Gear Reviews

Gregory Paragon 60 2026 update.

Review: Gregory Paragon 60 and Maven 58

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Backpack
Gregory Paragon 60
$300, 60L/3,661 c.i., 3 lb. 10 oz./1.65kg (men’s SM/MD)
Sizes: men’s Paragon SM/MD and MD/LG, women’s Maven XS/SM and SM/MD
Women’s Maven 58: backcountry.com
Men’s Paragon 60: backcountry.com

This fall, I spent five weeks living out of a backpack in Europe, including a five-day hut trek through the Carnic Alps and countless hours hauling gear through train stations and across cities. For this job, I needed a pack that could remain comfortable and organized while carrying a substantial amount of weight. I chose the 2026 update of the Gregory Paragon 60, having been impressed by it during its 45-mile maiden voyage in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, and it provided the perfect home-away-from-home for my possessions for the whole trip.

The centerpiece of the trip was our family’s trek of the Carnic Peace Trail, which follows a rough ridgeline on the Austrian-Italian border, but I also had four other weeks of various mountain and urban activities to consider while packing. As a result, I ended up with an absolute pig of a pack—somewhere slightly over 50 pounds after adding food and water for the trek—and the Paragon carried the weight resolutely: The perimeter alloy frame with fiberglass cross-stay prevented any barreling or folding of the pack under this heavy load. I actually found this pack to offer some of the best heavyweight comfort I’ve worn, with my back not substantially bothered by about 50 pounds—though I’m 26, exercise a lot, and weigh 180 pounds, and many users would find a lower maximum comfortable weight.

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Review: Black Diamond Solution 2.0 Hoody

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Hooded Insulated Jacket
Black Diamond Solution 2.0 Hoody
$299, 13.8 oz./390g (men’s medium) 
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
Men’s: blackdiamondequipment.com
Women’s: blackdiamondequipment.com

The Black Diamond Solution 2.0 immediately struck me as a unique layer: at first glance, it’s a puffy, but upon deeper inspection, it’s lighter (in weight and insulation) than many synthetic puffies, and also features windproofness and high water-resistance, giving it features found in shells and insulation layers.

I’ve tested the Solution 2.0 as a midlayer and outer layer resort skiing on windy and wet days of moderate snowfall in spring and as my outer layer in chilly campsites while backpacking in the Wind River Range and elsewhere over the summer with the goal of resolving this dichotomy, and I found myself impressed by its performance—the Solution repels wind and water well and provides good warmth for a synthetic puffy of its weight.

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The Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell.

The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

You’re out on an all-day hike or a long climb or trail run or ride in the mountains. The weather forecast looked pretty good before you set out—but no one shared that memo with the wind that just started hammering your summit ridge, or the spitting rain and hail now pelting you as you contemplate the sudden drop in temperature and the miles between you and shelter. The question now is: What’s in your pack?

If you’re smart—and the weather forecast didn’t look to awful—it’s an ultralight jacket that takes up little space, but is about to gift you with just the right amount of weather protection when you need it.

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Rab Microlight Alpine Down Jacket.

The 12 Best Down Jackets of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

Whatever you need an insulated jacket for, there’s a down or synthetic puffy for your needs, within your budget. And whether you want a puffy jacket for outdoor activities like backpacking, camping, skiing, climbing, and hut treks, or just to keep you warm around town or at outdoor sporting events, this review will help you figure out how to choose the right jacket for your purposes, and it spotlights the best down and synthetic insulated jackets available today.

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Backpackers at night with headlamps in a campsite in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, Yosemite National Park.

The Best Headlamps of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

A headlamp is unquestionably essential gear for hiking, backpacking, climbing, trail running, ultra-running and ultra-hiking, ski touring, and other backcountry activities that sometimes push into darkness (whether intentionally or not). But with so many to pick from, how do you choose which one to buy? Price? Brightness? Weight? Design and range of lighting modes? Go with a brand you know and trust? This review cuts through the information overload to help you pick the right headlamp for your adventures.

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