ultralight backpacking gear reviews

BioLite Headlamp 330

Review: The BioLite Headlamp 330

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Rechargeable Headlamp BioLite Headlamp 330 $60, 2.4 oz. moosejaw.com Few headlamps combine the attributes of being super ultralight, rechargeable, very bright, and having a long enough burn time (or charge duration) for a multi-day backcountry trip, but that’s exactly what you get with the BioLite Headlamp 330. For multiple backpacking trips this summer—including four days on Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail, …

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The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 ultralight backpacking tent in the Wind River Range.

Review: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 Backpacking Tent

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Ultralight Backpacking Tent Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 $900, 1 lb. 12 oz. hyperlitemountaingear.com For six nights on a 96-mile traverse of the Wind River High Route—two-thirds of it off-trail and camping in the alpine zone between 10,000 and 12,000 feet—the Dirigo 2 endured rain and strong winds. But our last night had me worried. Camped in a completely exposed …

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The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 3400 ultralight backpack.

Review: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Windrider Ultralight Backpack

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BackpackHyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Windrider$349, 55L/3,400 c.i., 1 lb. 15 oz./879g (medium)Sizes: S (fits torsos 15-17 ins.), M (17-19 ins.), L (19-21 ins.), Tall (21+ ins.)hyperlitemountaingear.com When the 3400 Windrider was delivered to my house, the box looked much too small to contain a backpack—if I’d had no idea, I might have guessed it contained a small tent. It’s not …

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The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness.

Review: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Backpacking Tent

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Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
$550, 2 lbs. 11 oz./1219g
backcountry.com

As the wind gusted over 30 mph and at times 40 mph at our unprotected campsite in a big meadow beside the Snake River, on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon while backpacking in early June, I kept throwing nervous glances at our tents. But while three of them whipped and bent under the onslaught of air, the Copper Spur HV UL2 barely trembled—not what you’d necessarily expect from an ultralight backpacking tent. But that’s just one way this shelter defies expectations.

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Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Down Hoody

Review: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Down Hoody

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Ultralight Down Jacket Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Down Hoody $360, 8.8 oz./250g (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL backcountry.com There’s no getting around a hard truth about most of the products we buy to use outdoors: Their materials come from the petroleum products that are a primary driver of climate change. Increasingly, outdoor brands and consumers are leaning in …

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