bottle Review
The LifeStraw Go Series 1L puts a two-stage filter in the cap of a 268 g bottle: easy and durable, but heavy and slow to drink for thru-hiking.
MSR Guardian Purifier Review
The MSR Guardian is a self-cleaning, virus-stopping pump purifier that is fast and nearly unbreakable. At 490 g and about $400, it's built for rough water, not for gram counters.
Forclaz Trek500 3L Hydration Bladder Review
Decathlon's 3-liter Forclaz Trek500 (MT500) bladder weighs 119 g and costs about €16. It's a durable, simple reservoir with a plastic-taste caveat.
Clothing
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Arc'teryx Cormac Hoody Review
The Arc'teryx Cormac Hoody is a 160 g UPF 40+ sun hoody that breathes and dries fast, but runs roomy and its seams snag on rock.
Black Diamond StormLine Stretch Rain Shell Review
Black Diamond's StormLine Stretch is a 320 g, fully taped 2.5L shell with pit zips and a comfortable stretch face. It's a good value, but heavy for ultralight use.
Darn Tough Light Hiker No Show Review
Darn Tough's Light Hiker No Show is a Vermont-made merino blend ankle sock with light terry cushioning, mesh venting and a lifetime guarantee. Built for trail runners.
Decathlon Simond Merino Resist T-Shirt Review
Decathlon's Simond Merino Resist tee wraps 18.5-micron merino around polyamide threads for a tougher, cheaper wool shirt with mesh venting and lab-tested odor control.
Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood Review
A roughly 2-ounce synthetic sleeping hood that gives quilt users the head and neck coverage their quilt lacks, with a custom fit and fill.
Falke TK2 Cool Review
Falke's TK2 Cool is a 73 g mid-calf hiking sock with medium cushioning and a Lyocell blend, built for warm-weather trail days rather than long-haul odor control.
Electronics
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Apple AirTag Review
Apple's 11 g AirTag is a cheap, nearly weightless way to track a bag or bear canister, but it is not a GPS beacon and goes quiet far from other iPhones.
Decathlon Forclaz HL100 USB Review
Decathlon's Forclaz HL100 USB is a 70 g, 120-lumen rechargeable headlamp with red, eco and power modes. It suits budget trail use better than fast night hiking.
Fenix HM65R-T Review
The Fenix HM65R-T pairs a 1500-lumen spot-and-flood setup with a magnesium body and 18650 battery. It's a strong night-running light that weighs too much for most ultralight kits.
Garmin GPSMAP 66i Review
The Garmin GPSMAP 66i packs a full handheld GPS and an inReach satellite messenger into 241 g. It's capable, but it's heavy and pricey for ultralight use.
GoveeLife Outdoor Portable Thermo-Hygrometer Review
A 23.5 g, IP65 Bluetooth thermometer-hygrometer with a standalone LCD and 2-year data logs: a fun, cheap trail toy, not a piece of essential kit.
JBL Clip 5 Review
The JBL Clip 5 is a 285 g, IP67 Bluetooth speaker with a built-in carabiner: loud and tough for camp, but heavy by ultralight standards.
Tools
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Coghlan's Trowel Review
Coghlan's 55 g orange plastic trowel costs about $3–4 and digs fine cat holes in soft soil, but it's bulky and struggles in rock and roots.
Gorilla Tape To-Go Handy Roll Review
Gorilla's 1-inch, 10-yard duct tape roll is a cheap, durable fix for torn shells and cracked gear, but it carries more tape than most hikers will ever use.
Leatherman Micra Review
The Leatherman Micra packs spring-action scissors, tweezers and a 4 cm knife into a 51 g keychain tool. It's best for first-aid and repair kits, less so for serious cutting.
RovyVon Aurora A5 Review
A 17 g glow-in-the-dark keychain flashlight with USB-C charging, a magnetic clip and a side light that does the work of a camp lantern.
Leatherman Sidekick Review
The Leatherman Sidekick is a sturdy, spring-loaded 14-in-1 multi-tool with a saw and locking blade, but at 198 g it's a weight penalty for ultralight kits.
Sea to Summit Ground Control Tent Pegs Review
Sea to Summit's 14 g Ground Control pegs trade a few grams for three-sided holding power in loose soil and a pull loop that earns its keep.
Miscellaneous
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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Essential Backpacking Umbrella Review
Hyperlite's 193 g Essential umbrella pairs a vented dual canopy with a carbon fiber shaft for sun and rain cover that holds up better in wind than most rivals.
Sea to Summit Mat Repair Kit Review
Sea to Summit's peel-and-stick patch kit weighs under 10 g and fixes air-mat punctures without glue, but it's a narrow tool for a narrow set of pads.
Silva Expedition 4 Review
The Silva Expedition 4 is a 36 g full-size baseplate compass with three romer scales and a long ruler edge. It's built for map work, not for shaving ounces.
Exped Schnozzel Pumpbag Review
Exped's 42-liter Schnozzel Pumpbag inflates a sleeping pad without lung moisture and doubles as a waterproof stuff sack or pack liner, at a modest weight cost.
Exped Fold Drybag Review
Exped's 5-liter Fold Drybag weighs 40 g, with 70D taffeta nylon and fully taped seams. It's a durable, splash-proof organizer, not a submersible bag.
Gossamer Gear Lightrek Hiking Umbrella Review
Gossamer Gear's 164 g chrome Lightrek is a full-size trekking umbrella that thru-hikers rely on for desert shade, with limits in wind and thick brush.
Camera
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DJI Neo Review
DJI's 135 g Neo is a $199 palm-launch 4K drone that adds little weight to a pack, but short flights, thin wind tolerance and modest image quality limit it.
DJI Osmo Action 4 Review
The DJI Osmo Action 4 packs a 1/1.3-inch sensor, 4K/120 video and 18 m waterproofing into 145 g, a strong trail camera with a few wide-angle quirks.
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Review
Insta360's flagship action camera pairs a Leica lens and 1/1.3-inch sensor with a big flip-up screen, at the cost of size and battery life.
Sony Alpha a6400 Review
The Sony a6400 pairs class-leading autofocus and a 24.2MP APS-C sensor in a 403 g body, but small battery and rolling shutter limit it on long trips.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Review
DJI's 146 g Osmo Action 5 Pro pairs a 1/1.3-inch sensor, dual OLED screens and 47GB of onboard storage in a small, rugged trail camera.
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Review
DJI's 179 g gimbal camera pairs a 1-inch sensor with 4K/120 video, but it has no weather sealing and a built-in battery that limits long trips.
Food
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Light My Fire SnapBox Original Review
A 38 g, 170 ml Swedish snap-lock box that keeps snacks, spices and small kit dry. It's tough and tidy, but a zip bag does the same job for far less weight.
Decathlon Pâte d'Amande Energy Bar Review
Decathlon's 12-pack almond paste bars deliver 14 g of carbs and 113 kcal per 25 g bar for about €8. They're cheap and pocketable, but not calorie-dense.
Adotec Ultralight Bear Locker Review
Adotec's 199 g Dyneema bear bag is the lightest IGBC grizzly-certified soft-sided food sack, trading a steep price for a big weight saving over canisters.
Real Turmat Bidos Review
Real Turmat's Bidos is a Sami-style freeze-dried reindeer soup with real flavor and fast rehydration, but at 246 calories it's a starter, not a dinner.
Real Turmat Chiligryte Review
Real Turmat's vegan Chiligryte packs 568 calories into a 149 g freeze-dried pouch with a smoky, bean-heavy chili that's good on the trail, if pricey.
Real Turmat Squash and Sweet Corn Casserole Review
Real Turmat's vegan squash and sweet corn casserole packs 510 kcal into 116 g, with a mild coconut-rice-lentil base that suits trail dinners.
Toiletries
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Sea to Summit DryLite Towel Review
A 37 g microfibre towel with a suede-like finish that dries fast and packs tiny. It's a good pick for ultralight face, hand and camp-chore duty, not for plush luxury.
Trailbrush Review
Trail Stuff's 2-gram Trailbrush clips onto a long-handled spoon to replace a toothbrush handle, but the fit is finicky and the grams saved are tiny.
Pi Active Insect Repellent Pump Spray Review
Pi Active's 20% icaridin pump spray is a DEET-free, unscented repellent with a whistle-and-compass cap, but it's heavy for ultralight kits.
Sea to Summit Pocket Shower Review
A 120 g, 10-liter solar camp shower that doubles as a dry sack. Great weight for a hot rinse, but the cord, pressure and hanging take some work.
PackTowl Original Review
The PackTowl Original is a 17 g viscose camp towel that absorbs 10x its weight and wrings out easily, but it's a hand-towel-size wipe, not a shower towel.
Sea to Summit Toiletry Bag Review
Sea to Summit's 40 g Ultra-Sil Toiletry Bag is a stand-up dopp kit that weighs half what the brand's hanging version does, with soft fabric to match.
Footwear
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Altra Lone Peak 4 RSM Review
Altra's Lone Peak 4 RSM swaps the mesh upper for waterproof eVent fabric. It's a roomy zero-drop trail shoe for wet trails, with durability trade-offs.
Altra Lone Peak 8 Review
The Lone Peak 8 pairs a roomy toe box and zero-drop ride with a tougher ripstop upper, but its MaxTrac outsole wears faster than the rest of the shoe.
Merrell Moab 3 GORE-TEX Review
The Moab 3 GORE-TEX is a comfortable, dry, no-break-in trail shoe at 460 g per shoe. It's too heavy and too warm for most ultralight kits.
Salomon Quest 4 GORE-TEX Review
The Salomon Quest 4 GORE-TEX is a stiff, protective 663 g-per-boot backpacking boot built for heavy loads, not for ultralight miles.
Salomon XA Pro 3D V9 Review
Salomon's XA Pro 3D V9 is a firm, protective trail runner that behaves like a light hiker, trading plush cushioning for stability and a tough upper.
Danish Endurance Merino Hiking Socks Light Review
Danish Endurance's light merino-blend crew sock breathes well and costs a fraction of premium rivals, but it runs cool, wears faster and fits tight at the cuff.
Safety
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Ozark Trail Emergency Reflective Survival Tent Review
A sub-$5, 151 g reflective emergency tube shelter that pitches with a 14-foot cord. It's a fine glovebox backup but a heavy, one-use fallback for ultralight kits.
Apex Giant Dogbone Bear Bag Toggle Review
A 5.4 g machined aluminum toggle that replaces the hunt-for-a-stick step in the PCT bear hang. Cheap, tough and tiny, but it only does one job.
Counter Assault Bear Spray Review
Counter Assault's 8.1 oz bear spray pairs the maximum legal 2% capsaicin with a 32-foot, 7-second blast. It's a proven pick for grizzly country at 308 g.
Counter Assault 32-Foot Bear Spray Review
Counter Assault's 8.1 oz bear spray with holster trades 8 feet of reach for 60 g of weight savings over its big sibling, with the same EPA-registered 2% formula.
Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2in1 Review
Light My Fire's Army FireSteel throws 2,980°C sparks for up to 12,000 strikes and has a built-in whistle. It's tough and reliable, but heavy for ultralight kits.
UCO Stormproof Matches Review
UCO's Stormproof Matches burn for up to 15 seconds, relight after a dunking, and weigh 22 g a box. They suit emergency kits better than ounce-counting thru-hikes.
Climbing
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Black Diamond Contact Crampons Review
Black Diamond's 808 g stainless Contact strap crampons are a durable, boot-agnostic 10-point option for glacier travel and snow, but they're no featherweight.
Petzl Sirocco Review
The Petzl Sirocco is a 160–170 g hybrid foam climbing helmet that disappears on the head and in the pack, at the cost of a high price and exposed foam.
Grivel Air Tech Review
Grivel's Air Tech is a 960 g steel 12-point crampon with short serrated points, built for glacier travel, winter hill days and easy mixed routes.
Petzl Tibloc Review
The 35 g Petzl Tibloc is a toothed emergency rope clamp that replaces a prusik in crevasse rescue kits, with caveats on rope damage and handling.
Totem Cam Review
The Blue 0.65 Totem Cam weighs 75 g and loads each lobe independently. It's a narrow-headed, flexible trad cam that holds in flared, awkward placements.
Wild Country Friend Review
Wild Country's double-axle Friend pairs the classic 13.75° cam angle with hollow axles and an extendable Dyneema sling. Here's how it climbs and who it suits.
First Aid
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Compeed Pansement Ampoule Petit Format Review
Compeed's small-format hydrocolloid blister plaster is a featherweight, waterproof fix for toe and side-of-foot blisters, but it's too small for heels.
TickCheck Tick Remover Hook Value 3 Pack Review
A $5 trio of 1-gram plastic tick hooks in small, medium and large, with an ID card. Cheap and nearly weightless, but no match for good tweezers.
Leukotape P Review
A rigid zinc-oxide tape that's become the go-to blister prevention method for thru-hikers who tape hot spots before they turn into blisters.
Neosporin Original Triple Antibiotic Ointment Review
A closer look at whether the classic drugstore antibiotic ointment earns its spot in a backpacking first aid kit.
Tread Lite Gear Cuben Fiber First Aid Case Review
A 7.4g DCF pouch that won't organize your meds for you, but it might be the lightest way to carry them.
Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Day Tripper Lite Review
A compact, well-organized 59-piece first aid kit weighing 96g, built for 1–2 people on a single day hike. Solid value, but thin on a few supplies.