Gear fails. Not always, not dramatically — but in ways that matter. A jacket delaminating at mile 300. Hip belt stitching pulling loose on a long day. A zipper seizing at 5 AM when it’s 28 degrees. I’ve been putting 1,000+ miles a year on gear for over a decade and have worked through enough of these failures to have opinions worth sharing.
I only write long-form reviews for gear worth writing about. “Adequate” doesn’t make the list. What does: gear that genuinely stands out, gear that a lot of people use where I think there’s a meaningfully better option, and gear I destroyed in interesting ways that tells you something useful.
Gear Reviews
Ultralight Backpacking Gear: What over 300 Reddit Gear Lists Show
I’ve been a member of r/ultralight for long enough to have spent far too much time reading r/ultralight…
Smartphones for Backpacking: Phone Setup and Battery Strategy
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I earn a small commission…
T-Satellite for Backpacking
My Prior Experience Last July I had been added to the open T-mobile Starlink (T-Satellite) Beta Test. This…
Gear Review: Good Shorts for Hiking (and Running)
A good pair of shorts for hiking or running may sound like a daunting task. Honestly, though, you’ll…
Best Convertible Hiking Pants, Tested Over 15,000+ Miles (2026)
I tested 5 pairs of men's convertible (zip-off) hiking pants over 15,000+ trail miles. The Outdoor Research Ferrosi…
Best Solar Panel Setup for Backpacking, Tested Over 2,000 Miles
After 2,000+ miles hiking with solar panels, here is my 7.2 oz backpacking solar setup — durable, field-tested,…
Columbia OutDry Ex Featherweight Jacket
Update — 2026: Columbia has discontinued the OutDry Ex Featherweight (and Gore-Tex killed ShakeDry over PFAS), so this…
Granite Gear Crown2 38L Review (vs. the New Crown 3 40L)
My Granite Gear Crown2 38L review after thousands of trail miles, plus what changed with the new Crown…
Sea to Summit Head Net
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra…