Trail gear that earns its pack weight: footwear, poles, layers, navigation, and the small tools that solve real trail problems.
Best Travel Towels 2026: Microfiber Towels That Dry Fast and Pack Small By GearHound A regular bath towel is useless for camping. It is heavy when wet, takes forever to dry, and fills half your pack. The first time I carried a full-size cotton towel on a backpacking trip, it was still damp in my … Read more
Best Emergency Blankets 2026: Survival Gear That Actually Keeps You Warm By GearHound An emergency blanket costs less than a cup of coffee and weighs less than an ounce. It can also save your life. If you spend time outdoors, there is no excuse not to carry one. I have used emergency blankets twice in … Read more
Best Hiking Compass 2026: Reliable Navigation That Does Not Need Batteries By GearHound I carry a compass on every hike, even when I have a GPS and a phone with a mapping app. Batteries die. Screens crack. Signals drop. A compass is the one piece of navigation gear that always works, in any weather, at … Read more
Best Dry Bags 2026: Keep Your Gear Dry on the Water and the Trail By GearHound I learned the value of a dry bag the hard way. On a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, my “waterproof” stuff sack turned out to be waterproof in one direction only — it kept water in, not out. … Read more
See also: Best Dry Bags 2026: Keep Your Gear Dry on the Water and the Trail, Best Camping Stoves 2026: 7 Stoves That Actually Cook Like Your Kitchen at Home. GearHound is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Best Camping Coolers … Read more
GearHound is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Best Camping Stoves 2026: 7 Stoves That Actually Cook Like Your Kitchen at Home I remember the first time I tried to make bacon and eggs on a cheap camping stove at a … Read more
Best Hiking Gaiters 2026: Keep Rocks, Mud, and Snow Out of Your Boots By GearHound The first time I wore gaiters on a hike, I was skeptical. They looked like oversized socks that went on the outside of my boots. But after a day of post-holing through wet snow and coming home with dry feet … Read more
We earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Why Your Camp Kitchen Needs Real Cookware I spent my first year of camping cooking everything in a single beat-up aluminum pot. It was thin, it burned everything, and cleaning it meant scrubbing soot off the bottom while my food got cold. … Read more
We earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The first time I tried riding my bike with my dog, I held the leash in one hand and the handlebar in the other. That lasted about ninety seconds before she spotted a rabbit and nearly pulled me into a ditch. Lesson … Read more
How to Choose a Dog Backpack: Sizing, Capacity, and Weight Limits Explained Last updated: August 2026 | By GearHound We earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The first time I put a backpack on my dog, she stood frozen in the driveway like I had strapped a foreign object … Read more