Editors choice
What's the one item you can't leave home without?
A hooded, 800-fill down puffy.
GPS + Spot + Text Messaging
After 15-hour trail days with 50 pound packs on 100-miles of Switzerland's Via Alpina, we're proud to present the best gear of the year.
Eight years later, this REI tent is still the best deal out there.
Eat well and carry less with these perfect pots.
Attention, ultralighters who want a legit two-person tent: This is it.
If you use trekking poles, you should use this tent.
Hike far, fast.
The best instant coffee ever
View stunning vistas and snowy passes in these photos of Switzerland's Via Alpina route. Included: the Eiger, the Wetterhorn, and Jungfrau Glacier.
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.
There might be a journey too daunting for this load hauler. But it's not on this planet.
The ultimate solution for backcountry coffee–fast, ultralight, and fuss-free.
"Habitat for humanity" gets a new meaning with this eco-friendly tent.
Bring us your narrow feet, your wide feet, or the freakishly long–these boots are the answer.
Can't decide which boots are right for the trip? Stop wondering and start hiking with this all-purpose midweight.
Put this meal on the menu for any trip: It's easy-prep trail food that will wow every palate.
Tell the kids–finally, real packs for them, too
Backpackers get a made-to-order digital camera with the first affordable GPS-enabled shooter.
Carry less, sleep more with this light-and-luxe mattress.
Four is not a crowd in this family-size featherweight.
This light and totally waterproof camcorder changes the game for backcountry moviemaking.
Here's a cheap, crazy-fun way to build mountain skills.
Our favorite new fast snack proves that healthy can be tasty, too. Oh, and it's not a bar.
Forget brightest or lightest–get the most versatile headlamp. Ever.
Meet the ultimate GPS: simple enough for beginners, wonky enough for experts, powerful enough for all.
Ultralight meets ultra-comfortable in this roomy sleeping bag.
Join the Backpacker Editors on a rip-roaring tour of Wales for the 2009 Editors' Choice Awards. Hit the mountains and the coast and learn what it takes to be an Editors' Choice Award winner.
