New McKenzie River Trail Backpacking Guide, Sea to Summit Telos Tent Review, and More!🌲🌲🌲

A backpacker in front of crystal-clear aquamarine water.

Hi Friends!

Spring has officially sprung in the Pacific Northwest, and we're expecting some spectacular sunny weather this week! Be aware that low humidity and predicted winds create prime conditions for early-season wildfires, so please call your local burn hotline before you have a campfire just to be safe.

We spent a few days backpacking last week on the McKenzie River Trail, and we're stoked to share what we learned about it in our latest trip guide.

While we were out hiking, we tested some awesome new gear including the new Sea to Summit Telos TR2 and Alto TR2 backpacking tents, the new and improved Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 Backpack, the Soto WindMaster Stove, and the Soto Thermostack Combo Cookset. It was a hoot! Get all the details in the links below.

As always, thanks for following our adventures, and make sure to hit us up on social media.

- CleverHiker Team

McKenzie River Trail Trip Guide
The McKenzie River Trail ventures through old lava flows, past views of crystal-clear blue waters, and traverses lush old-growth forests. It’s a relatively short and easy backpacking trip that you can hike over a long weekend if your time is limited, and it’s one of the few routes that’s accessible in spring and early summer in the Pacific Northwest. Plus, there's a hot springs on route!

Best Backpacks
Whether you’re planning an epic thru-hike or a quick weekend jaunt, your backpack will be one of the most important gear decisions you make. From frameless ultralight packs to rugged heavy-duty haulers, we’ll help you choose the perfect one to keep you comfortable on the trail for many years to come. Check out this quick list of our favorites with in-depth reviews.

Best Men's Hiking Sandals
Sometimes you just have to let the tootsies wiggle free, we get that. Hiking sandals are a great alternative to traditional hiking footwear, especially for particularly hot or wet climates. We hiked thousands of miles through mountains and streams in a plethora of different sandals to bring you this list of the very best hiking sandals on the market.

Sea to Summit Telos 2 Tent Review
The Sea to Summit Telos TR2is an innovative tent with a lot of unique features to love. It has more headroom than any 2-person backpacking tent in its weight class, which makes it feel a lot more livable than many others. And with other creature comforts, like the light-dispersing Lightbar and adaptable ventilation, the Telos feels like a little slice of luxury in the backcountry.

Leave No Trace Backpacking
Learning to practice Leave No Trace backpacking is one of the most important skills any backpacker can learn. Doing it right will minimize your impact on the environment and leave pristine wilderness areas for years to come. Learn how to reduce your impact on the wild places you love in our Leave No Trace video, which is part of our Essential Trail Skills Series.

Best Women's Hiking Sandals
Sometimes you just have to let the tootsies wiggle free, we get that. Hiking sandals are a great alternative to traditional hiking footwear, especially for particularly hot or wet climates. We hiked thousands of miles through mountains and streams in a plethora of different sandals to bring you this list of the very best hiking sandals on the market.

GEAR PICK OF THE WEEK

Soto Windmaster Backpacking Stove
& Thermostack Combo Cookset

The Soto Windmaster is a highly efficient stove that, as the name would imply, performs beautifully in windy conditions. This powerful little stove boils very quickly, and was noticeably quieter than many other stoves we've used. We love that it can be adapted to suit many different pots with the option to be used with the included 4-prong attachment or with an ultralight 3-prong attachment. While it's slightly heavier and bulkier than some of our other favorite stoves, it's still quite manageable and packs a lot of power for such a neat little package. We like to pair it with Soto's Thermostack Combo cookset which includes a 750 ml pot, a couple of cups to share a hot drink with a friend, tongs to pull your pot or cups off the stove, and a stuff sack that doubles as a pot cozy to keep your meal warm.

Check out the Windmaster on our Best Backpacking Stoves Guide.

View the Windmaster Stove on Amazon

View the Thermostack Cookset on Amazon

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