Finding the modern backpacking stove market unfit for its hard-charging, bushwhacking, peak-scrambling hunts, Colorado's Roughridge Stove Co. determined to make a tougher, more inextinguishable breed of all-in-one backcountry cook system. It reached for the lightest, toughest materials available and reconfigured a few critical specs to create a system that travels lightly, holds up to use after…
The average $2 Bic lighter is great for lighting up a cigarette but not as great for lighting campfires or grills. Minnesota startup Radlight presents an intriguing alternative developed specifically for such outdoorsy tasks ... and for fending off hypothermia when things really go south. Its oversized weatherproof lighter delivers a confident, reliable starter flame, even if you're battling…
A year ago, we took a look at the Crosspeak 2 tent from Hyperlite Mountain Gear. The impressive cut of Dyneema fabric weighed in barely over 2 pounds (907 g), adding yet another intriguing option to an ultralight freestanding tent market that was running white hot at the time. On the downside, it cost more than a dollar per gram. Now Hyperlite has launched the solo version: the Crosspeak 1. The…
In 2021, Optimus debuted the Gemini stove, a sleek, uniquely shaped dual-burner stove that split the difference between backpacking and car camping gear. The brand immediately took home several prestigious awards for its design efforts, including an ISPO Award in Europe and an Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award in the US. Now it's doubling down on what makes the Gemini stove great, debuting a…
A flat single ounce is about as light as electric inflators for camping, backpacking and all-around outdoor fun get at this point in 2026. But that's for a model built to hold its own battery. If you're willing to forego onboard battery capability for an external power source, you can dip well below an ounce into double- or even single-digit gram territory. With its all-new AP01 Nitecore bests…
Lifestraw is at it again. The company has made some of the world's lightest, slimmest wilderness survival filters for decades. Now it launches a new lightweight leader that makes its past releases look downright chunky ... relatively speaking. The all-new Sip Essential takes the company's longstanding personal filter straw format and halves weight, ensuring that even the lightest-traveling speed…
The author discusses her story “Enough for Now.”
If there's a way to sleep between three trees, chances are pretty good Tentsile has explored it, if not launched a product for it. From hovering inflatables that double as rafts, to multi-story tree stacks, to in-air winter lodges, Tentsile has developed what might be the world's most singular lineup of hanging tents. One element that has held those tents back from more widespread adoption:…
For over 20 years, Jetboil has offered some of the most streamlined backcountry stove systems available for backpackers, paddlers and other gram-counting muscle-driven explorers, delivering hot meals to fuel groundbreaking expeditions. Now it's pushing ahead into the expanded future of fast, light cooking with the Trailcook series. Designed for meals more ambitious than rehydrated bag-boil, the…
_Digital fatigue_ is brutal. It robs us of our focus, _productivity,_ and most importantly, our _joy_. Thankfully, there is a way to escape the never-ending flurry of notifications, emails, and pings and reclaim our inner peace in a way that’s not only effective but fun as well.
Cue: analog hobbies.
The health benefits of analog hobbies are well-documented. Whether they be _artistic…