1+ week, 5+ day ago   (697+ words) Labor Day’s a sweet time to backpack. You’ve hopefully still got some summer sun, and cooler, crisper nights for comfortable sleeping. The lakes aren’t filled to the brim with stinging snowmelt, and the worst of the bugs has come and…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (555+ words) We surveyed five thru-hikers to find out what they’re wearing on long trails and why. Grace, a JMT ’24 finisher and currently on the Colorado Trail, loves her Savanna Trail Pants by REI. They are UPF 50, and come in petite and…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (697+ words) Backpacker Magazine The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in July 2026 There’s a moment, right around the end of July, where it dawns on most hikers that summer isn’t going to last forever. You’ve heard of seasonal depression? Call this seasonal…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago   (922+ words) Backpacker Magazine I Took a $30 Supermarket Sleeping Bag Backpacking. Here’s Why I Keep Using it. A supermarket would seem like an unlikely place to buy backpacking gear. But there it was, sitting on the corner of a shelf somewhere between…...

2+ mon, 2+ day ago   (388+ words) Backpacker Magazine I Won't Backpack Without a Pillow Anymore. Here Are the 5 I Trust Most Life these days is increasingly busy, the news increasingly grim, and the climate changing faster than ever. For this and many other reasons I often…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago   (838+ words) Just how big is that tradeoff, and how much does it matter? Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Adam Roy headed down to Denver, Colorado’s Outside Lab to talk to Lab Test Editor Adam Trenkamp about what our on-trail and in-lab testing found—and…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago   (632+ words) Backpacker Magazine The Gear That Backpacker’s Editors Loved in May 2026 With summer (and Outside Days) around the corner, the Backpacker editors are taking stock of how we spent our spring. And what a spring it was: There were camping trips…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago   (121+ words) Backpacker Magazine Save 30% on unlimited access to Backpacker, maps, and more The Best Backpacking Gear of 2026 The only way to find out if gear will stand up to the rigors of the trail? Take it there. Our editors and testers…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago   (26+ words) Upgrading your kit to ultralight gear can make backpacking more enjoyable, but only if you do it right. Here's the gear strategy every backpacker should know....

3+ mon, 3+ week ago   (1018+ words) Weight: 1.9 lbs (regular) Size: Regular and Long Pros and Cons + Incredibly warm + Smart mix of features – Expensive Weight: 1.6 lbs (medium) Size: Short, medium, and long, each with an option of narrow, regular, and wide versions Pros and Cons + Nine size…...