Trends

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...

Nemo Equipment Inc. throws their hat in the trekking-pole-supported-shelter ring with the Meta series of single-wall tents. 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...

Wednesday's standouts and goodies - we continue to find lots of interesting gear and technology stories on the floor of the Salt Palace. 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...

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...

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...

A grueling first day at summer 2009 OR rewarded us with loads of lightweight goodies; here's a first installment, with more to come. Read More...

New lighter and smaller SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger 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...

Open Air Demo consists of booths and boats – and there is always something new, something interesting, and something unique. Read More...

What can you expect from our coverage of the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market next week? 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...

Coghlan's celebrates 50 years of service to the Outdoor Industry. 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 staff pick their favorite gear of 2008. Read More...

Waterproof clothing without coatings or membranes: how they do it and how it works. Read More...

Erin and Hig's mothers weigh in with childhood anecdotes that give us a glimpse of young explorers in the making. Read More...

The new BPL Wiki hosted by Backpacking Light! Read More...

Erin and Hig discuss their minimal first aid kit and strategies for staying alive and well throughout a year of wilderness trekking. Read More...

Publisher Ryan Jordan recalls moments worth celebrating. 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...

Mike Martin and Will Rietveld have the highlights on new apparel from ORSM08. 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...

Twinkle, twinkle little star... 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...

The Lightweight Tentmaker Brings Their Products to America. 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...

A day at the lake to try out new watercraft and accessories. 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...

National Geographic Maps web-based TOPO! Explorer (NG TEX) aims to be the iTunes of electronic mapping. Read More...

New offerings found at ORSM 2008 Read More...

Will the mass market ever embrace the lightweight philosophy, or has it already? Read More...

Chris Townsend's report on the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and how it compares to Salt Lake City's Outdoor Retailer Show. Read More...

Mike Martin gives us the skinny on what to expect from BackpackingLight.com's coverage in the coming days. Read More...

Essentials commentary from BackpackingLight reader, Mark Henley. Read More...

Essentials commentary from BackpackingLight reader, Allison Miller. Read More...

Essentials commentary from BackpackingLight reader, Jim Bailey. Read More...

Perspectives from Tom Murphy, Rainbow Weinstock, and Rick Dreher on how professional photography fits with lightweight principles. Read More...

NOLS Rocky Mountain discusses the process and progress of the 40-Pound Initiative, a branch effort to reduce student pack weights to 40 pounds or less for all Wind River courses. Read More...

Affluenza, as it is defined by the authors, is “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.” Read More...

Attractive and durable packaging is one thing; green packaging is quite another. The best companies have both. Learn about green packaging and see the best and worst of what the Outdoor Industry has to offer. Read More...

UltralightLiving.com explores the extension of ultralight backpacking philosophies to other areas of your life. Read More...