Lightweight Backpacking Gear: Two Packable Jackets and Two Camp Games

Introduction

Every backpacker works with the same constraint: whatever goes into the pack has to justify the weight it adds. The four items in this roundup answer that question in different ways. Two are lightweight synthetic jackets from Enlightened Equipment, and two are packable games from Outside Inside that are designed to travel in a backpack.

The two jackets are variations on the same design, which makes the comparison unusually direct. The Torrid Apex is the trail-focused version, while the Outcast adds features aimed at everyday use. The games sit at the other end of the gear spectrum. They are not performance equipment and they do not pretend to be, but they are light and compact enough to be worth considering for longer evenings at camp.

What follows is a practical look at each item, including where it makes the most sense and where it does not. None of these pieces is complicated, so the decision usually comes down to how you actually use your gear rather than to a long list of specifications.

Best Lightweight Synthetic Jacket: Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex Jacket

The Torrid Apex is a lightweight synthetic insulated jacket, and it is the version most backpackers will want to start with. It is warm for its weight and straightforward in the way good trail layers tend to be, without extra features that add weight without adding function.

For hiking and backpacking, that simplicity is the point. A jacket like this is meant to be pulled out at camp or on a cold rest stop, then put away again once you start moving. The synthetic insulation keeps the piece useful as a warm layer rather than a bulky outer.

Everyday Version of a Favorite: Enlightened Equipment Outcast Jacket

The Outcast takes the same lightweight synthetic jacket idea and adds features that make it work better off the trail. The goal is a jacket you can wear to the grocery store without looking like you are wearing an insulated trash bag, and then take car camping on the weekend.

Those additions come with a weight cost. The Outcast weighs a couple of ounces more than the Torrid Apex, and for backpackers who count grams, that difference matters more than the lifestyle features. If the jacket is going to live in your pack, the lighter version is the more efficient choice.

The Outcast makes the most sense for someone who wants a single insulated jacket to cover errands, car camping, and the occasional short hike. It comes down to where you draw the line between trail performance and everyday wearability.

Lightweight Camp Game: Outside Inside Backcountry Cribbage

Evenings at camp can run long. The Backcountry Cribbage set from Outside Inside is built to be light enough to bring on a backpacking trip without adding much weight to your pack, which is the whole point of a packable game.

It is a small luxury rather than essential kit, and that is exactly how it should be judged. The set earns its place by being easy to carry and easy to store alongside the rest of your camping gear.

Lightweight Camp Game: Outside Inside Backcountry Bocce

Backcountry Bocce applies the same approach to a game that usually stays at home. Outside Inside designs it to be light enough for backpacking trips, so it adds a social option at camp without making much of a dent in your pack weight.

Like the cribbage set, it is measured in grams rather than in features. If you already enjoy bocce, this is a version that can realistically come along on a trip. If you would not play it at home, it will not earn its place in a pack.

Weight vs. Everyday Use: What to Consider Before Buying

The two jackets come down to a single trade-off. The Torrid Apex is the lighter of the pair and the better match for backpacking and hiking, where the extra ounces of the Outcast buy features you will not use on the trail. The Outcast is the better match if the jacket will also be worn around town and on car camping trips, where everyday looks and usability matter more than a couple of ounces.

The games are simpler to judge. Both are designed to be light enough for a backpacking trip, so the deciding factor is whether you will actually play them. A game that stays at the bottom of a pack is dead weight no matter how light it is, while one that gets used turns a long evening into something worth looking forward to.

Overall Buying Advice

Start with how you use your gear rather than with specifications. If backpacking is the main event, the Torrid Apex plus one packable game is a sensible combination, and the cribbage set is the more compact of the two games. If your insulated jacket also needs to work for errands and car camping, the Outcast justifies its extra couple of ounces.

For the games, choose the one you will actually play. Bocce is easy to share around a campsite, while cribbage is a quieter option. Either way, the weight is small enough that the real question is whether the game earns its space in your pack.

Conclusion

All four items share a straightforward idea: useful gear should not cost more weight than it returns. The Torrid Apex is the pick for backpackers who want a lightweight warm layer and nothing more. The Outcast is the pick for anyone who wants that same jacket to work off the trail. The two Outside Inside games are a low-weight way to make camp time more enjoyable.