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Backpacking Gear Reviews, Expert Tips, & Trail Guides
We hope to inspire adventure and promote wilderness conservation through in-depth gear reviews, skill-based tutorials, and comprehensive trip guides.
Popular Content
Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads of 2024
![A backpacker holding the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite in Yosemite National Park](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sleeping-Pads-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg)
Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads of 2024
Whether you’re looking for inflatable or foam, ultralight or ultra-plush, we’ll help you get a great night’s sleep in the backcountry with our trail-tested picks…
Best Backpacking Meals & Food of 2024
![A hiker eating from a titanium backpacking pot in a lush, green forest](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Backpacking-Food-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg)
Best Backpacking Meals & Food of 2024
Backpacking Food Meal planning is one of the most important considerations for any backpacking trip. The food you choose will depend on taste preference, nutritional value, caloric density of each meal, and how easy it is to cook. Some hikers bring dehydrated meals because they’re quick and easy. Others prepare DIY dinner recipes and use […]
Best Backpacking Backpacks of 2024
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Sawtooths-30-1024x683.jpeg)
Best Backpacking Backpacks of 2024
Our team of seasoned backcountry experts hiked thousands of miles using the best backpacking packs on the market to narrow down this list of…
Best Backpacking Tents of 2024
![The NEMO Hornet OSMO 2 and Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 backpacking tents pitched in a campsite surrounded by granite peaks in the Sawtooth Mountains](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Backpacking-Tents-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg)
Best Backpacking Tents of 2024
We put the most promising backpacking tents on the market through the wringer to find the ones with the best balance of comfort, weight…
Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags of 2024
![A backpacker sitting on a rock in the REI Magma 30 sleeping bag at sunset](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Best-Backpacking-Sleeping-Bags-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg)
Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags of 2024
From summer summits to winter wanderings, our trail-tested list of the best backpacking sleeping bags will keep you warm and cozy in…
Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2024
![Closeup of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter in front of an alpine lake](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sawyer-Squeeze-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg)
Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2024
We’ve filtered out the nonsense to bring you our purest recommendations of the best water filters around.
All Backpacking Gear Reviews, Expert Tips, & Trail Guides Content
Sea To Summit Spark 15 Review
![Stock image of Sea to Summit Spark 15](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sea-to-Summit-Spark-15.png)
Sea To Summit Spark 15 Review
If you’re a backpacker looking for one of the lightest and warmest sleeping bags out there, this is a top contender.
NEMO Disco 15 Endless Promise Review
![Stock photo of the NEMO Disco 15 sleeping bag with a white background](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NEMO-Disco-15.jpg)
NEMO Disco 15 Endless Promise Review
Whether car camping or backpacking, you’ll sleep like a baby with this extra roomy sleeping bag.
Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 Review
![A woman unfurling the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 backpacking sleeping bag over a tent with a beautiful mountain view behind her.](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Mountain-Hardwear-Phantom-0-1024x683.jpg)
Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 Review
Despite being lighter and more affordably priced compared to many winter bags, it has an outstanding warmth-to-weight ratio, and features like the no-snag zipper, included compression sack, and ethically sourced down are just the cherry on top.
Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Kelty-Cosmic-Down-20-sleeping-bag-in-a-backpacking-tent-with-a-puppy-1024x683.jpeg)
Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20 Review
This bag excels with its 800-fill-power insulation and thicker 20-denier nylon shell, which offers a level of durability that most backpacking bags can only dream of.
Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Marmot-trestles-elite-eco-sleeping-bag.jpeg)
Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Review
This bag is lighter than many other synthetic options, packs down decently small, and offers top-of-the-line features – all at a minimal price tag.
Feathered Friends Swallow YF 20 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/image-2-1024x681.jpeg)
Feathered Friends Swallow YF 20 Review
This bag features a generous draft tube, draft collar, and a fitted cut that eliminates dead space so you’ll stay as warm as a glowing ember all night long.
Men’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Brooks-Cascadia-17-1024x576.png)
Men’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Review
These are some of our favorites. We’ve logged over 6,000 miles in them across the CDT, PCT, and Colorado Trail.
Men’s HOKA Anacapa 2 Low GTX Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hoka-Anacapa-2-Low-GTX-1024x576.png)
Men’s HOKA Anacapa 2 Low GTX Review
These shoes are comfortable, waterproof, and durable. They’re perfect for medium to long hikes on established trails in all sorts of weather conditions.
Men’s Keen Targhee IV WP Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Keen-Targhee-III-WP-1024x575.png)
Men’s Keen Targhee IV WP Review
These classic leather kicks are perfect for rugged, technical backcountry conditions and provide some of the best waterproofing of any hiking shoes we tested, making them ideal for wet trails and cooler weather.
Men’s Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Eagle-Cap-098-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Review
We’ve used these shoes to scramble long Class 4 ridge traverses at 13,000’ in the Colorado Rockies, hike hundreds of miles on local trails, and even tackle half marathons.
Men’s Danner Trail 2650 Review
![](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Danner-Trail-2650-1024x575.png)
Men’s Danner Trail 2650 Review
These are versatile hiking shoes that are exceptionally stylish and comfortable whether you’re thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail or walking the dog to the coffee shop.
Men’s Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Review
![Closeup of a hiker's feet in the Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew socks and Salomon X Ultra shoes on the rim of the Grand Canyon](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Socks-3x2-1-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Review
These are comfortable out of the box. Their supportive, springy midsole and stable outsoles guarantee a smooth and cushioned ride that makes them amazingly versatile.
Men’s Merrell Moab 3 Review
![Man's legs from knee down steps across a deep gap between large sandstone boulders wearing the Merrell Moab 3 hiking shoes.](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1859_Original-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s Merrell Moab 3 Review
These shoes offer robust, breathable performance from burly mesh and leather uppers and provide solid protection from rocks and pokey bushes.
Men’s La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Review
![A hiker from the knees down walks on a trail in a forest setting.](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1165-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Review
With oversized toe caps, reinforced heels, aggressive lugs, and stout rock plates, these shoes are built for the high country: their exceptional traction and off-trail performance are game changers.
Men’s Hoka SpeedGoat 5 Review
![Muscular hiker legs traversing an alpine meadow in the HOKA Speedgoat 5 hiking shoes](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Hiking-Shoes-Mens-3x2-2-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s Hoka SpeedGoat 5 Review
These shoes offer thick, responsive midsoles with excellent cushioning and impact absorption on rough trails. Their roomy toe box and chunky lug pattern provide top-tier traction, and fast-drying, breathable uppers make them feel breathable and airy.
Men’s Saucony Peregrine 14 Review
![Man bent over tying long shoelaces on the Saucony Peregrine 14.](https://www.cleverhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1338-1024x683.jpg)
Men’s Saucony Peregrine 14 Review
With a responsive feel and a secure fit, these are the shoes for fast-paced activities like running, hiking, and backpacking across low deserts in May or chasing mountain summits in August.