Flextail makes the Zero Pump and claims it to be the lightest self-contained pump for both inflating and vacuum deflating your backcountry sleeping mattress. I purchased my own and tested it out over multiple seasons. Here's a full review of the pump and my take on circumstances when carrying this into the wild makes sense for me.

Famed high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs has used two-person quilts on the highest mountains in the world. Backpackers often use quilts, now, as a matter of course. So, my family has been using the two-person Enlightened Equipment Accomplice sleeping quilt for backpacking and for alpine climbing, both to add warmth (body heat of a second person) and cut weight (less per-person weight). This video offers a product review.

I carry a camp pillow when mountaineering, backpacking, or alpine climbing at altitude. There are multiple reasons. One reason is that at high altitudes I can become susceptible to Cheyne-Stokes breathing, an apnea that impacts my ability to sleep. Find out why plenty of people get Cheyne-Stokes at altitude, and how a simple item like a camp pillow can alleviate this condition. Also discover how a camp pillow may contribute to a warmer and lighter sleep system, overall.

Being someone who goes to high and cold places on mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry winter camping adventures, I need a sleep system that can handle severe temperatures (below 0 Fahrenheit or below -18 Celsius) but also not fill up my pack and break my back with weight. Here's my personal journey from nearly 4.5 down to 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg) for a winter bag and sleeping pads along with the gear changes I made to get there.

Wanting to hike to the summit of a 14er? Here is a loadout of the equipment I take on a typical summer climb to above fourteen thousand feet.

Born from experience, here are some small, cheap, and exceptionally helpful items for winter camping