The independent hiking gear review authority
The best hiking gear, weighed and ranked.
We carry every major piece of gear on real trails, verify the weight on our own scale, and log how it holds up at mile ten. No hype, no paid placements. After all of it, here's the one we'd buy, and the alternatives worth your money.
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★ Our pick34 oz listedOsprey Talon 22
$160
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Our pick, best for most people
Osprey Talon 22
It carries 22 liters on an AirScape backpanel that stays cool on climbs, the hipbelt actually takes weight off your shoulders, and at 34 ounces (listed) it disappears once it's loaded. After carrying every major daypack on real trails, it's the one we hand to almost everyone: enough capacity for a full day out, light enough that you forget it's there.
The other picks
Runner-up
Gregory Baltoro 65
88 oz · $340
The most adjustable suspension on the market, and it disappears under a heavy overnight load.
Budget pick
Kelty Coyote 65
91 oz · $180
A full-featured hauler for weekend-trip money, comfortable enough for your first thru-hike.
Best trail runner
HOKA Speedgoat 6
21 oz · $155
Max cushion and a Vibram Megagrip outsole that grips wet rock other trail runners slide off.
Best ultralight tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
48 oz · $550
About 3 pounds (listed) of freestanding, fully-livable shelter: the ultralight benchmark for a reason.
Why trust WorldHike
We carry every pack and weigh it ourselves, then rank by what it actually earns.
No pack earns a ranking on its box claims. We verify weight on our own scale, carry it on real trails, and note how it holds up between mile one and mile ten. No brand has ever paid for a placement: affiliate links never move a pick. How we test →
Verified
every ounce
Weighed
on our own scale
Real trails
walked & logged
$0
paid placements
We put it on the scale
We don't trust the hangtag. We weigh it ourselves.
Listed weight is marketing; the number on our scale is what you actually carry. A few ounces decide whether gear earns its place in the pack or gets left at home, so it's the number every ranking on this site runs on.
Listed weights shown where noted; we verify against our own scale.
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