Gear Reviews

Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 30 sleeping bag.

Review: Feathered Friends Hummingbird and Egret UL Sleeping Bags

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Ultralight Sleeping Bags Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL and Egret UL 30/20 $549-$629, 1 lb. 5 oz. (men’s regular 30-degree) Sizes: men’s regular and long, women’s small and medium featheredfriends.com Sleeping bags often look very much alike—until you spend a night inside one and carry it in a backpack. That’s when the differences emerge, and besides price, those differences generally fall …

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Outdoor Research Interstellar Jacket

Review: Outdoor Research Interstellar Jacket

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Rain JacketOutdoor Research Interstellar Jacket$299, 11 oz. (men’s medium)Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XLbackcountry.com Anyone who’s spent enough hours in waterproof-breathable jackets while on the move in rain knows that the second half of that hyphenated adjective looms as critical to performance as the “waterproof” part. When OR introduced the Interstellar as an overhaul of a personal favorite, their Realm Jacket, …

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The Mystery Ranch Sphinx 60L backpack.

Review: Mystery Ranch Sphinx 60 Backpack

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Backpack Mystery Ranch Sphinx 60 $269, 60L/3,662 c.i., 4 lbs. 14 oz. (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L backcountry.com Anyone shopping for a backpack designed for carrying loads of 40 pounds or more should be looking at a few specific qualities: an abundance of external pockets that provide a variety of organizational options; superior durability; and most of all, …

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The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness.

Review: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Backpacking Tent

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Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
$600, 2 lbs. 11 oz./1219g
backcountry.com

As the wind gusted over 30 mph and at times 40 mph at our unprotected campsite in a big meadow beside the Snake River, on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon while backpacking in early June, I kept throwing nervous glances at our tents. But while three of them whipped and bent under the onslaught of air, the Copper Spur HV UL2 barely trembled—not what you’d necessarily expect from an ultralight backpacking tent. But that’s just one way this shelter defies expectations.

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Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Down Hoody

Review: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Down Hoody

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Ultralight Down Jacket Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Down Hoody $399, 8.8 oz./250g (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL rei.com There’s no getting around a hard truth about most of the products we buy to use outdoors: Their materials come from the petroleum products that are a primary driver of climate change. Increasingly, outdoor brands and consumers are leaning in …

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