stg-sectionhikercom-buttons.kinsta.cloud Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs

I bought the Mountain Hardware Phantom Down Jacket on sale about 2 weeks ago because I needed an exceptionally warm coat for winter camping and mountaineering. Since then, I’ve worn it everyday and I am amazed at how warm it is. The Phantom’s insulation is 800 fill goose down making it very toasty and highly compressible. That’s an important consideration on …

This article is in response to Jason’s Klass’ post In defense of the knife. Jason believes that a knife is important to carry in the backcountry. His preference is a 2.6 oz. Spyderco Delica 4. A perfectly logical choice, except maybe the part about defending yourself from mountain lions. But in addition, I would argue that you also want to …

I have a reader, named Randy, who contacted me recently seeking advice on 3 season synthetic sleeping bags. He’s adopted a vegan lifestyle and doesn’t want to use a goose down bag. This will be his first sleeping bag so I volunteered to suggest some alternatives for him. He’s selected a tent from Six Moon Designs (a great choice), and …

This is NOT a backpacking recipe! It's a technique I learned for warming an hypothermia victim during my Wilderness First Aid certification class in Vermont recently. The Human Burrito is based on vapor barrier survival techniques that I've written about in the past. Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature drops below 95 degrees F. It is an emergency condition …