Backpacking

Backpackers want to remove stiff boots the second the hike is over, but carrying extra shoes entails a lot of unwanted bulk & weight. Zpacks' Deluxe Camp Shoes are an intriguing solution, offering slipper-like comfort in a tiny, 2.5-oz package.

After a couple years of fast growth in the ultralight freestanding tent market, 2026 has been rather quiet. But a new player shatters the silence with an impressive solo freestander that drops in around 2 lb ... at half the price of some competitors.

After packaging full fire-starting capabilities neatly inside a 2-oz (57-g) capsule that doubled as a high-pitched whistle, Outdoor Element is now integrating that same spark-flicking capability into a more useful everyday tool: the common pen.

Finding modern backpacking stoves unfit for its hard-charging, bushwhacking hunts, Roughridge determined to make a tougher backcountry cook system. Its ultralight Highcountry stove is built to work when and where you need it, every time.

The average $2 Bic lighter is great for lighting up a cigarette but not as great for lighting campfires or grills. Minnesota startup Radlight has an intriguing alternative for such outdoorsy tasks ... and for fending off hypothermia when things go south.

A year ago, we took a look at the Hyperlite Crosspeak 2 tent, an impressive cut of Dyneema that weighed just 2.1 lb but cost more than a dollar per gram. The all-new Crosspeak 1 dips well under 2 lb but still runs higher than a dollar per gram.

In 2021, Optimus debuted a sleek dual-burner stove called the Gemini that split the difference between backpacking and car camping. Now it's improved the design into a Gemini II that packs over a third more power while still dropping a couple ounces.

One of the lightest, tiniest electric inflators available, the all-new AP01 bests Nitecore's previous micro-pumps with a weight of just 22 grams. Despite its small size, the potent pump can fill up a sleeping pad in just over a minute.

Lifestraw has made some of the world's lightest, slimmest wilderness survival water filters for decades. Now it launches a new lightweight leader that makes its past releases look downright chunky ... relatively speaking.

Tree tent innovator Tentsile has developed what might be the world's most singular lineup of hanging tents, but one element holding those tents back: weight. The new Air series looks to solve that with the lightest, breeziest Tentsiles ever.

Jetboil is working to bring real ingredients and meals to the most distant pieces of backcountry. Its new Trailcook ultralight all-in-one camp stove systems sauté and stir-fry real meals together for a more satisfying burst of calories ... anywhere.

The year in new tent design brought everything from a new breed of ultralight freestanders, to cushier rooftop tents loaded with amenities, to multi-tent inflatable base camps. Here's a look at our staff and reader favorites from 2025.