Gear Reviews

MSR FreeLite Stash 2P
Light and compact semi-freestanding true 2-person tent with lots of good livability.
The MSR FreeLite Stash 2P is a 2-person double walled semi-freestanding tent meant for lightweight backpacking trips. The trail weight for the tent is ## on…

Durston X-Dome 2
Roomy, versatile, and light two-person fully freestanding tent that can handle a big storm.
The Durston X-Dome 2 is a double walled, fully freestanding two-person tent. Durston claims it provides unprecedented space and protection for its weight. I have tested…

Outdoor Vitals Carbon Evo 50
Simple ultralight pack that will get the job done.
The Outdoor Vitals Carbon Evo 50 is an lightweight pack weighing 839g on my scale. It is a simple design consistenting of a rolltop main body,…


Bestway Ridgelite
Best budget pad on the market: warm, comfortable, and easy to use.
Bestway describes the Ridgelite as warm, comfortable, and light. During over 12 nights of testing, I have been warm below freezing and had comfortable sleeps on…

Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo
A roomy ultralight single-pole trekking pole tent at a budget price, with a pitch that takes practice.
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is a single-wall, one-person tent that pitches with one trekking pole. Six Moon Designs describes it as an ultralight tent…

Exped Ultra 10R
Does one of the highest ASTM-tested R-values translate to real world warmth?
The Exped Ultra 10R has one of the highest ASTM-tested R-values ({{exped-ultra-10r:r-value}}) I have seen with a pad under [gp_measure value="1" unit="kg"]. Exped claims that the…

Therm-a-Rest Trailmix
Stretchy comfort, warmth, and durability at an affordable price?
The Therm-a-Rest Trailmix has been designed to deliver an approachable balance of comfort, warmth, durability, and value. It has good specs with an ASTM-tested R-value of…

Durston Kakwa 55
One of the packs I recommend most – light, comfortable, and versatile for almost any trip.
The Durston Kakwa 55 is a lightweight framed pack from Durston Gear. Durston designed it to give the most function, comfort, and usability possible in an…

NEMO Dragonfly OSMO 2P
A roomy, easy-living freestanding tent for two, with a tapered floor that limits pad choice.
The NEMO Dragonfly OSMO 2P is a double-walled, freestanding two-person tent. It has a wide crossbar, tall doors, and generous interior space. NEMO says it is…

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Pro
Successor to the pioneering pad in sleeping pad comfort but warm enough for winter.
The Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Pro is the successor to the Ether Light XT Extreme, a pad that slept colder than expected for a…

REI Flash 55
User-friendliness and heavy carrying capacity with a lot of fit adjustability.
The REI Flash 55 is the flagship backpacking pack sold under REI’s own brand. It is an excellent all-around pack that carries weight comfortably, has more…


Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
Warmest pad I have used – with the best warmth-to-weight ratio on the market, at the cost of comfort.
Therm-a-Rest claims the NeoAir XTherm NXT has the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any pad ever made, while still being comfortable and durable. After more than 50…

Durston X-Dome Pro 1+
Lightest fully freestanding double-walled tent.
The Durston X-Dome Pro 1+ is the lightest fully freestanding double-walled tent on the market. It uses Dyneema fabric and carbon fiber poles to achieve a…


NEMO Tensor Elite
The lightest inflatable pad on the market, with comfort that is better than the weight suggests.
NEMO describes the Tensor Elite as a pad for hyper-streamlined hikers that remains stable and comfortable. After a year of testing and dozens of nights in…

Flextail Tiny R05
Affordable pad that hits all the marks?
Flextail has been working on sleeping pads for several years, but the Tiny R05 is the best pad I have tested from them so far. It…


Durston X-Dome 1+
Is this the perfect one-person tent?
The Durston X-Dome 1+ is one of the lightest fully freestanding double walled one-person tents on the market. It claims to be an ultralight tent that…

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
The best warmth-to-weight ratio on the market, if you can live with the comfort tradeoff.
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite is one of the most popular pads that has ever been made – and the updated NXT version improves on several key…

Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft
One of the most comfortable backpacking pad I have used, with a weight and stability tradeoff.
Therm-a-Rest describes the NeoLoft as a combination of the comfort of car-camping mattresses with the weight and packed size of an ultralight backpacking pad. After more…


Exped MegaMat Ultra
The most comfortable pad you can still fit in a backpack.
Exped describes the Exped MegaMat Ultra as a pad that improves sleep quality without giving up portability. After dozens of nights sleeping on it in the…


Exped Ultra 6.5R
A true ultralight pad that doesn't feel like one.
The Exped Ultra 6.5R claims to be the go-anywhere, do-anything option for fast-paced, human-powered adventures. It sits squarely in ultralight territory while still achieving a rare…


NEMO Eclipse All-Season
A thick, quiet, comfortable pad that holds its stability even when you let air out.
Every so often a pad shows up with enough hype to make you suspicious and the NEMO Eclipse All-Season has had more hype than any pad…
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