Bikepacking

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.

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 new Nirvana Bike Camper bears a closer resemblance to a full-on automobile teardrop than average. The curvy teardrop can be left an empty shell or optioned up with kitchen equipment, solar-charged battery, windows and awning.

The Fire Maple Antarcti Gas Fire Pit is a fire bowl so collapsible you can carry it in a backpack. It runs on the same style of tiny gas canister as a backpacking stove, making it the lightest, most portable gas fire pit you're likely to encounter.

If you're going bikepacking – off-road bicycle camping – you'll want to keep your load as light and compact as possible. That's where the super-svelte bikepacking-specific Apex1 tent comes in, as it actually uses your bike to hold it fully upright.