Life Is Beta

The Shop

Gear we actually use — every link goes through our affiliate tracker.

All Backpacking Camping Cooking Navigation Shelter
Camping
Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp

400 lumens, red night-vision mode, waterproof, and runs on AAAs. The headlamp we hand to everyone we take into the backcountry.

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Backpacking
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad

R-value 4.5, packs to the size of a Nalgene, and under a pound. The ultralight warmth-to-weight leader.

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Navigation
Garmin inReach Mini 2

Two-way satellite messaging and SOS from anywhere on earth. Non-negotiable for solo trips in remote terrain.

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Cooking
MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove

Weighs 2.6 oz and boils a liter in 3.5 minutes. The easiest first stove recommendation we make.

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Shelter
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent

3.5 lbs for a real two-person tent with two doors and two vestibules. The ultralight benchmark.

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Backpacking
Osprey Atmos AG 65 Pack

The gold standard for multi-day backpacking. Anti-gravity suspension makes a heavy load feel almost manageable.

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