Backpacks
These versatile backpacks will keep you outdoors all year long.
The Tahoma wins out as a high country favorite.
Check out the perfect pack for backcountry winter day trips
This versatile Lowe Alpine pack handles it all.
Best pack for large winter loads and family trips.
This ultra-comfortable pack tests best with diehard snowshoers.
Cold Cold World offers custom packs sewn in New Hampshire.
A potentially lifesaving pack for the backcountry skier.
Your complete guide to choosing, fitting, and using essential winter gear.
Trek for many days and miles with this lightweight, supportive, durable and highly waterproof pack.
This big-load pack carries heavy weight with ease.
87 tips for making your next family trip easy, fun, and comfortable
A realistic, hassle-free handbook for taking kids outdoors
Shop smarter, hike farther with this guide to the guts of today's lightest load haulers.
We want your stories! Your photos! Your best trips and tips and all-time favorite gear! For this special edition of our Readers' Choice Awards, we're using your best stuff to create our January 2010 issue.
Heading out for a long haul? With these backpacks, you'll have the room you need for long trail comfort.
From this year's Editors' Choice winner to the ultimate organizational wonder, these weekend packs are perfect for heading to the hills Friday to Sunday.
Heading out for the day? We have your can-do ultimate daypack. From the best bargain to the lightest on the market, these packs have everything you need.
This all-purpose weekend pack is comfortable and light.
How do we know this year's packs are lighter and more comfortable than ever? We spent the last 12 months lugging loads from Denali to the 'Daks to bring you the 32 best.
The best new gear. That's what earns our seal of approval, and only after months of hardcore testing. This year, we subjected dozens of products to heinous trail conditions from Alaska to Wales. In the end, 18 survived to take our top honor.
Conquer all the fourteeners and beyond with this stable and well-ventilated pack.
Climb, scramble, and mountaineer with the stable Variant pack.
No rips, tears, or fraying here: The Peuterey is one rugged pack.
Make the Eclipse your go-to pack for long treks and backcountry bushwhacks.
Learn how to fix snagging zippers, re-waterproof material, deal with frayed fabric, and more.
Vaude created a simple, no-frills pack high on stability with the Versametric Ultralight 60+10.
If you want ultralight, look no further than Deuter's tough and roomy ACT Zero 60+10 pack.
The comfortable Arc'teryx Arrakis 65 is the perfect waterproof pack for heavier loads.
You won't find a better pack at a cheaper price than Vaude's Astra 55+10.
The ultralight Osprey Exos 58 backpack is high in stability and smart features.
Reach for snacks and extra layers with ease while wearing Mountain Hardware's Koa 55 backpack.
The durable Lowe Alpine Airzone Centro 45+10 backpack is full of handy pockets and bungees for the organized trekker.
Bring along your winter toys— L.L. Bean's Mountain Guide pack can carry anything from ice climbing gear to skis.
Kelty's practical Pawnee backpack offers heavy load comfort for a good price.
Scramble around the trail with Granite Gear's ultralight and stable Vapor Flash backpack.
Take Black Diamond's practical Predator 50 with you on any trail, anytime.
With removable support, the Arc'teryx Khazri 55 backpack lets you choose between stability or a lighter load.
The Vaude Cross Ultralight Comfort 35 is the ideal lightweight bargain pack for dayhikes or weeklong treks.
Scramble up anything with the North Face's climber-oriented Spire 40 backpack.
The Millet Elevation 30 has everything you want in a pack—stabilty, support, and even wrist loops.
Pack up the weekend toys for your outdoor activity of choice in Marmot's ultralight–and ultra cheap–Alpha 25 backpack.
For dayhikes and light overnights, strap on the simple and smartly configured Deuter Speed Lite 30 pack.
Want rugged? Go for the Crumpler Bumper Issue, a rough and tough pack that takes on narrow slot canyons and unforgiving brush fields.
Run, climb or ski with the low profile Black Diamond RPM pack.
Tell the kids–finally, real packs for them, too
Ski mountaineers will love both climbing and cruising in this pack from our
2009 Gear Guide.
This pack from our
2009 Gear Guide won't buckle under even the heaviest loads.
This top ultralight from our
2009 Gear Guide is perfect for hikers who need to travel light, fast, and far.
Find out why this "near-perfect" daypack won Best All Around in our
2009 Gear Guide.
This climbing-oriented bag has a huge capacity with few add-ons.
Traveling heavy? Transport–and protect–your cargo in these globe-tested bags.
The North Face Base Camp Series duffel is reliable through the worst dragging, zipper-yanking and rain.
Durable and lightweight, the Granite Gear Ultraflight 115 will keep you rolling.
Use and abuse the tough Mountain Hardware Juggernaut Series luggage.
Want a personal shopping assistant? Gear editor Kristin Hostetter has you covered. In these video guides, she'll show you how to pick the backpack and sleeping bag that's right for you.
Our female testers pick their favorite gear for fall hikes.
I'm organizing my first group trip. Can I rent gear for newbies who may not be ready to buy?
A sudden swim in a glacier-fed river nearly finishes a ranger.
Does your pack smell like last summer's cheddar? Here's how to clean up.
High performance and low cost? These 6 weekend packs deliver.
True-blue reviews on the latest items we've taken out on trail.
The green truth behind bamboo, a hyper-efficient cookpot, and a bargain three-person tent.
Shed useless pack weight, not luxuries
The year's best packs, boots, tents, jackets, and sleeping bags. Period. Plus, a never-die headlamp, a life-saving beacon, a back-saving ultralight chair, and more innovative, trail-tested gear.
Not quite sure how to fit a pack, measure your torso, calculate your V02 max, patch a sleeping pad, or clean a funkified hydration unit? Watch and learn.
Is it possible to build a backpack that doesn't contribute to global warming? Not yet, but five pioneering companies gave it one helluva try. (Cue standing ovation.)
The Goal: Hit the trail and forget you're even wearing a pack.
The Goal: Hit the trail and forget you're even wearing a pack.
The Goal: Hit the trail and forget you're even wearing a pack.
The Goal: Hit the trail and forget you're even wearing a pack. The Solution: One of these 30 field-tested vanishing acts.
By loading your backpack properly you protect your gear and prevent back issues--plus it's easy to find the gear you need.
There's a bewildering array of tent options available, including hundreds of three-season tents and specialized models built for hot deserts, Arctic summits, and steamy rain forests.
Before shopping for gear it's important to plan a budget, do your research, and prioritize.
It's important to consider loading, capacity, and pockets when choosing which pack to buy.
Pick the boot that's right for you with this guide.
High Sierra Sport Company Donates to A Silver Lining Foundation and Susan G. Komen For the Cure Chicagoland Affilitiate: The Company to Support The Third Annual "Dancing With Chicago Celebrities" Benefit.
Make sure you don't forget a thing with our comprehensive gear checklists for pretty much any trip occasion. Plus, learn how to pick the perfect piece of gear.
Backpacker's Ultimate Fix-It Guide
Organization and preparation will make your next overnight or day-hike packing session easy. Below, the Backpacker editors showcase their mistakes for your benefit.
By keeping your gear (relatively) free of dirt and grime and storing it properly you can make your gear last forever.
Join Gregory Mountain Products master pack designer for a day in Joshua Tree National Park
Don't overload your pack. Learn how to leave the non-essentials behind and still stay warm.
Load haulers for light and fast adventures
If the February '08 Backpacker article "Magnifique" inspired you to take a hut trip to France's Maritime Alps, here are ten lodging options.
Midsize internal-frame backpacks that do everything--and do it well
A pack that's comfortably and curiously strong.
5 ways to get rid of unneeded pounds without buying a new pack
An ultralight pack that can hold a sizable load.
A pack that cuts the weight without sacrificing the comfort.
A pack with everything you need.
A pack that's light, affordable, and durable.
Our tester praises the 'rip-proof, poke-proof, and amazingly waterproof' fabric of the Traverse
How to make your cold months warmer: boots, bags, jackets, backpacks, and booties for frosty weather
Holds a week's worth of three-season supplies--or just enough for a light summit day
An ultralight backpack that does it all
A daypack and waterproof stuff sack in one
A bargain pack with enough room for winter gear, a week's worth of food, camera supplies, and more--as long as it's all under 45 pounds
A light pack cover that kept contents dry in rain from New Zealand to the Pacific Northwest
Repair a busted backpack with this simple sewing technique
A special pocket makes hydration easier for backpackers carrying this midsize.
Cram all of your stuff and your hiking partner's five extra bags of gorp into this light daypack.
Stop dreaming, start planning with our top tips and picks for boots and gaiters
New Zealand is pretty to look at, but harsh on gear--making it just what we needed for our Kiwi challenge.
Not going light? Experience a revolution in big-load backpack comfort
This versatile midsize pack is the sweetest deal of the year
This ultralight weekender stabilizes any load
Stop lugging extra water weight. This pack comes with downspouts.
No frame, no pain--if you try these simple backpack solutions.
They kill swiftly and silently. They flit like ghosts through enemy forests. And they will brew you a fine cup of cowboy coffee. Meet America's deadliest hikers as we hump ruck with the Special Forces.
Keep your flashlights and headlamps alive longer with these trail tips.
10 essentials for long day adventures
Buying a European backpack? Use our conversion chart before you buy.
Pick your backpack before your hike with our sizing guide.
There's no single piece of equipment more crucial to your backwoods enjoyment. Here's how to make the right choice.
17 tips for better compression
Two ways to keep your external frame on your pack in tip-top shape.
Sewing a key pouch inside your pack is the best guarantee of a quick ride home.
All it takes is $7,000 and a man named "Pittsburgh" to become a weightless thru-hiker.
Can you revive a sputtering pack? With this diagnostic checklist, you may be able to breathe new life into a tired old backpack.
