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Backpacking Gear Reviews, Expert Tips, & Trail Guides

We hope to inspire adventure and promote wilderness conservation through in-depth gear reviews, skill-based tutorials, and comprehensive trip guides.

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Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads of 2025
A backpacker holding the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite in Yosemite National Park

Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads of 2025

Whether you’re looking for inflatable or foam, ultralight or ultra-plush, we’ll help you get a great night’s sleep in the backcountry with our trail-tested picks…
Best Backpacking Meals & Food of 2025
A hiker eating from a titanium backpacking pot in a lush, green forest

Best Backpacking Meals & Food of 2025

Backpacking Food Meal planning is one of the most important considerations for any backpacking trip. The food you choose will depend on taste preference, nutritional value, caloric density of each meal, and how easy it is to cook. Some hikers bring dehydrated meals because they’re quick and easy. Others prepare DIY dinner recipes and use […]
Best Backpacking Backpacks of 2025

Best Backpacking Backpacks of 2025

Our team of seasoned backcountry experts hiked thousands of miles using the best backpacking packs on the market to narrow down this list of…
Best Backpacking Tents of 2025
The NEMO Hornet OSMO 2 and Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 backpacking tents pitched in a campsite surrounded by granite peaks in the Sawtooth Mountains

Best Backpacking Tents of 2025

We put the most promising backpacking tents on the market through the wringer to find the ones with the best balance of comfort, weight…
Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags of 2025
A backpacker sitting on a rock in the REI Magma 30 sleeping bag at sunset

Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags of 2025

From summer summits to winter wanderings, our trail-tested list of the best backpacking sleeping bags will keep you warm and cozy in…
Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2025
Closeup of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter in front of an alpine lake

Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2025

We’ve filtered out the nonsense to bring you our purest recommendations of the best water filters around.

All Backpacking Gear Reviews, Expert Tips, & Trail Guides Content

Best Winter Boots for Men of 2025
A hiker standing on a snowbank in the Salomon X Ultra Mid Winter boots with blue mountains on the horizon

Best Winter Boots for Men of 2025

Get the traction you need and keep the chill off your toes with a pair of our favorite winter hiking boots. These kicks are cozier than a snow day with a side of hot cocoa.
Women’s Topo Athletic Trailventure 2 WP Review
Hiker wearing the Women’s Topo Trailventure 2 WP boots

Women’s Topo Athletic Trailventure 2 WP Review

These lightweight and comfortable boots have a wide toe box ideal for hikers with wide feet or anyone prone to toe blisters.
Women’s Keen Targhee IV WP Hiking Shoe Review
Close-up of the Keen hiking shoes, showing the tread.

Women’s Keen Targhee IV WP Hiking Shoe Review

This is a roomy, high-volume hiking shoe for those looking for durable and waterproof footwear that comes at an excellent value. Those with larger or wider feet will love the Keens for their ample room for your toes to splay.
Men’s La Sportiva Spire GTX Review
Closeup of a hiker tying the laces of the La Sportiva Spire GTX hiking shoes

Men’s La Sportiva Spire GTX Review

The La Sportiva Spire GTX have received high praise in both the fastpacking and hiking worlds – but do they live up to the buzz?
Men’s Altra Lone Peak 8 Review
A hiker poses at an overlook with large red rocks in the background.

Men’s Altra Lone Peak 8 Review

See why these are some of our favorite zero-drop hiking shoes from day hikes to thru-hikes.
Men’s Saucony Peregrine 14 Review
Man bent over tying long shoelaces on the Saucony Peregrine 14.

Men’s Saucony Peregrine 14 Review

With a responsive feel and a secure fit, these are the shoes for fast-paced activities like running, hiking, and backpacking across low deserts in May or chasing mountain summits in August.
Men’s Hoka Speedgoat 6 Review
The side facing view of the HOKA Speedgoat 6 trail running shoes with a lake and pretty wilderness scenery in the background.

Men’s Hoka Speedgoat 6 Review

These shoes offer responsive midsoles with ample cushioning and impact absorption on rough trails. Their chunky lug pattern provide top-tier traction, and fast-drying, mesh uppers make them breathable and airy.
Men’s La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Review
A hiker from the knees down walks on a trail in a forest setting.

Men’s La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Review

With oversized toe caps, reinforced heels, aggressive lugs, and stout rock plates, these shoes are built for the high country: their exceptional traction and off-trail performance are game changers.
Men’s Merrell Moab 3 Review
Man's legs from knee down steps across a deep gap between large sandstone boulders wearing the Merrell Moab 3 hiking shoes.

Men’s Merrell Moab 3 Review

These shoes offer robust, breathable performance from burly mesh and leather uppers and provide solid protection from rocks and pokey bushes.
Men’s Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Review
Closeup of a hiker's feet in the Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew socks and Salomon X Ultra shoes on the rim of the Grand Canyon

Men’s Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Review

These are comfortable out of the box. Their supportive, springy midsole and stable outsoles guarantee a smooth and cushioned ride that makes them amazingly versatile.
Men’s Danner Trail 2650 Review

Men’s Danner Trail 2650 Review

These are versatile hiking shoes that are exceptionally stylish and comfortable whether you’re thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail or walking the dog to the coffee shop.
Men’s Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Review

Men’s Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Review

We’ve used these shoes to scramble long Class 4 ridge traverses at 13,000’ in the Colorado Rockies, hike hundreds of miles on local trails, and even tackle half marathons.
Men’s Keen Targhee IV WP Review

Men’s Keen Targhee IV WP Review

These classic leather kicks are perfect for rugged, technical backcountry conditions and provide some of the best waterproofing of any hiking shoes we tested, making them ideal for wet trails and cooler weather.
Men’s HOKA Anacapa 2 Low GTX Review

Men’s HOKA Anacapa 2 Low GTX Review

These shoes are comfortable, waterproof, and durable. They’re perfect for medium to long hikes on established trails in all sorts of weather conditions.
Men’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Review
The lower legs of a man with a pair of blue trail running shoes in the foreground with large, oceanside cliffs in the background on an overcast day at sunset.

Men’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Review

These are some of our favorites. We’ve logged over 6,000 miles in them across the CDT, PCT, and Colorado Trail.
NEMO Fillo Backpacking Pillow
Close up of NEMO Fillo camp pillow with mountains blurred in the background

NEMO Fillo Backpacking Pillow

The NEMO Fillo is a hybrid air/foam pillow that adds cushioning to the traditional inflatable camp pillow for a comfort upgrade. Is it still backpacker-friendly?
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