Buying guides and how-tos built from the figures makers publish, with the source shown where we have one.
The gear for a first overnight, chosen from our catalogue, with list-price totals and advice on where to buy it.
7 min readEight 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 min readFourteen 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 readHow to read a temperature rating, why fill weight matters more than fill power, per-size prices, and what the makers publish for the Kelty Cosmic 20, the Western Mountaineering line, NEMO, Sea to Summit, Mountain Hardwear and Therm-a-Rest.
6 min readSix backpacking packs from 45 to 68 L: how to fit one, then their published volume, frame, load range, weight and list price, with a reason to skip each.
5 min readA 56 g burner and a 465 g windproof system can both be the right answer. How to match a stove to the way you cook, using published weight, capacity and boil figures.
13 min readWhat fill power measures, why the 900-fill Rab Mythic Ultra weighs more than twice as much as the 850-fill Western Mountaineering QuickFlash, and how to choose between down and synthetic. A comparison of published maker specs for seven insulated jackets.
6 min readWinter warmth comes from a system: stacked pads, insulation that copes with damp, a regulated stove and traction, built from products in our catalogue.
5 min readThe soak takes 15 to 30 minutes; the dry takes two to four hours. When to wash, why household detergent harms down, and the drying routine that restores loft.
3 min readGear for the Pemigewasset Loop, chosen around its three conditions: long exposed ridges, fast-changing weather, and dry stretches between water sources.
5 min readSawyer Squeeze vs Katadyn BeFree: the BeFree to drink from its 42 mm flask and clean by shaking; the Squeeze for 28 mm bottles, silty water and long life.
4 min readNeoAir XLite NXT vs Women's Ether Light XT Insulated on the makers’ published figures: R 4.5 and 370 g against R 3.5 and 495 g, 3 in against 4 in thick, 72 in against 66 in long.
4 min read