All posts tagged: backpacking

Best Bug Spray (2026), Tested and Reviewed

Best Bug Spray (2026), Tested and Reviewed

Published by skeptic

No one likes the feeling of insect repellent. I have vivid memories of being sprayed down with the stuff as a kid before venturing into the woods in northern Minnesota on family vacations and feeling like chemical warfare was being waged on all of my senses. I was willing to endure it because being covered in mosquito bites is even worse. Wearing repellent can save your life, protecting you against West Nile virus and Lyme disease, just to name a few of the pathogens mosquitoes and ticks can pass on. “Insect repellents are designed to affect insects’ senses and prevent them from finding humans,” says Sonja Swiger, a professor at Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology. “The use of these products provides protection to humans that cannot be achieved by anything else.” Essentially, environmental mosquito management programs can’t completely protect you from the bugs. If you’re going to be outside for a long period of time, especially in areas where biting bugs are common, applying repellent is a smart idea. The good news is that …

The best packing cubes for travel in 2025, tried and tested

The best packing cubes for travel in 2025, tried and tested

Published by Sam Flores

If you’re a frequent traveller but a bad packer (it’s surprising how often these two things go hand in hand), you might find yourself searching for the best packing cubes. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, a packing cube is essentially a fabric pouch designed to organise your clothes in a suitcase or carry-on luggage, and they typically compress soft items to help maximise space. However tempting it may be to jump on Amazon and order the first ones that can be delivered in time for your holiday, the best packing cubes for travel actually vary a fair amount. Some are more technical, others compress, expand or have pockets for dirty laundry. I’ve tried packing cubes from the biggest brands, including Osprey and Antler. You can find my full reviews below, followed by advice from experts on whether to roll or fold and which brands are worth buying. The best packing cubes: At a glance “Think about what sorts of trips you go on,” says Claire Robinson, founder of Weekend Candy, a …

Best Merino Wool Clothing (2026): Base Layers, Hoodies, Jackets & More

Best Merino Wool Clothing (2026): Base Layers, Hoodies, Jackets & More

Published by skeptic

Merino wool is a super fiber. The best merino wool clothing somehow manages to be comfortable in 95-degree heat, and merino base layers keep you warm well below freezing. Unlike synthetic fibers derived from petroleum, merino wool is natural and renewable. Merino wool’s versatility means there’s a bewildering array of blends and options to choose from. Here are our favorite merino wool products that we’ve tested by wearing and washing (usually in cold water, and hung to dry, although we do machine dry them just to see what happens) over the course of months and even years in some cases. Once you’re done here, don’t forget to check out the rest of our apparel guides, like the Best Merino Wool T-Shirts, Best Base Layers, Best Puffer Jackets, Best Hoodies, and Best Hiking Boots. Updated April 2026: We’ve changed out top pick boxers to Wool & Prince, added more hoodies, and the Ibex women’s Goat short sleeve. We also updated prices and links throughout. Table of Contents AccordionItemContainerButton Why Is Merino Wool So Great? AccordionItemContainerButton Merino …

Best Mid Layer for Hiking, Backpacking, and Travel (2026)

Best Mid Layer for Hiking, Backpacking, and Travel (2026)

Published by skeptic

Arc’teryx’s Delta Jacket is an ultralight fleece made of Octa Fleece, one of the newer, high-tech fleeces to hit the market in the past couple of years. The name comes from the octopus-like weaving which creates air gaps, which help trap warmth while also allowing moisture to escape. It’s very popular with cottage industry ultralight brands, but Arc’teryx adopted it for the 2025 revamp of the company’s popular Delta fleece jacket. I hesitated to put this jacket in this guide because, while I like it as an ultralight mid layer for summer trips, there is an older, heavier version of the Delta jacket. Judging by the angry reviews on Arc’teryx’s website, it was very popular. This jacket is something else entirely, but disgruntled fans of the older version aside, this is a great mid layer for summer trips, especially when paired with a sun shirt hoodie. At 8.5 oz for this, and 6 oz for a sun hoodie like the one from Kuiu below, you have a combo that allows multiple layering options and still …

Best Puffer Jacket (2026): Patagonia, Arc’teryx, REI

Best Puffer Jacket (2026): Patagonia, Arc’teryx, REI

Published by skeptic

Mountain Hardware’s Ghost Whisperer UL hoodie has been a popular pick among ultralight backpackers since it was introduced a few years ago. It remains the best puffer jacket for anyone trying to shave every last ounce off their pack weight. It weighs just 6.7 ounces for a men’s medium (7.3 ounces for the men’s large I tested), packs down to a tiny little thing (stuffing into its own pocket), and the 1,000-fill-power goose down offers one of the best warmth-to-weight ratios on the market. The very lightweight shell material is a mix of 5D and 7D ripstop nylon, which is a bit more fragile than heavier jackets, but it has held up well so far in my testing. I can safely say that the Ghost Whisper UL is everything I ever wanted in an ultralight down puffer and then some. What sets it apart from some other very nice puffers out there are the little details. First there’s the 1.9 ounces of 1,000-fill-power down, which is as high a fill power as you’ll find in …

What Is Down Fill Power (2026): Fill Weight, Synthetics

What Is Down Fill Power (2026): Fill Weight, Synthetics

Published by skeptic

Updated February 2026: We’ve added a new section on caring for down and some notes on Outdoor Vital’s Zero Stitch fabric. What Does Down Fill Power Tell You? The higher the fill power, the greater the loft. Down puffer jackets and sleeping bags keep you warm by trapping the warmth coming off your body, retaining it in air pockets between the down. A higher down fill power means the down has more loft, which means there are more air pockets, which means that more heat is retained. If everything else is equal, that means that a higher fill power garment will be warmer than one with a lower fill power. Unfortunately, everything else is never equal. Fill power alone is not enough information to know how warm something will be. There is no direct correspondence between fill power and how warm a product will keep you, because there are many other factors to consider, like how much of that fill is in the product, how well it can expand within the baffles or down chambers, …

How to Layer Your Clothes to Stay Warm in Any Season (2026)

How to Layer Your Clothes to Stay Warm in Any Season (2026)

Published by skeptic

Layering is not complicated. It’s the process of adding and removing layers of clothing to keep your body comfortable in changing weather and temperature conditions. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to optimize this process (and sell you stuff), but it’s really very simple: Put clothing on when you’re cold, take clothing off when you’re hot. Which clothing? That’s the rub, as they say. But don’t worry. We’ll walk you through what each layer is, how to layer, and when you’ll want it. Once you’re done here, check out our guides to the Best Base Layers, Best Puffer Jackets, Best Merino Wool, and Best Rain Jackets for more. Updated February 2026: We’ve updated our advice based on new experiences, and put in a few new picks culled from all the gear we’ve tested in the last year. Layering Basics Photograph: Carol Yepes/Getty Images The key to layering is knowing what the layers are for and when to add and remove them. The high level overview looks like this: Base layer: The layer that touches …

Best Base Layers (2025): Ibex, Smartwool, and More

Best Base Layers (2025): Ibex, Smartwool, and More

Published by skeptic

These soft and stretchy unders are made from capilene, an insulating fabric spun from 100 percent recycled polyester. The synthetic threads perform about on par with wool. Capilene is also just about as comfortable, all while being light and quick-drying. Patagonia sells the base layers in two thicknesses: midweight and a heavier thermal weight. They come in men’s and women’s sizes, and the tops are available in a crewneck or collared zip-neck. I tested these in the fall in Minnesota and in San Francisco, so I wore the midweight version with a crewneck top. Taking advantage of the precision afforded by working with synthetic fabric, Patagonia has made some interesting design choices. The garments are smooth on the outside, and have a subtly embossed diamond grid pattern on the inside. The company says this diamond pattern creates little pockets that trap heat and help wick moisture. That claim is next to impossible to verify, other than to say: The fabric did keep me about as warm as merino wool. Like most Patagonia apparel, these fit …