Why and When to Spend More on Hiking and Backpacking Gear

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.

Over the past three decades of reviewing gear, including the 10 years I spent as the lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine and even longer running this blog, I’ve learned what separates the expensive from the moderately priced from the cheap.


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Should you always spend more? Certainly not, and this story will explain why and when it’s worth spending more and when it’s not. The insights below will help you make smarter buying choices, stretch your gear budget farther, and feel better about it when you do spend more. And my “10 Tips for Spending Less on Hiking and Backpacking Gear” shares specific strategies for saving money—even sometimes without compromising on quality.

Before you spend another dollar, read on.

Please share your thoughts on my tips or your own, best gear-buying advice in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments.

A backpacker below Virginia Falls in Glacier National Park.
Mark Fenton below Virginia Falls in Glacier National Park. Click photo to see my e-guides to backpacking in Glacier and other trips.

What Makes Some Gear Expensive?

•    Lightweight: Lighter gear is often more expensive because of the materials used, like wafer-thin but strong fabrics in jackets, tents, and (sometimes) packs, and carbon fiber or high-grade aluminum tent poles.
•    Construction: Superior workmanship, materials, and technologies raise the price tag. Expect to pay more for, say, cutting-edge waterproof-breathable membranes in jackets and footwear, boots with one-piece or full-grain leather uppers, a super comfortable backpack suspension available in multiple sizes to achieve an optimal fit, or lamination used instead of stitching in jackets and footwear. But that also translates to high-level performance and, often, improved durability.
•    Special Features: You want a rain jacket hood that stays in place in strong wind and when you turn your head? A pack with multiple backpacker- or climber-friendly features? Shoes with sticky outsoles? Or a sleeping bag or down jacket with the lightest and warmest insulation? Open your wallet.
•    Durability: Sometimes a higher price tag equates with materials and construction that translate to greater durability, but not always. Some lightweight materials are very strong and some are not. Especially with big-ticket items that receive heavy wear and tear—your pack, tent, shoes, and rain shell—low weight is sometimes achieved through, for example, the use of thinner fabrics that will tear more easily, or zippers that are less burly and will break sooner. Find out why one product is lighter than another and choose based on whether you’re willing to swap durability for lower weight.

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Packs

A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park.
David Gordon backpacking the Teton Crest Trail in the North Fork Cascade Canyon. Click photo for my expert e-guide to the Teton Crest Trail.

Why They’re Pricey The top pack makers—whose backpacks and daypacks generally cost the most—compete with one another primarily to make the most comfortable packs to carry. Beyond that objective, they try to distinguish their products through specialization (packs for specific purposes like climbing, ultralight backpacking, distance trail running or ultra-hiking, etc.), and through features, weight, and certainly superior construction that results in greater durability.

When They’re Worth the Price How important is comfort on the trail to you? How important is weight? How about specific features? Yes, you can make do with a pack whose fit is imperfect or that lacks a supportive hipbelt, a zipper offering quick access to the main compartment, or convenient, external pockets on the hipbelt and elsewhere.

But if you hike a lot of miles, the hours spent wearing and using a pack add up. As anyone who’s upgraded knows, once you have a backpack that’s comfortable and designed for the way you use it, you’ll never go back to an inferior pack.

Get the right pack for you. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs
and the “The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks.”

A campsite by Royal Arch on the Grand Canyon's Royal Arch Loop.
Kris Wagner at our campsite by Royal Arch on the Grand Canyon’s Royal Arch Loop. Click photo to see how I can help you plan any trip you read about at this blog.

Tents

Why They’re Pricey Backpacking tents have arguably seen the most innovation in recent years. (Backpacks have seen a lot, too.) Much of this progress has focused on making them lighter without greatly compromising strength, space, and durability—objectives that inherently compete with one another.

When They’re Worth the Price Besides your backpack, your tent is the heaviest single piece of gear you will carry—thus it offers the greatest potential for reducing your total pack weight. The lightest tent may not be your best choice if, say, you need a tent to endure dozens of camping nights a year, or you routinely camp in unusually severe weather or terrain that’s abusive to tent fabrics (sharp rocks, thorny plants), or you just don’t want to spend a lot for a tent that’s less durable than a mid-priced model. (However, the cheapest tents are typically built to be inexpensive, not to last very long, so they’re not worth the money if you’ll use a tent regularly.)

But if your top objective is reducing pack weight to make your trips more enjoyable, and you’re an avid backpacker or climber, you will get your money’s worth out of a pricier tent.

Get the right tent for you. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Tents
and “5 Expert Tips For Buying a Backpacking Tent.”

A rainbow over a backpacker hiking through a rainstorm in Wyoming's Wind River Range.
A rainbow over Todd Arndt while backpacking through a rainstorm in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. Click photo to read about the Winds.

Jackets

Why They’re Pricey Think of it this way: You can pick up a simple, totally waterproof rain slicker for a few bucks and it will keep you dry—as long as you’re not heating up inside it. But throw in exertion and the need to move sweat from inside to outside and, basically, you add cost. With a hard shell or soft shell, you essentially pay more for “performance” values, which means a high degree of breathability as well as protection from rain, features like a fully adjustable hood with a brim that keeps blowing rain off your face, and a nice fit and feel to the garment.

When They’re Worth the Price If you tend to avoid going into the backcountry in wet weather and only encounter it occasionally, then a basic, less expensive, waterproof-breathable rain jacket may work just fine for you. Those usually have a proprietary waterproof-breathable technology, meaning it’s exclusive to that manufacturer (but not a unique technology—it’s often a simple fabric coating). They aren’t as breathable as high-end jackets and lack the features, but that may have little impact on you if you simply don’t see all that much rain.

But if you commonly head outdoors in wet weather, and especially cooler temperatures, you may spend a lot of time in your rain shell—in conditions ripe for causing hypothermia. So not only is your jacket’s ability to keep rain out important—and that includes the functionality of the hood—but its breathability becomes critical: If it fails to move the moisture you create inside the jacket to the outside, you will become wet and cold. You’re someone who will benefit from a high-end rain shell, most of which are made with a leading waterproof-breathable membrane like Gore-Tex.

Stay dry, happy, and safe. See “The 5 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking” and “5 Pro Tips For Buying the Right Rain Jacket for the Backcountry.”

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Yosemite, Grand Teton, and other parks using my expert e-guides.

A family trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc in Italy.
My nephew Marco, daughter, Alex, and 80-year-old mom, Joanne, hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in Italy. Click photo to read about that trip.

Shoes and Boots

Why They’re Pricey Unlike with most other gear categories, the way footwear is made hasn’t changed radically: Manufacturers still use mostly the same materials and techniques they have long used—with some exceptions, like lamination in uppers. The primary differences you’ll find between models of outdoor footwear are the quality of materials (including the outsole), construction, and especially the fit. The other major factor in price is whether a shoe or boot is waterproof-breathable, and like jackets, whether it employs Gore-Tex or eVent or a less expensive, proprietary membrane.

When They’re Worth the Price What kind of hiking do you do and where? For starters, if you generally hike in dry conditions, get footwear with mesh uppers and no membrane, which will always be more breathable—and keep your feet cooler—than any footwear with a membrane. That actually saves you money while giving you better performance for your style of hiking.

In wet conditions, though, especially in cooler temperatures, most hikers prefer shoes or boots that keep their feet dry. The best footwear for staying dry are models with Gore-Tex (the most common membrane in footwear) or eVent, and uppers made of suede, leather, or synthetic material (like polyurethane) that repels water, with few seams.

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Price often correlates with durability, too. Waterproof-breathable shoes or boots with fabric uppers breathe better than suede, leather, or polyurethane, but may not last as long, especially if you often hike in terrain that’s wet and muddy or quite rocky and rugged. Plus, the outsoles of lighter footwear won’t endure as many miles as heavier footwear.

Depending on how much and where you hike, you may save money initially with less-expensive footwear, but find yourself replacing them sooner. Alternatively, if your top priority is lightweight footwear, they’re usually also less expensive.

See my reviews of backpacking boots and hiking shoes and “Expert Tips for Buying the Right Hiking Boots.”

Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 30 sleeping bag.
The ultralight and warm Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 30 sleeping bag, with 950+-fill down. Click photo to read the review.

Sleeping Bags

Why They’re Pricey Sleeping bags vary in price depending primarily on the type and amount of insulation used and the shell and interior fabric material; but more-expensive bags are also made with better construction techniques that translate to more durability. Lightweight fabrics help reduce a bag’s weight and bulk—and your bag is one of the bulkiest and among the heavier items you carry—and are typically more comfortable.

Quality synthetic insulation like PrimaLoft, down rated 800-fill or higher, and water-resistant down cost more money—as does a lower temperature rating on the bag (for colder temps), because that means there’s more insulation inside. With sleeping bags more than some other categories, the reasons for a higher price are usually very simple and transparent.

When They’re Worth the Price As with some of the above categories, besides your budget and the bag’s temp rating, spending more on a bag comes down to personal preference on how much weight and bulk matter to you. You can certainly stay warm and sleep well in an inexpensive bag. If you frequently sleep outside and can afford a higher-quality bag, in my book, it’s worth the money, and will usually last long enough that the price per night spent outside in the bag looks very reasonable.

See all of my reviews of sleeping bags I like and my “Pro Tips For Buying a Backpacking Sleeping Bag.”

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Backpackers hiking to Vogelsang Pass in Yosemite National Park.
Backpackers hiking to Vogelsang Pass in Yosemite National Park. Click photo for my e-guide “The Best Backpacking Trip in Yosemite.”

Why Spend More?

If you can’t afford more-expensive gear, just get cheap stuff and get outside. You’ll be fine. If you can afford better gear later, you’ll appreciate it that much more.

But if you’re an avid outdoorsperson and you can afford good gear, why settle for less? No, price does not always correlate directly with quality—but it often does. Whenever a friend who can afford good gear asks for my advice, I always say that he or she would be foolish to buy cheap, because they don’t need to put up with inferior comfort or performance.

And ultimately, if you’re out regularly and buy good gear, the cost per day of use over the life of that gear will be low, more than justifying the enjoyment you gained from it.

See all reviews of backpacks, daypacks, backpacking tents, outdoor apparel, rain jackets, hiking shoes, backpacking boots, sleeping bags, down jackets and insulated jackets, and backpacking gear and hiking gear at The Big Outside, plus “5 Smart Steps to Lighten Your Backpacking Gear.”

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

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4 thoughts on “Why and When to Spend More on Hiking and Backpacking Gear”

  1. Michael,
    Curious if you have any experience using a quilt rather than a sleeping bag? It seems that there may be a considerable weight savings with quilts, but I’m wondering if that comes at the cost of comfort. In general, a decent night of sleep in the backcountry is priceless in my book, if a quilt can achieve that at a low weight, that’s a win-win. Thanks as always.

    Reply
    • Hi Brett,

      I have used quilts and they typically do provide a considerable weight savings compared to a sleeping bag with a similar temp rating and type of insulation. See my review of one ultralight quilt I like, the Sierra Designs Nitro, which is about a pound lighter than many otherwise comparable, high-quality ultralight sleeping bags.

      I know backpackers who swear by a quilt and say it keeps them perfectly warm and comfortable. I find that I often shift position in my sleep enough that I’ll leave myself uncovered in a quilt because it lacks a zipper, which eventually wakes me up. So I personally will only use a quilt when I expect very mild nights, with lows not much below around 50° F, because I won’t get awakened repeatedly if the quilt slips slightly off my torso (and I produce a lot of heat when sleeping, anyway). So it definitely comes down in part to how you sleep.

      Thanks for the good question. I hope that answer is helpful.

      Reply
  2. Great info. Actually, I never go before hiking. I have a plane to hiking with my friends. Your hiking info gets my hiking easy. Thanks.

    Reply