Hiking Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Gregory Tempo 8L Hydration Pack

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Gregory Tempo 8
Gregory Tempo 8

Trail-Running Hydration Pack
Gregory Tempo 8L
$149, 1 lb. 2 oz. (M/L, including 2L Hydrapak bladder)
Sizes: S/M and M/L
gregorypacks.com

For trail runs of more than a couple of hours, I want a hydration pack that holds two liters of water, a jacket, hat, maybe light gloves, and enough energy food to get me through several hours—but that also glues itself to my back without jostling. After numerous runs on Boise Foothills trails and a rugged 14-miler in California’s Tahoe National Forest, on steep paths constantly dropping into and climbing out of tributary canyons of the American River, I decided the Tempo 8L may be the best trail-running hydration pack I’ve found.

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La Sportiva Ultra Raptor hiking and trail-running shoes.

Review: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Shoes

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Hiking/Trail Running Shoes
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor
$130, 1 lb. 10 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: Euro men’s 38-47.5, women’s 36-43
backcountry.com

This new-and-improved rendition of Sportiva’s Raptor, one of the best trail-running and low-cut, light hiking shoes I’ve worn, lives up to its heritage. On numerous trail runs in the Boise Foothills ranging from five to 10 miles, on typically dry trails of packed dirt with some steep, gravelly sections, these non-waterproof low-cuts shined by any measure, but especially for stability and traction. The EVA midsole with a nylon shank, plus a TPU harness on the uppers that’s integrated with the laces to wrap around the foot, deliver superior torsional rigidity for a shoe this light: It has the lateral stability of a lightweight boot. But the shoe still retains the forefoot flex and the rocker and toe-off of a nimble, ultralight hiking and trail-running shoe.

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Gear Review: Black Diamond Dome Beanie

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Black Diamond Dome Beanie
Black Diamond Dome Beanie

Lightweight Hat
Black Diamond Dome Beanie
$19, 1 oz.
One size
blackdiamondequipment.com

Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing—those high-energy winter activities require a little head coverage to stave off a chill, but too much hat will make you overheat. Enter the Dome Beanie, perfect for aerobic activities when you only need light insulation on your head. I’ve worn it for several days of skate-skiing and backcountry skiing and found it ideal in temperatures from the mid-20s to 30s when I’m exerting at moderate to high levels. This stretchy skullcap feels soft, covers your ears, fits under a helmet or even a warmer hat (as a wicking layer in deeper cold), and dries lickety-split.

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Gear Review: MontBell Torrent Flier Jacket

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MontBell Torrent Flier Jacket

Ultralight Rain Shell
MontBell Torrent Flier Jacket
$249, 8 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: Unisex S-XL
montbell.us

When a violent thunderstorm caught me on the 9,595-foot summit of Eagle Cap Peak in Oregon, and the skies opened up with booming thunder, lightning, and pounding rain and hail, I was certainly glad to have this shell handy. It fended off strong winds and kept me dry through that tempest, as it did in extended, wind-driven rains in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, and when I got caught in a sudden June snow squall a pitch off the ground while rock climbing at Idaho’s City of Rocks.

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Gear Review: GoLite Rush 20 Daypack

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GoLite Rush 20

Daypack
GoLite Rush 20
$120, 1 lb. 3 oz. (S-M)
20L/1,220 c.i.
Unisex sizes S-M and M-L
golite.com

For a long dayhike, mountain bike ride, or adventure race, I like a daypack that’s light, well-organized so that I can quickly get what I want from it, doesn’t make my back all clammy, and is almost unnoticeable when I’m carrying it. The Rush 20 is all of those things. On back-to-back dayhikes of 27 miles and 22 miles in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, and a shorter dayhike with my family in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, I hauled as much as 15 pounds for up to 12 hours, and never once thought about my load.

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