Camping gear reviews from Outdoor Prolink’s backcountry guides, wilderness guides, mountaineering guides and other outdoor industry professionals.
The camp stoves of my youth were inefficient, clunky things that always seemed equally likely to explode as to make breakfast. Stoves like the MSR Whisperlite improved our options, but for most of my formative years planning food for fast…
The Mountainsmith Bear Creek 2 tent is a highly breathable, fully-covered tent that gives ample room for two sleepers. For once, a 2-person tent that’s actually made for two people! Whether you are camping in the desert or hanging out at…
A recent trip to the South Platte for some crack climbing seemed like an ideal opportunity to test out the new Skeeter SL 20 sleeping bag from Big Agnes. The Big Agnes Skeeter SL 20 is a versatile, ultra light 650 fill power…
I made a resolution eight years ago, deep in the Glacier backcountry, after spending the better part of a night getting stalked by a grizzly bear with only a dim headlamp between my brother and I. Having to track those…
At MSR we believe in the power of technology to transform lives. We’ve witnessed how a stove can help change mountaineering history or how a tent can help enable a record-setting expedition. But this may be the most important piece…
When you are tired, hungry and chilled to the bone, the new Xenith 88 liter pack from Osprey has your back for that final push into camp. I recently ended my summer season working for the Colorado Outward Bound School.…
A cozy update of a classic mummy bag: When the Eleanor Plus first arrived on my doorstep it seemed to be nothing more than a standard 3-season 700-fill-power mummy bag. It packed down small, fluffed up nicely, and was stuffed…
“This is good… this is really good,” Bryan proclaimed, thoughtfully masticating his fifth PROBAR of the day, a Cran-Raspberry Fuel. As he nodded approvingly, I was struck by his enduring satisfaction after several days of subsisting on a PROBAR-based menu.…
A very important part of a backpacker’s gear list is their sleeping pad. Without one, you’re stuck lying on the ground, which leaves you cold, wet, and achy. After a long day of hiking, I can assure you that a…
The Lighthouse Mini Lantern by Goal Zero (available on Outdoor Prolink late May 2016) is a small, highly-versatile dual-action lantern and external battery. The first thing I noticed about this lantern is the many rigging options for lighting. There are tie…