America’s Best Backpacking and Outdoor Adventures
Camp Pillow Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow $25, 4 oz. designsalt.com File this one under “There’s no reason to rough it too severely in the wilderness.” Many a night I’ve lain my head upon this very comfy inflatable pillow, which more than justifies its paltry weight and baseball size when stuffed. The microfiber shell on one side makes for a soft …
Headlamp
Princeton Tec Bot
$16, 2 oz. (with two AAA batteries)
Max burn time: nine hours at maximum brightness
princetontec.com
Your kids need to see in the dark in camp, too. Plus, having his or her own headlamp is pretty cool. My eight-year-old daughter loves his headlamp because it’s pink (it also comes in blue, purple, and green).
Headlamp
Princeton Tec Byte
$20, 2 oz. (with two AAA batteries)
Max burn time: 146 hours at maximum brightness
princetontec.com
If weight is your top priority when choosing gear and you need a headlamp that’s bright enough for most backpacking situations, the Byte is your pick. I used this tiny, water-resistant light on several backcountry adventures, including family trips in the Everglades and Tetons and a backpacking trip in Idaho’s Sawtooths.
Lightweight Soft Shell
Rab Boreas/Aurora Pull-On
$75, 9 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
rab.uk.com
Hikes and trail runs on crappy fall and spring days, fast-changing mountain weather in summer, highly aerobic activities in winter—for all of these things, nothing beats a highly breathable, lightweight pullover or jacket. The men’s Boreas and women’s Aurora are ideal for all of those pursuits.
Rain Shell
Mountain Hardwear Drystein Jacket
$425, 16 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
mountainhardwear.com
I’ve worn dozens of waterproof-breathable jackets over the past two decades of gear and apparel testing, and the characteristic that has always distinguished the best of them is breathability: It’s easy to make a jacket waterproof, not so easy to make it really breathe well when you’re sweating hard. The technology has come a long way over the years, and Hardwear’s new DryQ Elite takes breathability to a new level.