backpacking apparel reviews

The Outdoor Research Astroman Air Sun Hoodie.

The Best Sun Shirts of 2025

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By Michael Lanza

Whether backpacking, dayhiking, climbing, trail running, fishing, paddling, or active outdoors in myriad other ways, sun protection becomes critical not only for preventing skin cancer, but also because the hot sun can wear you down and exacerbate the effects of heat, elevation, and dehydration—especially in the mountains and desert.

While there are a variety of styles of sun shirts, for active pursuits in warm to hot temperatures, nothing really beats a lightweight, breathable hoody for maximum protection and keeping you cool—while adding minimal weight and bulk to your kit. This review spotlights the best sun shirt hoodies.

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The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody.

Review: Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody

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Ultralight Insulated Hooded Jacket
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody
$329, 10 oz./283.5g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-3XL, women’s XXS-XXL
backcountry.com

Since getting my first Micro Puff Hoody when Patagonia rolled it out eight years ago, I have zipped into this lightweight, synthetic jacket in countless circumstances that include: sitting at campsites on cool, windy evenings and mornings while backpacking in the Wind River Range and on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim; wind blowing over 40 mph while belaying a climbing partner and in camp at Idaho’s City of Rocks; on winter days (wearing it under a shell) when skiing downhill in the backcountry; and at kids’ soccer games on blustery autumn and spring days.

Most recently, I wore the latest update of the Micro Puff Hoody for three evenings and mornings in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit, with strong wind at times, on a late March backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon—affirming again that it remains one of the lightest and most versatile insulated jackets on the market, and remarkably warm for its weight.

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A backpacker hiking the Dawson Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.

How You Can Tell How Warm a Down Jacket Is

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By Michael Lanza

While sleeping bags have temperature ratings, with down jackets and other insulated jackets, there exists no easy way to determine how warm any specific garment will be without wearing it outside. But despite the absence of a precise metric for gauging the warmth of down and synthetic puffy jackets, there are ways to assess a specific jacket’s relative warmth before you even see it, using simple metrics. This article will explain how to do that.

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The Black Diamond Approach Down Hoody.

The 12 Best Down Jackets of 2025

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By Michael Lanza

Whatever you need an insulated jacket for, there’s a down or synthetic puffy for your needs, within your budget. And whether you want a puffy jacket for outdoor activities like backpacking, camping, skiing, climbing, and hut treks, or just to keep you warm around town or at outdoor sporting events, this review will help you figure out how to choose the right jacket for your purposes, and it spotlights the best down and synthetic insulated jackets available today.

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The Best Base Layers, Shorts and Socks for Hiking and Running

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By Michael Lanza

Let’s admit it: We don’t always take our base layers as seriously and we do our outerwear and insulation—or packs, tents, boots and other gear, for that matter. But this under-appreciated first stage in a layering system for the outdoors really sets the table for how comfortable you’ll be. Base layers that don’t perform well probably won’t kill you, but misery isn’t a good companion. This is what we wear against our skin. It matters.

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