Best Backpacking Gear of 2025

Planning a long trek in the woods or an extended backcountry escape? The right gear makes all the difference. We’ve rounded up our top picks for packs, tents, sleeping bags, footwear, apparel, and more—so you can get out there and stay out there. Check out the best backpacking gear for Spring/Summer 2025!

NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P

From its earliest days, NEMO has been at the forefront of sustainable construction, and the Dagger embodies that responsible design focus. The 3-season backpacking tent utilizes recycled yarns and an efficient dyeing process to cut down…

MSR Switch Stove System

There’s a context clue in the naming of the Switch Stove System that hints at its versatility. The pressure-regulated stove meshes directly with an included 1.0-liter cook pot which is perfect for weight- and space-conscious backpackers,…

Outdoor Research Ultima Softshell Hoodie

The Ultima reminds us a lot of Outdoor Research’s iconic Ferrosi Hoodie but with a little bit more heft. Good heft. The full-zip softshell offers the same do-it-all versatility of the Ferrosi but its slightly heavier…

Outdoor Research Crocodile Mid-Height Gaiters

Iconic Outdoor Research Crocodile gaiters have been delivering fully waterproof leg protection to alpinists, explorers, and backcountry adventurers since before the turn of the century. Along the way, boots and footwear have slimmed down and this…

LEKI Skytera FX Carbon SL

The mountains are calling…and these Skytera FX Carbon SL poles are chomping at the bit to go! These carbon fiber poles weigh in at well under 13 ounces per pair but are still heavy on features…

Gregory Maven 48 Women’s and Paragon 50

We’re not buying the idea that in order to carry a heavy load, you need to carry a heavy pack and neither does Gregory. By utilizing lightweight, high-tenacity fabrics, an innovative perimeter frame and anti-barreling stay,…

Fjallraven Abisko Hybrid Trail Trousers

No brand takes as scientific an approach to building pants as Fjallraven and we certainly appreciate the results of that focus. Take these pants for example. They use two different types of stretch fabrication and place…

Fjallraven Women’s Abisko Sun Hoodie Dress

We are loving this lightweight, quick-drying, moves-with-you dress. It’s such a fun, breezy alternative to traditional hiking pants. The polyester knit fabric is silky soft to the touch and really airy and cool. It has built-in…

Therm-a-Rest Boost 650 32 Degree

Well, here’s a whole new take on versatility. We’ve seen shape-changing bags before, but the Boost has its own innovative approach with a vertical WarmZip that adjusts the internal volume of the bag and lets you…

LifeStraw Peak Series Solo Personal Water Filter

Seems we can all agree that there are way too many plastic bottles on this planet and the brilliant little Peak Series Solo filter scoffs at the idea of “single-use” by screwing right into the 28mm…

Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon Z

There was a time not long ago that foldable poles were only available in stripped down, minimalist offerings that were fine for trail runners but lacked robust build qualities for hikers and backpackers. But thankfully, those…

MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2P

In the early 2000s the Hubba Hubba tent brought about a paradigm shift with its combination of lighweight construction, durability, AND interior livability that didn’t ask backpackers to choose which of those factors they valued most.…

Marmot Crane Creek 3P

Hard not to notice that the price of everything has gone up over the last few years and tents weren’t immune to those increases. But that doesn’t mean that you have to shell out $500 to…

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2

Over the years the sight of a Copper Spur pitched in the backcountry has become almost ubiquitous and that’s no surprise given its compelling space-to-weight ratio and broad set of performance features. So, no need to…

Jetboil Flash 1.0L

Twenty years ago, the original Jetboil stove arrived on the scene and truly revolutionized the category of canister stoves with astoundingly fast boil times in an efficiently nested all-in-one system. Fast forward to today and the…

Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft

Backpacking just got significantly more comfortable thanks to the NeoLoft! When you first see it inflated, it seems hard to believe that it compresses small enough to fit in your pack, but it does. Its stretch…

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated

It may be warm now, but winter and cold weather will come again and the Ether Light XR Insulated is a pad that can serve you well all year round. Weighing roughly a pound and packing…

NEMO Tensor Elite

Calling all thru-hikers and ounce-counting backpackers, NEMO just unveiled the lightest Tensor yet! Leveraging the impressive strength-to-weight ratio of 10D Cordura nylon fabric, using an innovative bulk-reducing baffling pattern, and employing a mummy shape that reduces…

Exped MegaMat Ultra

Plush MegaMats have been a camping go-to for our team of Gear Specialists for a long time, but those are far too big and bulky to throw in a pack and haul into the backcountry. This…

Big Agnes Campmeister Deluxe Insulated

Its name might sound playful, but this inflatable sleeping pad is all business! It has a super burly exterior and premium PrimaLoft Silver insulation and a reflective barrier that equip it for use in all 4…

Sea to Summit Hamelin 15 Degree

There’s so much versatility and value built into the Hamelin. It has a 3-season worthy temperature rating and its synthetic insulation and roomy but still thermally-efficient cut hit a split-the-difference sweet spot on weight, packability, and…

NEMO Soul 15/25 Degree Endless Promise

When we hear the word “ultralight” associated with a sleeping bag, we immediately think “down insulation” and expect that the bag will come with some compromise on water-resistance. That’s not the case with the Soul, however.…

Marmot Mad River 15 Degree

Marmot has a long history of designing performance-oriented, lightweight, and highly-compressible down-insulated sleeping bags and the Mad River continues that legacy. Purpose-built for 3-season backpacking, the bag has a thermally-efficient mummy-cut with water-resistant 650-fill down insulation…

Big Agnes Torchlight EXP 30 Degree

We’re huge fans of the Big Agnes Padlock system. As a backpacker, you’re always gonna carry a pad so why not let that serve as the main underbody insulator and take some of the weight out…

Exped Ultra Pump

Let’s be honest, blowing up inflatable pads kinda sucks. But so do extra ounces when you’re trying to keep your packed weight to a minimum. Which is why we love the compact, rechargeable Ultra Pump. It…

Big Agnes Sweetwater UL 43L

Big Agnes has garnered numerous awards over the years for their tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads, but they’ve only recently started making backpacks. Based on what we see in the Sweetwater, it appears Big Agnes…

Marmot Minimalist Pertex Jacket

Marmot teamed up with the cutting-edge engineers at Pertex to make their classic Minimalist Jacket even more packable and breathable without sacrificing any of the waterproof protection or durability that has made it such a backcountry…

Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX

The classic X Ultra gets a high-performance face-lift this year with the introduction of highly abrasion-resistant Matryx fabric to its upper. This fabric has an amazing strength-to-weight ratio and enhances breathability and flexibility without sacrificing durability.…