Editors' Choice

Running-shoe comfort with hiking-boot stability.

The BACKPACKER editors head to the ultimate gear testing ground: Chile's 3,600-meter Volcano San Pedro

Two ultralight, ultracomfortable backpacks - one with a top lid and one without.

Send and receive messages from the backcountry

The only backpacking t-shirt you'll ever need. See why this shirt stands out from the rest.

The best carbon poles we've ever tested.

A family-size tent that weighs as much as some two-person shelters.

Ultralight, waterproof hikers that have all-day comfort and superb traction.

Call for emergeny help and stay connected back home with these two high-tech gadgets.

A lightweight pack with best-in-class suspension for heavy loads.

A 2.5-inch, full-length mattress that's insulated with open-cell foam.

Midweight hikers that can scramble and haul 45-pound loads.

An ultralight shelter that's affordable.

An 800-fill-down puffy that packs small and is under $200.

Maximum warmth, minimum weight Maximum warmth, minimum weight.

An ultralight water purifier that eliminates all microorganisms, leaves no aftertaste, and works fast.

After 8 years, this tent is still the best deal out there. Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Dorn shows you why.

These perfect pots have stood the test of time and earned our coveted Editors' Choice Gold Award.

BACKPACKER editors cap their Swiss gear-testing trip with a climb of the 13,474-foot Monch.

This uncommonly comfortable boot tackles the biggest terrain in our video review.

Carry the biggest loads with shocking comfort with this backpack that loads like a suitcase.

Cook anywhere, anytime with this innovative ultralight stove.

Hike far and fast in these light, versatile hybrid hiking boots.

Get ready for the hike of a lifetime as our editors take you up the best trail in the Alps. Get ready for the hike of a lifetime as our editors take you up the best trail in the Alps. (Download the tracklog for this hike here!)

Attention, ultralighters who want a legit two-person tent: This is it.

If you use trekking poles, you should use this tent.

Settle the wool-versus-synthetic debate once and for all: Get the best of both.

Make your iPhone trail-ready with this protective case that doubles as a rechargeable battery pack.

Turn a disposable lighter into a weatherproof flamethrower.

These alternative energy snacks combine buffalo meat and cranberries.

BACKPACKER editors get muddy and bloody while ascending the slippery Lockwoods Chimney, a half-climbing-half-caving route cut deep into the craggy Welsh mountainside.

Four is not a crowd in this family-size featherweight.

Are you ready for your best backcountry sleep ever? Carry less and sleep more with this light-and-luxe mattress.

Bright, light, and rechargeable--the perfect camp lantern is here. Green Editor Berne Broudy breaks down why this lamp made the EC cut. 2613919215001

Dennis Lewon shows you why the Mountainsmith Phoenix won this year's Green Award at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. See why this pack from Mountainsmith went home with our Editors' Choice Award.

Editor in Chief Jon Dorn showcases this award winner at the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show.

Backpacker Deputy Editor Dennis Lewon reports live from the 2008 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show on why Marmot's tried and true sleeping bags were given an Editors' Choice Gold Award.

Kristin Hostetter breaks down (and puts back together) GSI's killer cooking system at the 2008 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show.

Backpacker Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter breaks down two of the best camp stoves of 2007 on the trail.