Here’s the Gear Backpacker’s Editors Loved in May

With summer (and Outside Days) around the corner, the Backpacker editors are taking stock of how we spent our spring. And what a spring it was: There were camping trips in the Pacific Northwest, ski tours in the Rockies, and long paddles down the Colorado River. Before the season wrapped up, we got together to share some of the gear that’s kept us moving in its final stretch. From a stellar packraft to a smartwatch that can take any beating the outdoors can dish out, here’s what we picked.

Alpacka Chinook Packraft

$1,700 at Alpacka

A boat that packs small enough to fit in your backpack but is still spacious—and burly—enough to handle a weekslong paddling expedition sounds too good to be true. But in a test run with its makers on the Colorado River, the Alpacka Chinook hauled supplies as ably as it paddled. Designed for big lakes and coast-hugging ocean paddling but still nimble enough to handle light whitewater, the Chinook looks more like a kayak than a traditional packraft, with a defined stern and bow. In my test run, the thigh-strap-equipped boat plowed right through the occasional riffle and tracked well even when paddling into substantial headwinds. (A removable plastic skeg helped a bit, but I found that the boat stayed straight even without it.) Storage is exceptional, thanks to a watertight zipper that lets you stash gear in the tubes and a bow bag that keeps essentials within arm’s reach. The Chinook weighs 9.1 pounds and packs down small, roughly the size of a four-person backpacking tent. The 210d nylon hull and 840d floor shrugged off the occasional encounter with river rocks without so much as a scratch. (While I never damaged it, other paddlers with more time on Alpacka rafts said they had fixed punctures in the field with Teflon tape, UV-cured seam grip, and, for one particularly nasty tear, dental floss coated with sealant.) Caveat: At $1,700 before accessories, it’s a spendy steed. —Adam Roy, Editor-in-Chief

Coros Apex 2 Pro Watch

$449 at Coros

As a multisport enthusiast with poor spatial awareness, I’m famously hard on gear. That made me hesitant to hop on the smartwatch bandwagon. After all, I was the last person I would trust with anything worth $450—let alone a tiny wrist computer with a glass screen.

Then I kept hearing backpackers and ultrarunners recommend the same watch: the Coros Apex 2 Pro. “The battery life is amazing!” my friends had gushed. “And it’s super durable!” So, fine. I got one. Two years later, I can see what they’re on about.

The biggest surprise is that the watch’s sapphire glass—a mineral substance with near-diamond hardness made by superheating aluminum oxide—doesn’t have a single scratch. That’s despite countless scrambles, backpacking trips, rock climbs, and gym sessions. The battery only takes about 90 minutes to absorb a full charge, and it lasts three to four days with GPS tracking on (and two to three weeks without). The free topo maps are decent, and I’ve never had an issue with location accuracy, even in the deep valleys and rugged canyons of the San Juan Mountains. Another nice touch: the flexible nylon webbing material on my version isn’t prone to splitting or breaking like the silicone straps I’ve used in the past.

At this point, my chief concern isn’t that I’ll break it. It’s that it will outlast me—and I’ll have to figure out who to leave it to in my will. —Corey Buhay, Interim Managing Editor

Helinox Chair Zero LT

$120 at REI

I’ve never been one to carry a backpacking chair—the ground is fine, thank you very much—but finally I have a chair light and compact enough that I can justify bringing it along. Helinox’s newest camp chair is also the lightest in their lineup at just a shade over 1 pound. The DAC aluminum alloy frame and proprietary GhostGrid ripstop makes for a lightweight, abrasion-resistant seat that can hold up to 265 pounds. My favorite feature is the included X-strap that provides stability on soft surfaces like sand. The removable strap slips onto the end of the four chair legs to keep you upright on soft ground. The bucket seat is comfortable and secure with just enough back support. A handful of other camp chairs boast comparable low weight, but the Chair Zero LT strikes an ideal balance between price, comfort, durability, and weight. —Zoe Gates, Senior Editor