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Meet the two latest additions to our gear-testing team!

We loved this pack because you can strip it down for ultralight trips or add aluminum stays and extra padding (10 oz.) for a more traditional experience. $180 (includes all accessories); gossamergear.com

When you’re ready to shave pounds from your pack, it’s time to invest in ultralight gear. Here’s a look at some of our all-time favorite featherweights.

Ideal for lazy mornings in camp, this hearty, complex egg wrap includes creamy, melty Gouda cheese, zesty reindeer sausage and fluffy eggs.

An indisputable fact of hiking life: Food tastes better outdoors. A simple cheese sandwich can be heaven. A chunk of dark chocolate feels like a winning lottery ticket. And a savory, hot meal can turn a tired, wet hiker into an entirely new person.

Perched on the rocky summit of Hidden Lake Peak, Stephen Byrne peers down into the depths of the Cascade River drainage. North Cascades National Park - extending into the alpine up and right - ends at this ridge, but conservation advocates propose expanding the park to include (and permanently protect) the pristine river and old-growth forest below.

How do you nail a standout shot of one of America's most photographed mountains? Part luck, part skill. Hall, 58, from Woodbridge, VA, hiked down a mile-long dirt road (closed to cars) to Schwabachers Landing predawn. "The sun really makes the mountains pop at first light," he says. "It was just a bonus that I got the band of low-lying clouds."