The Collection

Hiking 101

Start here: what to carry, what to wear, and how to build a kit that earns its ounces.

2

guides

4

brands tested

0

paid placements

The brief

Everything a smart buyer needs before spending a dollar: how a pack should actually fit, boots versus trail runners, what the Ten Essentials really are, and the spec-sheet tricks to ignore.

No products to sell you in most of these, just the foundation that makes every review on this site make sense.

Start here · Comparison

Hiking Boots vs Trail Runners: Which Should You Hike In?

The most heated gear debate on any trail, settled honestly: what boots actually give you (and what they just claim to), why thru-hikers overwhelmingly went to trail runners, what the old 'pound on your feet' saying really means, how dry time and durability change the math, and a clear buy-boots-if / buy-runners-if verdict so you can stop reading forum wars and go hiking.

Read the guide~13 min read

Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof

Top pick · Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof

Every category, one page

Not sure where to start? See our top picks.

Every category's winner, with the reasoning shown and a live price check on each.

Our top picks →

The full collection

02
Explainer
How to Choose a Daypack: The Complete Guide
Daypack marketing is a blizzard of liters, straps, and acronyms, and almost none of it tells you the two things that actually matter: does it fit your back, and does it carry what your day actually needs. This is the rigorous version: how many liters you really want, how to measure your torso and judge fit, when a suspended backpanel earns its weight over a frameless sack, how hydration compatibility actually works, and which features matter versus which ones are just sewn-on marketing.
~12 min read

Keep exploring

Best Hiking Gear

Our rankings by category, by price, and by use case. The shortlist for every kind of hiker.

Gear Comparisons

Every head-to-head, settled: brand vs brand and model vs model, on the same spine.

World Trails

The hikes worth flying for, and exactly what to carry on each one.

← All reviews & guides

Our top-rated hiking gear

Whatever you decide, this is the gear we recommend: verified, compared, and ranked. Live price check on each.

Osprey Talon 22

Daypack

Osprey Talon 22

22 L · ~$160

Merrell Moab 3 Mid WP

Hiking Boot

Merrell Moab 3 Mid WP

waterproof mid · ~$150

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2

Ultralight Tent

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2

3 lb listed · ~$550

Kelty Cosmic Down 20

Sleeping Bag

Kelty Cosmic Down 20

550-fill listed · ~$190

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT

Sleeping Pad

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT

R 4.5 listed · ~$175

Sawyer Squeeze

Water Filter

Sawyer Squeeze

~3 oz listed · ~$45

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