One of the most immutable truisms about hiking is this: Backpackers, dayhikers, climbers, mountain runners, and others who start using trekking poles almost never hit the trail without them again. No matter how much weight you’re carrying—from an ultralight daypack or running vest to a godawful heavy monster backpack—using poles will lessen your chances of an accidental fall and your leg muscles and joints, feet, back, and body will all feel better, thanks to the reduced strain, fatigue, and impact on them.

Consider this: I do not know a single experienced dayhiker or backpacker who does not use poles.

This review covers the best trekking poles available today. My picks are based on testing all of them (and many other poles) extensively on backpacking trips, dayhikes, mountain climbs and scrambles, backcountry skiing, and/or ultra-trail runs—including backpacking in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, Idaho’s Sawtooths, Utah’s High Uintas, Montana’s Beartooths, Colorado’s San Juans, southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons, and on the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route, plus dayhikes from Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion national parks to the Tetons and Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains, to name some places I’ve hiked just in recent months—as well as my experience ambulating thousands of trail miles over more than a quarter-century of testing and reviewing gear, formerly as the lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine for 10 years and even longer running this blog.

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In the reviews below:

• The poles are listed in order from lightest to heaviest because weight best distinguishes them in terms of intended uses, making it effectively the key factor influencing your choice.
• I’ve given every pole an overall score—but keep in mind that, with poles, you should first figure out whether you need ultralight, lightweight, or heavier and sturdier poles, and folding versus collapsible/telescoping poles, and then compare the scores and details of the models in your chosen category (which is why I list the poles in order of weight, not score). You will see that some pole models reviewed below have a similar or identical overall score but are very different from one another.
• Traditional collapsible (or telescoping) poles, usually consisting of three sections, typically have a greater length-adjustability range than folding poles and are often (though not always) heavier and sturdier, but do not compress nearly as much as folding poles. Their effective adjustability range is essentially their collapsed length to their maximum length because they still function and can be used by small kids when fully collapsed. They are best for backpacking and dayhiking, and some models cross over to backcountry touring in winter.
• Folding poles, which typically have three but may have up to five sections, typically have limited or no length-adjustability range and are often (though not always) lighter than collapsible poles. They often come in multiple sizes. Most of all, their folding design makes them far more packable—shorter when folded—than collapsible poles. They are good for backpacking, dayhiking, and ultra-running when the goal is traveling very light and being able to store the poles on a small pack without them being obtrusive. They are rarely long and sturdy enough to use to pitch ultralight tents, and few models cross over to backcountry touring in winter.
• For reasons of comparison and intended uses, I categorize poles under 12 ounces (per pair) as ultralight, poles 12-15.9 ounces as lightweight, and poles one pound or more as the sturdiest, for hard use.
• Key point for backpackers who use an ultralight or lightweight tent: If you use a tent that pitches with trekking poles, many require poles that are adjustable and extend to at least 125 centimeters and sometimes 130 to 135 centimeters. (Check the specs and instructions for your tent.) Not all poles meet those specs.
• The capsule reviews below each include a link to my full reviews of the poles.

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I regularly update this review with new poles that belong on this list. I’m confident you will find at least one model of trekking poles ideal for your type of hiking on or off-trail—and you’ll usually find the best prices at the links to online gear retailers below. Those are affiliate links that support this blog at no cost to you when you make purchases through them, so thanks for doing that.

See also my stories “How to Choose Trekking Poles” and “10 Expert Tips for Hiking With Trekking Poles” and these reviews of other top gear picks:

“The Best Backpacking Gear of the Year”
“The 10 Best Backpacking Packs”
“The Best Ultralight Packs”
“The 10 Best Backpacking Tents”
“The 12 Best Down Jackets”
“25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories”
“The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks”

Please share your questions, opinions, and experiences with any of these poles or your own favorite model in the comments section at the bottom of the review. I try to respond to all comments.

The chart below compares key metrics and features of each pole covered below, including an overall score. But keep in mind that some models have similar or identical scores even though they are very different; look closely at the scoring categories and specific reviews—and use my expert tips for choosing trekking poles—to determine which poles are best for your purposes. That’s why I list them in order of weight, because that metric most clearly distinguishes the types and best uses of poles.

The Best Trekking Poles

Ultralight Poles

Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z
Score: 4.3
Best for: ultra-runners and -hikers and lightweight and ultralight backpackers.
$200, 10 oz./264g (per pair 110cm, with trekking baskets)
Five sizes, non-adjustable: 110cm/43.3 ins., 115cm/45.3 ins., 120cm/47.2 ins., 125cm/49 ins., and 130cm/51 ins.
blackdiamondequipment.com

Lighter gear can entail tradeoffs, but these ultralight, non-adjustable folding poles are strong enough for many users in most situations. BD’s Distance Carbon Z endured a mostly off-trail, two-day backpacking trip in Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains, and a mostly off-trail, roughly 14-mile and 5,000-foot dayhike of 10,470-foot Horstman Peak in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, among many other hikes and long trail runs.

Quickly deployed to their fixed length (in five sizes), thanks to an internal Kevlar cord, these 100 percent carbon fiber poles have extended EVA foam grips and partly mesh nylon wrist straps. They fold to a tiny 33 centimeters/13 inches (for the 110-centimeter size). Yes, they are non-adjustable, but the broad size range covers most users and adjustability is a modest compromise for weight this loss and packability is more important to this category of users. One caveat: Under rare stresses, carbon will sheer or snap.

See my full review of the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to buy the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles at blackdiamondequipment.com, backcountry.com, or rei.com.

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Gossamer Gear LT5
Score: 4.3
Best for: lightweight and ultralight backpackers and hikers.
$195, 10 oz./283.5g (per pair, without baskets)
One size, adjustable 105-130cm/41 to 53 ins.
gossamergear.com

Weighing (per pair) about as much as a lightweight down jacket—and less than five ounces of water—the minimalist, collapsible LT5 poles stand up to more abuse than they’d receive on many well-maintained trails, as I discovered on a 74-mile backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, including a 15-mile day traversing most of the rugged Escalante Route; on a seven-day, 96-mile traverse of the extremely rugged Wind River High Route, two-thirds of which is off-trail; on a four-day, 45-mile hike through Yosemite; and trekking hut-to-hut on New Zealand’s Routeburn and Milford tracks in late spring.

The carbon shafts extend from 105 to 130 centimeters/41.3 to 51 inches, long enough for all but the tallest hikers; and while their collapsed length of 60 centimeters/23.5 inches isn’t very packable compared to folding poles, it’s a little better than most collapsible poles. Although the twist-lock mechanism doesn’t lock as securely as a lever, they have rarely failed me. The LT5 poles offer the performance needed by many hikers, backpackers—especially lightweight and ultralight—climbers, and others.

See my full review of the Gossamer Gear LT5 trekking poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase the Gossamer Gear LT5 trekking poles at gossamergear.com.

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Yosemite, Grand Teton,
and other parks using my expert e-books.

Lightweight Poles

Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ
Score: 4.4
Best for: ultra-runners and -hikers and lightweight and ultralight backpackers.
$220, 12.7 oz./pair (105-125cm, with trekking baskets)
Five adjustable sizes: men’s and women’s 95-110cm/37-43.3 ins. and 110-125cm/43.3-49 ins., men’s 125-140cm/49-55.1 ins.
blackdiamondequipment.com

BD’s folding, carbon fiber Distance Carbon FLZ hit a sweet spot between the most packable, ultralight poles and models only marginally heavier and less packable and offer greater versatility through their adjustability. On dayhikes and trail runs of up to 15 miles in Idaho’s Boulder and Pioneer Mountains and Boise Foothills and a 10-mile, 3,600-vertical-foot dayhike on a trail strewn with wet, slippery rocks and mud in New Hampshire’s White Mountains—as well as backpacking trips on the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier and in the Wind River Range and The Maze District of Canyonlands National Park—I found they perform very much like the Distance Carbon Z and are tough enough for backpacking.

Quickly deployed and adjusted using BD’s FlickLock levers, they have extended EVA foam grips and partly mesh nylon wrist straps. The five adjustable sizes will accommodate virtually any user. If you’re looking for the lightest and most packable adjustable poles, look no further.

See my full review of the Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ trekking and running poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to buy the Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ poles at blackdiamondequipment.com, backcountry.com, or rei.com.

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Montem Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles
Score: 4.1
Best for: many backpackers, hikers, and climbers.
$90, 14 oz./396.9g (per pair, with trekking baskets)
One size, adjustable 105-135 cm/41 to 53 ins.
montemlife.com

The biggest question with inexpensive gear is always: Will it work? And best way to answer that question is to field test it in places that are hard on gear. From six days on the Grand Canyon’s 60-mile Gems Route to backpacking Utah’s rugged Owl and Fish canyons loop, plus dayhiking in Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon national parks and on two of the steepest, meanest trails in my local Foothills in Idaho, Montem’s Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles stood up to really hard hiking with only the loss of trekking baskets as a demerit.

Like Montem’s even less-expensive Ultra Strong Poles (below), the adjustability range—105 to 135 centimeters/41.3 to 53 inches—beats poles costing much more plus these have flick-lock levers, extended EVA foam grips, and adjustable straps; and the collapsed length of 61 centimeters/24 inches compares to the most packable telescoping poles. But these poles add the low weight and strength of carbon fiber.

See my full review of the Montem Ultra Light Trekking Poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase the Montem Ultra Light 100% Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles at montemlife.com.

Get 15 percent off any purchase at montemlife.com using the exclusive discount code BIGOUT15MOG.

Get the right pack for you. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs”
and the best ultralight backpacks.

Sturdiest Poles

MSR DynaLock Ascent
Score: 4.5
Best for: many backpackers, hikers, and climbers.
$190, 1 lb. 1 oz./481.9g (per pair, 100-120cm, with trekking baskets)
Two sizes, adjustable: S 100-120cm/39-47.2 ins., L 120-140cm/47.2-55.1 ins.
backcountry.com

These three-section, folding poles find a unique balance of three qualities: durability, exceptional packability, and adjustability in folding poles. In the backcountry, they stand out for being tough and stable, proving their value on outings from backpacking in the Wind River Range and a 20-mile, mostly off-trail peaks traverse in Idaho’s Sawtooths to a rim-to-rim dayhike across the Grand Canyon, a six-day hut trek on Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails, and some of the hardest miles on the Appalachian Trail.

The toughness owes to their bombproof, Kevlar-reinforced, all-carbon construction; I’ve never seen a hint of durability shortcomings. The adjustability range of 20cm in each of two sizes serves virtually all users. The packed length of a mere 36.2 centimeters/14.3 inches (for the small size) ranks among the most packable trekking poles. The sections lock rigidly with a simple pin and the Dynalock levers never slipped. There’s much to like and nothing to complain about with MSR’s Dynalock Ascent poles.

See my full review of the MSR Dynalock Ascent trekking poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the MSR Dynalock Ascent Trekking Poles at backcountry.com.

Want a pair of sturdy, four-season poles for just $90? Check out the MSR Dynalock Trail Backcountry Poles (1 lb. 5 oz./590g) at backcountry.com.

Get the right synthetic or down puffy to keep you warm. See “The 12 Best Down Jackets.”

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork
Score: 4.1
Best for: many backpackers, hikers, climbers, and snow sports users.
$230, 1 lb. 1.5 oz./496.1g (per pair, with trekking baskets)
Two sizes, adjustable: men’s 100-130cm/39-51 ins., women’s 95-125cm/37-49 ins.
blackdiamondequipment.com

From a 94-mile traverse of Glacier National Park and a rugged, 74-mile hike in the Grand Canyon, among other backpacking trips, to backcountry skiing and scrambling off-trail up mountains, BD’s collapsible Alpine Carbon Cork poles have proved tough enough for any activity year-round.

The 100 percent carbon shafts have extended grips and provide good durability while keeping the weight modest. Adjustable from 100 to 130 centimeters/39 to 51 inches, they can effectively be used at any length basically down to their packed length of 61 centimeters/24 inches—a range comparable to many poles, serving all but very tall hikers (though not competing with poles offering the widest adjustability ranges). The FlickLock Pro levers are basically flawless. Two complaints: They’re not very packable and adjusting the lever tension requires a tiny Allen wrench, rather than a screwdriver head that would be found on many multi-tools or knives.

See my full review of the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles at backcountry.com, blackdiamondequipment.com, or rei.com.

Get the right tent for you. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Tents”
and “5 Expert Tips For Buying a Backpacking Tent.”

Leki Makalu FX Carbon
Score: 4.2
Best for: many backpackers, hikers, climbers, and other users.
$230, 1 lb. 1.9 oz./508g (per pair, with trekking baskets)
One size, adjustable 110-130cm/43.3-51.2 ins.
backcountry.com

With their good adjustability, packability, durability, comfort, reliability, and especially versatility, I increasingly found myself reaching for the Leki Makalu FX Carbon folding poles for backpacking in places as rugged as the Wind River Range, High Sierra, Canadian Rockies, and High Uintas Wilderness.

These folding poles extend to a length range that will accommodate most users: 110 to 130 centimeters/43.3 to 51.2 inches, while also packing away to just 40 centimeters/15.7 inches, nearly as compact as the most packable folding poles. While the Makalu FX Carbon weigh 17.9 ounces/508 grams per pair, placing them in a category with the heaviest hiking poles, the comfortable, extended Aergon Air foam grips help the poles seem to feel lighter. Lastly, precious few folding poles—all sharing the advantage of being very packable—possess the adjustability to serve the needs of a wide range of user sizes and can be used with trekking-pole tents. That’s a rare degree of versatility.

See my full review of the Leki Makalu FX Carbon folding trekking poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Leki Makalu FX Carbon trekking poles at backcountry.com, lekiusa.com, or rei.com.

Leki Makalu Cork Lite Trekking Poles
Score: 4.1
Best for: many backpackers, hikers, climbers, and snow sports users.
$160, 1 lb. 1.9 oz./508g (per pair, with trekking baskets)
One size, adjustable 100-135cm/39.4-53 ins.
backcountry.com

The price of these hiking sticks might catch your eye first—but their versatility is also alluring. And they performed solidly on steep hikes like Idaho’s high point, 12,662-foot Borah Peak, with 5,262 feet of vertical in 4.1 miles, as well as on dayhikes in places like Capitol Reef National Park and a backpacking trip in Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, where I started out with about 40 pounds, including eight liters (17 pounds) of water.

The adjustability range of 100 to 135 centimeters/39.4 to 53 inches in these telescoping poles is as versatile as you will find, accommodating virtually every user and making them suitable for tents that pitch with trekking poles. The adjustment levers are reliable and extended cork and foam grips and easily adjustable straps are nice features. Bummers: The collapsed length of 67 centimeters/26.4 inches makes them among the least packable hiking poles; and aluminum shafts make them heavier than most poles—but also sturdier.

See my full review of the Leki Makalu Cork Lite Trekking Poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Leki Makalu Cork Lite Trekking Poles at backcountry.com, lekiusa.com, or rei.com.

Montem Ultra Strong
Score: 4.1
Best for: many backpackers and hikers on a budget.
$75, 1 lb. 3 oz./538.6g (per pair, with trekking baskets)
One size, adjustable 105-135cm/41.3-53 ins.
montemlife.com

If cost is a barrier, these collapsible sticks are your answer. From the rugged, 25-mile Thunder River-Deer Creek Loop in the Grand Canyon to a four-day hike in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and other backpacking trips, Montem’s 7075 aluminum shafts suffered no damage—although the piece attaching the upper lever mechanism to the shaft broke on one pole after a few years (there’s a lifetime warranty).

The very good adjustability range—105 to 135 centimeters/41.3 to 53 inches—beats poles costing much more. Like pricier models, these have flick-lock levers, extended EVA foam grips, and adjustable straps. While the collapsed length of 61 centimeters/24 inches compares to the most packable telescoping poles, they are not, of course, nearly as packable as folding poles. Tradeoffs: The levers occasionally slipped—in rugged terrain, not on moderate trails—and the poles are heavy. But ask yourself: Do you want to pay a lot more to avoid such minor tradeoffs?

See my full review of the Montem Ultra Strong trekking poles.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase the Montem Ultra Strong trekking poles at montemlife.com.

Get 15 percent off any purchase at montemlife.com using the exclusive discount code BIGOUT15MOG.

See all reviews of trekking poles, “How to Choose Trekking Poles” and “10 Expert Tips for Hiking With Trekking Poles.” and all reviews of backpacking gear and hiking gear at The Big Outside.

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all gear reviews and expert buying tips.

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A headlamp is unquestionably essential gear for hiking, backpacking, climbing, trail running, ultra-running and ultra-hiking, ski touring, and other backcountry activities that sometimes push into darkness (whether intentionally or not). But with so many to pick from, how do you choose which one to buy? Price? Brightness? Weight? Design and range of lighting modes? Go with a brand you know and trust? This review cuts through the information overload to help you pick the right headlamp for your adventures.

I selected the headlamps covered in this review based on extensive testing on backpacking, camping, long dayhikes, climbing, backcountry skiing, and other backcountry trips, and I’ve field-tested dozens of headlamps over more than a quarter-century of testing and reviewing gear, formerly as the lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine for 10 years and even longer running this blog.

The freshly updated picks below represent the best models for backcountry users.

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For dayhiking, backpacking, and similar pursuits, I favor models that meet five simple criteria:

•    Lightweight—no dayhiker, backpacker, runner, or climber needs a bulky light that weighs more than three to four ounces.
•    Versatile and bright enough for everything from reading in the tent and managing camp chores to hiking rugged trail in complete darkness—and if needed, for route-finding off-trail.
•    Intuitive and easy to use, so I don’t have to consult instructions more than once, take off my gloves to operate it, or use a tool to change batteries.
•    Projects a beam that’s focused and even, not blotchy and uneven.
•    Preferably rechargeable so I’m not repeatedly buying and throwing away batteries.

I apply those standards when choosing which headlamps I’ll review at The Big Outside, with the exception of being rechargeable, because some rechargeable headlamps cost more up front (although not over time), and this review covers a variety of headlamps at a range of price points.

The headlamps below are listed in order of weight. Please share your experiences with any of these models, or another you like, in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments.

The Best Headlamps

BioLite Headlamp 325
$50, 1.8 oz./51g
backcountry.com

Look for an ultralight headlamp under two ounces and $40 or less and you’ll find very few choices—with the BioLite Headlamp 325, which I’ve used backpacking in the Wind River Range and elsewhere, arguably the best. It sports four all-you-need lighting modes—white spot and red flood LEDs, both with dimming capability, plus white and red strobe—and cranks out enough brightness (325 lumens) and lasts long enough on a full charge (three hours on high, 40 hours on low) for backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, and others.

With its nearly weightless front housing integrated into the slender, easily adjustable, no-bounce head strap, the 325 goes almost unnoticed on your head—making it certainly among the most comfortable ultralight headlamps. Intuitive, single-button operation, lockout mode, four-position housing tilt, and an IPX4 waterproof rating complete a high-value package at a very good price.

Read my complete review of the BioLite Headlamp 325.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase a BioLite Headlamp 325 at backcountry.com.

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Yosemite, Grand Teton,
and other parks using my expert e-books.

Knog Bandicoot 250
$50, 2.1 oz./59.5g
knog.com

I thought this headlamp’s predecessor, the Bandicoot, had the potential to upend this entire category. After using the more powerful and comfortable Knog Bandicoot 250 on a nine-day hike of nearly 130 miles through the High Sierra, mostly on the John Muir Trail, I still think this technology is a game changer.

The Bandicoot 250 is powerful, rechargeable, lighter than most competitors, and cheaper than many. Its unique, very light and durable silicone housing seamlessly merges the strap, body, and LEDs and adjusts to fit a huge circumference range of 30-70cm; you may forget you’re wearing it. Four LEDs—high beam, elliptical beams for broad ambient light, a red light for preserving your night vision, and downward-angled lights for reading—cover the needs of many users, including trail running and biking streets at night. It also has a lockout mode.

Read my complete review of the Knog Bandicoot 250.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase a Knog Bandicoot 250 at knog.com.

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Black Diamond Spot 400
$55, 2.5 oz./70.9g
blackdiamondequipment.com

In any direct comparison, the Spot 400 offers an impressive feature set, power, and versatility at a competitive price. That includes the three modes a backcountry headlamp should have—white beam, white peripheral, and red—and the latest update of the Spot jacks the max brightness up to a powerful 400 lumens. It’ll project a beam 100 meters and has dimming capability in all modes.

It features BD’s neat PowerTap technology that allows you to tap the right side of the casing to cycle between max brightness and the dimmed level you’ve already set—which is not only convenient, but so easy that you’ll power down more often, thus prolonging battery life. The lockout mode prevents accidental turning on in a pack. Plus, it’s waterproof up to a little over a meter underwater for 30 minutes.

Read my complete review of the Black Diamond Spot 400.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Black Diamond Spot 400 at backcountry.com, rei.com, or blackdiamondequipment.com.

Want a reliable, basic, easy-to-operate headlamp at a good price? See my review of the Black Diamond Astro 300 and rechargeable Astro 300-R.

Planning your next big adventure? See “America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips”
and “Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites.”

Black Diamond Spot 400-R
$70, 2.6 oz./73.7g
blackdiamondequipment.com

Virtually identical to BD’s Spot 400, the Spot 400-R adds a feature that keeps on delivering value: it’s rechargeable. Powered by a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery with micro-USB charging port, the Spot 400-R throws a beam 100 meters at its maximum brightness of 400 lumens; that’s bright enough to hike off-trail, search for your route in the dark, or identify the large animal going for your cached food. And a full charge lasts for four hours at max power.

Plus, it sports all the versatility of the Spot 400: three white and red modes with dimming capability, intuitive two-button operation, PowerTap technology, lockout mode, and it’s waterproof up to a little over a meter underwater for 30 minutes. But most impressively, at just 15 bucks more than the Spot 400, the rechargeable Spot 400-R soon pays for itself through the money saved not buying (and throwing away) batteries.

Read my complete review of the Black Diamond Spot 400-R.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a rechargeable Black Diamond Spot 400-R at backcountry.com, rei.com or blackdiamondequipment.com.

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Petzl IKO Core
$105, 2.8 oz./79.4g
backcountry.com

When you compare max brightness, weight, and other features, few ultralight headlamps match the rechargeable IKO Core’s appeal to backpackers, dayhikers, climbers, trail runners, and backcountry skiers. From ski touring to a backcountry yurt on a dark, snowy winter night to backpacking in the Wind River Range and the Grand Canyon, its max brightness of 500 lumens—exceptional for a headlamp weighing under three ounces—illuminated objects 100 meters distant.

The IPX-4 rating means the headlamp is resistant to splashed water but not waterproof—not as good as the water resistance of other ultralight headlamps. But three brightness levels, a combined spot beam and proximity light in two of them, simple operation, the versatility to substitute AAA batteries in a pinch, a lockout mode, and the bendable, adjustable, hydrophobic headband’s comfortable and secure fit—all in a light weighing under three ounces—make the IKO Core one of today’s most unique headlamps.

Read my complete review of the Petzl IKO Core.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a Petzl IKO Core at backcountry.com.

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Petzl Actik Core
$88, 3 oz./85g
backcountry.com

If you’re willing to spend more up front for a rechargeable headlamp—which eventually pays for itself—the Actik Core ranks among the very best. Equipped with white and red modes and spot and proximity beams, it stands out among rechargeables for two attributes: putting out an impressive maximum brightness of 350 lumens even when using the rechargeable battery and maintaining constant brightness over the duration of a charge—both of which you’ll appreciate on a long slog after dark.

On a September night in the Wind River Range, at max brightness, the Actik Core illuminated trees 300 feet away across a meadow. It’s easy and intuitive to use with one power button to click between modes and the dimming function. It also runs on three standard alkaline, lithium, or Ni-MH AAA batteries and the battery compartment is accessed by lifting a tab—no tool needed. A charge lasts up to 160 hours, long enough for most multi-day hikes.

Read my complete review of the Petzl Actik Core.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a Petzl Actik Core at backcountry.com or rei.com.

BioLite Headlamp 800 Pro
$120, 5.3 oz./150g
backcountry.com

From an 18-mile, 13-hour, four-summit hike in Utah’s Wasatch Range to many evenings biking city streets after dark, I’ve found that BioLite’s rechargeable Headlamp 800 Pro stands out for a rare combination of ultra-bright power, a wide range of modes, and a modest weight for a backcountry headlamp that packs this much power and versatility.

For starters, its multiple lighting modes include dimmable white spot and white flood plus the two combined; white strobe; dimmable red flood, and on the battery pack, rear-facing red solid and red strobe visibility beams, for biking streets after dark (plus a lockout function). The max brightness of 800 lumens in 30-second burst mode exceeds that of virtually any ultralight headlamp—very useful for hikers, climbers, backcountry skiers, and others moving off-trail. For its complexity, operation is very intuitive.

Perhaps most uniquely, it offers a constant mode, an option for setting the headlamp to maintain its brightness level rather than dimming as the charge or batteries drain, which is called regulated power and common in most headlamps for the backcountry.

Read my complete review of the BioLite Headlamp 800 Pro.

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Black Diamond Distance 1500
$220, 7.5 oz./213g
blackdiamondequipment.com

Comparing any hiking-oriented headlamps to the rechargeable Black Diamond Distance 1500 headlamp feels rather like comparing a Honda Civic to a Bradley armored fighting vehicle. At 7.5 ounces/213 grams and putting out a supernova-like 1,500 lumens at max power, the Distance 1500 is at least twice the price, weight, and brightness of most of today’s best backcountry headlamps. Testing this beast hiking, climbing, mountain and road biking, and backcountry skiing demonstrated that, while it’s certainly overkill for many activities, it’s invaluable for both route-finding and high-speed sports after dark.

The headlamp achieves 1,500 lumens only for bursts of 15 seconds using BD’s Power Tap Technology, activated by double-tapping the side of the headlamp. Its maximum sustained power is 800 lumens—still very bright and useful in certain backcountry scenarios (in other words, when you really need a bright light). The Comfort Cradle, with the light on the forehead and a battery pack in the rear, is quite comfortable and works great with any headlamp-compatible helmet. Caveat: Expect to invest some time into learning its many modes and functions.

Read my complete review of the Black Diamond Distance 1500.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Black Diamond Distance 1500 Headlamp at blackdiamondequipment.com or backcountry.com, or the Black Diamond Distance Headlamp Battery at blackdiamondequipment.com or backcountry.com.

See all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside. And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can purchase the e-book versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

Whether backpacking, dayhiking, climbing, trail running, fishing, paddling, or active outdoors in myriad other ways, sun protection becomes critical not only for preventing skin cancer, but also because the hot sun can wear you down and exacerbate the effects of heat, elevation, and dehydration—especially in the mountains and desert.

While there are a variety of styles of sun shirts, for active pursuits in warm to hot temperatures, nothing really beats a lightweight, breathable hoody for maximum protection and keeping you cool—while adding minimal weight and bulk to your kit. This review spotlights the best sun shirt hoodies.

I’ve tested these hoodies dayhiking, trail running, rock climbing, paddling rivers, backcountry skiing in spring, and on backpacking trips from trails around Idaho to Zion, the Teton Crest Trail and John Muir Trail, the Grand Canyon and Wind River Range, Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon and a section of the Arizona Trail, the High Uintas Wilderness and Ruby Crest Trail, Idaho’s Sawtooths, and many other places where the sun sometimes gets too hot. While they are designed to keep you cool under hot sun, the hoods can provide just the right amount of added warmth when moving in cool temps and wind, too.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here for my e-books to classic backpacking trips. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.

My experience includes over three decades of hiking, backpacking, climbing, trail running, and backcountry skiing, and more than a quarter-century of testing and reviewing outdoors gear and apparel as a past lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine for 10 years and even longer running this blog.

Whatever your modes of play outdoors, I think you’ll find one of these sun hoodies ideal for you—plus you’ll find some at good prices now and links to online retailers below. The reviews are arranged from lightest to heaviest. Purchasing one of these hoodies through any affiliate link below supports my work on this blog (without costing you more). Thanks for that.

If you have a question for me or a comment on this review, please make it in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments.

Two Most Breathable

Himali Eclipse Sun Hoodie
$90, 4 oz./113.4g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
himali.com

Nothing like honest-to-goodness New England humidity to test base layers. I sweated hard into the Eclipse Sun Hoodie hiking up steep, rocky trails on a two-day, 21-mile hut trek in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, with about 6,000 cumulative feet of elevation gain and loss each day, and this shirt dried quickly and remained comfortable once we reached the breezy mountain tops.

I also wore it on trail runs up to 10 miles in my local foothills on sunny days in the high 70s F; on a nearly eight-mile dayhike to Lake Agnes and the Plain of the Six Glaciers in Canada’s Banff National Park on a hot, sunny afternoon; a six-day April backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, with temps from the 40s to 80s F; and under a fleece layer for several hours of spring backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, with temps from around freezing to the mid-30s and a hot sun reflecting off snow; after getting damp with sweat skinning uphill, the light, the wicking fabric dried quickly under a breathable shell jacket when skiing downhill.

The hood’s ideal depth provides good face shading without drooping over my eyes; it fits over a billed cap, never blew off my head, and kept me cooler in hot sun. The UPF 20 rating, while lower than that of heavier sun shirts, still means the fabric blocks 95 percent of UV light. The enveloping pocket, with an overlapping-flap closure, is good for a key or other small, light item, but a phone doesn’t fit and would be too heavy and bounce around.

Best For: The uber-light, fast-drying Himali Riverstone Eclipse Sun Hoodie is best for high-exertion activities like trail running and hiking in hot temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Himali Eclipse Sun Hoodie at himali.com or a women’s Himali Eclipse Sun Hoodie at himali.com. Readers of The Big Outside get an exclusive 10 percent off any Himali purchase by using the discount code THEBIGOUTSIDE.

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Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie
$85, 4.5 oz./127.6g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XXS-XL
backcountry.com

While there’s no better sun protection than covering your skin, some sun shirts get too warm when you’re exerting in hot temps. Enter OR’s Echo Hoodie. I’ve worn it while backpacking in sweltering heat in the Grand Canyon, in warm sunshine dayhiking in Zion National Park, rock climbing under a hot sun in Idaho’s City of Rocks, on trails runs in intense sunshine—and on a 21-mile, 11,000-vertical-foot, one-day, rim-to-rim run-hike across the Grand Canyon.

It’s one of the coolest and fastest-drying sun shirts I’ve used, thanks to the super light, fast-wicking 100 percent recycled mesh polyester fabric with AirVent moisture management. The hood fits snugly around your head (and under a helmet). The flat-seam construction feels smooth under pack shoulder straps and thumb holes hold the cuffs over your hands for added sun protection. Plus, the fabric is treated to prevent odors. (The collar drawstrings shown in the above photo have been eliminated from the hoody’s latest version.)

While the UPF 15 rating isn’t nearly as protective as some thicker sun shirts, those other sun shirts are also too warm for high exertion in hot sun and temps.

Best For: The ultralight, fast-drying Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie is best for high-exertion activities like trail running and hiking in hot temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research Echo Hoody at backcountry.com, outdoorresearch.com, or rei.com.

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Two Light and Versatile Hoodies

Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long-Sleeve Hoody
$79, 5.5 oz./155.9g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Wearing it under a hot sun from rock climbing and hiking with heavy climbing packs in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and City of Rocks National Reserve to backpacking Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness, Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail, a five-day, late-summer hike in the Wind River Range, and on August hike on the 96-mile Wind River High Route, plus kayaking the whitewater of Idaho’s Payette River under a hot August sun, the Crater Lake Hoody kept me cool and comfortable even with the hood up much of the time.

Among the lightest hoodies on this list, its polyester and elastane fabric feels lighter than most and smooth and soft against skin. It also wicks moisture quickly: Hiking with a pack loaded with climbing gear under a hot sun, I sweated but the shirt never got very wet. With very stretchy fabric, this shirt fits closely and yet easily pulls over a short-sleeve base layer, and one of the deepest hoods on this list stays put even in strong wind—and helps this sun shirt protect me from annoying mosquitoes, as it did on a buggy, six-day backpacking trip in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness in mid-July. A UPF 50+ rating translates to maximum sun protection—impressive for this light fabric.

Arm gussets and dropped shoulders allow for maximum range of motion when reaching high while climbing. The men’s version has thumbholes at the cuffs and the women’s has drawcord ties at the hem.

Best For: Light, quick to dry, with great fit and comfort, ultimate sun protection, and a deep hood, the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long-Sleeve Hoody offers great versatility for almost any activity in warm to hot temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long-Sleeve Hoody at backcountry.com or rei.com.

Planning your next big adventure? See “America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips”
and “The 25 Best National Park Dayhikes.”

Outdoor Research Astroman Air Sun Hoodie
$115, 5.6 oz./159g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-3XL, women’s XS-2XL
backcountry.com

From hiking and rock climbing at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve in June, in the hot sun at times and temperatures ranging from the 50s with light wind to the 80s Fahrenheit, to trail runs of up to 15 miles, often with 2,000 feet of uphill and downhill under a hot sun at the City of Rocks and in my local foothills, I found OR’s Astroman Air Sun Hoodie comfortable in a wide range of conditions from warm to hot.

The lightweight and nicely breathable, 84 percent nylon and 16 percent Spandex stretch fabric hardly got damp even though I sweated a lot on long uphill climbs running trails and it dried quickly; it remained comfortable with the hood up running uphill under a warm sun, including on a 15-mile run on a day when the temp reached around 80. The Astroman is three ounces lighter than the one other sun shirt in this review that has a deep, venting front zipper (the Black Diamond Alpenglow Pro Hoody, below). The loose-fitting hood fits comfortably under a helmet and allows more cooling airflow when it’s up—preferable in a hoodie made for warm to hot temps—and it stays on my head when running into a slight breeze only with the front zipper closed nearly to the top.

The hoodie carries a UPF rating of 30 in the light colors and 50+ in the dark colors—which are, of course, warmer on sunny days, for better or worse. The zippered chest pocket is more than large enough for a smartphone.

Best For: Light, quick drying, with nice fit and comfort, a deep hood, and solid sun protection, the Outdoor Research Astroman Air Sun Hoodie offers excellent versatility for almost any activity, including dayhiking, backpacking, climbing, and fishing, in warm to hot temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research Astroman Air Sun Hoodie at backcountry.com, outdoorresearch.com, or rei.com.

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Soft and Affordable

Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody
$69, 6 oz./170.1g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-3XL, women’s XS-2XL
patagonia.com

On back-to-back, 21-mile and 23.5-mile, rim-to-rim dayhikes across the Grand Canyon over two days in October, and on a six-day backpacking trip elsewhere in the Grand Canyon, the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody protected me from the relentlessly oppressive sun and kept me cool in temps into the 70s Fahrenheit.

The 100 percent recycled, loose-fitting, stretchy polyester fabric moved with my body, got damp but never wet with sweat, and stayed cool with the hood up when I hiked under a hot sun in the Grand Canyon. The hood shades your face and has a loose fit that causes it to get pulled off your head in moderate wind. But it doesn’t, of course, get blown off when under a climbing helmet or any kind of hat. Patagonia originally rated the Cool Daily Hoody UPF 50+ but has since reported that testing confirmed a UPF range of 17 to 45, averaging 34 UPF, and announced a recall of specific products. The sun shirt still blocks UV rays: A garment rated UPF 17 blocks 92 percent of UV.

The minimal seams reduce rubbing and chafing and the Polygiene odor control keeps the stink at bay. While it got a bit too warm when I was hiking uphill in temps in the 70s, especially with the hood up, it’s good for hiking in mild temps, and certainly for climbing, fishing, and paddling.

Best For: A super all-around sun shirt, the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody and Patagonia Long-Sleeved Capilene Cool Daily Shirt ($49) have the versatility and comfort for everything from dayhiking and backpacking to climbing and fishing.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody or Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt at backcountry.com, patagonia.com, or rei.com.

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A Versatile Sun Hoody

Helly Hansen Lifa Active Solen Hoodie
$80, 7 oz./198.4g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
hellyhansen.com

Wearing the Solen Hoodie on local hikes and rock climbing at Idaho’s Castle Rocks State Park under a hot spring sun, I immediately loved the athletic yet free-moving fit—especially the hood, which may have the best, closest fit of them all, moving with my turning head and staying in place even in wind, although that also prevents moving air from cooling your head.

The Solen’s stretch Lifa fabric wicks moisture away, dries very quickly, and feels comfortable alone or over a short-sleeve T-shirt in a wide range of temps, from cool and windy to sunny in the 70s; I only found it too warm when the thermometer bumped into the upper 70s. Conversely, because it’s a little heavier than many other sun shirts, it blocks cool wind a little better than lighter models and has proved itself on days of spring skiing under a warm sun in Utah’s Wasatch Range.

With a UPF 50+ rating, it delivers maximum sun protection. The fabric also resists building up a stink after multiple uses and launderings.

Best For: Slightly heavier and more durable than most sun shirts, and yet cool and comfortable, the Helly Hansen Lifa Active Solen Hoodie offers superior comfort and a close-fitting hood for dayhiking, backpacking, climbing and other moderate-exertion activities in a wide range of temperatures.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Helly Hansen Lifa Active Solen Hoodie at hellyhansen.com, backcountry.com, or rei.com.

Don’t Forget Anything Important!
See “An Essentials-Only Backpacking Gear Checklist.”

Best Overall

Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie
$95, 7.2 oz./204.1g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Picking a best overall sun hoodie admittedly seems dubious, given how similar they are. But I lived in this sun hoodie day after day on two trips that would prove or disprove the value of hot-weather layers like few environments can: for six sunny and hot days backpacking in the Grand Canyon in early April, in temps ranging from the 50s to the 80s F and rare shade, and backpacking nine days and about 130 miles, mostly on the John Muir Trail, under the wilting afternoon sun of the High Sierra in August. I also wore it under hot desert sun backpacking the three-day, 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October and on several days of rock climbing and hiking around Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park in June, as well as other hot outings.

Although heavier than most, it’s one of the coolest and most comfortable. Carrying a backpack uphill under a blazing sun and temps in the 80s, I found the ActiveIce Hoodie comfortable enough to keep the hood up. The natural performance of the breathable, wicking, fast-drying, and stretchy 94 percent polyester fabric is amplified by the ActiveIce treatment, a USDA-certified biobased, vegetable oil-derived polymer that absorbs heat energy, producing a cooling sensation that continues as long as your body generates perspiration. OR reports the fabric cools by up to 5.4° F/3° C.

It’s rated UPF 50+—but just as critically, the shirt provides great coverage, with its deep hood that shades your face and long sleeves that don’t ride up when reaching overhead, plus thumb holes. The fit is comfortably loose and flat seams feel good under pack straps. Lastly, the heavier weight will likely prove more durable—especially for abusive activities like climbing.

Best For: Cool, comfortable, fast-drying and durable, with a nice hood, the Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie is ideal for dayhiking, backpacking, climbing, fishing, or paddling.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie at backcountry.com, outdoorresearch.com, or rei.com, and other ActiveIce apparel pieces at outdoorresearch.com.

Get the right gear for your trips. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs”
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Warm-to-Cool Weather Option

Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoody
$109, 7.5 oz./212.6g (men’s medium)
Black Diamond Alpenglow Pro Hoody
$149, 8.5 oz./241g (men’s medium)
Sizes (both): men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
blackdiamondequipment.com

From three full days backpacking a 36-mile traverse of the Teton Crest Trail in late August to backcountry skiing in under a hot spring sun reflected off the snow, and a 21-mile, 11,000-vertical-foot, one-day, rim-to-rim run-hike across the Grand Canyon (in temps that never got oppressively hot), the Alpenglow Hoody surprised me with how cool it feels for its weight, in temps as warm as the 60s Fahrenheit backpacking and the 70s hiking in the canyon. BD says the 87 percent polyester fabric reflects 71 percent of near-infrared rays and actually cools your skin.

The Alpenglow Pro kept me comfortable on various outings, including a seven-day, nearly 70-mile, mostly sunny backpacking trip in Glacier National Park; three days of backpacking the Skyline Trail in Canada’s Jasper National Park; dayhiking in Banff National Park, even under a hot sun hiking a steep 3,400 feet uphill on the Cory Pass-Edith Pass loop in Banff; and a weekend of rock climbing in Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, with moderate early-fall temps and warm sunshine.

On trail runs up to two hours in my local foothills on days when the temp climbed from the mid-50s in early morning into the 70s by the time I finished, with a blazing sun and virtually no shade, I liked opening the front quarter-zip to vent, although the light bouncing and wind generated by running is enough to push the hood off my head when the zipper is down because it leaves the collar wide open (not usually a problem when hiking). The hood stays up with the shirt zipped up. The 92 percent nylon stretch fabric never felt too warm for those temps even as I sweated heavily and is soft enough that I didn’t get any nipple irritation.

Both hoodies have a UPF 50+ rating for sun protection, a fit and sleeves that allow full range of motion for climbing, and odor-minimizing treatments. The Alpenglow’s loose-fitting hood fits under a helmet comfortably, while the Alpenglow Pro has an elasticized hood that fits over a helmet. Besides the quarter-zip, the Pro also adds underarm mesh panels, a concealed chest pocket, thumb loops, and an Empel environmentally friendly PFC-free water-repellant finish.

Best For: The BD Alpenglow Hoody and Alpenglow Pro Hoody are best suited to moderate- to high-exertion activities like trail running, hiking, and climbing in a range of temps from cool to warm but not excessive heat.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoody or Alpenglow Pro Hoody at blackdiamondequipment.com, backcountry.com, or rei.com.

See my picks for “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets,” “The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks” and all reviews of hiking gear and backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

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Let’s admit it: We don’t always take our base layers as seriously and we do our outerwear and insulation—or packs, tents, boots and other gear, for that matter. But this under-appreciated first stage in a layering system for the outdoors really sets the table for how comfortable you’ll be. Base layers that don’t perform well probably won’t kill you, but misery isn’t a good companion. This is what we wear against our skin. It matters.

After much testing from the trails to the mountains to the gym year-round, the long-sleeve tops, T-shirts, shorts, underwear, and socks reviewed here are the best I’ve found for dayhiking, backpacking, trail running, climbing, and training. And over the course of a quarter-century of testing and reviewing gear, including the 10 years I spent as the lead gear reviewer for Backpacker magazine and even longer running this blog, I’ve learned how to distinguish the mediocre from the excellent.

Light- and medium-weight T-shirts and long-sleeve tops are the most versatile because you can layer them in a wider range of temperatures to keep you drier and cooler, but fabrics and design features of tops and shorts also affect their temperature range and the activities for which they’re comfortable.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here for my e-books to classic backpacking trips. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.

Please leave any comments or questions about my picks for best base layers in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments. And you can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by making purchases through the affiliate links below—where you’ll also often find the best prices. Thank you for doing that.

What You Need to Know About Synthetic Versus Wool

We all know that synthetic fabrics wick moisture and dry quickly, while wool keeps you warm even once it’s wet. My experience with dozens of base layers is that both types keep getting better. Modern synthetics are getting lighter and more efficient at moving moisture. I wear lightweight synthetic base layers for high-intensity activities in warm temperatures, and midweight synthetics for moderate-intensity activities in cool temps. But synthetics can get sweat-soaked (leaving you cold on cool days) and stinky after many days of wearing and multiple washings.

Wool—which today usually means Merino wool—keeps getting softer and more comfortable, and I find myself wearing it more often, for virtually any activity, in a wider range of conditions than I ever did before. It breathes as well as any fabric; doesn’t dry as quickly as synthetics, but keeps you warm, anyway; and the lightest wool base layers today dry out impressively quickly.

The biggest takeaway I’ve had with the newest Merino wool T-shirts and long-sleeve shirts is how effectively they resist developing odors: I’ve worn wool tops for three, four, even five days straight of sweaty hiking and workouts without them getting stinky—and most surprisingly, they remain comfortable to pull on day after day. But the lightest Merino wool tops aren’t always as durable as synthetics.

Today you can also find base layers that combine synthetic fabrics with wool—often Merino for its softness—to combine the strengths of both materials.

Most Versatile T-Shirts

Ortovox 120 Tec Clean T-shirt
$90, 3.7 oz./106g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL
backcountry.com

The Ortovox 120 Tec Clean T-shirt feels like it redefines how light and cool wool can feel when it’s hot—and how much use you can get from a super light base layer. I have worn it alone for five hours through an 11-mile, 4,200-foot dayhike in the White Mountains and both alone and under a warmer wool hoodie in cool, strong wind dayhiking in Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon national parks and in cool to warm temps with wind at times on a three-day hike in southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons in early May—and in my sleeping bag every night. It was my base layer every evening in camp and in my bag on a six-day, mid-April backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, and hiking about nine miles and over 3,000 feet up the Hermit Trail on that trip’s last day.

It kept me comfortable sweating hard going uphill and while it was damp when hiking downhill in temps in the 60s Fahrenheit in the Whites, and it prevented me from feeling chilled on sweaty local spring hikes and trail runs where a cool breeze mixed with warm sunshine, drying out remarkably quickly and remaining odor-free afterward, which is the reason I also like it against skin under a warm Merino hoodie for resort skiing. Made with 52 percent, very fine, 17.5-micron Merino wool, 33 percent Tencel cellulose fibers for their cooling effect in warm temps, and 15 percent polyamide, and corespun for durability, this T-shirt will serve you well for almost any activity year-round.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Ortovox 120 Tec Clean T-shirt at backcountry.com or rei.com.

Patagonia Capilene Cool Trail Shirt
$45, 4.5 oz. (men’s medium)
backcountry.com
Patagonia Capilene Cool Merino Shirt
$79, 4 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s and women’s XS-XXL
patagonia.com

From local trail runs of up to 20 miles in temps from 60 to 80 degrees and cool, wet days of camping and rock climbing, to a five-day, 78-mile backpacking trip on the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, four days of variable weather on Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail and five cool, sometimes very windy and snowy days trekking in June through Spain’s Picos de Europa Mountains, Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Trail Shirt has proved its value on countless days for virtually any kind of activity.

I lived in this T-shirt—waking and sleeping hours—under other layers and sometimes alone for three straight days in the Picos. It has the soft, comfortable feel and fit of your favorite cotton tee. Its polyester fabric wicks moisture and dries remarkably quickly: I’d sweat through it while hiking or running uphill, feel an icy wind blowing through wet fabric against my skin; and next thing I knew, within minutes after reducing my exertion level, the T-shirt was dry again. And the Polygiene permanent odor control treatment has prevented it from getting a perma-stink after many workouts, hikes, runs, and launderings.

The Capilene Cool Merino Shirt has become another staple base layer for me because it marries the benefits of the Capilene Cool daily Shirt with those of soft Merino wool—the ability to retain warmth once wet plus odor-resistance—as I’ve confirmed while trekking hut to hut on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail in cool, often windy and wet days in July; on hilly dayhikes up to 12 miles in warm to hot August temps and little shade; on a 10-mile, 3,600-foot dayhike of 4,700-foot Mount Carrigain in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, on a dry October day with temps in the 50s and 60s with light wind; and on numerous local hikes and workouts.

Made from 65 percent Merino wool and 35 percent recycled polyester, it kept me cool—especially once damp with sweat—until the temp climbed into the 80s Fahrenheit, when it started getting too warm. I also like it for gym workouts.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Patagonia Capilene Cool Trail Shirt or other Capilene Cool Trail tops at backcountry.com or patagonia.com, or a men’s or women’s Patagonia Capilene Cool Merino Shirt or other Capilene Cool Merino tops at patagonia.com.

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Ibex Merino Tencel Short Sleeve Tee
$80, 4.5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
ibex.com

Working up a sweat on dayhikes of up to 11 miles in my local foothills—including up and down one trail that rises 2,000 vertical feet in 2.2 miles—in August temps ranging from the 50s into the 80s Fahrenheit, the Ibex Merino Tencel Short Sleeve Tee got damp but never felt too hot and dried more quickly than an all-wool T-shirt of the same, low weight would. I also lived in it, day and night, for five straight days backpacking almost 50 miles through Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness, in September temps ranging from the 40s to around 60° F, alone as well as under one or two layers—and it remained comfortable. I’ve also worn it through sweaty gym workouts and mountain biking.

It blends two natural performance fibers—Tencel, derived from sustainably grown eucalyptus, and Merino wool—imbuing the lightweight, 19.5-micron fabric with exceptional moisture wicking, temperature regulating, and antimicrobial properties. That means you stay cool and dry and the shirt resists getting stinky after two or three days of use—although it did get a little funky after five days of backpacking. Ibex reports that its manufacturing partners produce the fiber in a closed-loop system, recycling over 99 percent of water and solvents that extract cellulosic fibers from wood pulp.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Ibex Merino Tencel Short Sleeve Tee at ibex.com, or a women’s Ibex Merino Tencel Short Sleeve Tee at ibex.com.

For high-speed workouts in damp weather, get a breathable, ultralight wind shell.
See my reviews of the best ones.

Most Comfortable T-Shirt

Beyond Clothing Todra L1 SS Crew
$30, 4 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL
beyondclothing.com

What are the things we don’t like about some base layers? The fabric feels rough or itchy against skin or the fit’s too tight or too loose—or it just costs too much. Then there’s the Todra, which feels like your favorite cotton T-shirt that you’ll pull on day after day at home but performs like a technical tee, as I’ve discovered wearing it on dayhikes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and elsewhere, trail runs, gym workouts, trekking hut to hut on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail, and backpacking a section of the John Muir Trail, four days in the Wind River Range, a six-day hike in the Grand Canyon (lead photo at top of story), and a seven-day, nearly 70-mile trip in Glacier National Park.

The standard fit feels neither silly-tight nor bulky—it drapes over your torso as if made for you. The lightweight, stretchy, 88 percent polyester and 12 percent Tencel knit fabric wicks moisture off your skin and dries fast while antibacterial treatment keeps it from getting stinky—I’ve worn it on consecutive days of hiking, running, and gym workouts without it getting funky. On a dayhike of the 13-mile Burgess Pass Loop in the Canadian Rockies, it got soaked with sweat on the 3,500-foot ascent in 4.5 miles to Burgess Pass, but dried out within about 15 minutes under my rain shell once we got above treeline—on a cool, overcast day with intermittent rain showers.

The low-bulk, wrinkle-resistant fabric packs small for stuffing inside a pack. It also meets textile standards for ecological safety and not containing harmful levels of more than 100 substances. And you can buy two of them for the cost of some technical tees.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase a Beyond Clothing Todra L1 SS Crew at beyondclothing.com.

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Most Versatile Long-Sleeve

Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck
$99, 7.5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XXS-XL
backcountry.com

If the ultimate proof of any garment’s value is how often and in what range of conditions you wear it, the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck has more than covered its price. I’ve worn it on innumerable days in a wide variety of conditions, from trekking through strong, cold wind in rain and falling snow in northern Spain’s Picos de Europa Mountains, to cool evenings and mornings while backpacking a section of the John Muir Trail , in late summer in the Wind River Range, and in the Grand Canyon, as well as rock climbing and camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve. Whether hiking, climbing, on a winter trail run, or backcountry or resort skiing, I increasingly find myself grabbing it from a drawer full of tops for a variety of activities in all seasons.

Comfort is excellent thanks to flatlock seams and shoulder construction that allows full mobility without causing the top to hike up. The 100 percent recycled polyester fabric’s smooth face slips easily into fleece jacket sleeves. Thumb loops hold the sleeves over your hands. The Polygiene odor control has prevented it from getting stinky through many sweaty outings and launderings. All in all, you get a four-season, midweight top with Patagonia quality.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, when you click either of these affiliate links to purchase the men’s or women’s Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck at backcountry.com or patagonia.com.

Plan your next great backpacking adventure in Yosemite
and other flagship parks using my expert e-books.

Favorite Sun Shirt

Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie
$90, 7.2 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Picking a best overall sun hoody admittedly seems dubious, given how similar many are. But living in this sun hoodie for most of nine straight August days on a section of the John Muir Trail, in mostly dry conditions with temps from the 40s to high 60s and one rainstorm; six sunny and hot days backpacking in the Grand Canyon in early April—including carrying a backpack uphill under a blazing sun, in temps in the 80s, with virtually no shade; and backpacking under a hot sun on the three-day, 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October, I found the ActiveIce Hoodie consistently comfortable with the hood up.

Although heavier than most, it’s one of the coolest and most comfortable. The natural performance of the breathable, wicking, fast-drying, and stretchy 94 percent polyester fabric is amplified by the ActiveIce treatment, a USDA-certified biobased, vegetable oil-derived polymer that absorbs heat energy, producing a noticeable cooling sensation. OR reports the fabric cools by up to 5.4° F/3° C.

It’s rated UPF 50+—but just as critically, the shirt provides great coverage, with its deep hood that shades your face and long sleeves that don’t ride up when reaching overhead, plus thumb holes. Plus, the heavier weight will likely prove more durable—especially for abusive activities like climbing.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie at backcountry.com or outdoorresearch.com and other ActiveIce apparel pieces at outdoorresearch.com.

Protect yourself smartly and comfortably with one of “The Best Sun Shirts.”

Two Versatile, Soft, Three-Season Wool Tops

Ibex Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Crew
$115, 7 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
ibex.com

The “in between” weather days, with moderate temperatures and perhaps some wind, can be hard to dress for when active outside: You’re too warm one minute, too cool the next. Wearing the Ibex Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Crew over a lightweight, short- or long-sleeve base layer and sometimes under a wind shell on winter and spring trail runs up to 11 miles in a wide range of conditions—sun and clouds, windy and calm, and temps from the 30s to the 50s—I stayed warm even after both base layers became moderately wet with sweat.

A midweight top comprised of 81 percent Merino wool with a nylon core for durability, it feels soft against skin and functions well as a bottom layer or over a lighter T-shirt or long-sleeve. At only 180gsm, this relatively light wool provides pretty good warmth for its weight and moved moisture well compared to warmer wool and synthetic layers, even as I sweated while running. But it’s generally too light and close-fitting for freezing temps and it lacks neck coverage. Consider it best for moderately to highly aerobic activities in cool temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these links to purchase a men’s Ibex Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Crew at ibex.com or a women’s Ibex Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Crew at ibex.com.

Make your hikes better. See “The 5 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking”
and “The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks.”

Smartwool Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Long Sleeve
$90, 7 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Merino wool is soft, very breathable, warm even when wet, and doesn’t get smelly. But the lightest Merino shirts can wear thin and suffer small tears sooner than synthetic fabrics of comparable weight. With the Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Long Sleeve, Smartwool wrapped Merino fibers around a nylon core to make the fabric more durable, without compromising the soft-against-skin feel of Merino. The result is a top you can wear as a base or second layer in moderate temperatures, or layer over it in cold temps, without worrying about pack straps shredding it prematurely.

The flatlock, offset shoulder and side seams mean no bothersome seams directly under pack straps. And the super-soft Classic not only feels soft against skin, it’s light enough to dry quickly: On one three-hour, mountain bike ride on a mostly sunny day in the 50s Fahrenheit with light winds, I wore this top while pedaling two hours up more than 2,000 vertical feet—getting quite wet with perspiration. I pulled on an ultralight, breathable wind shell over it for the long ride downhill, and this base layer was almost completely dry when I got home. It’s also too light and close-fitting and lacks neck coverage for freezing temps.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Smartwool Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Long Sleeve at backcountry.com.

I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life.
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Two Versatile, Cold-Weather Tops

Outdoor Research Vigor Quarter Zip
$99, 11 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

On many days skiing the backcountry, resorts, and very hilly Nordic trails from Idaho’s Boise Mountains to Utah’s Wasatch Range, in temperatures from single digits through the teens and 20s Fahrenheit, sometimes in dumping snow with a below-zero wind chill, OR’s Vigor Quarter Zip always struck a sweet balance between providing enough warmth for the chilly moments without causing me to get too wet on long ascents. When I sweated hard, the Vigor moved moisture so well that it never became more than damp and would dry within minutes of my exertion level dropping.

Similar to other tops, the Vigor consists of a light, soft, grid-back polyester fleece that moves moisture exceptionally well, its mechanical performance enhanced by ActiveTemp thermo-regulating treatment. You can wear it as a base layer—the flat-seam construction aids comfort—or as I frequently do, over a light, wool-poly T-shirt or long-sleeve base layer, with or without a jacket.

The 10-inch front zipper reaches to your sternum for good venting and zips up to your chin. The stretch fabric with thumbholes in the cuffs allow you to slip the sleeves up inside gloves or push sleeves up to the elbows. The zippered chest pocket fits a light hat or phone and breathes well enough to quickly dry something damp stuffed in there (like a light hat for skinning uphill when ski touring). The UPF 30 sun-protection rating protects skin year-round—just as useful in March as August in the mountains. Plus, the length extends to cover your entire butt, providing that much more warmth.

The Vigor Quarter Zip doesn’t have the mapped warmer and lighter fabrics of the Patagonia R1 and Beyond Celerus L2 or a hood—possibly appealing to users who already have an insulation and shell layers with a hood. Still, it offers fall-winter-spring versatility—at a good price.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research Vigor Quarter Zip at backcountry.com or outdoorresearch.com, or other models in OR’s Vigor series, including the full-zip hooded jacket, at backcountry.com or outdoorresearch.com.

Get serious about the cold with “The Best Clothing Layers for Winter in the Backcountry.”

Patagonia Men’s R1 Pullover Hoody
$179, 10 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XXS-XXL
patagonia.com

Patagonia touts this pullover for climbing and skiing—for which it’s certainly ideal—but I find myself constantly wearing it year-round, in a range of temps. Besides days of backcountry skiing, I lived in this pullover—waking and sleeping hours—for three cool, wet days of camping and rock climbing at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, and it was the only insulation piece I needed for a six-day backpacking trip in May in the Grand Canyon.

The versatility lies in the Polartec Power Grid fabrics, used exclusively by Patagonia. They have outstanding stretch and breathability and excellent warmth for their weight, making this top versatile as a layering or stand-alone piece in temps ranging from the 50s Fahrenheit to as far below freezing as you can bear. A midweight fabric is used on the front, back, and sleeves, while a slightly lighter, more breathable grid fabric comprises the hood, sides, armpits, and girding the waist. The pullover’s close fit has space for layering a lightweight T-shirt or long-sleeve underneath, or wearing alone and under other layers, and the extended length stays tucked inside a pack belt or climbing harness.

I frequently pulled the close-fitting hood over my head and felt an immediate and noticeable difference in warmth; but I also found it easy to tuck the hood under the collar, out of the way (with little bulk, it doesn’t interfere with another hood in a layering system); it also fits smoothly under any helmet. The front zipper plunges nearly to the belly button for superior venting and zips up to let the balaclava-style hood cover your nose when desired. The elasticized cuffs, with thumbholes for wearing the sleeves up to your fingers, have good stretch to both seal out cold air and slide the sleeves up to the elbows. The zippered chest pocket has enough space for a wool hat or light gloves, and is mesh-lined, so you can put a damp hat or gloves in there to quickly dry from body heat. Polygiene treatment controls odors.

The range of men’s sizes will fit many women. There’s also a women’s R1 Pullover ($179).

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Patagonia Men’s R1 Pullover Hoody at patagonia.com, or a women’s R1 Pullover at patagonia.com.

Check out a lightweight, super breathable hooded jacket that performs like a warm top that has a hood and full front zipper, the Himali Limitless Grid Fleece Hoodie.

Which puffy should you buy? See “The 10 Best Down Jackets”
and “How You Can Tell How Warm a Down Jacket Is.”

Lightest, Best Wicking Long-Sleeve

Patagonia Long-Sleeved Capilene Cool Lightweight Shirt
$59, 3.5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XXS-XL
backcountry.com

On numerous, long trail runs in wide-ranging temperatures and weather in the Boise Foothills, this wafer-thin long-sleeve was stellar either alone in mild conditions or as a base layer under an ultralight shell or warmer long-sleeve top in wind or cooler temps. Even on runs where I perspired heavily, the Capilene’s wicking ability was never overwhelmed—it kept moving moisture as long as my body was producing heat, so it was never more than damp.

Thumb loops kept my hands partly covered when needed, or I could easily push the sleeves up over my elbows when temps rose. Treated for odor control, this top hasn’t gotten stinky after countless days on the trail. With UPF 35 sun protection and Fair Trade Certified, this crew top is better for training and aerobic activities like trail running than for wearing with a pack, which might wear out this light fabric quickly.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Patagonia Long-Sleeved Capilene Cool Lightweight Shirt at backcountry.com or patagonia.com, or a men’s or women’s Patagonia short-sleeve Cool Lightweight Shirt ($49) at backcountry.com or patagonia.com.

Planning your next big adventure? See “America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips”
and “The 25 Best National Park Dayhikes.”

Two Favorite Hiking Shorts

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Shorts 10-inch Inseam
$85, 7 oz. (men’s 30)
Sizes: men’s 28-42, women’s 0-18 (7-inch inseam)
outdoorresearch.com

On trips ranging widely from a sunny and hot six days backpacking in the Grand Canyon in early April (lead photo at top of story), plus September hikes of 50 miles through the Pasayten Wilderness and nearly 70 miles in Glacier National Park; dayhikes and backpacking the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness of the Canadian Rockies in August; backpacking the three-day, 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October; and a 10-mile, 3,600-foot dayhike of Mount Carrigain in New Hampshire’s White Mountains on a breezy October day in the 50s and 60s, OR’s Ferrosi Shorts kept me comfortable and dry and never felt too warm.

The 86 percent nylon ripstop stretch-woven fabric, consisting of 46 percent recycled material, is very breathable, quick to dry, abrasion- and water-resistant, and rated UPF 50+ for maximum protection from UV sunlight—plus, the 10-inch inseam provides good coverage. The internal drawcord waist keeps them from slipping down and eliminates the need for wearing a belt under a pack hipbelt or climbing harness (although the shorts have belt loops). The two mesh-lined hand pockets have good depth to hold small items and the zippered right thigh pocket secures a smartphone and small map.

Other Ferrosi Shorts models include a men’s 7-inch inseam short, a women’s 5-inch inseam short and a skort, men’s and women’s 12-inch inseam Over Short, and women’s plus-size 9-inch inseam shorts.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Outdoor Research men’s Ferrosi Shorts 10-inch Inseam at outdoorresearch.com, the Outdoor Research women’s Ferrosi Shorts 7-inch Inseam at outdoorresearch.com, or other Ferrosi models at backcountry.com or outdoorresearch.com.

Need all-conditions, 3-season pants?
See my review of the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Convertible Pants.

Beyond Clothing Eryx Ultralight K4 Short
$30, 7 oz. (size 30)
Sizes: 30-44
beyondclothing.com

One solid test of the day-after-day wearability of any base layer is a hut trip where you’ll sweat into your clothes all day—and then wear them in the hut, sitting next to other people in the dining room. The Eryx passed that test on a two-day, 21-mile hut trek in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range with about 6,000 cumulative feet of elevation gain and loss each day in no-punches-pulled New England June humidity. I also wore them on dayhikes and backpacking the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies in August.

The lightweight, four-way stretch, nylon and spandex fabric dried quickly on my body after I sweated heavily hiking uphill and remained perfectly comfortable to wear in the hut throughout the evening and next morning. They feel so good that I routinely wear them at home.

The 9.5-inch inseam makes them best suited for hiking and backpacking, with above-the-knee coverage for protection from sun and brush, while the low-bulk waist band, lined with brushed tricot, feels good under a pack belt. I think the durable front snap will last longer than I will. And there are five pockets: two hand pockets and three zippered, two spacious ones on the thighs and one rear.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this link to purchase the Beyond Clothing Eryx Ultralight K4 Short at beyondclothing.com.

Accessorize wisely. See “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories.”

Most Versatile Shorts

Patagonia men’s Terrebonne Shorts and women’s Multi-Trails Shorts
$79, 4.5 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s and women’s XS-XXL
Terrebonne: backcountry.com
Multi-Trails: backcountry.com

For everything from dayhiking or ultralight backpacking to trail running and gym climbing or bouldering, nothing beats a very light pair of shorts. But the Terrebonne stand out for marrying the light, cool feel of running shorts with the desirable style and features of hiking shorts. The 100 percent recycled polyester ripstop fabric has kept me cool on trail runs up to 10 miles in my local foothills on sunny days from the 60s to near 80° F and on a four-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Range in mid-August, in temps in the 50s and 60s F, and a six-day April backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, with temps from the 40s to 80s F.

With barely more than half the weight and bulk of many hiking shorts, the Terrebonne’s 10-inch inseam provides the same coverage from sun while the loose fit provides a much cooler on-the-trail feel. And nothing beats the comfort of the very low-profile, drawcord waistband. Plus, unlike many running shorts, these have two mesh-lined hand pockets deep enough that items won’t pop out and a zippered rear pocket for essentials like a key. Tough enough for hiking, they even have a DWR (durable, water-repellent treatment) to shed light rain, like heavier hiking shorts, and no brief liner.

The comparable women’s Multi-Trails Shorts (3.8 oz.) have a 5.5-inch inseam, two zippered front pockets and one rear snap pocket, and a brief liner.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Patagonia men’s Terrebonne Shorts at backcountry.com, or the women’s Multi-Trails Shorts at backcountry.com or patagonia.com.

Got an all-time favorite campsite?
See “Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites.”

Favorite Socks

Choosing the best hiking socks can, admittedly, sometimes feel like choosing between ping-pong balls—they all kind of look alike. But I’ve hiked and backpacked in numerous models from just about every brand out there, and I’ve found a few models from Darn Tough that stand out for the qualities I like in socks: comfort against my skin; fast-wicking and quick-drying, to help my feet stay dry in footwear, even after many hours; a bit of padding at the heel and toes; and fabric that holds its shape and doesn’t get stinky, so I can wear them on consecutive days without washing.

Plus, as the name implies, these are durable socks.

The Light Hiker Micro Crew Light Cushion ($25, 2 oz.) proved ideal for much of the dayhiking and backpacking I do, because they’re comfortable in the normal range of temps encountered in the mountains from late spring through mid-autumn or in milder climes like the Southwest in spring and fall, and are tall enough for any boots without being higher (and warmer) than I prefer.

The Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Sock ($25, 2.5 oz.) is similar but slightly taller and warmer, so it works nicely for me on backpacking trips when temps are getting cooler, like September in the mountains.

When I’m heading out backpacking in chillier temps and possibly wetter or even snowy weather, wearing sturdier boots, I’m all in with the Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion ($30, 3.5 oz.)—which has held up well in hard use and keeps my feet warm without them getting too sweaty (although it’s too warm for relatively mild trips).

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase these socks:

The men’s Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Light Cushion Sock at darntough.com, or the women’s Light Hiker Micro Crew Light Cushion Sock at darntough.com, or the men’s, women’s, or junior at backcountry.com.

The men’s Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Sock at darntough.com, or the women’s Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Sock at darntough.com, or the men’s or women’s at backcountry.com.

The men’s Darn Tough Hiker ¼ Sock Cushion at backcountry.com or darntough.com, or the women’s Hiker ¼ Sock Cushion at backcountry.com or darntough.com.

The men’s Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion at backcountry.com, or the women’s Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion at backcountry.com, or the men’s or women’s at darntough.com.

Most Comfortable Underwear

Ibex Men’s Natural Boxer Brief
$55, 2 oz. (men’s small)
Ibex Women’s Natural Brief
$35, 1.5 oz. (women’s medium)
Ibex Men’s Woolies Tech Boxer Brief
$70, 4 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XS-XL

Full disclosure: I sometimes don’t change my underwear. With these Ibex boxer briefs, I don’t need to. Example: I wore the Men’s Natural Boxer Brief under soft-shell pants for three straight days trekking hut to hut on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail in July, with temps from the 40s to 50s and far more wind and rain than sunshine; for three straight days in August on a section of the John Muir Trail and two days backpacking in the Wind River Range in early September, both trips in mostly dry conditions with temps from the 40s to 60s; and for five straight days of hiking, rock climbing, and camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, in warm sunshine, sometimes chilly wind and passing rain showers, and temps from the 50s to the 70s. And never even thought about my underwear.

I’ve worn the warmer but equally soft Woolies Tech Boxer Brief on numerous days of Nordic, backcountry, and resort skiing and trail running in temps from the single digits to the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit, at a range of exertion levels—and they constantly felt comfortable and remained dry. I even did this: Purely for testing purposes, after wearing them for a rigorous workout skate-skiing, I took a shower… and these boxer briefs were so dry and non-smelly, I wore them for the rest of the day. Seriously, they felt great.

The breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial Merino wool in all three men’s and women’s skivvies destroys odors and is very soft against skin, with comfort enhanced by elastic waistbands that don’t slip and flatlock seams.

The 18.9-micron, 140gsm Pro-Tech Lite fabric used in the men’s and women’s Natural Briefs, Ibex’s lightest, stays cool in warm to hot temps—even day after day—without getting stretched-out or clammy or stinking up your sleeping bag. The Woolies Tech Boxer Brief uses ultra-fine 18.5-micron wool and holds its shape exceptionally well. At 180gsm (grams/square meter), this lightweight Pro Tech fabric is ideal on cool to cold days.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Ibex Men’s Natural Boxer Brief at ibex.com, the Ibex Men’s Woolies Tech Boxer Brief at ibex.com, or the Ibex Women’s Natural Brief at ibex.com.

More Breathable Briefs

Patagonia Essential Boxer Briefs
$35, 3 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: S-XXL
patagonia.com

I’ve worn the Patagonia Essential Boxer Briefs on countless days on the trail—in all three-season conditions, hot to cool—including backpacking for three days on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River in the first days of April, with virtually no respite from the intense sunshine and daytime temps from the 50s, which felt quite cool, to mid-70s Fahrenheit, which felt quite hot under the April Arizona sun—a range of temps that demands base layers that dry out fast and these underwear delivered.

Made with moisture-wicking, 95 percent Tencel fabric (and five percent Spandex for stretch), these briefs are very breathable, often drying on my body when my activity level dropped while wearing them—enabling two or three (or more) consecutive days of comfortable use. They have chafe-free seams, a contoured fly pouch, an anti-roll waistband and a leg design that’s pretty good at preventing them from hiking and bunching up. They’re available in both a three-inch and six-inch inseam.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the 3-inch Patagonia Essential Boxer Briefs at patagonia.com, or the 6-inch inseam version at patagonia.com.

Best for Dudes

Saxx Quest 2.0 Boxer
$45, 2.5 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: S-XXL
rei.com

On numerous days of hiking and backpacking from Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail, the John Muir Trail, and the mountains of western North Carolina to an 80-mile, five-day backpacking trip in the North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington state—plus climbing, backcountry and Nordic skiing, and innumerable days at home—these boxer-briefs kept me wondering, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” Through long days hiking—and sweating—for 15 or more miles, the Saxx boxer-briefs remained so dry and comfortable that I could wear the same pair in my sleeping bag that night and get a second day of use out of them (or more, if desperate).

Their distinguishing feature is a three-dimensional pouch that cradles and supports a dude’s package, which is not only vastly more comfortable than standard briefs, but prevents chafing and sweaty contact against thighs, no matter how many miles you’re going. Both have lightweight, wicking fabric that breathes very well, dries fast, and is anti-microbial, so you really can wear them more than one day between washings; and both have comparably sturdy waistbands that don’t roll over, slip down, or bunch up.

I expect this will mark the beginning of the end of the phrase “going commando.”

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase the Saxx Quest 2.0 Boxer at rei.com.

See all of my reviews of outdoor apparel and trail-running apparel and gear. And don’t miss my picks for “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See the Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and my expert buying tips.

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We ask a lot of ultralight wind shells, these wispy jackets that often weigh no more (and sometimes less) than your hiking shorts. We want them to breathe well when we’re hiking or running uphill while, of course, blocking the wind effectively—and not feel like a kitchen trash bag with sleeves and a hood. On trail runs, dayhikes, and a backpacking trip from the desert Southwest in spring to the mountains of Southwest Idaho, in a wide range of fall and spring weather that challenges any outer layer to keep you comfortable, I found that OR’s Shadow Wind Hoodie did just that, quite well.

It kept me warm and dry in cool, strong wind in early May dayhiking for hours in Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, where I encountered brief snow flurries, and in Zion National Park, where a thunderstorm produced a brief, light rain. It blocked wind quite effectively while breathing well enough to prevent sweat from accumulating inside on very windy mornings with the ambient air temperature around 40° F on a three-day hike on southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons loop in early May.

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I pulled it on for the downhill end of a hike in my local foothills on a very windy April afternoon, after sweating hard on a steep trail that rises 2,000 feet in just over two miles, and it kept the wind from making me cold while breathing well enough that my wet base layers dried in minutes. It performed similarly on an hour-long trail run in mid-November, in late-afternoon shade with a chilly breeze and temps in the mid-40s; and on a hilly mountain bike ride on an unusually warm January day, with temps in the low 60s but a strong wind cooling things down and virtually no warmth from the sun.

The Shadow’s distinguishing component is its lightweight, bluesign-approved, 20-denier, 90 percent nylon stretch-woven fabric: Impressively breathable while repelling light rain, it feels softer against bare arms than most ultralight shells—especially the lightest out there, which can feel a bit like a plastic petroleum product. This fabric offers better durability than the very lightest ultralight shells, good enough for most rock climbing, short of dragging yourself up a tight chimney. OR applies a DWR (durable, water-repellent) treatment that’s free of fluorinated chemicals.

The trim fit provides space for a couple of base layers plus a light vest or insulated jacket underneath and very good stretch lets this jacket move however you’re moving—great for hiking, running, climbing, and other active uses. The elasticized cuffs seal out drafts.

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The close-fitting, under-the-helmet hood is adjustable—uncommon in an ultralight shell—and it stayed in place on my head in strong gusts numerous times, while the low-profile brim provides decent face protection for a UL shell. The hood also stows inside the collar using a snap, keeping it from flapping around annoyingly in wind—a smart feature that might seem superfluous until the first time you use it—and it easily stuffs inside the zippered chest pocket, which is more than spacious enough for a smartphone. Each of the two zippered hand pockets is large enough to fit a pair of warm gloves.

At just 5.8 ounces/164.4 grams for the men’s medium, it comes in just above the median weight of hooded ultralight shells, and packs down to about the size of a softball—not quite as light and compact as the lightest hooded shells, but only a couple ounces/55 grams heavier.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Outdoor Research Helium Wind Hoodie at backcountry.com, rei.com, or outdoorresearch.com.

For a rain jacket that’s barely heavier than the Shadow Wind Hoodie, although less breathable, see my review of the Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket.

See my picks for “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and “The 7 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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How simple and inexpensive a headlamp do you want for the backcountry? Or to frame the question from a different angle: How complex a headlamp do you need? Using Black Diamond’s rechargeable Astro 300-R and the optionally rechargeable, battery-powered Astro 300 on a pair of backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies—the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness—as well as a four-day hike in the Wind River Range and camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, I became very acquainted with the strengths and shortcomings of two of today’s most affordable ultralight headlamps.

The two Astro models are identical except for the Astro 300-R being strictly rechargeable, powered by a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery with a micro-USB charging port—like all of BD’s “R” series headlamps. At 40 bucks, the Astro 300-R is certainly one of the most affordable rechargeable ultralight headlamps out there and arguably the cheapest that offers reliable performance in the backcountry.

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As with BD’s other traditional battery-powered headlamps, the Astro 300 runs on either AAAs or the rechargeable BD 1500 battery pack ($35, sold separately). The main benefit that “dual-fuel” design offers is the option of a backup power source if the BD 1500 drains its charge—and the Astro 300 and BD 1500 combo actually saves you five bucks versus the Astro 300-R. Plus, the BD 1500 can be used in other battery-powered BD headlamps.

Operation and features are otherwise the same in both Astro models. The single power button turns them on and off, always powering on in the same mode and brightness level last used. The button controls dimming function and clicks between the white light and white strobe modes. Holding the button down when it’s off engages lockout mode.

In their primary, white area mode, both headlamps throw a round beam that fills much of my peripheral vision with even lighting; the white strobe mode does the same. The max brightness of 300 lumens, with a range of 180 feet/55 meters, is certainly bright enough for hiking or even running a trail in complete darkness. You’ll probably be comfortable walking in the dark at medium power (150 lumens), at which the range is 115 feet/35 meters, and at lower brightness levels in camp—prolonging battery life. And the range of 26 feet/eight meters at low power (six lumens) provides dim light for small tasks or finding something in your tent.

The run time, or battery life of the Astro 300 using AAAs, is four hours at high power and 140 hours at low power, with 16 hours of reserve power, according to BD. For the Astro 300-R, a full charge lasts six hours at high power and 140 hours at low power, with 1.5 hours of reserve power.

The easily adjustable, low-profile headband, made from recycled materials, remains comfortable on your head for hours and does not bounce when you’re moving quickly. The IPX4 waterproof rating, comparable with some mid-priced headlamps, means it withstands splashing water from any direction—it’s likely safe in rain but don’t stop this headlamp into water.

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The Astro headlamps lack the multiple modes found in other BD headlamps, and PowerTap technology, which allows you to tap the side of the casing to cycle between max brightness and whatever dimmed level you previously set. Those are definitely nice features, worth their added cost, and more important for more technical users, but absolutely not a deal-breaker for many users seeking simplicity and affordability.

Do the Astro 300 and 300-R offer all you need in a headlamp? The biggest shortcoming of the Astro is that the area mode does not give you the stronger, focused beam of a spotlight mode, especially for seeing an object at a distance. These headlamps are not an ideal choice for hiking or route-finding off-trail or when climbing. Otherwise, though, they deliver all the functionality that many outdoor users need. And some people will definitely prefer the simplicity of the Astro lights over models with more modes and functions but also more complexity in operating them (and cost).

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The Verdict

While not as versatile as the best headlamps available today, the Black Diamond Astro 300 and rechargeable Astro 300-R offer backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, hut trekkers, and others affordable options for a simple but adequately bright and functional ultralight headlamp, including the ability to use either AAAs or a rechargeable battery in the Astro 300.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Black Diamond Astro 300-R at blackdiamondequipment.com or backcountry.com, a Black Diamond Astro 300 at blackdiamondequipment.com or backcountry.com, the BD 1500 rechargeable battery at blackdiamondequipment.com, or any BD headlamp at blackdiamondequipment.com or backcountry.com.

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See “The Best Headlamps,” all reviews of Black Diamond headlamps, and all reviews of hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

On winter and spring trail runs in my local foothills in every combination of cool to cold wind or calm air and overcast to sunny skies, and on a hike-scramble of 11,330-foot Twin Peaks in Utah’s Wasatch Range—nearly nine miles with 6,200 vertical feet of up and down—on a sunny October day with temps ranging from the 40s to the 50s Fahrenheit and cool wind at times, the Arc’teryx Norvan Windshell Jacket demonstrated its strengths and minor shortcomings as one of the very lightest of the many ultralight wind shells you’ll find today.

Whether running on winter days chilly enough to wear the Norvan Windshell going both uphill and downhill, or spring and fall days in the 40s to 50s Fahrenheit with light wind and sunshine, when I pulled on the shell only on the descents, the ultralight Canim nylon ripstop polyester fabric always blocked wind well enough to prevent me getting chilled. The jacket has a DWR (durable, water-resistant treatment) to shed light precipitation, but it will wet out in a steady rain.

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The jacket breathes better than most in this category and arguably better than any other, or at least matches the very best in that department. Thanks in part to lighter, highly breathable Permeair 20 fabric extending along the underside of the sleeves down the sides, it never allowed much moisture buildup inside, even when I sweated hard on long ascents; that also enabled my wet base layers to quickly dry out while moving downhill. The flip side of that coin is that it also allows some wind to penetrate—a desirable balance of breathability and wind resistance for many trail runners and hikers but one to be aware of, if you often find yourself out in strong, chilly wind.

Most conspicuously, at just 3.2 ounces (91g), the Norvan Windshell has few competitors for weight-to-performance ratio, and this highly packable shell stuffs into its one zippered hip pocket, squishing down to the size of a baseball or slightly larger than a smartphone. With the jacket on you, that pocket can hold small, weightless items like a car key or hotel key card, and a smartphone does fit inside it but is heavy enough to bounce around and awkwardly pull this jacket downward on that side.

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Its low weight owes partly to it lacking a hood, meaning less wind protection than hooded ultralight shells, some of the best of which are mere grams to an ounce or two heavier. That’s a tradeoff worth contemplating, and the choice comes down to your typical activity and environment. On shoulder-season trail runs or days in the mountains when I expect cool wind and possibly a light shower, I like a hooded ultralight shell. But on many trail runs of a few hours or less when I may only need a shell to guard against cooling off on the downhill, the Norvan Windshell is perfect—and the carabiner loop lets me clip it to a bottle belt or very compact running vest.

With the usual articulated sleeves, adjustable hem, and elasticized cuffs found in a wind shell this light, the trim fit feels good when running, hiking, or scrambling and accommodates a couple of midweight base layers.

One caveat: The Norvan Windshell’s wafer-thin fabric makes it only appropriate for running, hiking, mountain biking, and similar activities that involve wearing nothing more than a light pack or running vest.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Arc’teryx Norvan Windshell Jacket at arcteryx.com or rei.com, or a women’s Arc’teryx Norvan Windshell Jacket at arcteryx.com.

See “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and “The Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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After sweating hard on a sunny and humid June morning hiking up the headwall of Huntington Ravine—the steepest and hardest trail on Mount Washington—we hit the cool wind blowing across the mountain’s alpine terrain. I pulled on my Kor Airshell Hoody and it tamed that wind while breathing so well that the wet sun shirt against my skin dried out quickly. And that pattern of sweating and hitting wind kept repeating itself on that two-day, 21-mile hut trek in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, providing plenty of opportunities for the Kor to show off its strengths.

This jacket also displayed excellent breathability when I wore it running hilly trails from the Boise Foothills to central Massachusetts, on spring days of cool wind and temps in the 50s and low 60s Fahrenheit—with me sweating hard on each occasion, but the jacket only getting slightly damp inside and drying in minutes when my exertion level dropped going downhill. I also tested this hoody hiking and rock climbing in June temps from 50 to the 60s at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park; in cool wind at times on an 18-mile, 7,300-foot, 13-hour, four-summit, partly off-trail dayhike with my 23-year-old son in Utah’s Wasatch Range in early October; mountain biking in breezy, partly sunny, 50-degree conditions; and during cool, windy periods while backpacking in the first week of April on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon and backpacking in early October on the 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

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A midweight ultralight wind shell at a hair over five ounces (145g), the highly packable Kor Airshell Hoody hits a sweet spot in balancing its two superpowers of low weight and breathability with respectable weather resistance and durability. The jacket stuffs into its inside drop pocket, packing down to the size of a baseball.

That will appeal to dayhikers, trail runners, and climbers who routinely get very wet with sweat going up and might encounter a wide range of conditions short of a severe rainstorm before the day ends.

Credit for the Kor’s excellent breathability goes to its ultralight, very breathable, 59 percent recycled, water-resistant Pertex Quantum Air ripstop nylon fabric. That 20-denier fabric shed light rain during brief showers at the City of Rocks—and it ranks the Kor’s durability better than the lightest ultralight shells and good enough for most uses, even rock climbing as long as you’re not dragging your back up some gnarly chimney. It also feels a little softer against skin than most ultralight shells.

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The non-adjustable, elasticized hood, with a flexible, low-profile brim that provides better face protection than some ultralight shells, fits snugly enough to feel comfortable and stay put on your head in wind and when turning your head side to side.

The Kor Airshell Hoody has a comfortable fit with space to wear two base layers or light insulation under it. The elasticized hem and cuffs adequately seal out drafts. Two zippered hand pockets—more pockets thanfound on many competitors—have space for light items like three-season gloves but anything heavy, like a phone, pulls that side of the jacket awkwardly downward.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Hoody at backcountry.com or rei.com.

Rather have a waterproof-breathable rain shell that’s just grams heavier than the Hardwear Kor Airshell Hoody—although less breathable? See my reviews of the Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket and Rab Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket.

See “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and “The Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

What does the ideal backcountry headlamp look like? Many of us who find ourselves in wild spaces well before dawn or after dark might describe that headlamp as light, bright enough to see what lies at least 200 feet ahead of you (especially when off-trail), with a versatile set of lighting modes and brightness levels, easy to use, and rechargeable with sufficient juice to last several days. BioLite’s Headlamp 425 checks all those boxes and impressed me with its performance on backpacking trips in the Wind River Range in late summer and on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April.

Replacing BioLite’s older Headlamp 330, the Headlamp 425 not only ramps up the max brightness to 425 lumens—BioLite claims it projects a beam for 85 meters/280 feet at high power, which rings consistent with my experience using it—it also sports a smart design that translates to high comfort and ease of use.

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For starters, the large, front power button is easy to depress and to find with a finger when it’s on your head. Click that button in half-second increments to scroll through the four front lighting modes, which include red flood, white spot, white flood, and white spot and flood combined, all with dimming capability. Plus, the battery pack’s rear-facing light has white strobe and red flood and strobe modes that are bright—ideal for biking streets after dark, as I’ve done many times with this headlamp.

The 425 turns on in the mode and brightness level it was last turned off; and whenever the front headlamp or rear battery pack light is turned on or off, a four-bulb battery indicator on the battery pack displays power remaining. The front housing’s four-position tilt provides an adequate range of beam angles and stays put securely. The lockout mode is activated and deactivated by holding the 425’s power button down for eight seconds.

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Perhaps most distinctively, the Headlamp 425 finds an appealing middle ground between heavier, bulkier, less comfortable torches that have greater power and charge duration and lighter models that are not as bright and don’t last as long in the backcountry.

Weighing just 2.75 ounces/78 grams, its ultrathin, low-profile, molded front housing integrates fully into the strap with a profile of just 0.4 inches/10mm, sitting flush against your forehead without bouncing or slipping even when hiking fast or running. The easily adjustable strap, with smooth, moisture-wicking fabric, feels so good I’d forget it was still on my head after dawn. And it shrinks down enough to fit kids.

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While a battery pack at the back of your head can feel annoying in certain circumstances, like lying on a pillow reading, this one is light and compact enough to reposition for comfort; it’s usually hardly noticeable. Plus, the rear pack provides the advantage of having a rear-facing light there for safety when biking streets.

Powered by a 1000 mAh Li-ion battery that recharges in about two hours using any USB-C cable, the headlamp has pass-through charging, meaning it can be used while plugged into a battery pack and charging. It has a run time of 60 hours at low power (five lumens, projecting a beam about 15 meters/50 feet) and four hours at high power (425 lumens); in practice, most backpackers have no need to worry about losing the 425’s charge on typical, three-season backpacking trips. I burned through only about half its full charge using it for six days straight with no recharge between back-to-back hikes on the Arizona Trail and in Aravaipa Canyon.

The IPX4 rating means it’s fine in rain or getting wet from perspiration but is not designed for immersion in water.

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The Verdict

Ultralight and compact yet bright, with a versatile set of lighting modes and brightness levels and a charge that lasts through a multi-day backcountry trip, the BioLite Headlamp 425 checks all the boxes for most backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, climbers, bike commuters, and other users.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these links to purchase a BioLite Headlamp 425 at bioliteenergy.com.

See my picks for “The Best Headlamps” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all gear reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

When the sky darkened with foreboding, black and gray clouds that suddenly obliterated the sharply angled peaks flanking the John Muir Trail in the Evolution Basin of Kings Canyon National Park, I pulled on the ultralight Mammut Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket thinking: This thunderstorm will put it to a real test. Minutes later, the wind-whipped rain began hammering us. For an hour or more, my two companions and I continued uphill until deciding to quickly pitch our tents and hunker down until it passed. When it did, we packed up and continued over Muir Pass in cool wind before finding a campsite. Through it all, this remarkably light and packable rain shell kept me dry and comfortable.

I wore the Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket at times on that nine-day hike of nearly 130 miles through the High Sierra in August, much of it on the John Muir Trail, in temps ranging from the 40s to high 60s Fahrenheit, strong wind at times, and that one intense rainstorm. I also wore it on a nearly 10-mile, 4,700-foot dayhike up 5,774-foot Mount Adams in New Hampshire’s northern Presidential Range on a sunny October day with temps ranging from the mid-30s to around 60° F with a cool breeze at times; and on a multi-hour, 29-mile mountain bike ride on Utah’s Wasatch Crest Trail, with 1,500 feet of uphill and more than 4,000 feet of downhill, on a sunny day with temps ranging from the low 40s to the high 50s.

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Mammut’s proprietary DRYtechnology Performance waterproof-breathable fabric kept me dry and blocked wind when I needed that much protection, including over an hour in a pounding thunderstorm. Although I wouldn’t recommend it as a rain shell wherever you might encounter hours of steady or hard rain and wind—it’s not intended to provide the coverage and full protection that a heavier, technical, waterproof-breathable rain jacket offers—it’ll do fine in light precipitation or short spells of hard rain.

And while the shell’s breathability also does not match that of high-quality waterproof-breathable rain shells or the best non-waterproof, ultralight wind shells, I did not overheat while wearing it in mild temps dayhiking Mount Adams or in the Sierra.

In other words, it delivers exactly what we want from an ultralight rain shell: just enough weather protection for many of our outings. For some users, including dayhikers, climbers, trail runners, and backpackers who typically head out in good weather, the Kento may be all they need most of the time.

At just over five ounces and packing down to the size of an orange in its stuff sack (included), the Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket is a welterweight among ultralight shells but one of the very lightest waterproof-breathable jackets you’ll find. Its 15-denier fabric also offers better durability than some (mostly lighter) ultralight wind shells, which are often targeted at trail runners who wear nothing heavier than a running vest.

Lastly, in a category of jackets with very minimalist designs, it sports an adjustable hood with a flexible, reinforced visor that offers decent face protection, especially with the front zipper that covers your chin; elasticized cuffs and a hem that extends about six inches below the waist; and a concealed, zippered chest pocket. The comfortable, close fit permits full freedom of movement, with space to wear two base layers or light insulation underneath.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase a men’s or a women’s Mammut Kento Light HS Hooded Jacket at backcountry.com.

See my picks for “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and “The 7 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Look for an ultralight headlamp built for backcountry use that’s under two ounces and $40 or less and you’ll find very few choices—with the BioLite Headlamp 325 arguably the best among them. Then consider that it sports a basic but functional set of lighting modes, cranks out enough brightness and lasts long enough on a full charge for backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, and other backcountry users, and this slim light will look pretty good to many people who log significant hours on the trail.

I used the Headlamp 325 on nights in camp on a five-day, late-summer backpacking trip in the Wind River Range and on back-to-back backpacking trips in the first week of April on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon. With a 700 mAh Li-ion battery that recharges via micro USB (charging cord included), the Headlamp 325’s max brightness of 325 lumens—a more than 50 percent increase over its respectably bright predecessor, the Headlamp 200—throws a solid white beam for about 250 feet/75 meters, certainly bright enough for hiking a trail in deep darkness or even route-finding off-trail.

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A full charge lasts three hours at max brightness and 40 hours at low power (five lumens, adequate for camp tasks), according to BioLite. That’s good enough for the typical backpacking trip: I finished that five-day hike in the Winds with charge remaining in the 325. The reserve power mode buys you one more hour. The flood LED doubles as the charge indicator: After turning the 325 off, the flood light will flash green twice to indicate more than 50 percent of the charge remaining, red twice for under 50 percent, and red four times to indicate it requires recharging. When plugged in, the flood light slowly blinks green while charging and goes off when fully charged.

Operating the Headlamp 325 is simple and intuitive using just one power button. Click it in half-second increments to scroll through the four lighting modes, which include all that most backpackers and dayhikers need: white spot and red flood LEDs, both with dimming capability, plus white and red strobe. Its built-in “brightness memory” means the headlamps turns on in the mode and brightness level you last turned it off.

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The dimming function—common in ultralight headlamps unless they have three or four brightness levels—is useful for tasks in camp and in the tent while helping to extend the battery’s charge when using it at lower levels. The intuitive lockout mode turns on and off by holding the power button depressed for eight seconds.

The four-position housing tilt covers an adequately wide range of angles for directing the light. With all of the electronics contained inside the tiny, nearly weightless front housing, which is, in turn, integrated into the slender, easily adjustable, no-bounce head strap—which is wider from the housing to the temples for better comfort—the Headlamp 325 goes almost unnoticed on your head.

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The moisture-wicking stretch fabric, with a reflective strip on the back for night use, makes a very smooth contact all around your head, even at the housing, and doesn’t slip at all—making it certainly among the most comfortable ultralight headlamps to wear for any length of time. Plus, lacking a battery behind your head, it’s easier to wearing while it lying on your back.

The IPX4 waterproof rating means it withstands splashing water from any direction—it’s likely safe in rain but don’t let this headlamp fall into water.

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The Verdict

The BioLite Headlamp 325 combines incredibly low weight and comfort with an adequate range of modes at a bargain-basement price for a rechargeable, ultralight headlamp.

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See my picks for “The Best Headlamps,” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

When I reviewed this headlamp’s predecessor, the Bandicoot, I thought it was the kind of new product that had the potential to upend an entire category. After using the more powerful and comfortable Knog Bandicoot 250 on a nine-day hike of nearly 130 miles through the High Sierra in August, mostly on the John Muir Trail, I still think this technology is a game changer.

You can sum up the appeal of the Bandicoot 250 in one sentence: It’s powerful, rechargeable, lighter than most competitors, and cheaper than many. But there’s more to this story than that.

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The innovative Bandicoot has been upgraded to a maximum brightness of 250 lumens with a range of over 100 feet—not cutting-edge by today’s standards (a tradeoff for its compactness and almost insignificant weight), but certainly bright enough for the needs of most backpackers and hikers, including hiking a trail at night. 

The very light and durable silicone housing now is adjustable with a toggle to fit a huge circumference range of 30-70cm, covering the biggest and smallest heads. It still seamlessly merges the strap, body, and LEDs and doesn’t bounce at all or snag in hair. It’s easy to forget you’re wearing it.

Its four LEDs—high beam, elliptical beams for broad ambient light, a red light for preserving your night vision, and downward-angled lights for reading—cover the needs of many users, including trail running and biking streets at night (and this low-profile headlamp fits more comfortably under a bike helmet than bulkier models). One nitpick: I found the reading lights angled too far downward for reading while lying on an air mattress.

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Operation is simple and intuitive: Turn it on and off by depressing the larger (right) power button for a second; that button also scrolls through the modes, while the smaller (left) button clicks through brightness levels in each mode. 

Lock and unlock it by depressing both power buttons for three seconds; the red light flashes twice if you press either power button to indicate lockout mode and a white LED flashes twice to indicate it’s unlocked. Click either button when the light is off and the reading lights function as the four-level battery indicator.

The LEDs are easily removed from the stretchy housing/strap through the opening on the back side of the thickest part of the housing; it then plugs it directly into any USB port to recharge (no cord needed) in four hours (from being fully drained). Few headlamps offer such simplicity for recharging or replacing batteries.

According to Knog, the Bandicoot 250 runs for eight hours at max brightness; 12 hours at Spot level (200 lumens); 22 hours at ambient level (50 lumens); and 25 to 32 hours in the dimmer red and reading modes. Even with normal use on a nine-day hike, I finished with plenty of charge left in this headlamp. The IP67 rating means it’s waterproof up to one meter for 30 minutes and completely protects against dust.

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The Verdict

Powerful enough, comfortable, simple, rechargeable, lighter than most competitors and cheaper than many, the Knog Bandicoot 250 represents a great all-around value for backpacking, hiking, climbing, trail running, and other outdoors activities.

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See “The Best Headlamps” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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How do you choose a headlamp for the backcountry? If you’re looking for a range of modes that’s both basic and versatile, good brightness and dimming capability, and smart features that make it more useful while maintaining a design simplicity that doesn’t require an advanced science degree to operate it, Black Diamond’s Spot 400 is hard to beat. On evenings in camp on a five-day, late-summer hike in the Wind River Range, I found this latest update sustains and improves on the legacy of BD’s popular Spot line as an excellent value in an ultralight headlamp.

Powered by three AAA batteries, the Spot 400 boosts maximum brightness to 400 lumens, casting a beam for 100 meters; that’s bright enough for hiking off-trail or searching for a descent or ascent route in pitch darkness. BD says that at max brightness, the headlamp will burn for four hours on three fresh AAA batteries—but most users won’t need that brightness level for anywhere near that length of time on a single outing or multi-day trip.

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At minimum brightness level of six lumens—bright enough to find your way in and out of a tent in the middle of the night—the headlamp will run for 225 hours. At medium power, the Spot 400 projects a beam 60 meters and runs for eight hours on fresh batteries; that’s brighter than many users will need in camp or even most of the time you’re hiking a trail in complete darkness. In peripheral white light mode, the broad beam projects adequate light uniformly to organize gear or illuminate a campsite or tent interior.

Those metrics illustrate not only this lamp’s power but a key fact: Typical use will not quickly drain its batteries. After four nights of regular use at various brightness levels and modes in the Wind River Range, the headlamp still retained two-thirds of its charge—displayed by its three-level battery meter. The Spot 400 will normally make three AAA batteries last more than one typical backcountry trip or throughout a long trip.

BD made this Spot update incrementally lighter and more streamlined, with a housing that doesn’t feel like a load on your head or bounce around when you’re moving fast. The low-profile design still has two buttons and simple operation: It powers on and off and dims using the larger button, while the smaller button cycles between the three modes: direct beam, peripheral white mode, and red for night vision.

It also has dimming capability in all three modes, activated by holding down the larger button. Strobe is activated in all modes by clicking the larger power button twice rapidly.

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BD’s unique PowerTap technology—found in other BD headlamps—allows you to simply tap the right side of the casing (marked by a bulb icon) to cycle between max brightness and whatever dimmed level you previously set. The Spot series and other BDmodelshave brightness memory technology: They turn on in the mode and brightness level you last turned them off.

Like other BD headlamps, the Spot 400 also has a lockout mode that turns on and off by holding down both buttons for a few seconds, to ensure that the lamp isn’t inadvertently turned on and draining its batteries inside your pack or pocket.

I found the easily adjustable headband remains comfortable for hours. The IPX8 rating means the headlamp is waterproof to just over one meter for 30 minutes. The battery compartment is easilyaccessed by flipping a small lever on one side.

BD’s rechargeable 1500 mAh Li-ion battery and its charger can be purchased separately ($30) and used instead of three standard AAA batteries in the Spot. But if you’re buying a new headlamp and don’t want to constantly throw away batteries, it makes more sense to just get the Black Diamond Spot 400-R ($70, 2.6 oz.), which is rechargeable and otherwise identical to the Spot 400—and it won’t take long to cover the additional $15 cost of it through the savings on batteries.

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The Verdict

Still priced competitively among ultralight, high-performance headlamps at $50, the Black Diamond Spot 400 has the brightness, versatility, and features to make it arguably the best ultralight headlamp value for backpackers, hikers, climbers, trail runners, and other outdoors users.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Black Diamond Spot 400 at backcountry.com, rei.com or blackdiamondequipment.com, or a rechargeable Black Diamond Spot 400-R at backcountry.com, rei.com or blackdiamondequipment.com.

See “The 7 Best Headlamps” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Using Black Diamond’s Spot 400-R on various outings, from nights in camp in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains, southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, and on a nine-day hike of nearly 130 miles through the High Sierra in August, mostly on the John Muir Trail, and pre-dawn starts on a seven-day, nearly 70-mile walk in September in Glacier National Park and a six-day hike on the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route in April, to dawn patrol backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Boulder Mountains, backpacking on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River in the first days of April, and trekking hut-to-hut on New Zealand’s Routeburn and Milford tracks in late spring, I found this latest update continues the legacy of functionality and versatility that has made BD’s long-popular Spot line arguably the best value in an ultralight headlamp—while also demonstrating the strong value proposition of choosing this rechargeable model over a battery-powered headlamp.

Powered by a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery with micro-USB charging port, the Spot 400-R—the rechargeable version of BD’s outstanding Spot 400—throws a beam 100 meters at its maximum brightness of 400 lumens; that’s bright enough to hike off-trail, search for a descent or ascent route in pitch darkness, or identify the large, nocturnal animal showing an interest in your cached food. BD says a full charge lasts for four hours at max power—a brightness level most users won’t need for anywhere near that length of time on a single outing or multi-day trip.

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At the other end of its brightness range, the headlamp will keep running for 225 hours at low power of six lumens, which is bright enough to find your way in and out of a tent in the middle of the night. At medium power, the Spot 400-R projects a beam 60 meters and lasts eight hours on a full charge; that’s brighter and farther than many users will need in camp or even most of the time you’re hiking a trail in complete darkness. In peripheral white light mode, the broad beam projects adequate light uniformly to organize gear or illuminate a campsite or tent interior, without getting blotchy or having an annoying dark spot in the center.

Those performance details illustrate both this lamp’s power and how typical use will not quickly drain its charge. After eight nights of regular use at various brightness levels and modes, I found the headlamp still retained two-thirds of its charge—displayed by its three-level battery meter—meaning the Spot 400-R can hold plenty of juice for normal use on a very long trip.

BD has again made this Spot update incrementally lighter and more streamlined, with a housing that doesn’t feel like a load on your head or bounce around when moving fast. The low-profile design still has two buttons and intuitive operation: It powers on and off and dims using the larger button, while the smaller button cycles between the three modes: the direct beam, peripheral white mode, and red for night vision.

It also has dimming capability in all three modes (by holding down the larger button) and strobe is activated in all modes by clicking the larger power button twice rapidly. The Spot series and other BDmodelshave brightness memory technology: They turn on in the mode and brightness level you last turned them off.

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BD’s unique PowerTap technology—found in other BD headlamps—allows you to simply tap the right side of the casing (marked by a bulb icon) to cycle between max brightness and whatever dimmed level you previously set.

Like other BD headlamps, the Spot 400-R has a lockout mode that turns on and off by holding down both buttons for a few seconds, to ensure that the lamp isn’t inadvertently turned on and draining its charge inside your pack or pocket—a smart safety feature, even though both buttons lie flush in the housing to help prevent accidental activation.

The easily adjustable headband, made from recycled elastic, features comfortable Repreve fiber and remains comfortable for hours. The IP67 rating means it provides full protection from small, solid objects like dust and sand and is waterproof to one meter underwater for up to 30 minutes. The micro-USB charging portis accessed easilyby flipping open a small port cover.

BD’s line of headlamps includes the battery-powered but otherwise identical Spot 400 ($55, 2.5 oz.) and the rechargeable Storm 500-R ($90, 3.5 oz.), featuring 500 lumens at max power and the full suite of features found in BD’s Spot and other headlamps.

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The Verdict

At just 15 bucks more than the Spot 400, the rechargeable Black Diamond Spot 400-R delivers the same brightness, versatility, low weight, and value for backpacking, hiking, climbing, trail running, and other outdoors activities at a price that’s soon covered by the money saved not buying (and throwing away) batteries.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a rechargeable Black Diamond Spot 400-R at backcountry.com, rei.com or blackdiamondequipment.com, a Black Diamond Spot 400 at backcountry.com, rei.com or blackdiamondequipment.com, or the Storm 500-R or any BD headlamp at backcountry.com or blackdiamondequipment.com.

See “The 7 Best Headlamps” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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As we skied back to our backcountry yurt through falling snow on a dark night at the end of a full day of touring in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, my IKO Core brightly illuminated our route through meadows and conifer and aspen forest. But brightness and low weight are just two of the measurable ways in which few ultralight headlamps match Petzl’s rechargeable IKO Core, which has unique design features that would appeal to backpackers, dayhikers, climbers, trail runners, and backcountry skiers.

At the highest of its three power levels, 500 lumens, the IKO Core is exceptionally bright—especially for a headlamp weighing under three ounces, the best of which top 300 lumens and rarely exceed 400. In campsites beside wilderness lakes on rainy, dark nights during an August backpacking trip in the Wind River Range, this headlamp lit up the open forest like a klieg light, with a broad, even beam that illuminated objects clearly for at least 100 meters (as Petzl claims for the IKO Core’s range at max brightness). I also used the IKO Core on other trips, including a six-day hike in the Grand Canyon.

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That degree of brightness comes in handy when trying to identify anything at a distance in the dark, like a trail marking or your off-trail route; a campsite, shelter or yurt; food hanging from a tree branch, stored in a bear canister on the ground, or cached; or a person in need of help.

At 100 lumens, the headlamp’s middle power level projects a beam 45 meters, according to Petzl; I found it certainly bright enough to follow a trail in the dark. The max and middle levels simultaneously project both a spot beam and proximity light—more useful than separating those two lighting modes, as many headlamps do. The low setting (six lumens) throws enough light for inside the tent or close-at-hand tasks in camp but seems a bit dim to me for reading, though that may not bother everyone. The only conspicuously missing modes are red and flashing.

The headlamp housing tilts through a wide range up and down. Turn the headlamp on and insert only the lamp housing inside its white stuff sack and it doubles as a lantern.

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While a headlamp’s brightness diminishes steadily as standard batteries drain, the Core battery maintains constant brightness over the duration of a charge before power drops off abruptly; you’ll appreciate that on a long slog after dark. It recharges in three hours via a USB port and has a burn time (how long a charge lasts) of nine hours at 100 lumens.

The IKO Core’s hybrid design enables substituting standard AAA batteries after the Core battery has lost its charge. Operating on AAA batteries, the low power performance remains the same but max power drops to 350 lumens—still brighter than max power on many ultralight headlamps and plenty bright enough for most backcountry situations—with a range of 80 meters and a burn time of two hours. (Petzl cautions against mixing battery brands or new and used batteries.)

The battery pack—easily opened to recharge the battery—has a curved, rubberized cover that’s unobtrusive against the back of your head and is only a half-inch thick, so you can lie back on it without feeling like your head is resting on a block of wood.

Operation is idiot-proof: The single power button on the housing clicks through the three brightness levels; and depressing and holding that button switches the IKO Core into lockout mode, to prevent it accidentally turning on and depleting the charge while inside your pack.

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The thin, bendable, adjustable, semi-rigid headband provides a comfortable and very secure fit with minimal area of contact against your head; it also doesn’t absorb water or sweat and fits over climbing helmets. Plus, having the battery pack in the rear keeps the lamp housing very light in front, meaning no bouncing when running, hiking fast, skiing, or scrambling in the mountains. The headband must be bent and folded to stuff into its small, super light storage sack—a task that might annoy some users but I found simple and quick. Plus, the stuff sack keeps the entire unit more compact for storage in a backpack lid pocket.

The IKO Core’s IPX-4 rating means the headlamp is resistant to splashed water from any direction but not waterproof and would very likely be damaged if immersed. That’s not as high a rating as other ultralight headlamps, some of which are as high as IPX-7, protecting them from immersion up to one meter for 30 minutes.

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The Verdict

For its low weight, exceptional brightness, useful range of power levels, comfort, ease of use, and packability, the Petzl IKO Core rechargeable headlamp will appeal to many recreational users—backpackers, dayhikers, climbers, trail runners, and backcountry skiers—and perhaps especially to professionals like guides and search-and-rescue teams.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase a Petzl IKO Core at backcountry.com.

See “The 7 Best Headlamps” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “24 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures.
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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

If, besides very low weight, versatility counts for everything in an ultralight wind shell, the variety of places, weather, and seasons I’ve worn OR’s wafer-thin Helium Wind Hoodie speaks volumes about its value. From hiking up and sometimes running down crazy-steep trails in fall and the earliest days of spring in Utah’s Wasatch, Canada’s Banff National Park, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and Idaho’s Boise Foothills, to the breezy heights of Hawaii’s high point, 13,803-foot Mauna Kea, and the windblown depths of the Grand Canyon, this shell fended off cool wind while taking up no more space in my daypack than my long-sleeve jersey.

A midweight among ultralight wind shells at about five ounces, the highly packable Helium Wind Hoodie also falls in the middle of its field of competitors in terms of striking an appealing balance between weight, breathability, weather resistance, and durability—making it an ideal choice for dayhikers and trail runners who will work up a sweat while possibly encountering a wide range of conditions short of a full-on rainstorm.

But I also wore it in strong, cool morning wind at times on a six-day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, when the forecast indicated only sunny weather and I didn’t need a waterproof-breathable rain jacket (and its added weight and bulk)—only a light shell for wind.

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The bluesign-approved, wind- and water-resistant, 30-denier ripstop nylon Pertex Diamond Fuse shell fabric blocked wind very effectively in many situations, including at windy Cory Pass on the Cory Pass-Edith Pass loop in Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, where I hit the wind after sweating through a steep 3,400-foot ascent. The fabric uses yarns with diamond-shaped filaments woven together in an interlocking pattern, lending it very good durability and abrasion and snag-resistance for a fabric this light—and better than virtually all other jackets in this weight class—while its flat surface helps the fabric shed water. If you want an ultralight shell for rock climbing, while that may risk tears in really gnarly situations, it’s probably the best choice.

Breathability is good, enhanced a bit by laser-cut underarm perforations. I pulled it on after hard, sweaty ascents of Mount Carrigain in the White Mountains (3,000 feet in the last three miles), Cervidae Peak in the Boise Foothills (2,000 feet in 2.2 miles), and Grandeur Peak in the Wasatch foothills on the edge of Salt Lake City (3,200 feet in 2.2 miles) and the fabric allowed my body heat to push moisture out, quickly drying my wet base layer to prevent me from getting chilled in wind and temps in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit.

The adjustable hood uses a small strap in the back and wraps snugly around your head and the low-profile brim provides better face protection than some ultralight shells. The jacket has a comfortable, close fit with space to wear two base layers or light insulation under it.

The Helium easily stuffs into its one zippered chest pocket—which is large enough for a smartphone with room to spare—squishing down to the size of an orange(and has a carabiner loop). The elasticized hem and cuffs, while not adjustable, adequately seal out drafts.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Outdoor Research Helium Wind Hoodie at backcountry.com or rei.com, or a women’s Outdoor Research Helium Wind Hoodie at rei.com.

Rather have a rain jacket that’s just an ounce heavier than the Helium Wind Hoodie (although less breathable)? See my review of the Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket.

See my picks for “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and “The 7 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” and all of my reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

As headlamps for the backcountry have continuously improved in terms of brightness, versatility, and low weight, some have acquired a level of complexity that demands spending a little time learning how to use it. Not so with the latest version of this longtime top-performer. Still among the brightest ultralight headlamps, Princeton Tec’s Vizz 420 stands out for many reasons that others do—plus simplicity: You don’t need a degree in electrical engineering to operate it—almost anyone who’s ever used a headlamp will intuitively understand how to use it. But many will most appreciate not having to study a user manual.

I’ve used generations of Vizz headlamps on countless backpacking trips over the years and the Vizz 420 most recently in camp on a five-day September backpacking trip in the Pasayten Wilderness and a six-day rafting and kayaking trip through Desolation and Gray canyons in southern Utah.

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With quick, one-button operation, you can click the power button to cycle through the two white modes and one red mode and depress and hold the button to control the dimming function in all three modes. Holding the power button for several seconds turns the lockout mode on and off.

At max power, the 420-lumen spot LED projects a beam 79 meters (over 250 feet), according to Princeton Tec. In my experience with it on dark nights in the backcountry, at max power, the beam illuminates at a distance well over 200 feet (60 meters). But most of us will more commonly use any headlamp at medium power, which is 90 lumens in the Vizz 420. That’s bright enough to light your foreground for 25 meters (65 feet)—certainly adequate for hiking a dark trail—and the Vizz 420 can provide that level of light for over 50 hours on three fresh AAA batteries, longer than most backpackers need on typical trips.

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Two white LED bulbs cast a broad flood light with a range that PTec puts at 24 meters (almost 80 feet), for up to 90 hours. The red mode formaintaining night vision has a max brightness of 16 lumens, fine for walking around camp in the dark, and will last 135 hours, but lacks a strobe option. Plus, the headlamp’s regulated circuitry delivers consistent light output even as the batteries run down.

Like many leading ultralight headlamps, the Vizz is rated waterproof down to a meter for up to 30 minutes (IPX7).

While not rechargeable, the Vizz’s battery compartment is accessed by simply turning a small screw, easily done with your fingers. Lastly, the head strap is comfortable whether on the move or lying on your back.

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The Verdict

Still among the brightest ultralight headlamps for dayhikers, backpackers, climbers, trail runners, and backcountry skiers, the Princeton Tec Vizz 420 shines for its versatility and simplicity.

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip” and “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read those stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip” and the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide.

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BD’s latest update to its Spot line of headlamps, while incremental, maintains this light’s high functionality for backpackers, climbers, trail runners, backcountry skiers, and other users. The Spot350 illuminated moonless nights for me on a six-day rafting and kayaking trip down the Green River through Desolation and Gray canyons, demonstrating the reliability and versatility that its lineage has on many past adventures, such as rising before dawn to beat the heat on a 74-mile backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon in May and predawn mornings and dark evenings on a 94-mile traverse of the CDT in Glacier National Park and a 45-mile hike in the Pasayten Wilderness, both in September.

The primary upgrade is a boost in max brightness to 350 lumens, projecting a beam for nearly 300 feet (BD claims 86 meters, or 282 feet)—bright enough for climbers searching for a descent route in the dark, trail runners and backcountry skiers on predawn missions, and certainly for hiking a dark trail. The Spot350 will burn for almost four hours at max power on three AAA batteries.

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As before, the low-profile design—featuring two buttons that simplify mode selection—uses the larger button to power on and off and for dimming function (in all modes), while the smaller button cycles between the three modes: white beam, peripheral white mode, and red for night vision. The strobe function activates when double clicking the large button in all three modes.

BD’s PowerTap technology—found in other BD headlamps—allows you to simply tap the right side of the casing to cycle between max brightness and whatever dimmed level you previously set. The brightness memory technology means the Spot350 turns on in the mode and brightness level you last turned it off.

In peripheral lighting mode, the broad beam projects light uniformly at medium brightness to organize gear or illuminate a campsite or tent interior, without getting blotchy or having an annoying dark spot in the center. At low power, six lumens, the beam carries eight meters and BD says lasts 200 hours on three AAA batteries. I’ve taken numerous multi-day trips with all Spot models—including time hiking in the dark as well as normal campsite usage—without the batteries dying.

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The easy and infallible lockout function turns on and off by depressing both buttons for a few seconds. The IPX8 rating means it’s waterproof to a little over one meter for 30 minutes.

The slender headband is wide enough to remain comfortable for hours, and the battery compartment opens easily with the flip of a small lever, requiring no tools.

BD’s Spot325 differs largely in that it has minimally less brightness at max power—it’s essentially unnoticeable—and you can grab one at 25 percent off until stocks are sold out at blackdiamondequipment.com.

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The Verdict

The Black Diamond Spot350 isn’t rechargeable, but for brightness, versatility, features, weight, and price, it’s still a top value in an ultralight headlamp for backpackers, dayhikers, climbers, trail runners, backcountry skiers, and other users.

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

—Michael Lanza

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If you think that nerding out on the “performance” aspect of trekking and trail-running poles just goes too over the top for you, don’t bother reading any further. But if you’re a serious hiker, trail runner, or backpacker who likes the idea of light, strong, adjustable, and very packable poles designed to help you conserve energy and possibly even move faster and go farther, you need to know about Leki’s innovative MC 12 Vario.

Folding, four-section, adjustable poles—a category with only a few competitors—the MC 12 Vario and all of Leki’s Cross Trail series poles share the unique feature of the Cross Shark strap and grip. Based on the quick-release trigger shark grip developed for Nordic ski poles, the hook-and-loop strap wraps and seals around the hand, while a button on top of the grip, easily depressed with your thumb, releases the strap to free your hand from the pole without constantly having to rip the strap off and on. Depressing that button lets you slide the strap back into place for using the poles.

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Plus, the enhanced width of the MC 12 Vario strap—adjustable for different hand sizes or wearing lightweight gloves, while its perforated mesh releases perspiration—and the ergonomic shape of the grips feel more supportive and comfortable.

As I found on multi-hour outings on my local trails—including hiking a very steep trail that rises 2,000 vertical feet in just 2.2 miles, when I certainly adjusted the poles’ length differently for going up versus down—the design elevates your control of these sticks when hiking or running, enabling a quick swing, plant, and push-off that’s faster and more energy efficient then standard, simple pole straps. It also creates less hand fatigue because you hardly have to grip the poles. The sub-one-pound weight of the poles enhances the ease of swinging the poles.

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This design will appeal most to ultra-hikers, runners, and racers on mountain trails as well as dayhikers and backpackers who value light and highly functional trekking poles. But thanks to the quick-release shark mechanism, even hikers and backpackers who prefer pole straps they can easily slide their hands in and out of without having to open and close a hook-and-loop strap each time get the added performance without sacrificing convenience. These poles let you have your cake and eat it, too.

The 100 percent highly modular (HM) carbon construction makes the poles light and strong (although carbon can sheer under rare stresses). The extended open-pore, sweat-absorbing foam grips with a cork appearance let you hold the poles below the straps, useful in steep terrain or when briefly carrying the poles by your side. A grid surface on the lower grips keeps sweaty hands or gloves from slipping,

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Using the poles once or twice quickly familiarizes you with the simple, somewhat unique method for engaging and folding them. The Core Locking Device (CLD) provides secure locking and quick length adjustability. To engage the poles, open the locking lever and pull the second shaft section out of the upper section as far as it extends, locking the lower shaft sections in place; a click and red “lock” line on the second section indicate the maximum extension. Then set to the desired length and close the lever.

To fold the poles for storage, open the lever, extend the second section to the red “lock” line until it clicks, then slide the second section completely into the upper one, fold the two lower sections and close the lever.

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A small dial on the CLD lever adjusts its tension—easily done with your fingers, requiring no tool. The poles lack a mechanism for locking them in the folded position, making the included stuff sack—which weighs barely more than an ounce—the only means of containing them.

The pole’s length range is 110cm to 130cm in the men’s and 110cm to 120cm in the women’s (which otherwise differ little, women and men can probably use either model). While comparable to other folding, adjustable poles, that’s not as broad an adjustability range as many collapsible (or telescoping) poles have and not long enough to use with some ultralight tents that pitch with trekking poles, but similar to the range of many models. However, that adjustability range will suit most hikers, backpackers, and runners, while the poles weigh less and are more compact when folded than other highly durable models. 

The folded length of 42cm/16.5 inches, while not quite as short as other folding pole models, allows these poles to attach unobtrusively to the outside of a running vest or small daypack and fit inside just about any luggage, even many carry-ons.

If you want all the performance of the MC 12 Vario poles without the Cross Shark strap and grip, see my review of the very similar Leki Micro Vario Carbon Black Series poles.

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See my picks for “The Best Trekking Poles” and my stories “How to Choose Trekking Poles” and “10 Best Expert Tips for Hiking With Trekking Poles,” and all of my reviews of backpacking gear, ultralight backpacking gear, and hiking gear.

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See also why I almost never hike without poles in my “10 Tricks For Making Hiking and Backpacking Easier,” and my “8 Pro Tips for Preventing Blisters When Hiking.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Hoka One One Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX
$170, 1 lb. 10 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: US men’s 7-15, women’s 5-11
backcountry.com

Comfort can prove an elusive quarry with footwear, especially for dayhikers and trail runners who pile on the miles and backpackers seeking the conflicting qualities of support and low weight in boots. After numerous trail runs, dayhikes, and backpacking trips in these two shoe models, I’ve reached a point where I’m usually reaching for either my Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 or my Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX when hitting the trails.

I’ve worn the Speedgoat 4 on numerous trail runs of up to 10 miles in my local foothills, on trails generally of packed dirt with occasional rocks, including a local peak where the trail ascends a steep 2,000 vertical feet in just over two miles.

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Similarly, I’ve found the Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX comfortable and supportive hiking and running local trails in a variety of conditions, as well as on a three-day, 19-mile backpacking trip on the Idaho Snake River National Recreation Trail in Hells Canyon, carrying up to 25 pounds while backpacking three days in the Wind River Range, and with up to 35 pounds on my back on a five-day, 78-mile backpacking trip on the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. I also wore them on a late-October dayhike of Grandeur Peak in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, on a trail that climbs 3,300 feet in 2.2 miles, with muddy trail and some wet snow on the upper section of the trail. My feet stayed dry and felt very good on the hard, pounding descent, my toes never getting jammed at the front of the boots.

Like other Hoka One One footwear, the neutral-stability, low-cut Speedgoat 4 and mid-cut Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX both feature Hoka’s signature oversized, lightweight foam midsole, which delivers balanced cushioning for trail runs or lightweight hiking for any distance.

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With both shoes, the wide midsole and forefoot kept my feet comfortable even on longer runs, when feet can swell slightly, while the fit was running-shoe-snug in the heel and midfoot: My feet never slipped in these shoes. And the wide platform and good torsional rigidity give both shoes exceptional stability for footwear this light.

The minimal, 4mm drop of both shoes works great for me. The stack height, or thickness of the midsole and outsole (i.e., the distance between the soles of your feet and the ground), goes from 33mm at the heel to 29mm at the forefoot. That thick cushion and the supportive heel cup also improve comfort.

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The 3D printed overlays on the uppers of the Speedgoat 4 and Speedboat Mid 2 GTXstabilize and lock down the midfoot, similar to the support and protection found in many hiking shoes that are several ounces heavier. The Speedgoat 4’s mesh uppers, updated over the Speedgoat 3, breathe supremely well, while cutouts in the gusseted tongue help the shoe ventilate—my feet never got sweaty, even on trail runs in temps pushing 80° F under a hot sun.

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A small rubber toe bumper in both shoes offers some protection, as do the 3D overlays on the mesh uppers, lending them good durability for trail-running shoes in this weight class. But neither model has the durability of beefier—and heavier—hiking shoes, if you use them for hiking or ultralight backpacking. The biggest weak point—as with many shoes in this category—is likely the exposed soft foam of the midsole outside the little toe; that spot will get chewed up more easily on rocky trails.

In both shoes, the Vibram MegaGrip outsole with multi-directional 5mm lugs and zonal rubber placements provide excellent traction and stability on trails ranging from packed dirt to solid rock. Even going down very steeply on loose dirt and pea gravel, the outsoles never slipped once.

Hiking in the Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX in steady rain, through shallow puddles, and even through heavily falling, wet snow that was several inches deep on the trail (I wore soft-shell low gaiters), the Gore-Tex membrane kept my feet dry. But on a day backpacking nine miles in steady, wind-driven rain in the Winds, these light shoes were overwhelmed and my feet got a bit damp.

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The Speedgoat 4 shoes are not waterproof, but dry out quickly because of the airy uppers, so they would be good shoes for typically dry dayhiking and ultralight backpacking on trails that are generally well-constructed and not littered with big rocks. There’s also a waterproof-breathable version, the Speedgoat 4 GTX ($160).

I’ve been very impressed with the Speedgoat line. As I wrote in my review of the Speedgoat 3, wearing them running rim-to-rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon in a day—42 miles and over 21,000 vertical feet, which I’d done a couple of times before, in different shoes each time—I fully expected to beat up my feet again. But in those shoes, my feet actually felt good (just very fatigued) at the end of that long day.

The Verdict

The impressive comfort and support for their low weight, very good traction, and unparalleled cushion of the Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 and Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX—which adds ankle support and Gore-Tex waterproof-breathable protection—arguably make them the best shoes out there for hikers, trail runners, and ultralight and lightweight backpackers who prefer the lightest footwear.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking this affiliate link to purchase the men’s or women’s Hoka One One Speedgoat 5 or Speedgoat Mid 5 GTX at backcountry.com.

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See all my reviews of lightweight hiking shoes and backpacking boots, my “Expert Tips for Buying the Right Hiking Boots,” and “8 Pro Tips for Preventing Blisters When Hiking.”

You may also be interested in my picks for “The Best Running Hydration Vests,” “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets,” “The Best Trekking Poles,” and “The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks,” which includes my expert buying tips, and all of my reviews of hiking gear.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

Whether hiking through heavy, cool mist while backpacking the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, pulling this shell on frequently to fend off cold wind and rain showers during a five-day backpacking trip in The Maze District of Canyonlands National Park in early March, or wearing it on local trail runs in mixed weather—including heavily falling, wet snow for over two hours—the featherweight Helium Rain Jacket demonstrated its value as one of today’s best ultralight, waterproof-breathable rain jackets.

That backpacking trips on the Wonderland Trail and in Canyonlands’ Maze illustrate a major advantage of the Helium: It’s one of the lightest and most packable waterproof, fully seam-taped, and breathable rain jackets out there today. With a forecast was for mostly dry weather, I could forego carrying a heavier and bulkier rain jacket—and mostly carrying it rather than wearing it—knowing the Helium would give me all the protection I needed at about half the weight, bulk, and cost of a high-quality, technical rain shell.

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Constructed from 30-denier ripstop nylon, waterproof-breathable Pertex Shield, it fought off dumping wet snow while I ran and hiked. The jacket employs Diamond Fuse technology, which uses yarns with diamond-shaped filaments that lock together, lending it relatively good durability and snag-resistance for a fabric this light and improving its water-beading properties. Still, this fabric is ultralight: It will stand up to wearing a backpack over it, but likely tear too easily for hiking off-trail in forest or rock climbing.

Breathability is just okay. When hiking uphill on the Wonderland Trail, carrying a full pack, the Helium got a little clammy inside but was tolerable. On autumn trail runs of up to two hours in my local foothills, I could keep the hood up in strong, cold wind without building up much moisture inside—mostly because I wasn’t overheating. In other words, while it doesn’t breathe as well as the best ultralight, non-waterproof wind shells, it performs as well as needed in most hiking and trail-running circumstances in which I’d wear it—and offers the reassurance of waterproof protection.

The jacket feels very comfortable as soon as you put it on, with a close fit that has space to layer midweight insulation under it. The adjustable hood uses a single drawcord in the back and wraps snugly around your head, although the small brim offers negligible face protection.

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The shell stuffs into its one zippered chest pocket—which is large enough for a smartphone—packing down to the size of a large coffee mug (and has a carabiner loop). The waterproof front zipper, like all such zippers, moves a little more slowly than standard zips. The elasticized hem and cuffs, while not adjustable, adequately seal out drafts.

With mediocre breathability and durability and a minimalist hood, the Helium certainly isn’t as versatile as a fully technical, all-conditions rain shell. (See my picks for “The 5 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking.”) But it is about half the weight and bulk of most high-quality rain shells.

The Outdoor Research Helium Pants ($119, 5.4 oz.), made with the same 30-denier ripstop nylon Pertex Shield, have elasticized waist and cuffs with 12-inch zippers for pulling them over boots, and stuff into the zippered rear pocket.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s Helium Jacket at backcountry.com or rei.com, or a women’s Helium Rain Jacket at backcountry.com or rei.com.

See my review of “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Few headlamps combine the attributes of being super ultralight, rechargeable, very bright, and having a long enough burn time (or charge duration) for a multi-day backcountry trip, but that’s exactly what you get with the BioLite Headlamp 330. For multiple backpacking trips this summer—including four days on Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail, five days hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, six days in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness, and seven days on the Wind River High Route—this torch lit up the darkness quite well and never lost its charge.

Over six days in the High Uintas in July (when, granted, we had long days), a full charge lasted until the headlamp died late on our last night—it was good for five nights of normal summer use. And my Wonderland Trail hike was in the first week of September, when days were short enough that I used the headlamp on each of our four evenings and some mornings without it losing its charge. BioLite says the rechargeable 330 runs for 3.5 hours at max brightness—which is rarely needed, so it’s easy to prolong its charge—on its 900 mAh USB rechargeable li-ion battery and for 40 hours at its minimum brightness level of five lumens, which is dim but good enough to read by.

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While there are brighter headlamps out there, this one’s max brightness of 330 lumens is more than powerful enough for backpackers, dayhikers, ultra-hikers and ultra-runners, climbers, and backcountry skiers getting after it before dawn or past dusk. In one camp on the Wonderland Trail, I put the Headlamp 330 at maximum brightness in dark forest and could see trees and other objects clearly at a distance of approximately 200 feet.

The Headlamp 330 has an ultrathin, low-profile, molded front casing with a slightly curved shape that rests flush against your forehead, not bouncing at all, and a battery mounted on the back side of the slender, adjustable head strap. The light casing does have tilt capacity, although it’s so small that it’s not easy to manipulate with light gloves on.

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The tiny power button controls on and off, the lockout mode (holding it for eight seconds), and clicks through the five white and red modes in sequential order: red flood, white spot, white flood, white spot and flood combined (maximum brightness), and white spot strobe. The white spot and flood have dimming capacity, the headlamp turns on in the mode it was last turned off, and it has a battery indicator (four LED lights).

The IPX 4 rating means it’s fine in rain or getting wet from perspiration but is not designed for immersion in water.

Any headlamp with a battery pack positioned at the back of your head creates minor discomfort if you’re wearing it while lying down (for, say, reading). But it’s easy enough to slide that pack higher on your head without the headlamp slipping off, and it’s a small inconvenience for this level of performance.

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The Verdict

While its charge does not last as long as some rechargeable headlamps or most that run on batteries, the BioLite Headlamp 330 sports the advantages of being rechargeable, super light, powerful, and holding a charge long enough for most backpackers, especially in summer.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to purchase a BioLite Headlamp 330 a BioLite Headlamp 330 at moosejaw.com or bioliteenergy.com, or the BioLite Headlamp 425 at backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, or bioliteenergy.com.

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See my review of “The 8 Best Headlamps,” and all of my reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, and backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Wilderness Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “10 Tricks for Making Hiking and Backpacking Easier.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Wilderness Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight backpacking guide, and the 10 tricks for making hiking and backpacking easier without having a paid membership.

Tell me what you think.

If you enjoyed this story, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons at right, and leave a comment or question at the bottom. I’d really appreciate it.

You may also be interested in my story “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be,” which you can read in its entirety as a subscriber or click here to purchase separately.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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When The North Face billed its Flight FutureLight Jacket as the most breathable rain shell the brand has ever brought to market, that naturally caused a stir in the outdoor industry—and made me eager to put it to the test. From spring into summer, I wore this light rain shell for missions ranging from trail running in rain showers and cool wind, to backpacking through thunderstorms with strong gusts, and even backcountry skiing in variable spring weather. And while it has some minor flaws, the Flight FutureLight Jacket demonstrates impressive breathability and a comfortable fit.

On a 12-mile, trail run-hike in my local foothills, running up a frequently steep trail on an exposed ridge in cold wind and brief snow flurries, then traversing and descending, the jacket cut the wind while breathing well enough that I didn’t overheat; in fact, in the last couple miles, I was back at a lower, warmer elevation where I could have stripped to my long-sleeve base layer top, but I kept the jacket on because it never got uncomfortably hot.

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Similarly, wearing it while backpacking for hours at a time through episodes of intermittent rain showers and thunderstorms, strong gusts and a temp around 70° F on Nevada’s Ruby Crest Trail in July, the jacket breathed well enough that I never felt clammy: It didn’t allow much moisture to build up inside. I also wore it on spring days of backcountry skiing in weather that shifted from overcast with a cold wind, to a thunderstorm and snow squall, and then to warm sunshine; and while I sweated when skiing under the hot sun, the jacket allowed my base layer to dry out from my body heat.

TNF’s recipe is the nano-spinning process used to create the membrane. Thousands of very tiny nozzles spray a liquid PU onto a sheet, creating a thin layer of millions of microscopic fibers with spaces between them. Air can pass through those spaces, but water cannot. It’s similar to the highly breathable, proprietary AscentShell membrane from Outdoor Research, used in technical shells like OR’s Interstellar Jacket. Whereas the Interstellar works for virtually any mountain activity in four seasons, the Flight FutureLight Jacket is designed for less-abusive pursuits like trail running—and it may be more breathable.

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The standard fit allows space for one or two base layers underneath and feels quite comfortable. The adjustable hood has a low-profile brim that offers some face protection from rain, though not as much as a fully technical hood. The hood and hem adjust using drawcords, but they’re both finicky: The cords tend to loosen easily, illustrating that a shell this light does present compromises. The shell also packs into its back pocket down to about the size of a softball—easy to fit into a small hydration pack or running vest.

The soft, lightweight, stretchy, 20-denier fabric has a DWR (durable water-repellent finish) and is reasonably durable: While I did try out the jacket on backpacking trips that featured mostly good weather and just spells of rain showers, this shell is not designed for the hard use that a fully technical rain shell for the backcountry can withstand—the light fabric may tear with sustained wear under the straps of a backpack. But while the Flight FutureLight Jacket is a light shell primarily for trail runners, it can double as a “just in case” rain shell for dayhikers and lightweight backpackers who stick primarily to trails and generally avoid going out in forecasts of severe weather.

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See “The 5 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking,” “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” “5 Pro Tips For Buying the Right Rain Jacket For the Backcountry,” and all of my reviews of rain jackets and outdoor apparel and that I like at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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When I brought these poles and another pair that are collapsible (not folding)—and virtually the same weight—on a 12-mile trail run-hike in the Foothills, swapping poles with a partner, it quickly became clear that we both preferred these poles. A middleweight in this category, the REI Flash Foldingpoles fill a desirable niche as the most affordable among the handful of the most packable, folding models. Beyond a good price, though, they bring other strengths that prove them very functional on the trail.

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Using these three-section, non-adjustable, folding poles on dayhikes and runs on local trails, I liked how light they felt whether swinging them while hiking up or downhill, or holding them mid-shaft while running short sections of flatter trail. Plus, the shafts have a visibly wider diameter than the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z or Distance Carbon FLZ poles, conceivably making them more durable, although carbon poles only snap or shear under unusual stresses.

At 14 ounces per pair, thanks to the 100 percent carbon shafts, they aren’t quite ultralight—although that depends on where you draw the line for ultralight poles, they are four ounces heavier than the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z and the Gossamer Gear LT5. Still, they fall on the lighter of the scale among poles I consider “lightweight” (weighing 14 to 16 ounces per pair).

They deploy quickly with a depressible pin that locks the shaft sections into place with a solid, secure sound, and they remain quite rigid in use, enough for carrying a full backpack. Packing down to 37-46cm/14.5-18 ins. when folded (varying with size; the 115cm poles measure 39.4cm/15.5 inches folded), they are not quite as compact as four other folding models among my picks for the best trekking poles. Still, they are far more packable than any collapsible poles and attach easily and unobtrusively to the outside of a small daypack or a running vest.

The ergonomic, extended, EVA foam grips and the adjustable wrist straps are slightly wider than found on the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z, and the grips extend farther down the shaft. But the REI Flash are also four ounces heavier than the Distance Carbon Z.

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Tungsten carbide tips bite into packed-dirt and similarly loose trail surfaces, but like any carbide tip, can skitter a bit on rock such as Southwest slickrock or the rocky trails of the Northeast. Unlike the BD Distance Carbon series poles, the Flash do not come with an interchangeable tip that grips better on rock; the soft caps that come with these poles are intended only for storage and travel and would likely get chewed up quickly (or pop off and get lost) if used on rocky trails.

The very low-profile trekking baskets minimize weight but still provide functionality, keeping the poles on top of mud.

As with carbon poles of comparable weight, these poles will be less durable than heavier models. Nonetheless, they are tough enough for lightweight or ultralight backpacking and strenuous dayhikes on rocky trails. (If you’re carrying more than 35 to 40 pounds, you might as well get sturdier, heavier poles. See other models in my review of “The Best Trekking Poles.”)

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Want an even more-affordable pair of carbon poles that weigh only an ounce more, but are not nearly as packable as the REI Flash Folding poles? See the collapsible REI Flash Carbon Trekking Poles ($139, 15 oz.).

See my picks for “The Best Trekking Poles” and my stories “How to Choose Trekking Poles” and “10 Best Expert Tips for Hiking With Trekking Poles,” and all of my reviews of backpacking gear, ultralight backpacking gear, and hiking gear.

See also why I almost never hike without poles in my “10 Tricks For Making Hiking and Backpacking Easier,” and my “8 Pro Tips for Preventing Blisters When Hiking.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

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With an ultralight shell—besides very low weight—we’re seeking a delicate balance between competing objectives: breathability for high-exertion activities like running, and protection against wind and light precipitation. On numerous late-winter and spring trail runs and mountain bike rides, in conditions running the gamut from sunny, cool, and breezy to cold wind, rain, and blowing snow flurries, the new Arc’teryx Incendo SL walked that fine line between breathability and weather protection like no other ultralight shell I’ve seen.

Hitting my local Foothills trails to hike, run (up to 12 miles), and mountain bike, I wore this insanely light shell through that wide range of weather, with temps in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit, and while sweating hard on sustained uphills and cooling off on long descents. On those outings—which ranged up to about three hours—wind was frequently present and sometimes strong and cold, and I got rained on mid-run a couple of times for 30 minutes or more and once snowed on briefly.

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The Incendo’s performance consistently impressed me. Even wearing it on long ascents when I sweated hard, it got no more than slightly damp inside and dried within a few minutes once my exertion level dropped. What strikes me as most unique is that it simply does not accumulate much moisture inside.

In steady rain, the jacket had the appearance of wetting out, but it still cut most of the wind and didn’t feel terribly wet against my body—no more wet than my two base layers were with perspiration, anyway—and was only slightly damp inside when I removed it afterward, probably because of how rapidly it dries. It’s not a rain shell, but in rain and wind when your base layers are wet, it will help prevent you from getting wetter and colder.

The men’s Incendo SL and the women’s Cita SL Jacket are made from extremely thin Canim 100 percent polyester fabric in the front and outer arms that blocks wind effectively, although not completely, as some ultralight shells do. The even wispier Permair 20 nylon delivers a high level of air permeability across the back and through the undersides of the sleeves extending nearly to the cuffs. A DWR (durable, water-repellent treatment) sheds light rain off the fabric exterior.

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The fit is trim, with space for one or two base layers underneath, while allowing a comfortable and complete range of motion. The low-profile collar provides minimal but adequate neck coverage without you ever really noticing it. Elasticized cuffs and waistband keep wind out, and the cuffs have enough stretch to push the sleeves up to your elbows—which is nice and not possible in all ultralight or standard shells.

The jacket stuffs into an inside “envelope” pocket with overlapping flaps (in lieu of a zipper), packing down to the size of a fist—smaller than any ultralight shell I’ve used. I could squeeze a smartphone inside that pocket; but the phone is heavier than the jacket and would bounce against my side when running (and sit irritatingly under a daypack waistbelt when hiking), so that pocket’s only real functionality is for stuffing the jacket and perhaps stashing something very light, like a gel or energy chews packet.

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One caveat: These fabrics illustrate the adjective “wispy,” especially the highly breathable Permair 20 fabric across the entire back and under the arms, making these shells only appropriate for running, hiking, mountain biking and similar activities with only a light pack or running vest or none. Wearing a heavy pack over either jacket may quickly tear the back fabric, and climbing would almost certainly shred it.

Arc’teryx also offers the Incendo Hoody ($139) and Incendo Vest ($89), and Cita Hoody ($139) and Cita Vest ($89).

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BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase an Arc’teryx men’s Incendo SL Jacket or Incendo SL Hoody at backcountry.com or rei.com; or Incendo Vest at backcountry.com or moosejaw.com; or a women’s Cita SL Jacket at backcountry.com or Moosejaw.com; or Cita Hoody at Moosejaw.com or rei.com; or Cita Vest at Moosejaw.com.

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See my review of “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and all of my reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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With gear, exceptionally low weight often means compromising functionality, durability, or both. With Black Diamond’s Distance Carbon Z Poles, though, there’s little compromise. On a mostly off-trail, two-day backpacking trip to Quiet Lake in Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains; another mostly off-trail, roughly 14-mile and 5,000-foot dayhike of 10,470-foot Horstman Peak and traverse of the Monolith Valley in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains; and a 6.4-mile, 1,400-foot, on-trail hike up 10,243-foot Mount Washburn in Yellowstone National Park, I found the strengths of these poles far outweighed the one shortcoming that helps make them so light.

Every hiker, backpacker, and climber should use trekking poles—in most circumstances, there’s no good reason to not use them—and lighter poles are easier on your wrists and arms over the course of many miles. One of the two lightest models of trekking poles I’ve reviewed at this blog, the Distance Carbon Z’s low weight is attributable to the 100 percent carbon fiber construction, the EVA foam grips, and the thin but strong, partly mesh nylon wrist straps, adjustable with a hook-and-loop strip. Despite each pole weighing barely more than a quarter-pound, they withstood much hard use ascending and descending a lot of wet, slick talus and loose scree in the White Clouds and Sawtooths.

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The three-section, foldable poles have an inner Kevlar cord, and deploy easily, in a few seconds, by simply pulling the first shaft section out of the grip until a pin pops out to lock the three sections in the assembled position (like assembling tent poles). Collapse the poles by depressing that pin and folding the sections together. The poles’ collapsed length varies depending on size from 33 cm/13 inches to 43 cm/17 inches, short enough to tuck into a daypack’s side pocket and/or compression straps without them protruding above or below the pack.

The extended grips let me hold the shafts lower when climbing steeply uphill, off-trail—which helps offset the one shortcoming of these poles, that they’re not adjustable. The poles come with interchangeable, non-scarring, rubber Tech Tips and carbide tips, and a smart notch in the basket to lock pole shafts together when folded. A hiking, climbing, and trail running partner of mine has gotten many miles out of his Carbon Z Poles for three years without any problems.

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The only ding against BD’s Z Poles is that they’re not adjustable; instead, they come in five lengths. But that’s a minor tradeoff, and really only a factor on steep descents (since the extended grip helps ease steep ascents). Plus, users like ultra-hikers, ultralight backpackers, and climbers attracted to the low weight and design of the Z Poles are least likely to be bothered by the lack of adjustability.

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See my picks for “The Best Trekking Poles” and my stories “How to Choose Trekking Poles” and “10 Best Expert Tips for Hiking With Trekking Poles,” and all of my reviews of backpacking gear, ultralight backpacking gear, and hiking gear.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Obvious first impression: The Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell passes the test of being so light that there’s no reason to not carry it. But a shell this packable becomes truly invaluable when you can use it in a variety of situations, and the more I wore it over the past several months, the more I liked it and threw it on my body or in my pack. Those outings ranged widely, including running the Grand Canyon 42 miles rim to rim to rim in one day in early October, a five-day June trek through Spain’s Picos de Europa Mountains, a September weekend of rock climbing in cool temps and gusty wind at Idaho’s City of Rocks, an October hike on a windy ridge in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, autumn trail runs from Boise to the Boston area, and mountain biking through a sudden downpour.

Perhaps best of all, this shell’s construction not only ensures superior durability, but it may be the greenest ultralight shell on the market. 

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In circumstances where you’d expect an ultralight shell to demonstrate its value, this one shined—fending off cool wind while rock climbing at the City of Rocks, and on a nearly 6,000-foot descent through chilly gusts and fog on our last day of trekking through the Picos de Europa.

Like most non-laminate, ultralight shells, the fabric doesn’t have the degree of weather protection or breathability of a heavier, two- or three-layer rain jacket: The Distance Wind Shell gets overwhelmed by sustained rain, and certainly isn’t designed for extreme conditions. But extreme testing still offers a yardstick, and the Distance Wind Shell’s performance surprised me at times.

I pulled it on when a thunderstorm interrupted a September mountain bike ride, pouring cold rain onto us as we pedaled toward home. Although the fabric got soaked on the exterior and clung wet to my bare arms under the sleeves, I got home and discovered that my T-shirt was dry underneath the shell—meaning much less loss of body heat.  

Similar to many shells in its weight class, I found it somewhat slow to move moisture, although it breathes well enough to dry out a damp base layer when my exertion level decreased, such as on a long descent in the White Mountains, when my light, wool T-shirt that was wet with sweat dried out completely; that ability to let layers underneath dry out makes a big difference in your comfort on longer outings. On a November trail run in temps in the 40s and a cool breeze, I didn’t overheat in the shell. But it was pushed to its breathability limit when I wore it to stave off cool air and a breeze on a 13-mile trail run in my local foothills: The jacket quickly got quite damp inside when I perspired heavily.

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The Distance Wind Shell stuffs easily into its one zippered chest pocket, packing down to smaller than a baseball, and has a carabiner loop for clipping to a climbing harness. It has a basic, utilitarian feature set: elasticized cuffs, an adjustable hem, and an adjustable hood that fits under a climbing helmet.

The best news, though, may be the technology behind it. 

Traditional DWR (durable, water-resistant) fabric treatments are applied to the fabric’s surface and eventually get worn off, requiring a chemical spray or wash-in treatment, or the heat of a dryer cycle, to revive their water resistance.

Need a full-on rain shell? See my “5 Expert Tips For Buying a Rain Jacket for Hiking”
and all reviews of rain jackets at The Big Outside.

But Green Theme International’s new Breathable Water Protection tech employs a PFC-free, water-repellent finish that gets permanently hyper-fused to the fabric fibers. BD says it will never need a chemical spray or wash-in treatment (polluting water) or a dryer cycle (using electricity) to revive it. Applying the water resistance directly to fibers, instead of coating both the fibers and the spaces between them, also improves breathability through the spaces between fibers. BD says this is achieved without using any palm oil or water in the process.

While tighter environmental regulations have resulted in poorer performance in PFC-containing DWRs, GTI steps in with better and greener technology. BD reports that it is phasing out PFCs from the brand’s apparel line, and expects to accomplish that by 2020.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a men’s or women’s Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell at backcountry.com or blackdiamondequipment.com.

See “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets” and all reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running gear, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Note: See my newer review of the Hoka One One Speedgoat 4.

Trail running and hiking can be hard on feet. Beyond the possibility of blisters, miles of pounding can sometimes leave your feet feeling beat up and sore—and longer distances magnify the effects of all that impact. As someone who enjoys long trail runs and dayhikes, I’ve suffered my share of foot pain. And after numerous trail runs of anywhere from five to 20 miles in my local foothills—and a one-day, 42-mile, 22,000-vertical-foot run-hike across the Grand Canyon and back—I believe that I’ve discovered the best trail-running shoes I’ve ever used, for numerous reasons, and a model that crosses over to hiking: the Hoka Speedgoat 3.

Going rim-to-rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon—a journey I’d done a couple of times before, in different shoes each time—I fully expected it to beat up my feet again, simply because it always has. But my feet actually felt good (just very fatigued, of course) when I finished this time, wearing these shoes. The low-cut, super light, neutral-stability Speedgoat 3 features Hoka’s signature oversized CMEVA foam midsole, which delivers luxurious cushioning for trail runs or lightweight hiking for any distance.

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The wider midsole and toe box kept my feet comfortable even on longer days, when feet tend to swell a bit, while the fit was running-shoe-snug in the heel and midfoot, where you want that; my feet never slipped in these shoes. And the overall wider platform and good torsional rigidity, especially for a shoe this light—you can’t easily twist one of these shoes (like wringing a towel)—give the Speedgoat 3 very stable footing, even on rugged trails with a huge amount of vertical gain and loss, as when crossing the Grand Canyon. These shoes do not feel too “high,” an impression some consumers might get before trying them. On the many miles I’ve logged in these shoes, with ankles that have suffered their share of abuse, I recall rolling them maybe twice, and never badly enough to end a run.

Although I’ve never personally found zero-drop shoes comfortable for my feet, the minimal, 4mm drop of the Speedgoat 3 hits a balance that works great for me (and based on the shoe’s popularity, apparently also for a lot of other runners). The stack height, or thickness of the midsole and outsole (i.e., the distance between the soles of your feet and the ground), goes from 33mm at the heel to 29mm at the forefoot. That thick cushion and the supportive heel cup certainly help improve comfort, of course.

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TPU overlays creating a cage construction on the uppers help stabilize and lock down the midfoot, mimicking the support and protection of many hiking shoes that are several ounces heavier. The mesh uppers breathe supremely well—my feet never got sweaty, even during the hottest stretch of our early-October Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim, running and hiking uphill with the temp pushing toward 80° F under an intense desert sun.

The Vibram MegaGrip outsole with multi-directional 5mm lugs provides impressive grip and traction on trails ranging from packed dirt to solid rock and loose gravel and scree.

For hikes or high-speed workouts in windy, damp weather, get a breathable, ultralight shell. See my review of “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Backpacking Jackets.”

A small rubber toe bumper offers some protection, as do the TPU overlays on the sidewalls and the mesh uppers around the forefoot, giving this shoe good durability for trail-running shoes in this weight class. But they will not have the durability of beefier—and heavier—hiking shoes, if you use them for hiking or ultralight backpacking, especially in wet conditions. The biggest weak point—as with many shoes in this category—is likely the exposed soft foam of the midsole outside the little toe; that spot will get chewed up more easily on rocky trails.

They’re not waterproof, but dry out fast because of the airy uppers, so they would be good shoes for typically dry dayhiking and ultralight backpacking on trails that are generally well-constructed and not littered with big rocks. The Speedgoat 3 is also 100 percent vegan.

There’s also a Speedgoat 3 Waterproof version ($150).

The Verdict

With incredibly low weight, superior cushion, and the traction of an ATV, the Hoka One One Speedgoat 3 just may be the best trail-running shoe for any distance and terrain on the market today—and it crosses over quite competently to lightweight dayhiking and even ultralight backpacking (although ideally in mostly dry conditions).

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase the men’s or women’s Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 (which replaced the Speedgoat 3) at backcountry.com or Moosejaw.com.

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See all of my reviews of hiking shoes and backpacking boots that I like, my reviews of hiking gear and backpacking gear, and my “Pro Tips For Buying the Right Boots.”

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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My first reaction to the Knog Bandicoot was: a rechargeable headlamp that weighs and costs less than headlamps that require batteries?! My second thought was: Hey, this thing looks kind of… cool. After using it on late-summer (think: it’s dark by early evening) backpacking trips on the Teton Crest Trail and in Yellowstone National Park, and camping in September at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, I see its minor shortcomings, but I also think the Bandicoot is the kind of new product that has the potential to upend an entire category. Here’s why.

For starters, it looks very different. The Bandicoot’s unique, very light and durable silicone housing seamlessly merges the strap, body, and LEDs, stretches to fit anyone’s noggin, and doesn’t grab, cling to, or snag in hair—it’s quite comfortable on your bare head, so much that you may forget you’re wearing it, especially over a hat. Weighing just two ounces (60g), it can do the job whether you’re hiking, backpacking, climbing, car camping, trail running—you name it.

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The four sets of LEDs include a high-power beam, elliptical beams for proximity lighting, a red LED for night vision, and LED’s angled downward for reading. A fifth mode combines the high-power and proximity LEDs for maximum brightness—which I used at times while hiking in the dark, although the high-power beam alone was bright enough for that, too. In fact, the combo and high-power modes are bright enough for trail running and biking city streets after dark (and this low-profile headlamp fits more comfortably under a bike helmet than bulkier models).

The large button controls on and off (holding it down) and cycles through the five modes (clicking the button). The small button cycles through an unusual four brightness settings in each mode. At 100 lumens at max brightness in combo mode, it’s bright enough to hike a dark, wooded trail at night—although not nearly as bright as the best ultralight headlamps (which are only about an ounce heavier)—and the four brightness levels offer more convenience and utility than some headlamps. I found the reading mode (six lumens) barely enough to read by, even at its brightest level, but that may not bother everyone.

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Holding both buttons for three seconds activates and deactivates the lockout mode, to prevent accidental turning on and draining the charge inside a pack; the red LED blinks twice to indicate locked, and the white LED blinks twice when unlocked. Pressing the button on the back of the left side of the housing opens it up for plugging it directly into any USB port to recharge (no cord needed). The row of four small reading LEDs act as a charge indicator when the headlamp is off and you click the smaller button, and each light represents a 25 percent charge.

According to Knog, a full charge will last for two to 13 hours in the combo (brightest) mode, and up to 80 hours in reading mode. Starting a couple of late-summer backpacking trips (with early sunsets and some pre-dawn starts) with a full charge in the Bandicoot, it was down to about a half charge after a two-night hike on the Teton Crest Trail; and it did not lose power, but was down to 25 percent or less, on a four-night hike in Yellowstone, which included us rising more than two hours before first light on our final morning to get an early start hiking. In other words, this rechargeable has the life for backpacking without necessarily having to recharge it mid-trip.

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The Verdict

While not as bright or as versatile as some ultralight models, the Knog Bandicoot is a rechargeable headlamp that’s very functional for backpacking, hiking, climbing, trail running, and other outdoors activities, and actually weighs and costs less than headlamps that use batteries. That’s darn impressive.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to purchase a Knog Bandicoot at Eartheasy.com.

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See my review of “The 5 Best Headlamps,” and all of my reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, and backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

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Want to make your pack lighter and all of your backpacking trips more enjoyable? See my “10 Tricks for Making Hiking and Backpacking Easier” and “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking.” If you don’t have a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read part of both stories for free, or download the e-guide versions of the 10 tricks here and the lightweight backpacking guide here without having a paid membership.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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From rising before dawn for early starts to beat the heat on a 74-mile backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon in May, to predawn mornings and dark evenings in camp on a 94-mile traverse of the CDT in Glacier National Park in September, the Black Diamond Spot325 demonstrated the brightness and versatility that makes it arguably the best value in an ultralight headlamp today. Here’s why.

I was a fan of the Spot325’s predecessor, the Spot, and this new model represents an overhaul of that top performer. It has been reduced somewhat in size while powered up to a much brighter 325 lumens. The low-profile design adds a second button that simplifies mode selection. It powers on and off and dims using the larger button, while the smaller button cycles between the three modes: the primary, direct beam, peripheral white mode, and red for night vision. BD’s brightness memory technology means the Spot325 turns on in the mode and brightness level you last turned it off.

Powered by three AAA batteries, the Spot325’s beam projects at least 200 feet at max brightness, by my estimate (BD says up to 83 meters). In peripheral lighting mode, the broad beam projects light uniformly at medium brightness to organize gear or illuminate a campsite or tent interior, without getting blotchy or having an annoying dark spot in the center.

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BD’s unique PowerTap technology—also found in other BD headlamps—allows you to simply tap the right side of the housing (marked by a bulb icon) to cycle between max brightness and whatever dimmed level you’ve already set. The Spot325 also has dimming capability in all three modes.

The slender headband is wide enough to remain comfortable for hours, and the battery compartment opens easily with the flip of a small lever, requiring no tools. BD says the Spot325’s burn time (how long it operates on one set of batteries) is 65 hours at max brightness and 300 hours at minimum brightness. In addition, the improved optical efficiency not only delivers more power at a longer peak intensity, but also saves battery life, indicated by a three-LED battery meter on the side. I took multiple typical trips without noticing any reduced brightness due to the batteries running low.

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Like other BD headlamps, the Spot325 has a lockout mode that turns on and off by holding down both buttons for a few seconds, to ensure that the lamp isn’t inadvertently turned on and burning through batteries inside your pack or pocket—definitely a smart feature, even though both buttons lie flush in the housing to help prevent accidental activation. The IPX8 rating means it’s waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes.

The Verdict

It’s not rechargeable, but for brightness, versatile functionality, low weight, and value in an ultralight headlamp for backpacking, hiking, climbing, trail running, and other outdoors activities, the Black Diamond Spot325 is hard to beat.

NOTE: Black Diamond has updated the Spot325 with the Spot350, which is identical but brighter at maximum power. Watch for my upcoming review of the Spot350.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase a Black Diamond Spot350 at backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, or blackdiamondequipment.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons at right, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See my “Gear Review: The 5 Best Headlamps,” and all of my reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, and backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Want to make your pack lighter and all of your backpacking trips more enjoyable? See my story “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking.” If you don’t have a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read part of that story for free, or click here to download that full story without having a paid membership.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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Ultralight Rain Jacket
Montane Minimus Stretch Ultra Pull-on and Jacket
$185 (pull-on)/$205 (jacket), 6 oz. (men’s medium pull-on)
Sizes: men’s XS-XL, women’s US 6-14 (jacket only)
Sunnysports.com

From bone-rattling cold wind on a September dayhike in Glacier National Park and a back-to-back, rim-to-rim dayhikes across the Grand Canyon in October, to wind and rain while scrambling peaks in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, Montane’s Minimus Stretch Ultra Pull-on keep me dry and warm, thanks to its solid wind protection and good breathability. Certainly one of the lightest and most packable waterproof-breathable shells out there, this pull-on, and the jacket version, are a top choice for trail runners, hikers, climbers, and ultralight backpackers. Here’s why.

Ultralight shells like the Minimus Stretch Ultra—which comes in pull-on and full-zip jacket versions—are marketed primarily to trail runners, but are often a better choice than a heavier, bulkier rain jacket for dayhikers, climbers, and lightweight/ultralight backpackers who don’t expect to encounter heavy rain. I wore it in cool wind and temps at times on back-to-back, rim-to-rim dayhikes (22 and 25 miles) across the Grand Canyon and back in October; a dayhike in strong, cold wind of the eight-mile Scenic Point Trail in Glacier National Park; for several hours, in chilly wind and light rain on parts of a 13-hour, mostly off-trail dayhike of around 20 miles in late August in Idaho’s Sawtooths; and on an October dayhike of The Narrows in Zion National Park, with temps in the 50s and a cool wind at times.

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The shell, made of waterproof-breathable 2.5-layer, 20-denier Pertex Shield fabric with a DWR (durable, water-resistant coating), repelled steady, light rain for a few hours in the Sawtooths and breathed well enough to prevent me from overheating and getting soaked, even when hiking and scrambling steeply uphill off-trail during lulls the wind in the Sawtooths (although the temps were also cool).

The jacket hood has two-point adjustability, and the pull-on hood is not adjustable; still, I found the pull-on hood, which is elasticized in back and front, didn’t blow off in wind, stayed put when I turned my head, and fits smoothly under a climbing helmet. The small, flexible brim keeps light rain off your face, but doesn’t provide the coverage needed for heavy, windblown rain.

While ultralight shells can be susceptible to tears, Montane uses 12-13 stitches per inch in the Minimus Stretch Ultra to enhance durability; the industry average is about eight stitches per inch.

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The jacket stuffs into one of the two zippered pockets, which ventilate and are positioned above the height of a pack belt. The pull-on stuffs into its one zippered chest pocket (which does not ventilate), packing down to the size of a large orange. I appreciated its low weight and packability when I mostly carried the pull-on throughout a four-day family backpacking trip in August in Idaho’s Sawtooths; it replaced a rain shell that would have been twice the weight and bulk.

The Verdict

For dayhikers, trail runners, climbers, and ultralight backpackers who need an ultralight, waterproof-breathable shell that cuts wind and keeps you dry through all but perhaps the heaviest rain, the Montane Minimus Stretch Ultra Pull-on (available only in men’s sizes) and Jacket (available in men’s and women’s sizes) rise to the top of a very small fields of shells.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase a men’s Montane Minimus Stretch Ultra Jacket at sunnysports.com, or the women’s jacket at sunnysports.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons below, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See my review of “The Best Ultralight Hiking and Backpacking Jackets” and all my reviews of ultralight wind shells, ultralight rain jackets, trail-running apparel, hiking apparel, and outdoor apparel at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

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NOTE: See my review of the newest version of the Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp.

Long a favorite headlamp of mine for backpacking or climbs or dayhikes that somehow stretched into the wee hours, the Vizz received an update in 2018 that made it the brightest three-ounce headlamp I’ve reviewed (three ounces being the standard in ultralight headlamps these days). The new Vizz still stands out for versatility and ease of use: You don’t need a Ph.D. in electronics to operate it. I’ve used it on numerous trips from Sequoia National Park, Washington’s Glacier Peak Wilderness, and Idaho’s White Clouds Mountains to, most recently, Glacier National Park with the 2018 version of the Vizz, and still consider it one of the best. Here’s why.

For starters, the Vizz has fast, intuitive, one-button operation: Click the power button in rapid sequence to cycle through the two white modes and one red mode, and hold the button down to control the dimming function in all three modes. Hold the power button depressed for several seconds to engage the lockout mode.

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In high-power mode, the 420-lumen Maxbright LED in the Vizz throws a powerful beam that Princeton Tec claims projects 78 meters (256 feet). When I backpacked to the Big Boulder Lakes in Idaho’s White Clouds Mountains after dark, took a 6.4-mile evening hike from our campsite in the Glacier Peak Wilderness to Image Lake, and wore it walking around a meadow campsite in Glacier National Park, the beam projected at least 200 feet (60 meters).

Two white LED bulbs cast a broad flood beam with a range that PTec claims is 24 meters, or almost 80 feet. I found the blood beam illuminated the forest on both sides of the trail for farther than I needed it to, which is very helpful when hiking or especially running or climbing in the dark. The red mode does not have a strobe option.

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Like many leading ultralight headlamps, the Vizz is rated waterproof down to a meter for 30 minutes (IPX7). It has impressive max burn times of up to 110 hours for the white spot beam, 104 hours for the white flood beam, and 150 hours in red mode. More importantly, its regulated LEDs mean that the Vizz maintains constant brightness for as long as the batteries hold enough voltage, meaning that its brightness does not slowly fade as the batteries lose juice.

The Vizz uses three AAA batteries and is not rechargeable. Turning a small screw opens the battery chamber, and I could loosen and tighten it with my fingers. Lastly, the head strap is comfortable whether on the move or lying on my back reading.

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The Verdict

Certainly one of the most powerful ultralight headlamps for dayhikers, backpackers, climbers, trail runners, and backcountry skiers, the Princeton Tec Vizz also delivers good versatility that ranks it among the best headlamps for backcountry users, at a competitive price.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the updated Princeton Tec Vizz 420 at outdoorplay.com or ems.com, or the original Vizz at nrs.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons at right, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See my other headlamp reviews and all of my reviews of hiking gear and reviews of backpacking gear.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

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