Ryan Jordan

1 month ago | backpackinglight.com | Ryan Jordan

IntroductionProtecting my hands from inclement conditions and injury – and maintaining the grip and dexterity required for tool use and fine motor function – is one of my critical priorities in the backcountry. Grip, dexterity, warmth, moisture management – everything depends on keeping them functional. I learned this the hard way during a circumnavigation of the Wind River Range in the early 1990s. Wanting to save a few ounces, I left gloves at home.

1 month ago | backpackinglight.com | Ryan Jordan

Backpacking Light receives financial compensation from Ombraz in the form of advertising and sponsorships (e.g., podcasts, email newsletters, and events). Ombraz provided complimentary product samples featured in this review; however, the provision of these products was not contingent on publishing a review or providing editorial coverage. Ombraz was invited to review the accuracy of our description of fit-related limitations.

1 month ago | backpackinglight.com | Ryan Jordan

IntroductionWind Shirts¬†describe the product category of wind shirts and jackets (referred to as wind shirts for brevity) – non-waterproof, breathable garments worn as outer shell layers for storm protection in mild to moderately inclement weather (wind, rain, and cold). This is the most comprehensive treatise about wind shirts we’ve ever published (about 7,000 words), building on several years of research, testing, and product reviews in this category.

1 month ago | backpackinglight.com | Ryan Jordan

Introduction: Tariffs Are Quietly Reshaping the Outdoor Gear IndustryIf you’ve already noticed (or worried about) the price of outdoor gear creeping upward, it may not just be inflation or better technology. There’s an unlikely undercurrent of structural, opaque uncertainty at work: tariffs – or at least, the threat of tariffs. A tariff is a tax placed on imported goods.

2 months ago | backpackinglight.com | Ryan Jordan |Gear Guides

IntroductionThis gear guide features 64 products from 27 brands: down-filled backpacking top quilts sold primarily in North America and Europe. We focus on quilts designed for temperate conditions (20 to 40 °F / –7 to 5 °C). No white-labeled quilts are included, nor are quilts distributed primarily through channels outside the US, Canada, or Europe.