backpacking gear reviews

Gear Review: Scarpa Zanskar GTX Boots

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Scarpa Zanskar GTX
Scarpa Zanskar GTX

Backpacking Boots
Scarpa Zanskar GTX
$259, 3 lbs. 3 oz. (men’s Euro 42/US 9)
Sizes: men’s Euro 40-47, 48
scarpa.com

I’m a big fan of lightweight gear, including footwear. But sometimes you need boots that can handle anything: steady rain, mud, snow, scree, rocky trail, and the abuse of off-trail scrambling, plus deliver the support and protection for any circumstance, carrying any amount of weight. The best heavy-duty boots do all these things without actually feeling heavy or clunky. On an early-summer backpacking trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and nine days of trekking hut-to-hut on the rugged Alta Via 2 through Italy’s Dolomites in July, the Zanskar GTX did all of that for me.

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Gear Review: Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 Sleeping Bag

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Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800
Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800

Two-Season Sleeping Bag
Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 (30° F)
$330, 1 lbs. 12 oz. (reg); $350 (long)
Sizes: men’s regular and long, women’s regular ($370)
moosejaw.com

It’s a chilly morning in the backcountry and the last thing you want to do is exit your warm sleeping bag to step outside. With the Mobile Mummy 800, you don’t have to—you can wear your sleeping bag outside to fire up breakfast or take care of other business. Although the concept of a wearable sleeping bag that converts to a long down jacket isn’t new, Sierra Designs has achieved a nice kind of perfection with the Mobile Mummy.

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New Hance Trail, Grand Canyon.

Ask Me: Which Boots Do You Recommend for Backpacking, Heavier or Lighter?

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Michael,

This is a great, straightforward review [of the La Sportiva Thunder III GTX boots]. I was just looking at these boots and I am strongly considering them based on your review. I am torn between these Thunder III GTX and the La Sportiva Hyper Mid GTX. Perhaps you can provide some insight or guidance based on your experience with both boots. My primary activity will be backpacking, carrying 30 to 40 lbs., 10 to 15 miles per day in south-central Alaska. The terrain is just about as mixed as you can get: sharp rocks, sand, mud, roots, tundra, steep alpine, scree, creeks, etc.

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Gear Review: Oboz Bridger Mid BDry Boots

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Oboz Bridger Mid BDry
Oboz Bridger Mid BDry.

Boots
Oboz Bridger Mid BDry
$160, 2 lbs. 8 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-12, 13, 14, women’s 6-11
obozfootwear.com

How much should you expect from boots that weigh just two-and-a-half pounds and cost just $160? I wondered that as I set out in these boots on an overnight backpacking trip in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in late March. Carrying up to about 50 pounds—including gear and food for my two kids and me plus, at one point, 13 liters of water—I honestly was ready for my feet to feel a bit sore and beat up by day’s end. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of support and performance delivered by boots at this weight and price.

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Gear Review: L.L. Bean Puff-n-Stuff Jacket

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L.L. Bean Puff-n-Stuff Jacket
L.L. Bean Puff-n-Stuff Jacket.

Kids Puffy Jacket
L.L. Bean Puff-n-Stuff Jacket
$59, 13.5 oz. (boys large/14-16)
Sizes: boys’ and girls’ S-XL (8-18), little boys’ and girls’ S-L (4-7)
llbean.com

From wearing it as a layering piece under a shell when skiing, to backpacking in late March in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park when the temperature dropped below freezing, to innumerable school days, my son has worn this hooded, insulated jacket so much it has hardly seen a hanger (partly because he doesn’t appear to know how to use a hanger). When buying outdoor apparel for kids, you sometimes have to choose between high quality and affordability. I’m a believer that, like adults, kids enjoy the outdoors more when they’re comfortable—but it’s hard pulling the trigger on an expensive item, given how few seasons a kid wears something before outgrowing it. At 59 bucks, the Puff-n-Stuff Jacket is a steal.

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