Miscellaneous Reviews
All miscellaneous gear reviews.
Exped Fold Drybag Review
Exped's 5-liter Fold Drybag weighs 40 g, with 70D taffeta nylon and fully taped seams. It's a durable, splash-proof organizer, not a submersible bag.
Gossamer Gear Lightrek Hiking Umbrella Review
Gossamer Gear's 164 g chrome Lightrek is a full-size trekking umbrella that thru-hikers rely on for desert shade, with limits in wind and thick brush.
Hammock Gear Sappy Strap Sack Review
Hammock Gear's 2.8 g Dyneema Composite Fabric drawstring bag keeps sticky tree straps away from the rest of your hammock kit for $8.99.
allmansright Hölster Stake Sack Review
A 4 g, US-made Dyneema stake sack with a wide tapered mouth and pull-tab drawcord. It's pricey for a bag, but it's the best-regarded stake sack in the UL world.
Helinox Chair One Review
The Helinox Chair One packs a tent-pole frame into a water-bottle-sized case at 893 g. Here's how it sits, what it costs you in comfort, and who should carry it.
Helinox Ground Chair Review
The Helinox Ground Chair trades height and a pound of pack weight for a square, sink-resistant frame that works on sand, mud, and soft ground.
Noaks Bag Review
A 4.1 g IPX8 double-lip pouch that keeps small items dry and odour-sealed, but its 0.04 L volume limits it to pills, cards and other pocket-sized essentials.
Rite In The Rain All-Weather Top Spiral Notebook Review
Rite In The Rain's 4" x 6" No. 146 top spiral notebook weighs 91 g, shrugs off rain and mud, and tears like nothing else in a pack. Here's who should carry it.
Rite In The Rain All Weather Universal Notebook Review
Rite In The Rain's 3.5 x 5 in Field-Flex pocket notebook weighs 68 g and keeps notes legible in rain, mud and sweat, though its perfect binding is the weak point.
Minox BV 8x42 BR Review
A budget-friendly, German-designed 8x42 roof prism binocular that punches above its price for birders and hunters alike.
4FRNT Hoji Ski Review
A deep dive into 4FRNT's reverse-camber powder ski, the Hoji — Eric Hjorleifson's do-everything backcountry weapon.
Niviuk Klimber 3 P Review
A deep dive into the Niviuk Klimber 3 P, an EN D two-liner built for hike & fly racing and vol-biv missions where every gram counts.
Ozone BV1 Review
A durable, feature-packed pod harness built for vol-biv missions — Ozone's answer to the Supair Kolibri, reviewed for weight, comfort, and storage.
Tread Lite Gear DCF Fully Bonded 3D Peg Stake Bag Review
A 4g fully-bonded DCF stake bag from UK cottage brand Tread Lite Gear — simple, tough, and about as light as this category gets.
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Wild Sky Gear DCF Waterproof Packing Cell 3.5L Review
A 17g UK-made DCF packing cell with taped seams and a YKK Aquaguard zip — a solid ultralight organizer, though it's a niche cottage-brand item with limited third-party testing.
Tread Lite Gear Taped DCF Cuben Pole Bag Review
A 5.4g DCF pole bag from UK cottage maker Tread Lite Gear that replaces the flimsy stuff sack your tent poles shipped with.
K2 Reckoner 102 Review
A soft-flexing, freestyle-oriented all-mountain ski that turns the whole resort into a park — with clear trade-offs in stability and powder performance.
Sea to Summit Lite Line Clothesline Review
A 37g pegless clothesline that packs down to matchbox size — here's how the dual-cord bead system holds up on trail and in transit.
Forclaz Sitzkissen Trekking MT500 Review
A 60g closed-cell foam sit pad from Decathlon's Forclaz line — cheap, simple insulation for breaks on the trail.
Grand Trunk Compass 360° Swivel Stool Review
A 1.4 lb tripod stool with a smooth 360° swivel seat — a genuinely useful camp seat, though not built for backpacking base weight purists.
Zpacks Airplane Case Review
A 3.1 oz Dyneema roll-top bag that protects your pack when checking it on a flight, then doubles as a pack liner on trail.
Emisar Headlamp Strap Review
A cheap, flexible strap that turns your Emisar D2, DW3AA, DW4, or DW4K flashlight into a proper headlamp — here's how well it actually works.
Magpul DAKA Utility Organizer Review
A compact, semi-rigid organizer pouch built from Magpul's RF-welded DAKA textile — tough enough for a range bag, useful enough for a hiker's tech or first-aid kit.
Highlander Folding Sit Mat Review
A budget-friendly, 110g foam sit mat that trades ultralight-grade materials for a bigger footprint and a wallet-friendly price.
Julbo Adventure Sunglass Case Review
A hard-shell, clip-equipped sunglass case from Julbo that trades ultralight minimalism for serious crush protection—here's how it holds up on trail.
Tarptent RainbowRoost Gear Loft Review
A featherweight clip-in gear loft for Tarptent's Rainbow lineup that adds organized overhead storage for a mere 20 grams and $17.
Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair Review
A 10 oz sleeve that turns your sleeping pad into a camp chair — here's how the Trekker Chair actually performs on trail.
EuroSCHIRM Swing Handsfree Trekking Umbrella Review
A hands-free, backpack-mountable trekking umbrella with a fiberglass frame and UPF 50+ canopy — built for hikers who want sun and rain protection without giving up their trekking poles.
Oakley Eye Jacket™ Redux Review
A retro-inspired wrap sunglass with modern Prizm lenses — solid glare control for trail use, though it's built more for style and general sport than dedicated ultralight backpacking.
Sea to Summit Trash Dry Bag Review
A 99g roll-top dry bag built specifically for packing out trash — I look at whether the liner-securing design actually works and who it's worth the weight for.
ENO Atlas Hammock Straps Review
ENO's Atlas Hammock Straps are a no-fuss, no-stretch daisy-chain suspension system — durable and easy to use, but heavier than most backpackers want to carry.
Granite Gear Air Zippditty (1L) Review
A 0.56 oz zippered silnylon pouch for organizing small gear—here's how the 1L Air Zippditty holds up on trail.
Zpacks Dyneema Stuff Sack Review
A no-frills, ultralight DCF stuff sack from Zpacks that trades bombproof durability for weight savings and packability.
Anfibio Fly Paddle Review
A 460g, 5-piece packraft paddle that packs to 49cm — great as an ultralight backup or lake paddle, but the flexy shaft has real limits.
Hammock Gear Ridgeline Organizer Deluxe Review
A 10-pocket ridgeline organizer that doubles as a stuff sack — Hammock Gear's redesigned take on keeping your phone, headlamp, and knick-knacks off your chest while you sleep.
Oakley Holbrook Review
A look at whether Oakley's iconic Holbrook sunglasses hold up as trail eyewear, not just a lifestyle accessory.
Nalgene HDPE Wide Mouth Round Container 1oz Review
An honest look at Nalgene's 1oz HDPE Wide Mouth Round Container — a trail-proven micro vessel for condiments, spices, and toiletries, evaluated for backpacking use.
Cascade Wild Ultralight Folding Table Review
A 62g corrugated polypropylene camp table that slips into a water bottle pocket — clever, useful for meal prep, and now discontinued after a beloved run.
Hartford Gear Co. Trail Pouch (1.43oz DCF) Review
A USA-made, ultralight DCF zipper pouch from Hartford Gear Co. — available in four sizes, with tape-sealed seams and a YKK #3 water-resistant zipper.
Zpacks Large Food Bag Review
A 43g DCF roll-top food bag designed for 5–6 day carries — ultralight, water-resistant, and a thru-hiker staple, with a few real-world caveats to know.
Forclaz Trek Pad Review
The Forclaz Trek Pad is a 60g folding foam sit pad from Decathlon, delivering surprising thermal insulation and packability for $14.99. Here's who it's really for.
Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Ultralight Umbrella Review
The Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow is a 8.9 oz fiberglass trekking umbrella with UPF 50+ reflective canopy — a versatile, affordable pick for desert and rain hiking.
Litesmith QwikBack UL Chair Review
The Litesmith QwikBack UL Chair delivers ground-level back support at just 2.65 oz — a genuine luxury item for weight-conscious backpackers who hate log-hunting.
Tatonka Zip Pouch Review
Tatonka's Zip Pouch is a flat, see-through, PFAS-free organizer in four sizes from 30 to 100 g: durable and tidy, but heavier than a plastic bag.
AntiGravityGear Sil-Nylon Stuff Bag (10L) Review
A budget-friendly, featherlight silnylon stuff sack for ultralight backpackers — versatile organizer, honest trade-offs, hard to beat at $10–$12.
Helinox Chair Zero High-Back Review
The Helinox Chair Zero High-Back delivers genuine upper-back and head support at just 690g — a compelling upgrade for backpackers who find low-back chairs a constant compromise.
REI Co-op Lightweight Stuff Sack (10L) Review
A no-frills, ripstop nylon drawcord stuff sack that punches above its weight class on value — but isn't a substitute for a true dry bag.
Zpacks Stake Sack Review
A 3-gram DCF stake organizer that keeps sharp stakes from punching through your pack. Simple, purpose-built, and very light — but rivals offer reinforced bottoms for the same weight.
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair Review
The REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair weighs just 1 lb and packs to Nalgene size, making it one of the lightest framed backpacking chairs on the market — with real trade-offs in stability.
Therm-a-Rest Z Seat Review
A detailed review of the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat: a 2 oz closed-cell foam sit pad with R-value 2.2 and ThermaCapture coating, ideal for ultralight backpackers.
Nalgene Wide-Mouth Lab Quality HDPE Bottle 60mL Review
A 2-oz lab-grade HDPE bottle that earns its place in any ultralight kit as a leakproof, chemically resistant container for oils, soaps, fuels, and spices.
REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair Review
The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair offers packable, hammock-like comfort at ~27 oz — a solid pick for short trips, but too heavy for strict ultralight lists.
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Stuff Sack 15L Review
The Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Stuff Sack 15L is a 20g pack organization tool built from bluesign-approved 30D Cordura nylon — reliable water resistance for internal use, but not a dry bag.
Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag View 8L Review
The Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag View 8L adds a clear TPU window and bright interior to a proven roll-top design — a smart organizer for backpackers who hate bag archaeology.
Zpacks Mini-D Carabiner (4-Pack) Review
The Zpacks Mini-D Carabiner is a 2.8g anodized aluminum snap-gate clip sold in 4-packs, built for ultralight pack organization and light-duty food hanging.
Helinox Chair Zero Review
Helinox's Chair Zero packs a four-legged sling seat into a 14-inch sack at 482–660 g, trading seat depth and soft-ground grip for unmatched weight and comfort.