Best of Backpacking Gear 2021

Gearing up for a long walk in the woods or an extended stay in the backcountry? Check out some of our favorite new packs, tents, sleeping bags, footwear, clothes, and other gear for getting out and staying out! Here are our top backpacking gear picks for Spring/Summer 2021:

Kelty Asher 55

The late Dick Kelty is affectionately considered the “father of the frame pack”. He was responsible for numerous innovations during his decades of backpack design, but he also never lost his “everyman” perspective and always made…

Gregory Katmai 55 and Kalmia 50 Women’s

In a world of backpacks that seems inhabited with heavy, unwieldy load haulers on one end and ultra-lightweight packs short on features at the other, the new Katmai and Kalmia live comfortably in the space between…

Fjallraven Women’s Nikka Trousers Curved

As too many female adventurers can attest, some women’s hiking pants are little more than resized men’s or unisex offerings that may offer technical performance but fall flat on actual fit. This isn’t the case with…

Fjallraven Men’s Abisko Midsummer Trousers Regular

Winter seems to last forever in northernmost Europe and when days finally begin to lengthen and the sun starts warming the days, it is cause for celebration and exploration of the outdoors. The Abisko Midsummer Trousers…

Eureka Midori 2

The blue collar Midori will not try to dazzle you with booming bells or shrill whistles, but instead states its case on a tried-and-true platform of balancing weight, durability, and 3-season reliability at a price to…

LEKI MCT Superlite Carbon

Weight doesn’t matter to everyone, but it sure does to performance-driven trail runners and count-every-ounce thru-hikers. There are stripped down trekking poles out there that focus solely on driving weight to its absolute minimum but beware…

Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10
& Futura Air Trek 45+10 SL Women’s

There is a long list of things to love about the new Futura Air Trek packs. For starters, they use the cooling trampoline-style suspension system for which Deuter is renowned, but also incorporate a lightweight, load-supportive…

Black Diamond Onsight 375

The high-powered Onsight was purpose-built for climbers venturing out onto big walls even after the sun has set, but its performance features strike us as being ideal for hiking and trail running too. With a hybrid “Dual-Fuel”…

LEKI Cross Trail 3 TA

Sometimes it feels like every outdoor activity calls for a specific tool and without a full toolbox, you’re behind the curve. Take trekking poles as example and you will see specific models for hiking, for running,…

Big Agnes TwisterCane Bio Foam

Depending on conditions or the season, traditional closed-cell foam pads are still as reliable a sleeping pad option as there is. There is nothing to inflate or deflate and the weight is usually insignificant in comparison…

Outdoor Research Motive AscentShell Jacket

Back in 2016, Outdoor Research unveiled its proprietary AscentShell technology which uses an electrospun process to deliver excellent breathability with enhanced stretch while still ensuring total weatherproof protection. The jackets that have employed this technology have…

Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero

Legendary. It is not a term to be bestowed lightly, but the Seattle Sombrero has certainly earned it. There simply isn’t a more recognizable rain hat in the outdoors and with no reason to fix what…