Editors' Choice

A lightning-fast water filter makes staying hydrated on the trail easier than ever

This nifty container makes gear organization a cinch

We reviewed 341 pieces of gear. But these ones stood above.

Pants made by—and for—plus-size female hikers

This pack bridges the gap between ultralight and ultracomfy

A comfy camp chair, a tricked-out tent, one of the best free apps we've ever used, and more: this is the best gear of the season.

See the world through the viewfinder of one of the world’s foremost adventure photographers.

Make the most of the cold with six perfect picks, from jackets to tents to skis.

Backpacks, a sleeping pad, an ultralight jacket, and one very special organization: These are our 9 favorite things this year.

We're not just going to talk the green talk, but walk it as well.

We broke our own records this time. In the name of testing, there was no weather too cold, no snow too deep, no location too remote. For one final assessment, we took the standout products to Banff National Park in Alberta, where we found both wicked wind and perfect skiing. The 10 items that excelled in that ultimate trial earned the right to be called the year’s best cold-weather gear.

The editors of BACKPACKER spent a week trekking from refuge to refuge in the mountains of Catalonia. It wasn't just a trip down the trail: It was a trip into ancient history.

Last spring, BACKPACKER readers went to Nepal on a unique mission: work on a school-building project, then go on a life-list trek. Turns out, hiking and helping go perfectly together.

Our photo editor gets close to a calving glacier—maybe a little too close.

For five months, we crisscrossed continents, climates, and comfort zones to put the newest outdoor products to the ultimate hiker’s test. A final, weeklong gauntlet in the Pyrenees Mountains, in Spain’s Catalonia region, was the finishing touch: By its end, we had elected these 12 winners of this year’s Editors’ Choice Awards.

We've been giving out Editors' Choice Awards for 25 years—and these 11 products have stood the test of time.

Our top picks for fall and winter camping and adventuring.

Explore one of the the most underrated backcountry zones in the world with BACKPACKER and the cast and crew of Warren Miller Entertainment's new film, Face of Winter.

Relive our celebration of peaks with these mountaintop shots.

American mountaineering royalty flips the apparel industry on its head with the launch of Bight Gear, a line of clothing for mountaineers, by mountaineers.

In the field, stuff happens, and knowing how to cope can be the difference between a great trip and a miserable one. Plus, your tent should last many years, but only if you know how to keep it working properly.

In the field stuff happens, and knowing how to cope can be the difference between a great trip and a miserable one. Plus, your backpack should last many years, but only if you know how to keep it working properly.

Your boots should last years, but only if you know how to keep them properly conditioned.

In the field, stuff happens, and knowing how to cope can be the difference between a great trip and a miserable one.

What is the BACKPACKER Editors' Choice Awards? It's the best gear in the world, full stop. For a quarter century, our editors and contributors have taken the most promising products hiking and camping around the world in search of the cream of the crop. On the awards' 25th anniversary, we collect their favorites.

A lightweight backpack, custom-molded boots, and the best lip balm we've ever tried: meet our favorite gear of the season.

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.

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.

From the perfect backpacking pack to the coolest stargazing tool we’ve ever seen, here’s this year’s most innovative and trailworthy new hiking gear.

Cutting-edge technology, category-defining comfort, and exceptional value earn these 12 new products the BACKPACKER seal of approval.

Find a satellite communicator, a fastpacking shoe, and more in our round-up of the year's best gear.

Innovation, value, unbeatable quality— here’s the best stuff we’ve tested this year.

Ten years into BACKPACKER's Editors' Choice awards, the gear has changed, but the goal hasn't.

After a gnarly hike down California's Lost Coast, these pieces shone.

Lightweight cookware and a revolutionary headlamp are among the highlights of this look back at 2001's best equipment.

A handy lantern and large, lightweight shelters make our list of the year's best gear.

Nine innovative new products to improve life on the trail, plus a few classics worth their weight in gold.

Socks with frying pan technology, a pack built like a taco, boots that would make Darth Vadar smile. Innovation abounds in this year's "Best New Gear" Awards.

10 new and noteworthy products that should be on every backpacker’s wish list.

After 18 days near the Arctic Circle, these boots, socks, packs, canoes, and more came out on top.

Clean out your gear closet! Here's our rundown of new, gotta-have products.

From burly leather boots to a useful multitool, these are our favorite pieces of gear this season.

To find out where marketing hype ends and true excellence begins, we trolled the aisles at trade shows last fall (where new gear debuts) and drew up a list of likely candidates. Then we took samples into the woods and beat the heck out of them. When the dust settled, the survivors made it onto this year's best-of-the-breed list.

How do you separate good gear from great gear? Six months of backpacking around the globe will do it. Our testers hiked, camped, climbed, and paddled in heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind to winnow hundreds of promising products down to a few dozen finalists.

After months and miles of testing, we found 12 products that set new benchmarks for performance, innovation, and value. From tents with wide-open views to the comfiest sleeping pad we've ever used, here's the best gear you'll find this year.

If our writer’s experience racing in the Phoenix Summit Challenge (November 2017), has you itching for a close-to-home hiking competition, consider these worthy of your time.

Don't forget your binoculars and camera on these bird-watching trails.

Give context to your buddy’s mid-jump flail by capturing it from start to finish with a sequence composite.

We're still buzzing off the stoke of last Monday's total solar eclipse. Spectators across North America documented the celestial event, but here are a few of our favorite shots.

Possibly the most useful fashion accessory you'll ever wear.