Before testing backpacking quilts, I didn’t understand what the hype was about. Anytime someone mentioned one, I always thought, “Can’t I just use a sleeping bag? What’s the difference?” Turns out ...

When you're backpacking deep in the wilderness, you have to carry everything you might need, which means that every ounce counts. One way to minimize the weight you have to lug around is to opt for a ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. For backpackers, going ultralight is easier (and less expensive) than you might expect. We stepped back to give tips on reducing ...

I first encountered the ideas of ultralight backpacking in 1994, in an article in now-defunct (and much-missed) Backpacker magazine. It was titled “Less is More,” by Mark Jenkins. (I still have a PDF ...

Over the years, ultralight backpacking has garnered an unfortunate reputation: obsessive, elitist, unsafe, prohibitively expensive. While we could debate the first three (obsessive is the only one I’d ...

Here’s what sets them apart: Backpacking quilts don’t have back fabric and don’t wrap around your body like a sleeping bag. However, well-designed quilts still have excellent insulating and heat ...