Backpacking

Sea to Summit grows its lineup of Tension Ridge tents with the new Ikos TR. Available in 2- and 3-person sizes, the Ikos features a rugged, roomy construction and a flexible design that can be pitched as a full tent or an open-air daytime "hangout."

Forget energy goos, Hypershell has a more concrete way of boosting performance on mountain and trail. Its new exoskeleton channels the power of a horse into the legs of human adventurers, allowing them to explore farther, run faster and climb higher.

Hydrapak's new Flux+ packs water filtration capability into one of the most portable collapsible bottles out there. It carries 1.5 L of water into the wild, refills and filters from natural sources, and packs tiny when it's not in use.

Interest in outdoor recreation has soared since the Covid-19 pandemic. It's no wonder, then, that manufacturers launched innovative products throughout 2022 to help athletes go farther, faster and deeper into the backcountry. Here are the highlights.

Last year, Samaya impressed mountaineers and backpackers the world over with the ultralight Assaut 2 tent. Not two years later, it's back with the new Radical 1, an even lighter, smaller four-season tent that barely breaks half a kilogram.

With the new UltraPress Ti, Grayl injects its titanium know-how into its original water filter bottle design, creating a versatile tool that can quickly purify water and cook over a fire. It's a lightweight, hardwearing food-and-beverage multitool.

The versatile Adventure Fork can cook kebabs, sausages, chicken tenders, vegetables and other delectable foods over the fire on its own or combine into a spit to hold larger poultry and roasts at campsites reached only by foot, bike or raft.

VSSL expands its line of modular utility gear with a very different style of multitool, a packable party called the Insulated Flask. Not only does the double-walled vacuum-insulated flask keep your beverage close at hand and at an ideal temperature, it carries an integrated Bluetooth speaker to crank up the tunes from an accompanying smart device.

The newly launched Collapsible Pour Over coffer maker presents as a particularly practical solution to backcountry brewing, offering the enjoyment of a classic drip coffee and packing completely flat for easy transport.

We've seen a number of odd merino wool products over the years, but that didn't prepare us for wool bandages. New Zealand's WoolAid says that its natural bandages are better for healing and better for the environment.

We might get accused of blasphemy for saying it, but duct tape has its limitations. The MODL Infinity Tool can't replace duct tape, but it can step in on some of those jobs that stump the world's favorite adhesive fix-all.

Vaude has taken the next steps in "Leave No Trace" backpacking, simplifying a backpack down to a single material and 3D-printed components. Billed as the world's first recyclable backpack, the Novum 3D pack previews a more eco-friendly form of gear.