America’s Best Backpacking and Outdoor Adventures
Down Jacket Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket $295, 13 oz. (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL cotopaxi.com Down jackets come in a wide range of prices based primarily on the fill-power rating (read: warmth per ounce and packability) and amount of down inside, with the cost boosted when those feathers are water-resistant. While $250 does not seem inexpensive at …
Ultralight Backpacking Quilt Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 35/20 35-degree: $250, 1 lb. 5 oz. 20-degree: $280, 1 lb. 11 oz. Women’s 20-degree: $340, 1 lb. 11 oz. One size in each model sierradesigns.com For some backpackers, taking a quilt instead of a sleeping bag for multiple nights in the backcountry may seem risky—what if it’s not warm enough? In reality, …
Rechargeable Headlamp BioLite Headlamp 330 $60, 2.4 oz. moosejaw.com Few headlamps combine the attributes of being super ultralight, rechargeable, very bright, and having a long enough burn time (or charge duration) for a multi-day backcountry trip, but that’s exactly what you get with the BioLite Headlamp 330. For multiple backpacking trips this summer—including four days on Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail, …
Ultralight Backpacking Tent Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 $900, 1 lb. 12 oz. hyperlitemountaingear.com For six nights on a 96-mile traverse of the Wind River High Route—two-thirds of it off-trail and camping in the alpine zone between 10,000 and 12,000 feet—the Dirigo 2 endured rain and strong winds. But our last night had me worried. Camped in a completely exposed …
Ultralight BackpackHyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider$395, 55L/3,400 c.i., 1 lb. 15 oz./879g (medium)Sizes: S (fits torsos 15-17 ins.), M (17-19 ins.), L (19-21 ins.), Tall (21+ ins.)hyperlitemountaingear.com When the Windrider was delivered to my house, the box looked much too small to contain a backpack—if I’d had no idea, I might have guessed it contained a small tent. It’s not often …