After five glorious days of all the sweet new stuff retailers can offer, we're home and recovering from the high. Our last blog blizzard of some standouts. Read More...
While boaters know that there is nothing worse than being up a creek without a paddle, backpackers might find it just as upsetting to be up a Creek without a Fly. Thankfully, the Fly comes with the Creek in Big Agnes' lightest two-person tent ever: the Fly Creek 2. Read More...
GoLite wants to give people a backcountry bedroom (with the emphasis on "room") in their new Eden tent line. These hoop-style tents boast fast set-up, big vestibules, and lots of space for living. Read More...
Lots of good stuff in our day 3 roundup: a 2.4-ounce day pack, a new integrated canister fuel cooking system, new 3-pound internal frame backpacks, and 11-ounce mid-height hikers, to mention a few. Read More...
Nemo Equipment Inc. is busy at this year's OR show, introducing two new lines of tents, including the Espri series of lightweight double-wall that offer fast set-up, good protection from the elements, and a plethora of entry options. Read More...
ACR's newest and lightest PLB includes a high performance GPS receiver, 5 Watt 406 MHz distress signal transmission, 121.5 MHz homing capability, and a high intensity LED strobe. Read More...
McMurdo offers tried and true 406Mhz band Personal Locator Beacon performance in a 5.3-ounce package. How will it compare against the current crop of personal signaling devices? Read More...
A bright and lightweight LED headlamp from battery giant Energizer that offers several attractive features at $30 and 3.1 oz with a lithium battery (as weighed by BPL). Read More...
Personal locator devices (PLDs) are a hot, rapidly evolving area for the outdoor market. An overview of where we think it's headed (and why). Read More...
CamelBak introduces a complete and easy to use UV water purification system, marking the adoption of this proven technology by a big company. Read More...
Henry Shires performs his magic once again – the new Tarptent Moment has one hoop pole, two stakes, sets up in less than a minute, and has loads of room for one person. Read More...
While GPS units are getting bigger and heavier, at least they are also becoming more functional. The Garmin Oregon 550t integrates 100k topo maps, a hi-res display, and a 3.2MP digital camera. Read More...
When Jason Goldman* (not his real name) completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in less than 100 days, not too many people paid attention: it had been hiked faster by others. But this was Jason's third thru-hike of the PCT. His previous two were completed in 183 and 174 days, respectively... Read More...
There is a cost of doing business in the outdoor industry, especially as a collective whole. Can social media alleviate some of that cost, or is it simply a mechanism for increasing the clutter of information coming from OR? Read More...
Designer Sheri Tingey talks about the history of safety design in Alpacka packrafts and the latest tweaks she's made to the boats to improve whitewater performance and safety. Read More...
A few weeks after completing their 4000-mile journey by foot, ski and packraft from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, Erin and Hig share a tale of a destructive bear encounter, their favorite gear, future plans, and why being good at transitions was a vital ingredient to the trip's success. Read More...
Backpacking Light Associate Editor Will Rietveld highlights our current favorite backpacks in three categories, evaluates some upgrades and new arrivals, and discusses the trends. Read More...
Our latest lightweight shelter roundup turns up the lightest, most user-friendly tents to be found, ever. Major manufacturers are introducing sub-four-pound double wall two-person tents. And two two-person double wall tents break through the three pound barrier. Read More...
New sleeping bag designs from Integral Designs, Montbell, Exped, Jacks ‘R’ Better, Mountain Hardwear, and REI show innovative functionality and lighter weight. Read More...
A primer on choosing footwear for fast and light backpacking, with input from the Backpacking Light staff on the footwear they use; a roundup of promising new lightweight footwear found at the summer 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show; and a description of Ion Mask, a nanotechnology waterproofing process that doesn't affect breathability and could eliminate the need for a waterproof membrane in footwear. Read More...
Exciting things are happening in sleeping pads this year at Cascade Designs (parent company of Therm-a-Rest) and Pacific Outdoor Equipment. Cascade Designs has an extensive new lineup of products that will surely interest lightweight hikers, including a revolutionary new pad technology that promises substantial performance improvements over existing designs. Meanwhile, Pacific Outdoor Equipment is moving towards more eco-friendly materials and is launching a very innovative product design program of which you can be a part. Read More...
Associate Editor Will Rietveld provides an in-depth roundup of lightweight rainwear options and highlights current staff favorites, new products in the pipeline, market trends, and a new technology that could dramatically change the waterproof-breathable apparel market. Read More...
Stove technology continues to advance this year, with trends of additional remote canister stoves with preheat tubes that are suitable for cold-weather operation, new alcohol and canister "cooking systems" that combine stove, windscreen, and pots into highly efficient and compact packages, plus a further move towards lighter stoves in general. Read More...
New Micro Four-Thirds digital camera standard stirs hope for pro-grade, interchangeable-lens cameras that are lightweight, compact and can be tailored to your exact needs. Read More...
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