{"id":7422,"date":"2016-03-08T16:00:16","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T00:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=7422"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:40:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:40:23","slug":"backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list","title":{"rendered":"Backpacker Magazine 2016 Editors\u2019 Choice Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"cb-itemprop\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\"><p>It\u2019s award season again, which means that fans of the outdoors eagerly anticipate one of the biggies: <em>Backpacker<\/em> magazine\u2019s Editors\u2019 Choice Awards. The honor confers a kind of Holy Grail status on winners, so act fast if you have your eye on one of these stars.<\/p>\n<p><em>Backpacker<\/em> editors, no-nonsense experts with years of backcountry experience, gather annually for this sacred ritual. The selection process begins without predetermined categories or a set number of recipients. Extensive testing throughout the year drives the process, and only elite performers are left standing at the end.<\/p>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to shine our 1,000-lumen headlamp on some of the big winners: the Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo sleeping pad, men\u2019s and women\u2019s Columbia OutDry Ex Diamond rain shells, men\u2019s Mountain Hardwear AP pants and the MSR Guardian Purifier. One entr\u00e9e made the cut: Backpacker\u2019s Pantry Chana Masala. And, perhaps to raise a toast to that tasty treat, the Stanley Stainless-Steel Shot Glass Set was also honored.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to choosing the best new gear, <em>Backpacker<\/em> bestows its Editors\u2019 Choice Gold Award on gear that\u2019s ascended to legendary status over the past five years. This year that distinguished honor goes to men\u2019s and women\u2019s Vasque Skywalk Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Hiking Boots.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Editor\u2019s Choice Award Winners for 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo Sleeping Pad<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"MvQUEjurhXgFWkzFLnLeEZGmKPUgF4rx\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/tr8m4tvSxC1QJzFhrw-k1_mnOTjqjUUuqBUWT0czugg=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Featherweight sleeping pads that are also warm and comfortable are few and far between. Finding that in a pad for two, though, is next to impossible. Until now. At just 1 lb. 12 oz., this pad weighs less than some solo-size air pads. The Duo also offers a harmony-preserving feature: independent side-by-side air chambers that allow each partner to customize inflation level to his or her slumber number.<\/p>\n<p>Shop:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/896427\/exped-synmat-hyperlite-duo-sleeping-pad\" target=\"_blank\">Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo Sleeping Pad<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Columbia OutDry\u2122 Ex Diamond Rain Shell<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"kNt1qkQLgGJMoENw1TehOvP1EGqt00Vy\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/NqwFOtmYV2drYKxYDcqJyiiiv9O0btJW2mwJZaueJnM=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>With varying levels of success, jacket makers have been trying to one-up Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> technology for decades now. OutDry Extreme is a worthy waterproof\/breathable contender. What\u2019s unique about its microporous magic is that no durable water repellent (DWR) coating is required. Its surface has something more akin to \u201cPWR\u201d (perpetual water repellency), a quality that\u2019s engineered directly into the material. So, unlike almost any other type of rain jacket, the waterproof\/breathable performance of these shells won\u2019t diminish over time.<\/p>\n<p>Shop: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/895426\/columbia-outdry-ex-diamond-rain-shell-womens\" target=\"_blank\">Women\u2019s Columbia OutDry\u2122 Ex Diamond Rain Shell<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/895420\/columbia-outdry-ex-diamond-rain-shell-mens\" target=\"_blank\">Men\u2019s Columbia OutDry\u2122 Ex Diamond Rain Shell<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Men\u2019s Mountain Hardwear AP Pants<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"z3MbxgKUspl5YXR5ulrHpRVQu9Mp8WUD\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/t-OLQGerc0JC20Px1SM78O8_INZn8-SkENxyYyC8ZMs=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mountain Hardwear markets them as a unique combination of performance and style. But style is subjective and outdoor chic has been a thing for years now, so their versatile performance is the crux of the matter. Truly cragworthy, these pants feature a stout-yet-stretchy fusion of cotton canvas, nylon and elastane. Rollup legs and reflective hits make them bikeworthy, too.<\/p>\n<p>Shop: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/895889\/mountain-hardwear-ap-pants-mens-32-inseam\" target=\"_blank\">Men&#8217;s\u00a0Mountain Hardwear AP Pants<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>MSR Guardian Purifier<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"GGPjBYvgbn9hATF2aZ02a4CCJzZOFjMQ\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"false\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: auto !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/kQDMO403tkJZBnZy9u0PCuLlrhE_5YOkXinWpgQgWn0=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>The fact that a pump filter can actually remove the nastiest, \u201cmicroscop-iest\u201d organism\u2014the virus\u2014is newsworthy in and of itself. Previously, devices had to combine mechanical filtration with chemicals or UV treatment to neutralize viruses. The Guardian goes even further, though, by having a unique self-cleaning feature: By redirecting some of the pumped water to backflush the inner workings, it eliminates the messy chore of scrubbing the cartridge. MSR claims an impressive lifespan for the Guardian of more than 10,000 liters.<\/p>\n<p>Shop:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/891193\/msr-guardian-purifier\" target=\"_blank\">MSR Guardian Purifier<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Backpacker\u2019s Pantry Chana Masala<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"esMJQ0k7fOi4tOevMhCgSkkbMg26RDOe\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/3ZFZngV5jF7Dhkij6lRJFop0eh183gm7zLhfNZG1RvQ=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>This curry dish from the Punjab region of India features chickpeas and chiles over rice, so it\u2019s not your ordinary pouchful of freeze-dried carbs. Exotic, spicy dishes attract both fans and haters, so this is a rare REI product that garners large numbers of both 1-star AND 5-star reviews. Smells like the perfect candidate for your next backcountry taste test.<\/p>\n<p>Shop:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/769060\/backpackers-pantry-chana-masala-2-servings\" target=\"_blank\">Backpacker&#8217;s Pantry Chana Masala &#8211; 2 Servings<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stanley Stainless-Steel Shot Glass <\/strong><strong>Set<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"fR6jZKrOZar27ZzNZochgXV8d3Z3iBGI\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/4q9FFcA5nehOvmnGOMeye4pYx_f5deMEhXdC2fbaQeo=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Offers everything you need to salute your expedition, minus the flask of single-malt. Admittedly not one of the Ten Essentials, there\u2019s nonetheless some backcountry cred here: The glasses are unbreakable, the set nests, and the handle of the carrying vessel allows clipping to a pack.<\/p>\n<p>Shop:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/886503\/stanley-stainless-steel-shot-glass-set\" target=\"_blank\">Stanley Stainless-Steel Shot Glass Set<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Editor\u2019s Choice Gold Award Winners<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Vasque Skywalk Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Hiking Boots<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" lang=\"en\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" data-widget-id=\"Lr6Eb9xXKnkwaWw3XUuDj9fbqOIyHC02\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d36i2kont0saxx.cloudfront.net\/images\/IeJe6fmdVkp8xIiKcwwSMUVWNy9Iw3siLr2N4ShZMho=\" alt=\"\" \/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" src=\"https:\/\/r.curalate.com\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>While the minimum for the Gold Award is 5 years of excellence, these boots have overachieved since the 1980s. Updated this year, they retain their rugged essence: waterproof leather, Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> liners and surefooted soles. One REI.com reviewer was so smitten that she left a post about her (still-in-hiking-mode) 1990s-era Skywalks: \u201cI was thrilled to see that they were still being made!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shop: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/895371\/vasque-skywalk-mid-gtx-hiking-boots-womens\" target=\"_blank\">Women\u2019s Vasque Skywalk Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Hiking Boots<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/895372\/vasque-skywalk-gtx-hiking-boots-mens\" target=\"_blank\">Men\u2019s Vasque Skywalk Gore-Tex<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Hiking Boots<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For a full rundown and a full list of the year\u2019s recipients, check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.backpacker.com\/\"><em>Backpacker<\/em><\/a> magazine.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s award season again, which means that fans of the outdoors eagerly anticipate one of the biggies: Backpacker magazine\u2019s Editors\u2019 Choice Awards. The honor confers a kind of Holy Grail status on winners, so act fast if you have your eye on one of these stars. Backpacker editors, no-nonsense experts with years of backcountry experience, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":7434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[566,277],"internal-tag":[1672,525],"class_list":["post-7422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-backpacker-guide","tag-gear-review","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp","internal-tag-rei-employees"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Backpacker Magazine 2016 Editors\u2019 Choice Awards","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/03\/Rinckenberger-112015-5928.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/03\/Rinckenberger-112015-5928.jpg?fit=1500%2C998"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["backpacker guide","gear reviews"],"dateCreated":"2016-03-09T00:00:16Z","datePublished":"2016-03-09T00:00:16Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:40:23Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Backpacker Magazine 2016 Editors\\u2019 Choice Awards\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/camp\\\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/camp\\\/backpacker-magazine-2016-gear-list\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/Rinckenberger-112015-5928.jpg?resize=150%2C150\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/Rinckenberger-112015-5928.jpg?fit=1500%2C998\"},\"articleSection\":\"Camp\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Michelle Flandreau\"}],\"creator\":[\"Michelle Flandreau\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Uncommon Path \\u2013 An REI Co-op Publication\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"backpacker guide\",\"gear reviews\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2016-03-09T00:00:16Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-03-09T00:00:16Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-11-12T05:40:23Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rei.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/03\/Rinckenberger-112015-5928.jpg?fit=1500%2C998","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7422"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9751,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7422\/revisions\/9751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7422"},{"taxonomy":"internal-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-tag?post=7422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}