backpacking gear reviews

Arc’teryx Aerios FL Mid GTX hiking shoes.

Gear Review: Arc’teryx Aerios FL Mid GTX Hiking Shoes

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Hiking and Backpacking Shoes Arc’teryx Aerios FL Mid GTX $185, 1 lb. 11 oz. (US men’s 9) Sizes: men’s 7-13, women’s 5-10 rei.com The trend toward lighter footwear for hiking and backpacking has generally improved the offerings available—but has also produced a lot of shoes that, frankly, lack the support and cushion for rugged dayhiking or lightweight backpacking. Curious to …

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The Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum ultralight backpacking tent in the Grand Canyon.

Gear Review: Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum Ultralight Tent

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Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum
$600, 1 lb. 15 oz.
moosejaw.com

The sub-two-pound, double-wall, freestanding tent has become like the two-hour marathon of the backpacking gear world: the holy grail that many have come close to achieving, without quite nailing it. Now Big Agnes has set the pace with the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum, a redesign of its Tiger Wall UL2 from 2018 that seizes the grail and—most importantly—avoids shortcomings endemic to other ultralight tents. Taking it out on a six-day, 74-mile spring hike through the Grand Canyon that—not surprisingly—tested the wind resistance of our shelters, I found much to recommend about the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum, and decided it ranks among the very best backpacking tents available today. Here’s why.

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The North Face Safien GTX hiking shoes.

Gear Review: The North Face Safien GTX Hiking Shoes

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Hiking Shoes
The North Face Safien GTX
$140, 1 lb. 10 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 7-14, women’s 5-11
Moosejaw.com

Few outings test the comfort and support of hiking shoes like a rim-to-rim dayhike across the Grand Canyon. So to take the full measure of the purported extra cushioning in The North Face Safien GTX shoes, I hiked them across the Big Ditch and back again over two days—a total of 42 miles and about 22,000 vertical feet of serious pounding on consecutive days—and finished feeling no small measure of relief that these shoes really are as cushy as TNF claims. They also have other strengths as well as some minor weaknesses.

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Outdoor Research Refuge Hooded Jacket.

Review: Outdoor Research Refuge Hooded Jacket

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Breathable Insulated Jacket Outdoor Research Refuge Hooded Jacket $220, 1 lb. 2 oz. (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL backcountry.com Puffy jackets stuffed with breathable synthetic insulation comprise one of the unsung-hero categories of outdoor gear: If you’re seeking nothing more than maximum warmth per ounce in a puffy jacket, sure, high-quality down is still the way to go. …

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The Nemo Kyan 20 synthetic sleeping bag.

Review: Nemo Kyan 20/Azura 20 Sleeping Bag

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Three-Season Sleeping BagNemo Kyan 20/Azura 20 $220, 2 lbs. 3 oz. (men’s regular) Sizes: men’s and women’s regular and long Moosejaw.com From sleeping under the stars in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains in August to a six-day backpacking trip on the Continental Divide Trail in Glacier National Park in September, I slept like a baby in Nemo’s Kyan 20. But even more …

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