Ditch the reservation and go backpacking instead with these romantic presents. Some people are into five-star restaurants and long-stem roses. But when the stars are shining, the campfire is roaring, and the coyotes are howling, a night in the wilderness beats even the most romantic evening out. So this Valentine’s Day, we suggest you change…
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Lighter, comfier, better. It’s the gear we want this season Big Agnes is a company obsessed with getting you outdoors in comfort. The newest set of Big Agnes backpacking gear for spring—the Insulated AXL Air sleeping pad, Upper Slide and Katherine SL 20 sleeping bags and the Tiger Wall UL2 tent—definitely delivers on that mission.…
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Gear up for the United States’ toughest long path with these expert picks. On a path as long, high, and remote as the Continental Divide Trail, there is little room for gear errors. For four to six months of walking, CDT thru-hikers have a laundry list of concerns that outpace those of many other long…
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The Best Backpacking Gear of the Year There are three things you can count on as the seasons change: the leaves will turn, the wildflowers will bloom, and outdoor manufacturers will unfold new lines of equipment. But too often the “all new” gear is basically the same old stuff with a splash of color and…
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The Best Backpacking Gear of the Year Each spring when we present the Editors’ Choice Awards (this is our fourth time), we invariably get asked, “Say, how do you choose the winners anyway?” To answer that question, consider what one of this year’s entrants , a pack, went through. One editor, who was headed out…
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The Best Backpacking Gear of the Year Innovation ain’t worth bugger all if it pikes out in a pinch. That’s why we took the finalists for our 13th annual best-gear awards to New Zealand: We knew the South Island’s legendary storms and rugged topography would help us peel back the last layers of hype and…
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A lightweight backpack, custom-molded boots, and the best lip balm we’ve ever tried: meet our favorite gear of the season. Mt. Taranaki, North Island, New ZealandGood gear gets the job done. Great gear makes it easy. We should know—we’ve been at this for 25 years. That’s a quarter of a century worth of big blisters,…
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After months and miles of testing, we found 12 products that set new benchmarks for performance, innovation, and value. Kelty TN 2 Kelty TN 2 (Courtesy Photo)Cowboy camping is fun—the bazillion stars overhead, that sense of complete integration with nature—until the rain starts to fall. And who among us hasn’t had a late-night, bleary-eyed scramble…
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How do you separate good gear from great gear? Six months of backpacking around the globe will do it. Columbia Outdry Ex Diamond Hard truth: Even the best hard shells have a weakness. Eventually, the durable water repellent (DWR) on the fabric’s exterior deteriorates. Instead of beading off the surface, water soaks in. And while…
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The environment all too often pays the price for high-performing gear. But these 10 products save waste from landfills, ditch harmful chemicals, and allow you to adventure guilt-free. 1. Big Agnes Sandhoffer 20°F Until now, there has generally been a tradeoff between sustainability and performance. But Big Agnes’s Sandhoffer 20°F is now friendly on both…
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