Gear Reviews

The Jetboil Flash backpacking stove.

Review: Jetboil Flash Backpacking Stove

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Backpacking Stove
Jetboil Flash
$130, 13.1 oz./371g
backcountry.com

On chilly, windy, early-April mornings and evenings in camp in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon, at windy campsites in mid-April on two backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon and in September in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, and calmer but still cool mealtimes on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River, plus backpacking three days on southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons loop in early May, four days in the Wind River Range in August, seven days in Glacier National Park in September, four days with freezing nights on the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah’s High Uintas and three days on the Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October, among other trips, the Jetboil Flash did everything you want a backpacking stove to do: assembled quickly and easily, fired up immediately every time, and boiled water so fast that even our group of five hungry backpackers were content sharing just that one stove.

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The Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p ultralight backpacking tent.

Review: Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p Ultralight Backpacking Tent

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Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p
$430, 2 lbs. 1 oz./948g
backcountry.com

Sleeping in this ultralight tent while backpacking a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River in the first days of April and backpacking southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons loop in early May, camping in Idaho’s City of Rocks in June, and backpacking the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the Canadian Rockies in August, I had a chance to not only test its performance, but also to consider the unique little niche it fills. If you’re seeking the lightest and most packable shelter that possesses all the ease of use, protection, and convenience of traditional double-wall tents as well as a degree of livability that will suit many backpackers, the Hornet Osmo 2p offers much to like.

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The Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 15° F/-9° C sleeping bag.

Review: Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 15F/-9C Sleeping Bag

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Ultralight Sleeping Bag
Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy
$319, 2 lbs. 8 oz. (men’s regular)
Sizes: men’s regular and long ($290) and women’s ($300)
sierradesigns.com

Stepping out of my tent on our first morning in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April, I was greeted by an air temperature barely above freezing and a steady wind sailing through our camp at about 20 to 30 miles per hour. So I reacted in the only way that made sense: I wore my sleeping bag in camp. And I could do that and walk around easily (while my friends assumed postures of cold discomfort wearing their down jackets outside—or simply stayed in their tent) because my bag was the Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 15° F/-9° C.

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The Biolite Headlamp 425.

Review: BioLite Headlamp 425

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Rechargeable Ultralight Headlamp
BioLite Headlamp 425
$60, 2.75 oz./78g
backcountry.com

What does the ideal backcountry headlamp look like? Many of us who find ourselves in wild spaces well before dawn or after dark might describe that headlamp as light, bright enough to see what lies at least 200 feet ahead of you (especially when off-trail), with a versatile set of lighting modes and brightness levels, easy to use, and rechargeable with sufficient juice to last several days. BioLite’s Headlamp 425 checks all those boxes and impressed me with its performance on backpacking trips in the Wind River Range in late summer and on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April.

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The Mystery Ranch Coulee 50 backpack.

Review: Mystery Ranch Coulee 50 Backpack

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Backpack
Mystery Ranch Coulee 50
$249, 50L/2,930 c.i., 3 lbs. 12 oz./1.7kg (men’s S/M with XS/S belt)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L
publiclands.com

The race to lighten gear often results in compromises, and with backpacks those tradeoffs can impact access, durability, and comfort—the last usually in the form of strict load-weight limits. Carrying the Coulee 50 backpacking a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April and on the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness in the Canadian Rockies in early August, I developed a serious crush on this pack for its comfort and a smart design that makes every interaction with it easier and faster.

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