Halfway Anywhere

Apr 4, 2024 | halfwayanywhere.com | Ultralight Backpacking

The Gossamer Gear Mariposa Backpack is a thru-hiker favorite from Gossamer Gear, an ultralight backpacking company out of Austin, Texas. It’s been recently revamped – just in time for this year’s thru-hiking season – and now features a new frame system that allows the pack’s hipbelt to pivot with the user, a wider variety of hipbelt options, and redesigned load lifters. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to spend some time outdoors with the new Mariposa backpack.

Mar 21, 2024 | halfwayanywhere.com | Ultralight Backpacking

Three-season backpacking (i.e., backpacking outside of winter months) typically lends itself to summer and/or fair weather backpacking despite including both spring and fall. That said, here’s everything you’ll need – and everything I bring – for three-season success in the backcountry. I’ve included pieces of gear (noted below) that I only bring for shoulder seasons (i.e. when temperatures are colder).

Dec 14, 2023 | halfwayanywhere.com | Ultralight Backpacking

It isn’t easy to find gifts for ultralight backpackers since the entire point of many ultralight backpackers is to have as few things as possible. That said, some items can please almost everyone. These items are justifiably awesome, but sometimes it isn’t easy to justify the price. That’s what makes a great gift, right? What would you love to have but don’t want to spend money on yourself? A lot of these items are exactly that.

Aug 24, 2023 | halfwayanywhere.com | Ultralight Backpacking

The Tarptent Dipole 1 DW Tent is a lightweight, double-walled, two-person, non-freestanding shelter that can be set up with trekking poles and two stays included with the tent. There are two interior options, a mesh and a solid interior, with the solid costing $30 more and weighing 0.4 oz / 11 g less than the mesh option.

Aug 17, 2023 | halfwayanywhere.com | Ultralight Backpacking

The Zpacks Duplex Zip Tent is an ultralight two-person, non-freestanding shelter designed for thru-hiking and ultralight backpacking. It’s Zpacks’s flagship shelter and has become remarkably popular with thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. It’s been the most common shelter on both these trails for several years (the original Duplex, not the Duplex Zip).