Independent reviews
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Backpacking Tents
A side-by-side look at the NEMO Dragonfly OSMO and NEMO Dagger OSMO, covering packed weight, floor shape, interior storage, venting, and vestibule design so you can choose the right shelter.
Sleeping Pads
A year-round sleeping pad with an R value of 6.2, a notably quiet surface, and a 562 g regular wide build. Here is what to know before buying.
Backpacking Tents
A 2 lb 1 oz ultralight two-person backpacking tent with dual doors, a thin 7D fly, and a premium price. Here is what it does well and what to weigh before buying.
Backpacking Tents
A close comparison of two premium ultralight two-person backpacking tents, covering interior space, ventilation, setup, weight, and price.
Backpacking Tents
An exceptionally light three-season tent built on Nemo's low-stretch OSMO fabric, with excellent ventilation and a realistic take on how much space two people actually get.
Backpacking Tents
A practical comparison of two lightweight Nemo backpacking tents, covering floor space, headroom, vestibules, fabric, and setup so you can match the tent to the trip.
Backpacking Tents
A practical look at the Nemo Hornet and Nemo Hornet Elite, covering the Osmo fabric update, the weight gap between them, and which version suits solo backpackers.
Camping Chairs
A close look at the Nemo Moonlight Elite, an ultralight backpacking chair with a reclining back, color-coded clips, and a dual-purpose stuff sack, plus the fit question to settle before you buy.
Backpacking Chairs
A close look at the NEMO Moonlite Elite and the Helinox Chair Zero, two ultralight backpacking chairs with different ideas about comfort, weight and price.
Sleep Systems
A practical look at pairing the Nemo Quasar 3D sleeping pad with the Zen Bivvy Light Bed, and what that combination means for comfort in the backcountry.
Camping Chairs
The Nemo Satellite combines reclining comfort, a compact packed size, an integrated footprint bag, and a breathable mesh seat in one car-camping chair.
Sleeping Bags
A $600 down winter bag against a $120 synthetic bag, both rated to 0°F. Here is how they differ in warmth, construction, and real overnight comfort.
Sleeping Pads
Nemo's warmest ultralight pad claims an R-value of 8.5 at 23.5 oz. Here is what that rating covers, what it does not, and who should consider it.
Sleeping Pads
A close look at the Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad, covering its R value of 3.5, three inches of cushion, 15 oz weight, inflation system, and the care it asks for.
Sleeping Pads
A practical comparison of the Nemo Tensor Insulated and the Therm-a-Rest XTherm, from R-value and comfort to noise, materials, and price.
Sleeping Pads
Nemo's redesigned Tensor line splits into three R-value tiers. Here is how the Trail, All-Season, and Extreme Conditions differ in warmth, weight, and price.
Backpacking Gear
Eight new backpacking products for 2025, from three packs and a GPS watch to a titanium pressure cooker, two sleep systems, and an untapered two-person tent.
Backpacking Gear
A practical look at this season's new ultralight sleep systems, sleeping pads, camp chair and solo tent, including the trade-offs that decide whether an upgrade is worth it.
Backpacking Gear
A desert overnight test of six lesser-known backpacking items, from a durable sub-1 kg pack to a $50 sleeping pad that feels like a familiar favourite.
Backpacking Gear
A field-focused look at eight new backpacking items, from three fresh packs to an expanding sleeping bag, a titanium pressure cooker, and a longer two-person tent.
Backpacking Gear
A frameless ultralight pack, an updated two-person tent, a $10 to $15 canister stove, and a sleeping bag with tunable warmth, tested on a desert overnighter.
Backpacking Gear
Six pieces of backpacking gear that solve real problems on cold trips, from an airy mesh layer to a titanium remote canister stove, with the trade-offs to weigh first.
Bikepacking Gear
A 2,700-mile self-supported route demands gear that is light, compact and dependable. These ten items are the newest additions to a 2026 bikepacking and backpacking kit.
Outdoor Gear
Eight new outdoor products worth a closer look, from titanium cookware and trekking poles to freeze-dried meals, a battery-powered ice maker and a deep-winter sleeping pad.
Backpacking Gear
Ten small-brand ultralight backpacking items for 2026, from an 18°F quilt at a keen price to carbon fiber tent stakes and a power bank with an attached cable.
Backpacking Gear
Seven pieces of New Zealand backpacking gear, from a balance-pocket trekking pack to a pack liner that doubles as an emergency shelter.
Backpacking Gear
Seven backpacking pieces worth knowing, most of them from New Zealand makers, with clear strengths, honest trade-offs, and notes on pricing and availability.
Camping Lanterns
A practical look at the Night Eyes 300 RL and 314 rechargeable lanterns, covering light modes, runtime, power bank use, and the durability questions worth weighing before buying.
Outdoor Gear Care
A practical look at cleaning and re-treating a down jacket at home with Nikwax Down Wash Direct and Down Proof, and what cold, wet conditions actually revealed.
Outdoor Gear Care
A practical look at Nikwax Down Proof, a wash-in treatment that adds water repellency to down insulation and jacket shells, put through cold rain and near-freezing stream water.