Summer Gear Roundup: Backpacking

Exped’s DeepSleep bags come in five sizes and three temperature ratings (20, 30 and 45 degrees). “Cozy without being cramped,” our 5’7”, 130-pound tester reported of the size small. “I don’t have to expend too much body heat warming up a bunch of extra room in the bag,” he added after camping out in sub-40-degree alpine nights. For those with the opposite problem, the DeepSleep comes in medium, medium-wide, large and large-wide sizes as well. The wide options cater to side sleepers, but our tester found the mummy bag to accommodate side sleeping even in the regular. The 100% recycled, synthetic Texpedloft polyester fill was “plenty warm to the temp rating,” and our tester appreciated that it was kept dry by a durable, waterproof 40D ripstop polyester. Additional features he appreciated were an internal pocket for keeping a phone or headlamp warm, a cinch hood and wider footbox. Plus, the whole bag is PFAS-free and Bluesign approved. “Environmentally conscious, actually affordable, durable and warm,” our tester summarized. “What else can you really ask for?”

Our tester put Exped’s minimalist Lightning 60 through its paces on a backpacking trip in the Cascades that included technical hiking, heavy loads and a wide array of weather conditions. Unlike most traditional backpacking bags, the Lightning features a roll top and is made almost exclusively from 210D ripstop nylon, which is coated with polyurethane for water repellency. Our tester confirmed the pack’s weatherproofing, saying, “On the last day of the trip, we were caught in a drizzle, but the inside of the bag—and its three interior pockets—stayed dry.” Comfort was top-notch, too. Our tester was complimentary of the single aluminum stay, a well-padded hip belt and supportive back padding, saying, “It gave just enough structure and support without being overdone.” Though the Lightning is essentially a glorified nylon tube, it isn’t lacking in organization—large stretch pockets flank the hip belt, and the top of the pack has one exterior and two interior zip pockets, large enough for all of your essentials. And if you still can’t cram everything inside, our tester praised exterior zig-zag compression straps, which were ideal for lashing on those more unwieldy items.

Gregory Maven 58

“The torso length and hip-belt adjuster made for a tailored, natural fit and distributed the weight very well,” said our tester after taking Gregory’s women’s-specific backpacking pack out for a multiday trip. She praised the mesh back panel for cooling and comfort and the alloy and fiberglass external frame for support. “My pack never bounced around, super stable and reliable for long ascents/descents.” Offering a slew of storage options including a brain with two compartments, with the lower, zippered pocket “perfect for organizing smaller items like lighters, pocket knives, chargers, keys,” our tester found. She most appreciated the emergency left shoulder pocket for her inReach and dual hip pockets for snacks. Additional storage is added by two water bottle sleeves and a mesh pocket. At 3.5 pounds with a volume 58 liters and women’s-specific design, our tester scored the pack a 7/7. “I could feel the difference in being made for women’s physique versus other generic packs I’ve tried,” she concluded.

Where to buy

Gregory Maven 58

$299.95 from CampSaver

Marmot Limelight UL 2-Person Tent

“Check out the cathedral ceiling,” quipped our tester of the Limelight. This 3-pound-4-ounce (packed weight), 3-season, 2-person tent offers a 45-inch peak height and 31-square-foot floor area. “Glamping feel at a backpackable weight,” she said after easily stuffing this in a pack. Even her 6’4” boyfriend signed off on the design, saying, “Spacious feel, especially thanks to the creative triangular cubbies on either end.” Both agreed sleeping head to foot allowed for maximum space for each person. There are also mesh stuff pockets opposite the cubbies. To keep the elements out, the floor and fly are made from seam-taped 100% polyester ripstop, while the rest of the tent is 100% Nylon mesh. The poles, which she described as “partially self-snapping into place” are lightweight aluminum. Her main qualms were the lack of footprint and the way tension from the stakes caused the tent floor to pull off the ground at the edges.

“I’m fully converted to the quilt life now,” said our tester after taking the Nemo Pulse on everything from car camping to backpacking trips across the west. He was most impressed by the warmth of the PFAS-free, 1,000-fill ExpeDry (a mixture of feather and down designed to dry quickly) stuffed into large baffles that evenly distributed insulation. “There’s a small footbox that keeps you warm on chilly nights, and the adjustable straps cinch down easily and tightly,” he reported. “With the top buttoned around my shoulder and everything cinched down, there were no drafts.” He backed the 30-degree rating and gave props for the 18-ounce weight (about as much as a can of soup) and packability. He did note that the recycled, PFAS-free face fabric didn’t seem the most durable, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. “Fabric seems flimsy, but I’m yet to have any actual trouble with it,” he said after a summer of use. On the plus side, the quilt can be recycled after its lifetime by sending it back to Nemo. His only real negative? “At over $500, this is certainly a niche/high-end pickup.”

Where to buy

Nemo Pulse 20/30

$549.95 from CampSaver

Nemo Dagger Osmo 3-Person Tent

Our tester gave two thumbs up for Nemo’s lightweight, versatile Dagger Osmo tent. At just over 3 pounds, the 3-person Dagger Osmo (Nemo makes a 2-person offering, too) features two full doors and vestibules, large pockets, a nightlight pocket and a storage cube. “I’m a huge fan of large doors on both sides,” our tester reported after doubling up in the tent and not having to crawl over her tentmate. “Feels larger than other three-person tents I’ve used,” she explained, citing a pole structure that adds height and creates a squarer inside area. She was also impressed by a roomy vestibule for her pack and other items. Nemo cut weight with lightweight clips on the rainfly, lots of mesh and a PFAS-free ripstop fabric. Our tester docked a point for a lack of footprint and poles not fitting in the stuff sack easily. But overall, she reported, “I was pleased with the weight-to-performance ratio of this tent. Carrying the extra little weight this tent adds from an ultralight backpacking tent certainly feels worth it for the additional comfort.”

In a world of ultralight mummy tents, the North Face’s Trail Lite 3 may seem a luxury. “Poles hold the roof up pretty high so it’s easy to change or sit upright,” reported our tester after backpacking in the Eastern Sierra. “Two large doors made it easy to enter and exit from either side.” She also gave kudos to easy setup and takedown. Without a rainfly, the tent is mostly mesh, which allows for good ventilation while keeping the trail weight (only counting the important items: tent body, rainfly, poles, guylines) at just over 5.5 pounds. If you do the math, that’s about 1.8 pounds per person. Not bad. “Three people and a dog comfortably fit inside,” our tester reported. She noted the full-coverage rainfly worked well in light rain and expected it to do the job in heavy storms as well. Her one critique? “The tent floor felt a little thin and prone to breakage with normal wear and tear,” but she noted buying a footprint separately would mitigate the problem. 

Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite NXT

Therm-a-rest’s new NeoAir XLite packs down to the size of a Nalgene and, per the brand’s internal testing, reduces crinkling sounds by 83% (compared to their last model). Our tester had no complaints about unwanted sounds and praised the lightweight, packable construction. “I had no problem rerolling and stuffing back into the stuff sack,” she raved after having issues with other packable sleeping pads. When the moon came out, the “3-inch thick profile made for a comfortable night’s sleep,” she said, adding that the 4.5 r-value (a rating of insulation where anything over 5 is usually designated as best for winter conditions) held up on cool spring nights in the alpine. She also praised packability and the inclusion of a pump bag and repair kit. As a side sleeper, our tester did note that “turning in my sleep made it shift sideways,” and she recommended the wide option for similar sleepers.