Life Is Beta

Gear Reviews

Honest takes on the gear we actually bring into the field.

Shelter

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2: Ultralight Done Right

★★★★★

3 lbs for a real freestanding tent with two vestibules. The benchmark for ultralight shelters.

May 21, 2026
Cooking

MSR PocketRocket 2 Review: Two Years In

★★★★★

The stove I've recommended to every beginner for two years. Still the right call.

May 21, 2026
Backpacking

Osprey Atmos AG 65 Review: Best All-Around Pack?

★★★★☆

After 40+ nights on trail with the Atmos AG 65, here's what held up and what didn't.

May 21, 2026

Popular Right Now

What people are clicking across the shop.

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Exotac nanoSPARK

$28.95

Cutting Board

$12.99

BRS 3000T Stove

$16.89

FlipFuel Fuel Transfer Device

$29.75

Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot

$26.00

BIC Lighter

$13.49

Coffee Cup (GSI UL)

$14.99

Fuel (4oz)

Toaks Titanium Folding Spoon

$9.95

CamelBak Crux Lumbar Hydration Reservoir 100oz

$60.15

On Instagram

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NEW VIDEO UP! Who am I kidding? My FIRST video is up. 💀 Six stoves later, I'm still using the cheap one. Five years of the same cook kit, more or less. The Toaks 750 has never changed, I own the 900 and the 1100 and I keep coming back to this one. I went through a Soto Windmaster, an MSR PocketRocket 2, a couple of no names, and for boiling water the BRS 3000T at 1.44 oz does the job for under seventeen bucks. The windscreen I carry and never use. That's fine. What actually surprised me is the coffee cup: it never stays nested, because I want one more cup for the trail and it ends up out of the pot every single morning anyway. Which also means it's the thing you leave at camp. Ask me how I know. New this round: a pot cozy I haven't tested yet, and a lid with a temperature gauge so I can stop boiling past what I need. Full breakdown and gear links in the bio. #cookkit #ultralightbackpacking #titaniumcookware #backpackinggear #lifeisbeta

3

Out with the sucky Milwaukee case for the Hole Dozer kit. In with the Packout Insert from @codebreakerlabs_au - great upgrade.

4
2

Winter storm power outage is an opportunity to try out your preps in a far more controlled way. The @nonormalco coffee paste is surprisingly good. Wasn’t planning on getting to try it out till my next backpacking trip.

5

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