Backpacking Gear
Best New Backpacking Gear: Six Ultralight Upgrades Worth Knowing
Six new pieces of backpacking gear, from a Dyneema single-wall tent to a quieter sleeping pad, with the real strengths and trade-offs to weigh before you buy.
Independent reviews
Product Reviews and Buying Guides – 638 / 805
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Camping Gear
Best New Camping and Backpacking Gear: 8 Standout Releases Worth Watching
Eight newly announced outdoor items, from titanium cookware and trekking poles to a battery-powered ice maker and a winter sleeping pad rated above R-8.
Travel Gear
Best One-Bag Travel Gear for Long Trips: 8 Essentials
A practical guide to the travel gear that proved its worth over 30 days of one-bag travel in Southeast Asia, from the pack to the power bank.
Backpacking Tents
Best One-Person Backpacking Tents: 7 Standout Picks for Solo Adventures
Seven solo backpacking tents compared by weight, interior space, ease of setup, and storm performance, with a clear pick for each type of trip.
Backpacking Tents
Best One-Person Tents 2026: Seven Award Winners for Backpacking
A category-by-category look at the standout one-person tents of the year, from freestanding and ultralight picks to budget value, storm-worthy designs, and the most innovative shelter of the season.
Knives
Best Outdoor and EDC Knives: 8 Blades Worth Carrying
A practical lineup of eight fixed-blade and folding knives for hiking, backpacking, and everyday carry, with honest notes on what each one does best.
Overlanding Gear
Best Overland Camp Gear 2026: Six Essentials for Remote Basecamps
Six pieces of overland camp gear that turn a remote site into a comfortable basecamp, with honest notes on what each one asks of you.
Overlanding Gear
Best Overlanding Camp Gear 2026: MoonShade Awning, OneTigris Chair, and SkyMac Air Mattress
A practical look at three overlanding camp additions: a suction-cup vehicle awning, a redesigned folding chair, and an air mattress that fits the back of an SUV.
Camping Chairs
Best Oversized Camp Chairs: ALPS King Kong vs Coleman vs YETI Trailhead
Four of the largest camp chairs compared on seat size, seat support, materials, storage, portability, and price, with clear guidance on which one is worth buying.
Camping Tents
Best Pop-Up Tents 2026: 7 Fast-Pitching Tents Compared
Seven pop-up tents compared on setup speed, space, ventilation, rain and wind protection, quality, and portability, with clear picks for different campers.
Camping Gear
Best Portable Heaters for Camping: Mr. Heater Buddy, Kovia Cupid, and NatureHike 3in1 Compared
A practical comparison of three popular portable heaters: what each one does well, where each one falls short, and how to choose the right one for tents, cabins, and vehicles.
Sleeping Bags
Best Sleeping Bags and Sleep Systems: Five Premium Down Picks Compared
Five premium down sleeping bags and sleep systems compared on warmth, weight, construction, and value.
Camping Lanterns
Best Rechargeable LED Camping Lanterns 2026: 12 Lanterns Compared
Twelve rechargeable LED camping lanterns measured for brightness, run time, features, ease of use, durability, and portability, with clear picks for every kind of camper.
Camping Tents
Best REI Camping Tents: Which Two-Person and Family Models Are Worth Buying
A practical walkthrough of REI's two-person and family camping tents, covering where the Arete ASL 2, Base Camp 6 and Wonderland shine, and which models are hard to justify.
Backpacking Tents
Best Semi-Freestanding Backpacking Tents: Six Lightweight Options Compared
Six semi-freestanding backpacking tents compared on weight, headroom, floor width, and fly design, with clear guidance on which one suits which kind of trip.
Camping Sleeping Pads
Best Sleeping Pads 2026: Comfort Awards and Top Picks
A comfort-focused roundup of ten sleeping pads, from budget dimpled designs to thick stretch-top models, with gold, silver, and bronze comfort awards.
Backpacking Tents
Best Solo Backpacking Tents 2026: Five Category Winners and the Alternatives Worth Knowing
A practical guide to the best solo backpacking tents across five categories, from ultralight Dyneema shelters to budget double-wall designs and a storm-worthy winter tent.
Camping Tents
Best Sports Two-Person Tent Tested in Overnight Rain: What $80 Buys, and a Stronger Alternative
An $80 two-person tent with an unusually rich feature list, put through a full night of steady rain. Here is what held up, what did not, and the alternative worth the extra spend.
Backpacking Gear
Best Spring Backpacking Gear: 8 Pieces Built for Cold, Unpredictable Conditions
Eight backpacking pieces put through a spring trip in the Canadian Rockies, from an ultralight pack and a condensation-resistant tent to a quilt, sleeping pads, a hood, and camp shoes.
Camping Tents
Best Summertime Tents: Mesh Coverage, Fly Design, and Two Designs Compared
What to look for in a three-season summer tent, plus a close look at two designs that show how mesh coverage and fly geometry decide whether you sleep cool or sweat all night.
Camping Tents
Best Tents for Extreme Wind: Six Ultralight Shelters Compared
Six backpacking tents compared in gusts that peaked at 73 km/h, with notes on pitching difficulty, pole behavior, guy-out options and which shelter suits exposed ground.
Hiking Gear
Best Thru-Hiking Gear for Long Trails: Seven Pieces That Earned Their Place on the Great Divide Trail
Seven thru-hiking essentials that handled 36 days and 1,100 kilometres in the Canadian Rockies, plus the trade-offs worth weighing before you buy.
Backpacking Tents
Best Two-Person Backpacking Tents 2026: Seven Category Winners
Seven two-person backpacking tents, each the strongest pick in its category, with the strengths, trade-offs and trip types that decide which one fits.
Backpacking Tents
Best Two-Person Backpacking Tents: MSR Hubba Hubba vs Nemo Dagger vs Big Agnes Copper Spur
Three freestanding two-person backpacking tents compared on floor width, headroom, weight, and price, with a clear pick for most buyers.
Backpacking Gear
Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear 2026: 10 Popular Picks Worth Knowing
Ten popular ultralight backpacking items, from portable bidets and pack liners to tent stakes and repair kits, with honest notes on who each one actually suits.
Backpacking Gear
Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear: Standout Picks Across the Core Categories
A category-by-category guide to the lightest packs, shelters, sleep systems, cook kits, lighting, power and rain gear, including the trade-offs worth understanding before you buy.
Backpacking
Best Ultralight Backpacking Packs 2026: 6 Options Compared
Six ultralight backpacks that balance low weight with real-world comfort, capacity, and frame design. We break down what each does well and where it makes trade-offs.
Camping Sleeping Pads
Best Ultralight Sleeping Pads 2026: Seven Lightweight Pads Compared
Seven sub-600 g sleeping pads compared on weight, comfort, warmth, and price, with clear picks for cold sleepers, comfort seekers, and budget buyers.
Camping Tents
Best Ultralight Solo Tents: Zpacks Plex Solo vs Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo vs 3F UL LanShan 1 Pro
Three trekking pole solo tents compared on fabric, weight, interior space, weather performance, and price, so you can match the shelter to the trips you actually take.
Ultralight Backpacking Tents
Best Ultralight Trekking Pole Tents for Solo Backpacking: Six Shelters Compared
Six single-person trekking pole tents compared on weight, interior space, fabric, pitching, and price so you can pick the shelter that fits your hike.