Best of Backpacking Gear 2022

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 our top backpacking gear picks for Spring/Summer 2022:

Outdoor Research Helium Bivy

No, bivy sacks aren’t for everybody, but they’ve certainly got their place and for adventurers who do prefer going that route, the Helium Bivy is a pretty amazing option. It utilizes Pertex’s Diamond Fuse technology to…

Marmot PreCip Eco Pro Jacket

The PreCip Jacket is arguably the standard bearer for reliable waterproof/breathable protection at a budget-friendly price. With the introduction of the PreCip Eco Pro Jacket, Marmot ratchets up overall durability and weather protection with more demanding…

Vasque Torre AT GTX

The Torre AT GTX is one good-looking backpacking boot. It manages to speak to a classic aesthetic while still having a modern flair that matches the performance it provides. The upper is a hybrid combination of…

Therm-a-Rest Parsec 20 Degree

More than one of our Gear Specialists considers the Parsec 20 their go-to option for 3-season backpacking and that’s no surprise when you see everything it has to offer. Therm-a-Rest certainly knows a thing or two…

Sea to Summit Alto TR1

Truly “game changing” design doesn’t reveal itself quite as often as manufacturers might advertise, but this ultra-lightweight solo tent deserves some credit for incorporating some features we haven’t seen before. This tent’s focus is on weight…

Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

It’s hard to describe the Echo Hoodie without letting you touch it, but trust us when we say that the super-thin fabric has an almost-not-there-at-all quality that explains why it weighs next to nothing. That construction…

Outdoor Research Women’s Aspire II Jacket and Men’s Foray II Jacket

Peek inside the closets of our Gear Specialists and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find an Aspire or Foray Jacket standing at the ready. These have been protecting us in wet weather for a long…

Osprey Eja 48 Women’s and Exos 48

Thru-hiking favorites, the Exos and the Eja are an excellent balance of weight, features, and load-carrying capability. A few years back Osprey made some updates to the packs and made the decision to drop the hipbelt…

Oboz Sawtooth X Low

Once an upstart footwear brand, Bozeman, Montana’s Oboz has become an industry leader and an absolute go-to for many a hiker and outdoor explorer. One of the brand’s signature models, the low-cut Sawtooth was such a…

NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P

NEMO has been leading the charge on sustainable manufacturing and has continued to explore new ways to use fewer resources, produce less waste, and create products that simply last longer. The updated Dagger reflects that approach…

NEMO Tensor Insulated

NEMO’s inflatable Tensor pads have been among our favorites here at Enwild for several seasons and this year their fabrics have been converted to 100% recycled content with a tweak to the internal structure that better…

Mystery Ranch Bridger 55

When we’re looking for the toughest, burliest, and biggest packs, Mystery Ranch comes immediately to mind, but depending on the approach you’re taking on a given hike or backpacking trip, some of those packs can be…

Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Hoody

This athletic full-zip top is a jack of all trades with its ability to come in handy for a broad range of activities. It isn’t a waterproof offering, but the hoody does employ innovative Pertex Quantum…

Mountain Hardwear Trail Sender Pant

Don’t try to pigeonhole the Trail Sender Pant to any specific category. Is it a hiking pant? You bet. Is it suitable as casual wear? Yep. We aren’t nearly as concerned about what section of the…

MSR Hubba Hubba 2

With all the rewards it has garnered over the years, it is hard to remember a time before the Hubba Hubba. The beloved 2-person tent has always been uncompromising on its commitment to durability and livability…

Mountainsmith Cona 45

There are plenty of packs that you can peg on sight as being built for a specific purpose and, often, that single purpose. That’s not the case with the Cona 45. Consider the Cona your Swiss…

Marmot Limelight 3P

Marmot really reimagined the Limelight this year which had us initially holding our breath. Whenever you’ve known and loved something this iconic for as long as we have, it always makes you nervous to learn that…

Marmot Women’s Teton & Sawtooth

These down-filled Marmot mummy bags have been outdoor staples for a long time and with good reason. They’re insulated with 650+ fill goose down that has been treated with Down Defender to add water-repellency for consistent…

Lowa Zephyr GTX Mid

The original Zephyr boot was and is a favorite of servicemen and servicewomen because of its incredible combination of fit, durability, and utilitarian functionality. Of course, all of those qualities are appealing to hikers and backpackers…

LEKI Makalu Lite and Cressida Women’s

For first time users or hikers on a budget, an investment in trekking poles can seem costly and, unfortunately, a buyer should beware of poles with a price tag that seems too good to be true. …

Kelty Far Out 2

We can always count on Kelty to offer value-oriented backpacking performance and that’s certainly what you get from the Far Out 2. We’ve seen similar tent architecture from Kelty before, but they’ve really dialed it on…

Kelty Galactic 30 Degree

Rarely will you get the versatile performance of the Galactic 30 Degree bag at this kind of price. Its hoodless design, rectangular cut, and wrap-around zipper allow it to be opened up for use as a…

Kelty Asher 65L

Last year, Kelty unveiled the Asher, a priced-right, reliable backpacking pack that well represented the design sensibilities and practicality of its namesake, the brand’s founder Asher “Dick” Kelty. Our only gripe was that it was only…

Grayl UltraPress Purifier Bottle

One word of warning if you get yourself one of these super versatile water purifiers. Keep an eye on it or friends and family members are likely to make off with it! Its clean, interesting design just…

Gregory Deva 60 Women’s and Baltoro 65

How do you improve upon the Deva and the Baltoro which have won numerous awards already and carved out their space in the backpacking hall of fame? Well, you pick up even more accommodating fit to…

Granite Gear Crown3 60

Once you’ve used and relied on a piece of gear for countless trips and over the course of numerous years, you can get strangely defensive when you hear that there are changes planned to that gear.…

Fjallraven Men’s Keb Agile Trousers

No one puts more thought or energy into building hiking pants and bottoms than Fjallraven. Nobody. The Keb Agile Trousers are a shining example of the attention to detail and purpose-driven design for which the brand…

Fjallraven Women’s Abisko Trekking Tights Pro

If only for the sake of comfort, tights have been a popular option for hiking and backpacking for quite some time, but Fjallraven has really raised the bar in terms of performance with their Abisko tights.…

Exped Ultra 3R

As one of the earliest innovators of inflatable backpacking pads, Exped took a step back to see if there was a way to simplify the selection process for any backpacker trying to decide on which pad…

Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL Women’s and Aircontact Ultra 50+5

We’re excited to see these new offerings from Deuter that are a sleeker, lighter weight take on some of their classic extended backpacking packs. Checking in well under 3 pounds, these are better suited for true…

Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker

In a sea of look-the-same outerwear, Cotopaxi always rides the crest of a distinctive wave with its bright colors and bold patterning. Beneath that fun aesthetic is a serious commitment to sustainability by utilizing repurposed fabrics…

Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z

A number of years ago, Black Diamond popularized the use of trekking poles in long-distance trail running with the unveiling of their lightweight, folding Z-poles. Once a rarity at ultras, poles have now become standard fair…

Black Diamond Storm 500 R

We’ve been big fans of the Storm ever since Black Diamond introduced it because of its bright illumination and it’s IP67 rating which makes it extremely weatherproof. This new rechargeable version maintains those features we love…