| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS 2009: THE BEST NEW GEAR
OVER 3,000 GPS-ENABLED TRIPS!
DAILY DIRT BLOG: THE LATEST OUTDOOR NEWS
GEAR CHICK: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
MEDICINE MAN: ESSENTIAL SKILLS REVEALED
BACKPACKING 101: GET STARTED NOW!
VIDEOS: FEND OFF A BEAR, PACK RIGHT, AND MORE.
PHOTOS: FEAST YOUR EYES WITH THESE SHOTS
Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.
Backpacker Magazine – April 2009
Get This Gear: Essentials From A to Z
We tested more than 500 products–stoves, clothes, cameras, filters, tech tools, knives, and meals–to find these proven performers.
L
Lantern
BATTERY-OPERATED Light, bright, and packable, Black Diamond's Orbit is the LED lantern that every staffer wanted this year. It was so coveted we gave it an Editors' Choice Award. $30; 4.5 oz.; bdel.com
GAS-POWERED Light up group campsites with the Primus Micron. It uses a standard fabric mantle housed inside a rustproof steel-mesh cylinder to crank out 70 watts. It lasts 12 hours on a standard-size canister. An automatic ignition and durable mantle (one lasted us all summer) seal the deal. $70; 4 oz.; primuscamping.com
Lighter
We like eGear's polycarbonate Windmill, which weighs a hair more than a Bic, but works way better in wind and rain. When it's empty, screw Brunton's Fuel Tool ($14; .8 oz.; brunton.com) to any near-empty butane canister and use the dregs to refill the lighter. $45; 1.1 oz.; egear.com
Lip balm
Elemental Herbs All Good Lips doesn't melt in the heat, goes on smooth in the cold, heals chapped lips fast, and comes in three tangy SPF 15 flavors–original, sweet tangerine, and cool spearmint. $4; elementalherbs.com
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
My Profile
Join Now
Most recent threads
Trailhead Register
Army Strong Homecoming Advice
Posted On: Nov 21, 2009
Submitted By: lonesomegeorge
Submitted By: lonesomegeorge
Find the Outdoor Equipment You Need
BACKPACKER Food & Recipe Center
The ultimate trail-ready archive 
for all your recipe needs.
GearFinder
Find all the outdoor equipment you need. 
Fix-It Center
Make your gear last forever 
with this ultimate DIY guide.
Backpacker's Gadget Guide 2009
The latest gadgets for technophobes, technogeeks,
and everyone in between.
YES! Please send me my 2 FREE trial issues of BACKPACKER
and my FREE digital Survival Skills 101
READERS COMMENTS
Are you kidding me with the $30 chopsticks?? I thought this magazine was about appreciating outdoors, not marketing a bunch of needless crap.
Posted: Nov 13, 2009 Shane
I use the nite ize s biner as a key chaine. I hook it to my belt loop. Numeros times my keys have fallen off. I usually can hear the sound of keys hitting the ground. On a recent end of Fly fishing adventure. I turned the car around to do a final check for any forgoten equipment. The metalic reflection came from the ground. I got out and there was the nite Ize S-biner. BackPacker Editors award and all. Spring not strong enough!
Posted: May 27, 2009 Lost Keys
How many backpackers do you know that carry $600 binoculars? Get real.
Posted: May 16, 2009 dropkick
I'm really surprised to see MSR's quick 2 system at the same time that GSI's dualist system is not mentioned yet it has the 2008 editor's choice and lighter than MSR's. This really makes me question the credibility of the whole backpacker's site that I have always had it as a flagship.
Posted: May 14, 2009 AN
ADD A COMMENT