Best New Backpacking Gear: 10 Standout Items for 2022

Introduction

The 2022 season brought a wave of meaningful updates to backpacking gear rather than a flood of gimmicks. Several long-running favourites were redesigned, a few categories gained genuinely lighter options, and materials took a step forward on the sustainability side.

This roundup covers ten items that are worth a closer look, spanning satellite communication, sleep, shelter, water treatment, footwear, and load carrying. Each entry focuses on what actually changed, who benefits, and where the trade-offs sit.

How These Picks Were Chosen

The items here were selected on four practical measures: weight relative to the job they do, how useful the changes are on a real trip, materials and sustainability claims, and durability over long use. A lighter item almost always gives something up, so each section notes what you gain and what you accept in return.

That trade-off matters more in some categories than others. Shelter and sleep carry the biggest weight and comfort consequences, while footwear and packs are usually judged on fit and durability first. The picks below are grouped so you can compare like with like, and the buying advice at the end helps narrow the list to your own trips.

Garmin inReach Mini 2: Satellite Messaging, Refined

The inReach Mini 2 keeps the compact form factor that made the original appealing, and adds a set of updates that make it easier to live with day to day. Charging moves to USB-C, battery life improves, and the interface is quicker and more intuitive to navigate than before. The companion app experience is also noticeably better when the device is tethered to a phone.

If you already own the original inReach Mini and it is doing its job, this is not a compelling upgrade. The improvements are most relevant for first-time buyers or anyone replacing an older communicator that no longer keeps up.

Nemo Tensor: More Warmth, Same Weight

The Tensor has been one of the most popular sleeping pads at REI for the past couple of years, and the 2022 version raises its R-value from 3.5 to 4.2 without adding any weight. That brings it in line with well-regarded pads such as the Therm-a-Rest X-Lite, which is the comparison most backpackers care about.

The pad is also built entirely from 100% recycled and bluesign certified materials, which is a meaningful step for a category that has traditionally leaned on virgin synthetics.

Because the weight stayed the same, the added warmth is effectively a free upgrade for three-season trips.

MSR FreeLite: A Redesigned Semi-Freestanding Tent

The 2022 FreeLite is a complete redesign rather than a refresh, and it reads as MSR’s answer to popular semi-freestanding tents such as the Big Agnes Tiger Wall and the Nemo Hornet. The result is a very lightweight semi-freestanding shelter with interior space that genuinely fits real people rather than only measuring well on paper.

It does have some finicky aspects in use, which is the usual price of pushing weight down in this category. At this weight you have to pick and choose which features and specifications matter most to you, and the FreeLite makes its priorities fairly clear.

Zpacks Plex Solo: A Fully Enclosed Tent at 389 Grams

The Plex Solo is the lightest fully enclosed tent you can buy, and it weighed just 389 grams on the scale. That number is remarkable on its own, but it is not the whole story: the shelter is also relatively roomy for a one-person tent, which is where most ultralight designs fall down.

It would be easy to assume the Plex Solo is simply a shortened version of a larger Zpacks shelter, but the design features are distinct enough to make it a genuinely separate model. For ultralight backpackers under six foot two, this is positioned as the leading recommendation in its class.

The practical appeal is the combination of a fully enclosed design and a weight that disappears into a pack. That makes it a strong candidate for anyone who has been carrying a heavier shelter out of habit rather than necessity.

LifeStraw Peak Squeeze: One Liter in About 20 Seconds

LifeStraw filters have historically been the least appealing option in the category, but the 2022 Peak line changes that picture. The squeeze version is a one-litre filter, and in testing it filtered water in about 20 seconds, which puts it in genuinely competitive territory.

There are still reservations about a few of its design details, so it is worth reading the specifics carefully before committing. Even so, the filtration speed is strong enough that it can credibly challenge the established squeeze filters that have long dominated this space.

Garmin Instinct 2: A Rugged Watch With Solar Options

The Instinct series has built a reputation as one of the best choices for a super rugged and capable watch for outdoor adventures. The Instinct 2 is a solid upgrade over the original, adding a wider range of activities you can track and better overall fitness capabilities.

Its most interesting trick is battery life. When you lean on the watch’s solar capability, it can deliver unlimited battery life in some circumstances, which is the kind of claim that matters on multi-day routes far from a charger.

Hoka One One Speedgoat 5: Durability Fixes on a Proven Shoe

The Speedgoat 4 earned a strong following, including a 1,200 kilometre thru-hike on the Great Divide Trail. The Speedgoat 5 keeps everything that worked: a great fit, plenty of cushioning to help prevent foot fatigue, and a sticky Vibram Megagrip sole.

The changes address the weak points. Durability improves, particularly in the sole and heel where the previous version showed lifting. The upper is more breathable, and it is slightly stretchier, which adds comfort over long days.

Taken together, these are the right kind of updates: the ride stays familiar while the failure points get attention. Runners and hikers who liked the previous generation should find the fit carries over without surprises.

Altra Mont Blanc: Light Cushioning for Very Long Days

The Mont Blanc is completely new to the market. Like the Speedgoat, it is a cushioned shoe, and it sits close to the Altra Olympus in that respect. Where it differs is weight: it is lighter than both the Olympus and the Speedgoat, and it is built for really long days of trail running or hiking.

The open question is how it balances that low weight against longevity, and whether it works as a zero-drop alternative to the Speedgoat line or gives up too much durability to get there. For hikers who prioritise cushioning and low weight over abrasion resistance, it is an interesting new option.

Gregory Focal: Full-Featured at Just Over a Kilogram

The Focal weighs just over a kilogram while remaining a full-featured pack with a high carrying capacity. That combination is unusual, and it is the main reason it stands out in a crowded category.

The feature that is hardest to find on lightweight packs is the trampoline back panel, which provides a lot of ventilation and makes a real difference in genuinely hot conditions. Both Gregory and Osprey back their packs with a lifetime warranty, which adds confidence to the purchase.

Osprey Exos: The Hip Belt Returns

The Exos is arguably the most popular lightweight backpack on the market, and the 2022 version brings back the hip belt. That single change matters a great deal to anyone who has missed proper load transfer on long days.

On paper the Exos and the Gregory Focal look very comparable, sharing many of the same features and the same lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. Choosing between them will come down to fit and small details rather than any obvious gap in specification.

Buying Advice: Matching Gear to Your Trips

The fastest way to waste money on backpacking gear is to buy weight savings you do not need. Start with the items that solve a problem you actually have: a shelter that leaks or feels cramped, a pad that leaves you cold, a filter that is slow when you are tired, or shoes that fall apart before the trip ends.

If your current kit already works, an upgrade only makes sense when it fixes something specific, whether that is warmth for the same weight, a fully enclosed shelter that disappears into your pack, or a pack that carries a heavy load without cooking you in summer heat. In every case, fit and durability should outrank a headline number on a spec sheet.

Conclusion

The strongest items in this group are the ones that improve something concrete rather than adding complexity. The Nemo Tensor gains warmth without gaining weight, the Zpacks Plex Solo pushes enclosed shelter weight to an extreme, the Speedgoat 5 fixes real durability complaints, and the Gregory Focal and Osprey Exos both offer full feature sets at genuinely light weights.

If you are replacing a single item this season, start with the one that causes the most friction on your trips. The rest of the list is worth keeping in mind for the next time your kit needs a deliberate upgrade rather than an impulse one.