To be an ultralighter is to covet new gear. If that sounds like you, chances are a backpack made of Ultra is at the top of your wish list. The space-age fabric from Challenge Outdoors is the hottest new material in the ultralight world, with a super strong UHMWPE weave that promises next-level durability at a low weight. What’s not to love? Aside from its hefty price tag, not a lot. I’ll be the first to admit that Ultra is an incredible fabric. I’ve been testing it for the past year and it’s performed exceptionally. That said, your average ultralighter—myself included—doesn’t need the level o ..read more

Hikers rely on few pieces of gear as intimately as their hiking boots. A well-fitting pair can help the miles fly by, while the wrong boots make every step a pain. We tested more than 30 women’s hiking boots over a variety of terrain to find the best options for every hike, from day trips to mountain expeditions. These nine rose to the top of the pile after impressing our testers the most with their fit, comfort, weatherproofing, and durability. At a Glance Best All-Around: La Sportiva Aequilibrium Hike GTX (Coming Soon) Best Daily Driver: Vasque Re: Connect Here Mid ($150) For Backpacking ..read more

Combining the comfort of a pair of sneakers, the rebound of a high-tech running shoe, and the grip of a technical hiker, the Katabatic Wind Low is made for going fast over rough terrain. It’s also one of our favorites this year. After sending 17 testers out on the trails wearing 41 different pairs of hiking footwear for our Best Hiking Boots and Shoes guide, we named the Katabatic Wind Low the Best Shoe for Speed Hiking. The comfort and lively ride of these hikers are linked to a construction that pulls from the fastest running shoes. First, Oboz uses a dual layer of nitrogen-infused foam, wh ..read more

Every year, tents get lighter, stronger, and more sustainable. 2024’s batch of three-season shelters was no exception, with ultralight trekking pole designs, purpose-built bikepacking bivvys, and cleverly guyed-out basecamps. The eight winners of this year’s exhaustive testing process proved themselves over and over in wind, rain, and even snow. At a Glance Editors’ Choice: Durston X-Mid Pro 1 ($549-639) Best Bikepacking Tent: MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 2-Person ($580) Best Budget Tent: Mountain Hardwear Meridian 2 ($275) Best Basecamp: Seek Outside Twilight 3P ($480) Best Strength-to-Weight ..read more

The Durston X-Mid Pro 1 is the most comfortable, storm-worthy one-pound shelter we’ve ever tested at Backpacker, thanks to its signature asymmetrical trekking pole tent design. “It felt positively palatial for a one-person tent,” said one tester after backpacking on the Art Loeb Trail in the Pisgah National Forest. “It weighed less than my sleeping pad, and was small enough to get lost in my pack.” Durston X-Mid Pro 1 Weight: 17.8 oz (DCF floor); 1.2 lbs (sil-nylon floor) Interior Space: 20 square feet Peak Height: 45 inches Pros and Cons ⊕ Incredibly lightweight ⊕ Great headroom ⊕ Weatherpro ..read more

Spring looks different depending on where you live. Where we live, this year’s has been defined by the snow so far. In Vermont, Colorado, and California, we’ve been hiking and skiing it; on an early-spring trip to Florida, we escaped it. The best gear for spring can handle those swings in temperature and precip no, shedding slush and helping you vent heat during hard efforts. These are the five pieces of gear we coveted this month as we navigated the snow-yo. (Photo: Courtesy)Royal Robbins Amp Lite Hoodie—$80 I’m a die-hard proponent of sun hoodies; whether on warm-weather paddles or long hik ..read more

At first glance, choosing a backpacking quilt might seem an easy purchase—in the name of weight-savings, most quilts have simple designs and little in the way of extraneous features. But as choices among ultralight quilts have expanded, making a purchase has gotten more complicated. To shave weight and increase performance, brands large and small have unveiled unique ways to open, close, air-out, and cinch down their quilts, and that’s just the beginning. While that’s great for hikers who want to customize every toggle and fabric type, it can also be overwhelming—especially for first-time buy ..read more

Think back to the waning hours of your last backpacking trip: how did you feel? A little footsore, maybe. A little grimy, definitely. But also refreshed, invigorated, and relaxed? That blissed-out feeling so familiar to anyone who’s spent time sleeping under the stars is no coincidence. And it’s not just a simple function of escaping work stressors for a few days. Scientists have been accumulating evidence for decades now, pointing to the many health benefits associated with an immersive outdoor experience. Spending time in nature—especially several days or more—is incredibly good for human w ..read more

Spring is right around the proverbial corner: the bend in the river, the arête on the cliff, the switchback on the trail. Outdoor adventure soon turns from sliding on snow to playing on water, rock, and dirt. So, go ahead and daydream. Get out and get active, but don’t let your desires overlook the need to gear up smartly and to take care of your body. That attention starts with the base of all activity: your feet. Having healthy, strong feet has been proven to increase performance in both dynamic and balancing sports. Now one of the world’s most iconic recovery shoe companies, Birkenstock, c ..read more

As Backpacker’s ultralight columnist, I’ve spent hours talking to gear-makers at brands both big and small. After countless conversations, I couldn’t help but feel the drive to make my own high-end lightweight gear. The thought of creating my own pack, custom-sized to my torso length, with all the features I want and none that I don’t, has been a dream of mine since I got into backpacking. But do I have the skills? Most gear makers are industrial designers by trade, or at least engineers. I’m just a writer with an underdeveloped crafting gene. It wasn’t until I sat down to talk to Tim Martino ..read more