Hiking Gear Reviews

The Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody.

Review: Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody

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Hooded, Breathable Insulated Jacket
Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody
$299, 14 oz./397g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
blackdiamondequipment.com

Campsite temperatures below freezing in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness in October and around 40° F in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains in August proved the warmth of BD’s First Light Stretch Hoody. But this jacket’s versatility goes well beyond warmth, owing to synthetic stretch insulation that’s breathable, packable, and warm for its weight, and traps heat even when wet—making it potentially the only insulated jacket you need for a variety of activities year-round.

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Rab Men’s Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket.

Review: Rab Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket

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Ultralight Rain Jacket
Rab Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket
$165, 7.7 oz./219g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL (8-16)
backcountry.com

Two startingly loud, sharp, and sustained crackles of thunder and a flash of lightning gave us about a two-minute warning before the skies opened up while we hiked at well over 11,000 feet on the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in mid-September. I got Rab’s Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket on and zipped up moments before the thunderhead began bombarding us with wind-driven rain and hail. And this ultralight rain shell kept me dry hiking through that storm and setting up our tent in steady rain and wind once we found a campsite.

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The Outdoor Research Shadow Wind Hoodie.

Review: Outdoor Research Shadow Wind Hoodie

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Ultralight Wind Shell
Outdoor Research Shadow Wind Hoodie
$129, 5.8 oz./164.4g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XXL
outdoorresearch.com

We ask a lot of ultralight wind shells, these wispy jackets that often weigh no more (and sometimes less) than your hiking shorts. We want them to breathe well when we’re hiking or running uphill while, of course, blocking the wind effectively—and not feel like a kitchen trash bag with sleeves and a hood. On trail runs, dayhikes, and a backpacking trip from the desert Southwest in spring to the mountains of Southwest Idaho, in a wide range of fall and spring weather that challenges any outer layer to keep you comfortable, I found that OR’s Shadow Wind Hoodie did just that, quite well.

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Montem Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles.

Review: Montem Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles

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Trekking Poles
Montem Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles
$90, 14 oz./396.9g
$One size, adjustable 105-135cm
montemlife.com

The biggest question with inexpensive gear is always: Will it work? And best way to answer that question is to field test it in places that are hard on gear. Backpacking six days on the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route, five days in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains, and three days on southern Utah’s rugged Owl and Fish canyons loop, and dayhiking in a couple of southern Utah national parks and on two of the steepest, meanest trails in my local Foothills, I found that Montem’s remarkably affordable Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles met virtually all the demands I placed on them through some very hard use and left me with only a couple of relatively minor critiques.

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A backpacker descending the trail off Maze Overlook in the Maze District, Canyonlands National Park.

Why and When to Spend More on Hiking and Backpacking Gear

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By Michael Lanza

You need a new backpack, backpacking tent, rain jacket, boots, or a sleeping bag. You’ve read reviews. You’ve winnowed your short list to a handful of possible choices—with a significant difference in prices. That’s when you struggle with the question that pushes the frugality button in all of us: Why should I spend more?

This story will explain why some gear is more expensive and give you specific advice on buying five big-ticket items: packs, tents, rain jackets, shoes and boots, and sleeping bags.

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