backpacking gear reviews

Gear Review: Zamberlan 230 SH Crosser Plus GTX RR

by
Zamberlan 230 SH Crosser Plus GTX RR
Zamberlan 230 SH Crosser Plus GTX RR

Lightweight Boots
Zamberlan 230 SH Crosser Plus GTX RR
$170, 2 lbs. (men’s US 9/Euro 43)
Sizes: US men’s 8-12, 13, 14, women’s 6-11
zamberlanusa.com

Having hiked and backpacked all over America and the world, I’m convinced few places test a pair of boots—especially lightweight boots—like New Hampshire’s White Mountains. So to put these new mid-cuts through the ringer, I wore them on a recent 25-mile, overnight hut trip from Crawford Notch to Franconia Notch in the Whites—including one of the most rugged sections of the Appalachian Trail. And the Crosser Plus impressed me as highly supportive and tough for its weight.

Read on

Gear Review: Granite Gear Leopard A.C. 58 and Leopard V.C. 46 Backpacks

by
Granite Gear Leopard A.C. 58
Granite Gear Leopard A.C. 58

Backpacks
Granite Gear Leopard A.C. 58
$250, 3 lbs. 12 oz. (men’s regular)
58L/3,540 c.i.
Sizes: men’s and women’s short (fits torsos 14-18 inches) and regular (fits torsos 18-22 inches). Unisex shoulder straps S-L, men’s and women’s hipbelts S-XL.

Granite Gear Leopard V.C. 46 with Klymit AirBeam Frame
$230, 2 lbs. 6 oz. (men’s regular with AirBeam pack frame)
46L/2,800 c.i.
Sizes: men’s regular (fits torsos 18-21 inches) and long (fits torsos 21-24 inches), four sizes of hipbelts for both men and women.
granitegear.com

Granite Gear Leopard V.C. 46
Granite Gear Leopard V.C. 46

How light do you want to go? With the Leopard A.C. 58 and the Leopard V.C. 46, Granite Gear offers nearly identical backpacks that both deliver a lot of performance for their weight and price. The main difference, besides capacity? One is a lightweight load-hauler with a traditional internal frame, the other a pack designed for ounce-counting ultralighters, with an optional upgrade to an inflatable frame. I wanted to compare the conventional plastic framesheet in the A.C. 58 against the air frame in the V.C. 46 with the AirBeam upgrade, which is one-third lighter.

Read on

Gear Review: Easton Carbon 5 Trekking Pole

by
Easton Carbon 5 trekking poles
Easton Carbon 5 trekking poles

Trekking Poles
Easton Carbon 5 Trekking Pole
$149, 1 lb. (pair)
One size adjustable 100 to 120 cm
eastonmountainproducts.com

On a three-day, mostly off-trail traverse of the canyons of Capitol Reef National Park’s Waterpocket Fold formation, frequently scrambling up and down very steep talus or slickrock, I needed poles that assemble and collapse easily while remaining flawlessly secure when assembled; and are widely adjustable, to help me ascending and descending in such vertiginous terrain with consistently poor footing. These poles delivered on all counts, as well as collapsing to less than 16 inches in length, short enough to easily stow even on a small daypack or hydration pack.

Read on

Gear Review: Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL Air Mat

by
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL

Insulated Air Mattress
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL
$140, 1 lb. 2 oz. (20x66x3.5 ins., rectangular, with stuff sack)
Sizes: four rectangular, two mummy
bigagnes.com

In the competition to make backcountry air mattresses lighter, more compact, and more comfortable, the Insulated Q-Core SL has raised the bar. I slept on the shortest (and least expensive) of the six sizes of this three-season air mattress for seven nights in southern Utah in early spring, including backpacking trips in Coyote Gulch and Capitol Reef National Park, and found it heavenly for comfort.

Read on