America’s Best Backpacking and Outdoor Adventures
Ultralight Rain Jacket Montane Minimus Stretch Ultra Pull-on and Jacket $185 (pull-on)/$205 (jacket), 6 oz. (men’s medium pull-on) Sizes: men’s XS-XL, women’s US 6-14 (jacket only) Sunnysports.com From bone-rattling cold wind on a September dayhike in Glacier National Park and a back-to-back, rim-to-rim dayhikes across the Grand Canyon in October, to wind and rain while scrambling peaks in Idaho’s Sawtooth …
Backpacking Boots Zamberlan 491 Trackmaster GTX RR $220, 2 lbs. 8 oz. (men’s US 9/Euro 43) Sizes: men’s 8-13, women’s 6-11 rei.com For some backpacking trips, lightweight, mid-cut boots or low-cut shoes don’t cut it. With plans for a six-day hike of over 90 miles on the Continental Divide Trail through Glacier National Park in September—where snow had fallen just …
By Michael Lanza “There’s absolutely no one out here.” I was just a few hours into a solo backpacking trip around Mount Rainier National Park’s 32.8-mile Northern Loop when that realization hit me. It was a cool, clear day in October 2003. None of my usual hiking partners had been available to join me. So I decided to do the …
Down Jackets Sierra Designs Whitney DriDown Hoodie $169, 14 oz. (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL Moosejaw.com Sierra Designs Sierra DriDown Jacket $159, 12 oz. (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL Moosejaw.com The best, three-season down and synthetic insulated jackets stand out for high-quality construction and materials—which translates to abundant warmth per ounce, low weight, and excellent packability. …
By Michael Lanza What if every time you laid down money for hiking, backpacking, or other outdoors gear, you always knew exactly what you needed and were invariably satisfied with your purchase for years afterward? What if you knew every time whether it was smarter to spring for the pricier piece of gear or go for the cheaper model? What …