Wide feet, first overnight
The boot problem solved before the pack gets interesting.
Who it is for. Hikers who have been sizing up boots and paying for it in blisters.
- Try the boot on a downslope before the trip.
- If the Targhee is still narrow, look at the Lone Peak only if your ankles are stable.
- Do not debut the boots on this overnight.
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Packing list
KEEN Targhee IV WP Mid, from this kit.
Check current price on the listing.
Best traditional wide toe box
KEEN Targhee IV WP Mid
The Targhee stays on wide-foot lists because the toe box is actually wide, not because the boot is a longer size. Sizing up lets the heel slip. Try the labeled wide if the standard still kisses your metatarsals, and fit the wider foot late in the day. The mid height helps if your ankles roll under a pack. It is heavier than a trail shoe such as the Speedgoat, and the waterproof membrane runs warmer than a shoe that drains. That is the trade for a dry hike through puddles. If your ankles are fine and only the toes hurt, a wide trail shoe may be the better buy. If you want another boot to compare in the shop, the Merrell Moab 3 Mid Wide is the easier labeled wide, and the Lowa Renegade wide is the more structured one. Break this boot in before an overnight.
Who should buy it. Hikers who blow out the sides of standard D-width boots.
Pros
- Roomy toe box
- Waterproof membrane
- Stable heel for a wide boot
Cons
- Heavier than shoes
- Membrane feels warm
Check current price on the listing.
Best livable value
REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus
The Half Dome 2 Plus is the freestanding tent for a first overnight and for weekends under about eight miles. You can sit out a storm without wearing the fly as a hat, and it is widely stocked, so a clumsy pitch can go back. It is heavier than the Copper Spur UL2 and the X-Mid 2, and that weight is the point of the trade: more room, a kinder price band, and a pitch a new backpacker can learn. Do not pretend it is an ounce-counter's tent, and do not take it on a long climb when a lighter freestanding tent would do the same job. If you already carry trekking poles and your sites take stakes, the X-Mid 2 is the lighter neighbour. If the sites are platforms, stay with a freestanding tent and accept the Half Dome's bulk only while the miles stay short.
Who should buy it. New backpackers who want comfort and a return policy more than a two-pound shelter.
Pros
- Room to sit up
- Easier budget
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Heavier packed
- Less refined hardware
Not sold on Amazon US.
Closest on Amazon: Marmot Crane Creek 2P Tent. A freestanding, double-wall two-person tent from Marmot in a similar price band. The listing also sells a 3P size and footprints, so check which one you are buying.
Check current price on the listing.
Best default down bag
REI Co-op Magma 15
The Magma 15 is the practical down mummy: light enough for a weekend, warm enough for a surprise frost, and sold where you can lie in it and return it. Treat 15°F as a limit unless the brand states a comfort rating. Cold sleepers should buy warmer than the forecast, or pair this bag with a high-R pad such as the XTherm, not with a three-season XLite alone. The cut is a slim mummy. If you thrash or sleep with your knees out, a roomier bag is the fix, not a different fill power in the same shape. A quilt such as the Enlightened Equipment Revelation wins only if you sleep warm and will strap it to the pad. The bag is not the pad. Down also fails when it is soaked, so a wet trip is a different choice.
Who should buy it. Backpackers building a first real sleep system for spring through fall.
Pros
- Usable warmth for the weight
- Easy to try on
- Hood that cinches
Cons
- Slim cut
- Not expedition fill
Not sold on Amazon US.
Closest on Amazon: NEMO Disco 15 Down Sleeping Bag. A 650-fill down backpacking bag from NEMO in a 15°F version, the same rating as the Magma 15.
Check current price on the listing.
Best quieter air pad
NEMO Tensor
The Tensor is the air pad to choose when the last one sounded like a chip bag. The baffles are comfortable, and an insulated version is a real three-season pad, but the R-value is whatever the current insulated model prints, not what an older note claimed. Do not buy the uninsulated summer model for frost. It is still an air pad: it can puncture, and it still needs a patch kit. Next to the XLite NXT, you are trading a little of that pad's warmth-to-weight reputation for a quieter lay. Next to a foam pad such as the Z Lite, you are trading a pad that cannot go flat for sleep that does not feel like the ground. Confirm the insulated SKU before a shoulder-season trip, and buy the wide if you roll off a regular pad.
Who should buy it. Light sleepers who still want an air pad.
Pros
- Quieter lay
- Comfortable baffles
- Light
Cons
- Puncture risk
- Premium price
Check current price on the listing.
Best simple upright stove
MSR PocketRocket Deluxe
PocketRocket is the known upright stove. Deluxe adds regulation and ignition. A foil windscreen used badly can overheat a canister. Read the manual. If your trips are calm and your menu is water, this is enough. If your trips are breezy ridges, buy the WindMaster.
Who should buy it. Fair-weather backpackers who want the smallest familiar stove.
Pros
- Tiny
- Easy ignition
- Fuel is everywhere
Cons
- Wind sensitive
- Small pot support
Check current price on the listing.
Best rechargeable default
Petzl Actik Core
Actik Core is bright enough for trail-finding and restrained enough for cooking. Learn the lock. Check whether the version you buy accepts a backup cell or only the CORE pack, because that detail changes. A lamp you cannot turn off in the pack is a lamp that arrives dead.
Who should buy it. Most hikers who will recharge in the car.
Pros
- Useful low modes
- Rechargeable
- Red mode
Cons
- Battery details vary by year
- Not the lightest
Check current price on the listing.