ultralight backpacking gear reviews

Hoka One One Anacapa Low GTX hiking shoes.

Review: Hoka Anacapa Low GTX Hiking Shoes

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Hoka Hiking Shoes
Hoka One One Anacapa Low GTX
$170, 1 lb. 10.5 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: US men’s 7-15, women’s 5-11, all gender M3.5/W5-M14/W15.5
backcountry.com

Sometimes it’s the subtle details that make a hiking shoe stand out. From June and October days of hiking 10 or more miles with about 6,000 cumulative feet of elevation gain and loss each day in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range—including hiking up the hardest trail in the White Mountains, Huntington Ravine—with very rocky and sometimes muddy trail and wet snow; to an 18-mile, 7,300-foot, 13-hour, four-summit, partly off-trail dayhike in Utah’s Wasatch Range in early October; and hikes in my local foothills on trails consisting mostly of dry, packed dirt with occasional rocky sections, the Hoka One One Anacapa LowGTX proved to be one of the most comfortable and supportive hiking shoes I’ve come across in a while.

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Mammut Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket.

Review: Mammut Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket

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Ultralight Rain Jacket Mammut Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket $219, 5.5 oz./156g (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s S-XL backcountry.com When the sky darkened with foreboding, black and gray clouds that suddenly obliterated the sharply angled peaks flanking the John Muir Trail in the Evolution Basin of Kings Canyon National Park, I pulled on the ultralight Mammut Kento Light HS …

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The Mountainsmith Zerk 40 ultralight backpack.

Review: Mountainsmith Zerk 40 Ultralight Backpack

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Ultralight Backpack
Mountainsmith Zerk 40
$225, 40 liters/2,440 c.i., 1 lb. 13 oz./822g (including removable accessories)
One unisex size, fits torsos 16-19 inches
backcountry.com

Within the rather exclusive category of ultralight backpacks weighing two pounds or less, one sees similarities, most commonly and conspicuously a frameless, roll-top design with large external pockets. The Mountainsmith Zerk 40 takes that template and juices it with some smart details and add-ons, tougher materials, and a touch of modularity while keeping it significantly under two pounds. That suited my needs quite well trekking hut to hut for six days on Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails—and I think much about the Zerk will also appeal to many ultralighters and thru-hikers.  

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Scarpa Rush Mid GTX boots.

Review: Scarpa Rush Mid GTX Boots

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Hiking and Backpacking Boots
Scarpa Rush Mid GTX
$199, 2 lbs./907g (pair Euro men’s 42/US 9)
Sizes: men’s Euro 40-48/US 7.5-14, women’s Euro 36-42/US 4-9
backcountry.com

Having backpacked numerous times through the Wind River Range on summer’s tail—and more than once been greeted with buckets of cold rain and wind for days or finding out that over a foot of snow fell the day after we got out—for my latest trip, I wanted to stick my feet in boots that can handle any unpleasant surprises. Still, I also didn’t want to feel like I was lifting a cement block with each step or like my feet spent each day in a hot yoga studio. Our five-day hike showed me the Scarpa Rush Mid GTX were a smart choice for what we encountered as well as what we might have encountered—and an all-around superior hiking boot.

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The Biolite Headlamp 325.

Review: BioLite Headlamp 325

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Rechargeable Ultralight Headlamp
BioLite Headlamp 325
$50, 1.8 oz./51g
bioliteenergy.com

Look for an ultralight headlamp built for backcountry use that’s under two ounces and $40 or less and you’ll find very few choices—with the BioLite Headlamp 325 arguably the best among them. Then consider that it sports a basic but functional set of lighting modes, cranks out enough brightness and lasts long enough on a full charge for backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, and other backcountry users, and this slim light will look pretty good to many people who log significant hours on the trail.

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