Review: Gossamer Gear The One Ultralight Backpacking Tent

Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Gossamer Gear The One
$300, 1 lb. 6 oz.
gossamergear.com

When the wind blew strong gusts on some nights during a six-day, north-south traverse of more than 90 miles on the Continental Divide Trail in Glacier National Park in September, I wondered out of self-interest how well Gossamer Gear’s The One would stand up to them—given its tall profile, lightweight materials, and design that utilizes trekking poles for pitching. As it turned out, I had no reason to worry. The One not only held up well, it demonstrated why it is quite possibly the best solo ultralight tent on the market today. Continue reading →

Photo Gallery: Backpacking the CDT Through Glacier National Park

By Michael Lanza

After almost three decades of wilderness backpacking all over the U.S. and around the world, rarely does a new trip immediately leap into my all-time top 10. But that’s exactly what happened when three friends and I recently backpacked a north-south traverse of about 90 miles through Glacier National Park, mostly following the Continental Divide Trail.

Backpacking for six days from Chief Mountain Trailhead, at the Canadian border in the park’s northeast corner to Two Medicine, in the park’s southeast corner, we enjoyed the full Glacier experience, from daily wildlife encounters to scenery unlike anything you can find anywhere else in America—as I think you’ll see in this photo gallery. Continue reading →

Ask Me: Where Can I Hike in Yosemite in Late Fall?

Michael,

First, let me say that I enjoy your trip reports, gear reviews and especially the photographs. I also love kids and your adventures with them are a joy to read. Your website inspires me to want to get out West and experience the wilderness. With that in mind, I have the opportunity to attend a wedding just outside the South Entrance to Yosemite National Park the weekend of Veterans Day. I have never been to Yosemite and I would hate to miss an opportunity to see the sights. I would like to stay a few days after the wedding to hike and possibly backpack. Do you have any suggestions for dayhikes and perhaps someplace to camp? Continue reading →

Review: Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket

Down Jacket
Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket
$309, 11 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
featheredfriends.com

From lunch stops at mountain passes buffeted by cold, autumn’s-around-the-corner winds in Glacier National Park in September, to cool mornings and evenings in camp on that six-day Glacier backpacking trip and a four-day August trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, the Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket persuaded me that it’s hands-down one of the very best puffy jackets on the market—and an incredible value at its price. I don’t offer such praise casually or very often. But there are few pieces of outdoor apparel or gear on which your money would be more wisely spent. Read on to learn why. Continue reading →

Gear Review: Osprey Exos 58 and Eja 58 Ultralight Backpacks

Ultralight Backpack
Osprey Exos 58 and Eja 58
$220, 58L/3,539 c.i., 2 lbs. 11 oz. (men’s medium Exos)
Sizes: men’s Exos S-L, women’s Eja XS-M
Moosejaw.com

It’s difficult and sometimes dangerous to improve on a piece of gear that’s nearly perfect in its simplicity and functionality. So when Osprey rolled out the redesigned Exos for 2018, along with a women’s version, the Eja, with some changes to this popular model—which became an ultralight pack archetype when it was introduced in 2008—I immediately wanted to see whether the changes represent an improvement. Taking it on a six-day, roughly 90-mile hike on the Continental Divide Trail through Glacier National Park, I found definite improvements—including that it carries better than the previous iteration—and I think some backpackers may miss one convenient feature that’s absent from the updated pack. Continue reading →