RidgeNote · Know your carry
RidgeNote is a register of backpacking gear for people who plan their kit.
How RidgeNote works
STEP 01
Specs are the maker's published figures wherever the maker publishes them, shown with the source and check date when we have them. No invented reviews, ever.
Browse the gear →STEP 02
Put two or three candidates in one table — weight, R-value, capacity, price per ounce — and see the trade-offs. The best value in each row is highlighted for you.
Compare gear →STEP 03
Add your picks to a pack and watch the base weight add up to the gram — before you spend a dollar. Save it, share it, and adjust it as your kit changes.
Open the Pack Planner →Example gear lists
Add gear with the makers' published weights and assign each item to base, worn, or consumable. Each bucket is totalled as you build.
Account Nº 001 · summer
John Muir Trail
Account Nº 002 · 3-season
Pemi Loop, NH
Account Nº 003 · fall
Presidential Traverse
Browse by kit system
Charts & references:How much should a pack weigh?Backpack size chartSleeping pad R-value chartSleeping bag temperature ratingsUltralight gear listGear by brand
Ranked guides
Head to head
Guides
The gear for a first overnight, chosen from our catalogue, with list-price totals and advice on where to buy it.
7 minBuying guide · 7 minEight shelters from our catalogue, from a 504 g single-wall to a 2.5 kg freestanding tent, compared on published weight, floor size and list price, with the reason to skip each one.
7 minBuying guide · 13 minFourteen pads from R 2.0 to R 7.7, compared on the R-values and weights their makers publish: air, self-inflating and foam, with who should skip each.
13 min