Outdoor Gear Reviews | Tents, Backpacks, Hiking Gear

Gear

Essentials

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

CNOC unveils the ThruBottle as a direct upgrade to the Smartwater bottle.

Nathan Pipenberg

Backpacks

How Much Weight Can Popular Backpacks Handle? This Is How We Test.

Adam Roy

Backpacks

The Best Ultralight Backpacks for Thru-Hikers and Fastpackers

Corey Buhay

Backpacks

The Best Backpacking Packs for Multiday Adventures (2025)

Corey Buhay

Gear

We Scrolled Hundreds of Prime Day Deals, But These 7 Are the Only Ones Our Editors Recommend

Our editors picked their favorite deals from Amazon Prime Day, including Keen hiking shoes, Columbia convertible pants, and some of the best water filters we've tested

Will Porter

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Backpack With a Tarp Anymore—and One Big Reason You Should

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: This 1.5-Ounce Headlamp Is Ultralight and Ultra-Cheap

Adam Roy

The Best Men’s Rain Jackets for Staying Dry and Protected (2025)

Drew Zieff

The Biggest Myth About Hiking Shoe Tread, Busted by Science

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: A Lightweight Sleeping Bag for Freezing Nights

Adam Roy

The Women’s Rain Jackets That Kept Us Dry in Persistent Drizzle, Downpours, and a Few Massive Storms

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

The Best Men’s Hiking Boots and Shoes for Quick Day Hikes and Epic Adventures (2025)

Ryan Stuart

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in September 2025

Backpacker

Is OutPack Better Than LighterPack?

Nathan Pipenberg

3 ‘Useless’ Backpacking Luxuries That Are Actually Worth the Weight

Backpacker

My Gear Closet Is Overflowing With Hiking Backpacks. Here Are My Favorites.

Zoe Gates

6 Life-Changing Pieces of Hiking Gear Under $10

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: Ditch the Bear Canister for This Chew-Resistant Sack

Adam Roy

Feeling Damp Under Your Waterproof Jacket? Here’s How To Choose Better.

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: This Lightweight Backpack Can Handle Serious Loads

Adam Roy

The Grubcan Wave is the Most User-Friendly Bear Canister We’ve Ever Tested

Nathan Pipenberg

Shopping for a Headlamp? Don’t Fall for This Common Misconception.

Adam Roy

5 Ultralight Gear Hacks Using Nothing More Than Cordage

Nathan Pipenberg

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in August 2025

Backpacker

6 Arctic-Tested Essentials I’ll Never Camp in the Cold Without

Zoe Gates

13 Editor-Approved Labor Day Deals on Backpacking Gear

Will Porter

Deal of the Week: The Most Luxurious Sleeping Pad Our Testers Have Tried

Adam Roy

Why One Backpacker Editor Keeps Empty Peanut Butter Jars in Her Gear Closet

Emma Veidt

Your Next Unlikely Ultralight Essential: A Teapot

Adam Roy

This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Adam Roy

Quilt or Sleeping Bag? Here’s How Backpacker’s Gear Editor Decides

Benjamin Tepler

What Happens When You Push Ultralight Backpacking Too Far?

Backpacker

Deal of the Week: Our Ultralight Columnist’s Top Budget Pack

Adam Roy

This One Piece of Gear Fixed My Ankle Pain and Helped Me Hike Longer

Emma Veidt

4 Sneaky Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Hiking Shoes

Maggie Slepian

Deal of the Week: A Feature-Packed Tent That Weighs Less Than 2 Pounds

Adam Roy

We Torture-Tested 3 Ultralight Camp Shoes. This Pair Came Out on Top.

Nathan Pipenberg

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in July 2025

Backpacker

Should You Hike in Boots or Trail Runners? Here’s How a Backpacker Editor Chooses.

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: Get Side Sleepers’ Favorite Sleeping Bag for 30 Percent Off

Emma Veidt

Dyneema Unveils a New Super-Strong Woven Composite Fabric

Nathan Pipenberg

Deal of the Week: Get One of the Trail’s Most Popular Shoes for Less Than $100

Adam Roy

14 Backpacker-Approved Bargains from Amazon’s Prime Day

Drew Zieff

Why Hasn’t Anyone Come Up with a Better Water Filter Design?

Dan Hu

Can This Plastic Frame Fix Sweaty Ultralight Packs?

Nathan Pipenberg

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in June 2025

Backpacker

Deal of the Week: A Beginner Backpacking Package for Under $500

Adam Roy

I Used to Judge Trekking Pole People. Now I Am One.

Kade Krichko

Deal of the Week: This Discounted Folding Kayak Is Ready to Go Anywhere

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: Grab a Classic Ultralight Pack at a Discount Right Now

Adam Roy

The 6 Best Backpacking Meal Brands for Crave-Worthy Trailside Feasts

Benjamin Tepler

Why a Hammock Is the Best Ultralight Camp Chair

Nathan Pipenberg

Deal of the Week: These 3 Backpacker-Approved Father’s Day Gifts Are on Sale Now

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: Grab This 10-Ounce Ultralight Shelter for Less Than $100

Adam Roy

The 5 Best Men’s Hiking Pants and Shorts of 2025

Kelly Bastone

Does Toaks’ New Canister Stove Hit the Ultralight Sweet Spot?

Nathan Pipenberg

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in May 2025

Backpacker

11 Signs Your Partner Loves Their Gear More Than You

Corey Buhay

The Backpacker Editors’ 8 Favorite Memorial Day Deals from REI’s Sale

Adam Roy

The 15 Best Memorial Day Deals on Backpacking Gear You Can Buy Right Now

Drew Zieff

Deal of the Week: Get a Backpacking Tent That Turns Into a Hammock for Less Than $200

Adam Roy

The Best Pots and Pans for Backcountry Cooking

Nick Cote

Your Adventure Dog Benefits from a Healthy Diet and Exercise, Just Like You

The Farmer's Dog

The 5 Best Stoves for Speedy Boil Times and Backcountry Feasts

Nick Cote

Hate Hiking in Hot Weather? Wear Linen.

Nathan Pipenberg

Deal of the Week: Get One of the Comfiest Backpacking Tents We’ve Tried at a Discount

Adam Roy

The Best Ultralight Bags and Quilts for Ounce-Saving Warmth

Nathan Pipenberg

Deal of the Week: This Packable Windshell Is Ready for Epic Summer Adventure

Adam Roy

Meet Our New Favorite Summer Backpacking Pack

Corey Buhay

Deal of the Week: This Backpack Was Bult for Speed—and It’s 60% Off

Adam Roy

Can Sleeping Pad Inflators Really Be Ultralight?

Nathan Pipenberg

The 2025 Summer Gear Guide

BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors

The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in April 2025

Backpacker

Osprey’s 33-Liter Daypack is the Best We’ve Ever Tested

Corey Buhay

The Best Daypacks for Every Kind of Hiker

Corey Buhay

Unlock Your Inner Bob Ross on the Trail With This Free Art App

Adam Roy

Deal of the Week: Grab a Lightweight, Load-Hauling Backpack for Half-Off

Adam Roy

REI’s Traverse is the First Modular Bear Canister

Nathan Pipenberg

The Best Backpacking Tents for Taking Shelter On Any Trail

Will McGough

The Best Ultralight Tents for Long Distance Hikers and Gram-Counters

Will McGough

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