HIKE GEAR NOTEHike Gear Note

Picked by a gear nerd who reads official spec sheets side by side

Choose mountain gearby the official numbers

Hiking boot weight, rainwear waterproof rating and breathability, headlamp run time. I line up the numbers the makers publish, then set the rankings and pick a favorite.

Hiking boots →Backpacks →Rainwear →Headlamps →Trekking poles →Clothing →Watches →Stoves & cookware →Sleeping bags & pads →Tents →Socks →Trail food & meals →Safety & first aid →Winter gear →Accessories →

Photos (Unsplash): Rohit Tandon / Johannes Plenio / Caspian Dahlström

English edition. Specs come from the makers' official pages in Japan. Prices are in Japanese yen (JPY) from Japanese online stores, and most shops ship within Japan only. Links marked JP open pages in Japanese. Buying from outside Japan? Rakuten's own forwarding service, Rakuten Global Express, ships Rakuten Ichiba orders to more than 80 countries and regions. Gas canisters and spray cans can't be shipped, and lithium batteries are capped at 100Wh per pack. Check their shipping quote before you order.

Time spent reading spec sheets,
choosing gear for the mountains

For hiking boots, weight per boot and width; for backpacks, weight per liter of capacity; for rainwear, waterproof rating and breathability. I line up the makers' published numbers, add figures I calculate myself, and check them against store prices. Then I rank them and pick one favorite.

Latest articles

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): finetrack Flow Wrap Pants (men's) / finetrack Everbreath Snowline Pants (men's) / Millet Typhon Warm Pants / finetrack Flow Wrap Hoodie (men's)finetrack Flow Wrap Pants ReviewHow it differs from the Snowline. A mid-shell pant I recommend for people who want to keep their legs warm and keep moving in winter mountains. The finetrack Flow Wrap Pants come out in early October at ¥19,800 and 225g (men's M). A new crotch gusset has been added.Review · October 18, 2026

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Gregory Baltoro 65 (2026 model)Gregory Baltoro 65 ReviewRelease date and changes in the 2026 model. The pack I recommend for multi-day traverses with heavy loads and tent camping. The 2026 Gregory Baltoro 65 is ¥57,200 and 2.278kg (M), with a max load of 27kg. The back panel and side pockets have been redesigned.Review · October 18, 2026

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Ice Mid Waterproof / Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX / Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Ice Waterproof (low-cut)Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Ice ReviewHow it differs from the Moab 3. A winter Moab I recommend for people who want one pair for winter foothills and snowy streets. The Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Ice goes on sale October 9 at ¥28,600. It has a Vibram outsole that grips wet ice and a roomier last.Review · October 18, 2026

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): karrimor AR 20 / karrimor AR 15 / Deuter Speed Lite 21 / Salomon ADV SKIN 12karrimor AR 20 ReviewRelease date, price and how it differs from the AR 15. My pick for fast day hikes when you want to keep moving without taking your pack off. The karrimor AR 20 was released February 12, 2026, at ¥20,000 and 470g. The vest-style shoulder straps have four pockets.Review · October 18, 2026

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): ARAI TENT Light Air Raiz 1 / ARAI TENT Air Raiz 1 / Heritage Hi-Revo (1-person) / ARAI TENT Light Air Raiz 2ARAI TENT Light Air Raiz 1 ReviewRelease date and how it differs from the Air Raiz. The solo tent I recommend for people who want the Air Raiz's ease of use with a lighter load. The ARAI TENT Light Air Raiz 1 is new for June 2026 at 1,040g. The floor area is the same as the Air Raiz 1, and it is 320g lighter.Review · October 18, 2026

Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Suunto Core 2 / Garmin Instinct 3 Dual Power 45mm / Suunto Vertical 2Suunto Core 2 ReviewRelease date, price and how it differs from the original Core. A watch I recommend for people who want to track altitude and weather changes on their wrist without worrying about charging. The Suunto Core 2 goes on sale October 22 at ¥39,600 and runs up to 15 months on a replaceable coin battery.Review · October 18, 2026

6 articlesBOOTS

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Hiking boots

Weight per boot, waterproof material, width. Narrow it down by the numbers before you try them on

5 articlesBACKPACK

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Backpacks

Weight per liter of capacity and back panel design. Narrow it down by the numbers before you put it on

8 articlesRAIN SHELL

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Rainwear

Waterproof rating and breathability. The same number can mean different things depending on how it is measured

2 articlesHEADLAMP

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Headlamps

Lumens and run time. Read from the standard how many hours the brightness lasts

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Trekking poles

Choose weight, length and folding style by the numbers

How to choose trekking poles and their length

7 articlesLAYERS

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Clothing

Choose each layer by weight and material

5 articlesWATCH

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Watches

Battery life and weight. Read by the numbers how many hours it lasts in the mountains

2 articlesSTOVE

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Stoves & cookware

Read output, weight and gas canister type by the numbers

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Sleeping bags & pads

Comfort rating and R-value. How to read the labels for a temperature you can sleep at in the mountains

NANGA Aurora Tex Light 480DX Review

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Tents

Choose weight and floor area by the numbers

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Socks

Thickness and material. Choose the layer inside your boots by the numbers

Choosing hiking socks: thickness and wool content

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Trail food & meals

Calories per gram and water needed. Choose the food in your pack by the numbers

3 articlesSAFETY

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Safety & first aid

Choose emergency gear by weight and contents

1 articleWINTER

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Winter gear

Number of points and weight. Read from the range of use the makers list

Chain spikes vs. light crampons: differences and how to choose

3 articlesACCESSORIES

HIKE GEAR NOTE / Accessories

Sunglasses, hats, gloves. Choose small gear by the numbers

Hiking gear coming soon or just released

See the full release calendar (27 items) →

10/22Coming soonWatchesGarmin Enduro 4Official price ¥138,000 · Pre-orders from October 15Read the article on this item →Rakuten Ichiba
10/22Coming soonWatchesSuunto Core 2Official price ¥39,600 · Announced October 15. An ABC watch without GPS, up to 15 months on a coin batteryRead the article on this item →Rakuten Ichiba
10/29Coming soonWatchesAmazfit T-Rex Dual SolarOfficial price ¥109,800 · Pre-orders from October 16Read the article on this item →
OctoberComing soonClothingfinetrack Flow Wrap (Hoody and Pants / renewed)Official price: Hoody ¥29,700, Pants ¥19,800 · Rolling out from early October (official schedule). Own-store-only model from mid-OctoberRead the article on this item →Rakuten Ichiba
OctoberComing soonClothingMillet Semnoz Ripstop Pants (new SEMNOZ item for fall/winter 2026)Official price ¥16,500 · Announced as a new fall/winter item in the official press release of October 7. On sale on the product page, marked NEW and new for fall/winter 2026 (no specific release date listed)Read the article on this item →Rakuten Ichiba

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Rankings (15) →Reviews (25) →How to choose (8) →New gear (1) →

How this site works

Numbers come from the makers' official product pages and descriptions of the standards, and sources are listed at the bottom of each article.
Rankings are chosen by the writer based on weight, waterproof figures, construction, price and more, with a reason given for each rank.
Numbers I could not confirm are marked "not confirmed" and left blank. Prices are as of the day I checked.
Gear cannot change mountain weather or trail conditions. Match your plans and gear to the mountain and the season. This is not an official site of any maker.