Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide

Sleeping Bag, High-End Down

Photograph courtesy Mont Bell

MontBell’s Ultralight Super Spiral Down Hugger (15 Degrees)

This is the most comfortable sleeping bag you’ll ever use. A bold claim? Yes, but MontBell’s Ultralight Super Spiral Down Hugger 15 is constructed with a tricky little sewing sleight of hand. The threads are cut at a 45-degree angle, the fibers are coiled, and the stitches are elastic—all of which adds up to a bag that stretches and moves with you no matter how much you toss and turn. You could inchworm your way along the length of the Pacific Crest Trail and still not feel constrained. Insulation is 800-fill down and, you’re right, that 15-degree temperature rating is wildly optimistic. This is a three-season bag, not four—but a mighty comfortable one ($399; www.montbell.us).

—Steve Casimiro

Sleeping Bag, Synthetic

Photograph courtesy Mountain Hardwear

Mountain Hardwear’s Ultralamina 32

Mountain Hardwear’s Thermic Micro is one of the more down-like synthetic insulations you’ll find, both compressing and lofting better than most manmade fibers. Why pick a synthetic bag such as the Ultralamina 32? Unlike down, it still insulates when damp or wet—think Pacific Northwest and/or paddling trips. The Ultralamina has a mummy cut tempered by a vaulted footbox, so there’s room for your tootsies to move around. It also sports an unconventional double zipper, which allows the front of the bag to drop open for cooking, reading, etc.—some will like this convenience, while others might miss the ability to unzip down the length to cool off ($190; www.mountainhardwear.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Jacket, Durable Water Repellent

Photograph courtesy The North Face Verto

The North Face’s Verto

It isn’t just that The North Face’s Verto jacket is a scant 3.2 ounces. There are lots of three-ounce shells. It’s that the Verto is fully featured, with an elastic hood, storm flap behind the zipper, and hip length that keeps wind blasts off your lower back—plus it doesn’t feel clammy against the skin. Made of Pertex Quantum, it is water and wind resistant and compresses to the size of a baseball ($99; www.thenorthface.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Jacket, Hard Shell

Photograph by First Ascent

First Ascent BC-200

First Ascent from Eddie Bauer has been riding a wave of publicity and good will thanks to a mountaineering team that includes all-stars such as Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker. But the question that’s often raised is whether the product is as good as the PR. And the answer is yes. After testing at least a dozen of First Ascent products over the last couple years, including the 11-ounce BC-200 three-layer shell, it’s clear the brand has done its homework and builds “guide tough” gear. Indeed, the BC-200 is light but not the lightest: Its greater focus is on being the best combination of waterproof and breathable, and we found it every bit as airy as Gore-Tex, if not more so ($199; www.eddiebauer.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Jacket, Women's Lightweight Hard Shell

Photograph by Marmot

Marmot Whisperlite

When there’s rain in the forecast and you’re heading for a hike, the last thing you want to shove into your pack is a heavy, old-school shell. As with most gear technology, Gore-Tex has been on a diet for a few years. Witness the result in the wafer-thin Marmot women’s Whisperlite jacket. At eight ounces, you won’t find a much lighter Gore-Tex shell, nor, with the Paclite fabric, one that’s more durably waterproof. Our favorite feature: the moldable hood brim, which can be sculpted to ward off rain or even sun ($250; www.marmot.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Jacket, Soft Shell

Photograph courtesy Rab

Rab’s Boreas Pull-On

Rab’s Boreas Pull-On defies definition, so we’ll just call it the perfect shirt. It’s a stretch-woven material, aka soft shell, that’s thinner than most base layers, but is constructed like a pullover hoodie. It’s comfy as comfy gets, stretching whichever way you move whether you’re reaching to place climbing protection or to shoulder a pack. Wind has to work to get through it, but moisture escapes readily. And with the hood, it adds an extra level of insulation should the weather turn foul ($75; www.rab.uk.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Footwear, Trail Runner

Photograph courtesy The North Face

The North Face Double-Track

For years, The North Face built extra-large heapings of stability and sturdiness into its running. But the Double-Track is a straight-down-the-middle trail runner, not too heavy, not too stiff. It’s ideal for both running and light hiking. There’s mild pronation control (a smidge of extra medial support), but otherwise the shoe molds to your foot and provides excellent trail feel. Bonus: The tread is stickier than typical trail runners, so you can head straight for the Yosemite granite—and up ($110; www.thenorthface.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Footwear, Women's Light Hiker

Photograph courtesy FiveTen

FiveTen 5/10 Dome

FiveTen calls its women’s 5/10 Dome a trail runner, but that’s like calling a dress shoe a ballet slipper. The 5/10 Dome is a light hiker through and through, with a pinch of skate styling and a nod to FiveTen’s climbing heritage in the form of sticky rubber outsole. It’s the kind of hiker that will carry you all day without complaint. An EVA foam midsole cushions each step, and fat support under the heel adds additional protection when you’re carrying your home on your back ($115; www.fiveten.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Footwear, Approach

Photograph courtesy Scarpa

Scarpa’s Gecko Guide

Scarpa’s Gecko Guide might be the first truly modern approach shoe, light enough for feet accustomed to trail runners, but still sticky enough to scramble the crag. Approach shoes have traditionally been über-sturdy—the better to support a heavy pack of climbing gear—but with nearly everyone’s load getting lighter these days, it makes sense for a lighter model. The Gecko Guide weighs just 13 ounces per shoe. Its suede upper isn’t as overbuilt as most approach models, and thus it conforms better to your dogs, and the flex under foot when you hike leads to more secure footing in rugged terrain ($169; www.scarpa.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Hiking Boot

Photograph courtesy Merrell

Merrell’s Outbound Mid GTX

Merrell’s Outbound Mid GTX is a real boot. It’s not an ankle-high shoe masquerading as a boot, nor an urban high-top with aspirations to the trail. It’s a real, supportive, durable, tough-duty piece of beautifully manufactured footwear that will carry you adeptly on a casual day hike or a weeklong trek with a sizable pack. The Vibram outsole sports deep, aggressive lugs, and the Gore-Tex liner and sealed bellows tongue keep out wet and debris. The heel is amply padded, with a cushy foam insert the absorbs much of shock, and a flexible forefoot that enhances trail feel. The only complaint? Flimsy insoles that don’t do justice to the rest of the boot ($195; www.merrell.com).

—Steve Casimiro

GPS

Photograph courtesy DeLorme

DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w

It’s been a stagnant couple of years in standalone GPS technology, with one exception: the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w. On its own, the PN-60w is terrific little color handheld GPS, but mated with the SPOT Satellite Communicator, it’s nothing short of revolutionary. The SPOT enables you to send 40-character text messages from anywhere you can get a sat signal. The only proviso: You have to set up your recipients via computer beforehand. Once that’s done, in our tests the DeLorme/SPOT worked perfectly ($450 plus $100/year subscription; www.delorme.com).

—Steve Casimiro

GPS

Photograph courtesy Garmin

Garmin Montana 650t

The Garmin Montana 650t does precisely what GPS lovers have been hungering for—displaying both topo maps as well as turn-by-turn driving directions. City or country, take your pick. The lithium-ion battery runs a respectable 16 hours, and you can pop in three AA batteries for an additional 22 hours. Its four-inch screen feels positively Montana after all the Rhode Island displays we’re used to, and there’s even a five-megapixel camera. But at 10 ounces and six inches long, it stretches the definition of pocket-size, as well as straining your budget ($700; www.garmin.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Camp Cooking, Car Camping

Photograph by Coleman

Coleman’s PerfectFlow InstaStart Grill Stove

Have you looked at the grills in most public campgrounds lately? Don’t. Better to bring your own clean, two-burner flamethrower in the form of Coleman’s PerfectFlow InstaStart Grill Stove. It’s based on the classic Coleman your granddad had, but instead of needing a cast iron skillet, you just throw your dogs or t-bone right on its grill. It has a built-in igniter, a drip tray, and moderately effective wind screens ($95; www.coleman.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Camp Cooking, Backpacking

Photograph courtesy Jetboil

Jet Boil Sol Ti Premium

There have been imitators, but no one has come close to the whole cooking package that is Jetboil, and with the titanium Sol Ti Premium version. This all-in-one system is so light you’ll hardly notice it in your pack. Just 8.5 ounces (half the standard model) and you get stove, bowl, and cooking vessel—all of which gets water bubbling in a little over two minutes, thanks to a heat exchanger that dramatically improves efficiency ($150; www.jetboil.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Camp Cooking, Car Camping

Photograph by GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper cookset

GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper

There’s something just plain cool about modern cooksets such as the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper. Tucked inside its tidy nest are settings for four, including mugs, bowls, and plates. Its three-liter pot, two-liter pot, and nine-inch frying pan are coated with three-layer Teflon. The lids are strainers and everything is color coded so you won’t mix up your pasta primavera with your pals. And the weight? While it’s designed for car camping, not backpacking, it tips the scales at a respectable four pounds ($120; www.gsioutdoors.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Backpack, Daypack

Photograph by Gregory

Gregory Z 30

Many so-called daypacks are little more than book bags, but Gregory’s Z 30 is day-plus pack with a can-do attitude. The Cross-Flo DTS suspension uses crossed aluminum stays to stabilize loads north of 30 pounds and a mesh trapeze to help air circulate behind your back. The 30-liter top loader easily handles gear for a day’s summit push or, if you’re a minimalist, a summer overnight. The only downside? With all that space and the ultra-capable suspension, you’ll likely take more than you need ($129; www.gregorypacks.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Backpack, Weekender

Photograph by Deuter

Deuter ACT Lite 50 10

When people speak of the joy of backpacking, rarely are they talking about shouldering a 40-pound pack, but Deuter’s ACT Lite 50 10 has the odd quality of seeming to disappear, even when fully loaded. The secret is the suspension, called Aircontact, which features two thickly padded, curved ridges that rest gently against either side of your back. Not only does the padding of this top loader nestle softly against you, there’s a large channel in the middle of it to funnel body heat and keep you cooler. The traditional 50-liter hauler has an extendable top that adds ten liters of capacity, there’s a zippered lower compartment for sleeping bag, and two side stash pockets hold standard size water bottles ($179; www.deuter.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Backpack, Women’s Multiday

Photograph by Black Diamond

Black Diamond Innova 60

Imagine a multiday backpack that rides perfectly whether you scramble up boulders, leap across a gap, or tiptoe over a creek on a log—that’s Black Diamond’s Innova 60, which features a hip belt that rotates and pivots around a rigid plastic fitting. This “ergoACTIV” tech allows the pack to float as you twist and turn, rather than clinging desperately to your shoulders as some packs do. And the straps flex, too. The only complaint with the system is that it can squeak as you walk—but just squirt a little lubricant to silence it. ($220; www.bdel.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Backpack - Summit

Photograph courtesy Arc’teryx

Arc’teryx Cierzo 25

A summit pack like the Arc’teryx Cierzo 25 might at first seem like an indulgence. But once you’ve dropped your heavy backpack in base camp and donned an ultralight carryall for peak bagging or day tours, you’ll soon find it a necessity. The Cierzo carries a hearty 25 liters but weighs just 15 ounces and stuffs into its own top pocket to the size of a Nalgene bottle. There’s room for lunch, extra layers, hydration reservoir, and more—plus two ice axe loops outside and an elastic bungee for strapping even more to it ($99; www.arcteryx.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Tent, Car Camping

Photograph courtesy The North Face

The North Face Docking Station

Here’s one way to guarantee happy campers: Give them plenty of room. The North Face calls its Docking Station "the Swiss Army knife of tents," but it’s more like a modular house. By itself, the Docking Station is the size of a small office (97 square feet of floor space), and you can add two two-person additions and one four-person addition for an extra 100 square feet. It weighs 17 pounds—not bad for a car camping shelter of this size—and sets up in less than 10 minutes. But there’s no floor, so you have to spend extra for a footprint. And to guard against bugs, you’ll need a mesh insert, also extra. Still, the Docking Station is massive and highly flexible. For a big crew or small crew with a lot of gear, it can be a blessing ($429; www.thenorthface.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Tent, Value (2 Person/3 Season)

Photograph courtesy REI

REI Half Dome 2

REI’s Half Dome 2 is just right in almost every category. And it’s awesome in the one that matters most: value. At 5.5 pounds, it’s in the middle of the range for a typical two-person, three-season backpacking tent. Ditto on the 32 square feet of sleeping space and 16 feet of vestibule. The extras, though, make all the difference: Whereas many backpacking tents stick to one door for weight savings, the Half Dome has two, which makes sharing a small space far easier. And when REI last redesigned the Half Dome, its engineers added a third pole that runs horizontally across the top, which allows near vertical walls and a great sense of space ($179, on sale for $135 last we checked; www.rei.com).

—Steve Casimiro

Tent, Ultralight (2 Person/3 Season)

Photograph courtesy MSR

MSR Carbon Reflex2

It’s impossible to look at the MSR Carbon Reflex 2 and not think about lingerie. (Bear with me.) This featherweight backpacking tent is mostly see-through mesh, so light it’s hardly there, and is, yes, kinda sexy. And it should be: This is one of the lightest two-person backpacking tents you can buy; MSR pared down the Carbon Reflex to the bare essentials—a body, two poles, and a fly. Trail weight hovers around three pounds. Any negatives? It’s not freestanding, interior space is a cozy 29 square feet, and it ain’t cheap. But if you live for fast and light, it’ll make your heart jump ($500; www.msrcorp.com).

—Steve Casimiro