The gold standard for day hikes and serious trail adventures. One of the cushiest daypacks ever tested, with a comprehensive feature set and a whopping five inches of adjustability — one tester even took it on a 43-mile hut-to-hut trek in the Italian...
When the trail turns into a multi-day mission. The 2025 upgrade features an EVA-padded wrap-around harness that easily handles 40-pound loads, a honeycomb mesh backpanel for breathability, and top-notch organization and accessibility features. My pic...
Paragon 60
The smartest way to organize your pack. Stackable, flexible, ultralight units made of waterproof Dyneema Composite Fabric with a water-resistant zipper — shaped and sized to slip inside a pack wall to wall, leaving no gaps and fitting a surprising am...
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
My most-used mountain gadget, no question. It features solar charging, GPS navigation, and activity tracking — providing real-time information about your location, altitude, and distance traveled, with a battery life of up to 9 days, making it ideal ...
Garmin Fenix 7S Solar, Small Adventure Watch
A revolutionary upgrade for icy trails. A huge upgrade over the base model, offering comparable steel spike traction in a 43% lighter weight package — made possible by a majority TPU base that replaces heavy steel chains. The new best-in-class snow t...
MICROspikes® Ghost Footwear Traction
The warmth-to-weight champion right now. It offers the highest warmth-to-weight ratio of any puffy in its weight class at a very reasonable price — with a remarkable 50% of its weight comprised of 1000 fill power down plumes. Most similar jackets run...
LA SPORTIVA Men's Lumina 200 Down Jacket L
The ultralight premium option for serious mountain weather. The lightest rain shell ever to use GORE-TEX Pro — a waterproof-breathable membrane more frequently found in garments four to eight times heavier. When the weather turns dangerous, this is w...
Rab Men's Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket
Never underestimate your socks on a mountain. Made from merino wool and unconditionally guaranteed for life by a Vermont-based company that truly stands behind their product — praised for their feel, comfort, and wide variety of styles. Your feet wil...
Darn Tough Micro Crew
The headlamp that outclasses everything else at night on the trail. In its latest overhaul it's even more powerful than before — bumped up from 900 lumens to 1100, with an improved lamp lock feature that stays secure even when bumping around in a bac...
PETZL Swift RL Headlamp Black/Yellow
Clean water anywhere on the mountain. Its two-stage hollow-fiber 0.2-micron filter membrane with activated carbon removes virtually all bacteria, protozoa like giardia and cryptosporidium, and organic contaminants. — just dip, fill, and drink directl...
LifeStraw Go Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle
Compact, lightweight, and could literally save your life. A lightweight compact emergency blanket perfect for hikers who want to be prepared for emergencies. Weighs almost nothing, takes up zero space, and reflects 70% of your body heat when things g...
Sol Survival Blanket
The trail chef's best friend. It boils water fast, is dead simple, and weighs about a third of heavier camp stoves — reliable and going strong after years of heavy backcountry use. Perfect for cooking hot meals after a long day on the mountain.
MSR PocketRocket 2 Ultralight Camping Stove
Keep all your gadgets alive up in the mountains. With a capacity of 20,000mAh it can charge most smartphones up to four times — water-resistant with both USB-A and USB-C ports, making it compatible with virtually every device you bring on the trail.
BioLite Charge 80 Fast USB-C PD Powerbank
Non-negotiable for backcountry safety. A compact and lightweight satellite communicator that gives hikers peace of mind when off the grid — with two-way messaging that lets you send and receive text messages from anywhere in the world. (Benable) Whe...
Garmin inReach® Mini 2 | Satellite Communicator | Messenger
The ultralight premium option for serious mountain weather. The lightest rain shell ever to use GORE-TEX Pro — a waterproof-breathable membrane more frequently found in garments four to eight times heavier. (Google Play) When the weather turns dange...