Posts in Thru-Hiking & Backpacking
Best Winter Traction Devices of 2024/25 (MICROspikes and Crampons)

Looking for a way to stay upright in icy conditions? Sure-footed traction in snow and ice allows you to carry your outdoor life into the shoulder seasons and beyond.

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Best (and Brightest) Headlamps of 2025

We spent 200+ 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 Synthetic Insulated Jackets of 2025

We review 20 of the most popular synthetic insulated jackets and tested the top models for months in conditions as diverse as mountains in Arizona to snow storms near Bend, Oregon to walking a toddler in Portland. We considered models by Patagonia, Arc’teryx, L.L.Bean, Mountain Hardwear, Rab, Outdoor Research, The North Face, and Montbell.

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Best Women's Trail Running Shoes of 2024

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 Satellite Messengers and Personal Locator Beacons of 2025

Stay safe, stay connected, and stay found in the backcountry with a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon.

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Best Lightweight Backpacking & Thru Hiking Backpacks of 2024

We researched, tested, and used our own experience to find the best lightweight backpacks for backpacking. We researched 20 packs to find the best overall for most people, best Dyneema (DCF), high volume, heavy loads, budget, frameless ultralight packs for multi-day trips in the backcountry.

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Best Rugged Cameras – Waterproof, Shockproof, Freezeproof

We researched and tested the best tough cameras for your backcountry (and front country) adventures - waterproof, freeze-proof, drop-proof, shock-proof cameras that function no matter the extremes of weather and environment.

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