Posts in Thru-Hiking & Backpacking
Best (and Brightest) Headlamps of 2025

We spent 300+ nights testing the best headlamps for brightness, battery life, comfort, and ease of use for backpacking, hiking, running, climbing, and camping.

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Best Lightweight Hiking Boots of 2025

We review the best men’s and women’s lightweight hiking boots for day hikes and lightweight backpacking, including the top waterproof and Gore-Tex models.

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Best Backpacking Water Filters and Purifiers of 2025

Clean drinking water is essential when you head into the backcountry. An effective, reliable water filter or purifier ensures that you have it. We field-tested 20 systems over 6 years to find the one for you.

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Best Hiking and Backpacking Watches of 2025

We put in 125 hours of research and 500 days of trail testing to review the best GPS and ABC watches for hiking, backpacking, and multisport outdoor activities.

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Best Women's Trail Running Shoes of 2025

We ran 2,000 miles in 24 of the most popular trail running shoes to find the best trail running shoes for hiking and backpacking, road-to-trail running, narrow feet, wide feet, beginner trail runners, and distance running.

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Best Bluetooth Headphones and Earbuds for Outdoor Activities of 2025

We tested the best wireless earbuds, behind the neck, and Bluetooth headphones for thousands of miles, while running, hiking, biking, and working out.

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Best Base Layers of 2025

We tested two dozen lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight men’s and women’s base layer tops over four years. We put these base layers to work, and came out with the best base layers for warmth, durability, comfort, and ability to wick away sweat and odor over time.

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Best Down Jackets of 2025

We reviewed 44 down jackets to find the 7 best puffy jackets for most outdoor activities: hiking, camping, backpacking—ultralight to extreme cold.

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Appalachian Trail Gear List & Strategy 2025

Updated for 2025, our gear list and strategy for the Appalachian Trail prepares you for a thru-hike or long distance section of the AT. As weather and ecosystems change, so should your gear. Here’s what we’ve learned from 5 thru-hikes and 11,000 AT miles of trial-and-error.

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