Hiking Gear Reviews

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork trekking poles.

Review: Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles

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Trekking Poles
Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles
$140, 1 lb. 2 oz. (140cm)
Men’s and women’s models, adjustable
backcountry.com

Sometimes it’s the subtle design features that distinguish one model of trekking poles from another. From winter dayhikes in New England and Idaho on trails that ranged from icy and snowy to dry, to a six-day, 94-mile backpacking trip through Glacier National Park, Black Diamond’s new Trail Ergo Cork poles proved durable, versatile, widely adjustable, and useful for hiking and backpacking in all seasons. Here’s why.

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MSR DynaLock Ascent Trekking Poles.

Review: MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon Trekking Poles

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Trekking Poles
MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon Poles
$190, 1 lb. 1 oz./481.9g (per pair, 100-120cm, with trekking baskets)
Two sizes, adjustable: S 100-120cm/39-47.2 ins., L 120-140cm/47.2-55.1 ins.
cascadedesigns.com

When you need trekking poles, you want them to stand up to the hardest use in any season. When you don’t need them, you want them to nestle unobtrusively under pack straps. On numerous days in the backcountry, including a 20-mile, mostly off-trail peaks traverse in Idaho’s Sawtooths, a rim-to-rim dayhike across the Grand Canyon, a five-day trip in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains, a six-day hut trek on Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails, and some of the hardest miles on the Appalachian Trail, MSR’s Dynalock Ascent Carbon poles stood out for being tough, stable, and exceptionally packable.

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Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp.

Review: Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp

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Ultralight HeadlampPrinceton Tec Vizz$50, 3.2 oz. (including three AAA batteries)outdoorplay.com NOTE: See my review of the newest version of the Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp. Long a favorite headlamp of mine for backpacking or climbs or dayhikes that somehow stretched into the wee hours, the Vizz received an update in 2018 that made it the brightest three-ounce headlamp I’ve reviewed (three …

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Gear Review: Petzl Bindi Ultralight Rechargeable Headlamp

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Petzl Bindi ultralight headlamp
Petzl Bindi ultralight headlamp.

Ultralight Rechargeable Headlamp
Petzl Bindi
$60, 1.2 oz./35g
moosejaw.com

To get a backcountry headlamp that’s crazy ultralight, you have to ditch all superfluous parts, stripping it down to only what’s essential—the light and housing. With the rechargeable Bindi, Petzl created a super-ultralight headlamp by shrinking the housing and dropping two elements that comprise much of the weight of many three-ounce headlamps on the market today: the batteries and head strap (the latter replaced with an adjustable, stretch cord). The result is an uber minimalist light that weighs barely more than an ounce and fits in a closed fist, but proved very functional on predawn mornings and dark evenings in camp on a six-day backpacking trip in Glacier National Park in September.

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Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket.

Review: Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket

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Note: See my review of updated-for-2022 Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket.

Down Jacket
Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket
$429, 11 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
featheredfriends.com

From lunch stops at mountain passes buffeted by cold, autumn’s-around-the-corner winds in Glacier National Park in September, to mornings and evenings in temps in the thirties and forties on that six-day Glacier backpacking trip, another September backpacking trip in Yellowstone, and a four-day August trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, the Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket persuaded me that it’s hands-down one of the very best puffy jackets on the market—and an incredible value at its price. I don’t offer such praise casually or very often. But there are few pieces of outdoor apparel or gear on which your money would be more wisely spent. Read on to learn why.

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