Hiking Gear Reviews

Backpacking The Narrows, Zion National Park.

Buying Gear? Read This First

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By Michael Lanza

Are you in the market for a new pack or boots for hiking or backpacking, or a new tent or sleeping bag? How do you find something that’s just right for you? What should you be looking for? How much should you spend? These are questions I’ve heard from many friends and readers over the years as they’ve waded through the myriad choices that are out there. Here are my five top tips for buying gear that’s right for you, gleaned from lessons I’ve learned from two decades of testing and reviewing gear and helping people find gear they love.

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Gear Review: Gregory Salvo/Sula 28 Daypack

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Gregory Salvo 28
Gregory Salvo 28

Daypack
Gregory Salvo/Sula 28
$130, 28L/1,708 c.i., 2 lbs. 7 oz.
One size
moosejaw.com

The trend toward ever-lighter gear has resulted in a spate of minimalist, ultralight daypacks—many of which I have reviewed and liked. But if you prioritize comfort and features in a daypack, Gregory hasn’t forgotten you. On dayhikes ranging from seven to 12 miles, from Yellowstone’s Mount Washburn and Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River to Utah’s San Rafael Swell, Horseshoe Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, and Kane Gulch, and Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly, and even some cross-country skiing, I found the Salvo 28 rocks for comfort and ventilation.

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Gear Review: Oboz Teewinot Hiking-Approach Shoes

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Oboz Teewinot
Oboz Teewinot

Hiking/Approach Shoes
Oboz Teewinot
$120, 2 lbs. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-14, women’s 6-11
moosejaw.com

Tagging the top of 10,751-foot Thompson Peak, highest in Idaho’s Sawtooths, is a full day: 12 miles and 4,000 vertical feet, more than half the distance and elevation off-trail over big talus and loose scree, including scrambling steep, granite slabs and some exposed third-class onto the summit block. When I did it in July, there was still a bit of firm snow to cross in the morning. It’s a good test of any approach shoe, and the Teewinot handled it without flaw, just as the shoes performed well on dayhikes in a variety of terrain.

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Looking For Reviews of the Best Gear? Look Here

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By Michael Lanza

I take a bit of a different approach to testing and reviewing outdoor gear at The Big Outside. I don’t try to blanket my readers with reviews of every new piece of gear hitting the market—I can’t do it, but frankly, a lot of it is average and not worth recommending. Instead, I find the best backpacks and daypacks, backcountry tents, shoes and boots, bags, outdoor apparel, and other gear that I actually want to use and would recommend to friends. Then I take it on my backcountry trips and see if it works in real situations. After two decades of testing and reviewing gear, including many years as a field editor and lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine, I think I have a pretty good eye for what outdoor gear and apparel performs well and delivers value and what’s not worth your money.

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Review: Patagonia Nano-Air Vest

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Patagonia Nano-Air Vest
Patagonia Nano-Air Vest

Breathable Insulated Vest
Patagonia Nano-Air Vest
$199, 8 oz./227g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

If I had a buck for every day I’ve worn a vest outdoors over the years, well, I might not have to rely on a blog as the source of my wealth. But with the recent advent of breathable insulation, the classic vest, in its various iterations, faces serious competition. Curious to see whether a new-tech vest with breathable insulation could still measure up among today’s diverse array of versatile insulation pieces, I wore the Nano-Air Vest on Idaho adventures from July through October, including dayhikes and backpacking trips in the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains and a five-day whitewater rafting and kayaking trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It may speak volumes about this vest to say that I wore it a lot.

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