What’s the difference between hiking and backpacking? The latter entails at least one night spent in the outside, and probably a lot more miles and plenty more gear. Backpacking is a practice in ...

Wes Siler is your guide to leading a more exciting life in the great outdoors. As Outside’s outdoor lifestyle columnist, he writes about the intersections of science, news, politics, gear, vehicles ...

If you can buy just one tent to take with you on every one of your adventures, you’re going to save a lot of money. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple for backpacks. This is one piece of outdoor ...

Packs come in many styles and sizes. Finding out how to fit and choose a hiking backpack that’s right for you depends first on how much you’ll be carrying and how well a pack fits. Main image: A gear ...

If you’ve ever found yourself unpacking half your kit in a hurry—to find your rain cover during a squall, mosquito repellent in early evening, first aid kit after a nasty fall—then you understand why ...

All the support and storage you need for a hike with an extremely thoughtful, compact design. It has an adjustable harness and hip belt, and is designed to reduce felt weight. Hiking gear means much ...

Black Diamond BetaLite 45, Rab Veil 20, and The North Face Trail Speed 30 are among the best hiking backpacks of 2025. Courtesy Images The best hiking backpacks might be the most important piece of ...

How to assess a backpack to choose the best one for how long you’ll be hiking and what you’ll be packing. It has an adjustable harness and hip belt, and is designed to reduce felt weight. Hiking gear ...