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.

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How to choose

How to chooseHow to Buy Japanese Hiking Gear Overseas: Packs, Poles, DutyFour ways to buy Japanese hiking gear from overseas: Rakuten forwarding, buying agents, local shops and shop-to-abroad shipping. Packs and poles, US and Taiwan duty, gas and batteries, from official pages.Oct 19, 2026
Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Swans Df.Pathway polarized lens model PW-0051／Swans LUNA photochromic lens model LN-0066Z／The North Face Horizon Hat (unisex)／Petzl e+LITEHow to Choose Hiking Sunglasses, and My Pick27% visible light transmittance at 20g. When choosing hiking sunglasses, look at visible light transmittance and UV transmittance separately. My pick is the Swans Df.Pathway polarized (27%, 20g, ¥15,400). I compared it with the photochromic LUNA and Montbell on official numbers, and chose 1 pick each for a hat and a backup light. The 3 together weigh 131g.How to choose · Oct 17, 2026
Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Evernew Q.E.L. Cleat／Evernew 6-point crampons EBY014／Black Diamond Serac Clip／Black Diamond RavenChain Spikes vs Light Crampons: Differences and How to ChooseThe official weights are 240g and 520g. I compared chain spikes and light crampons by the wording of their official range of use and by weight. My picks are Evernew's Q.E.L. Cleat (240g) and 6-point crampons (520g), and for 12 points the Black Diamond Serac Clip (905g). I also cover a rule of thumb for ice axe length and how to read the edge of a boot sole.How to choose · Oct 15, 2026
Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): SOL Emergency Bivvy／finetrack Tsuelt 1／Arai Tent Bivouac Tsuelt 1 Long／SOL Rescue Floating WhistleHow to Choose an Emergency Sheet and a Tsuelt for HikingA 165g difference in weight. My picks for an emergency sheet and a tsuelt are the SOL Emergency Bivvy (108g) and the finetrack Tsuelt 1 (230g). I compared them at ¥15.2 to ¥105.9 per 1g.How to choose · Oct 19, 2026
Products shown (Rakuten Ichiba): Deuter First Aid Kit Active／Deuter First Aid Kit／Deuter First Aid Kit ProHiking First Aid Kits: What to Pack and How to ChooseEight cases weigh 31 to 115g. None of the 8 first aid cases I compared had a list of contents on its official page. For a day hike alone, my pick is the Deuter First Aid Kit Active (45g); for overnight trips or groups, the same maker's Pro (100g). For what goes inside, I list the items named by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Nara Prefecture and Ishikawa Prefecture, with sources.How to choose · Oct 15, 2026
Pictured (Rakuten Ichiba): CalorieMate Block Chocolate Flavor, 4 sticks (check the count if buying by the case)4 Top Picks for Hiking Trail Food, Chosen by Calories1.38 to 5.00 kcal per 1g. If you choose hiking trail food by calories, my pick is CalorieMate Block at 5.00 kcal per 1g. Comparing 5 products by their official nutrition labels, 500 kcal weighs between 100g and 361g. Imuraya's sports yokan costs ¥111.7 per 100 kcal, and the coffee flavor has 40mg of caffeine per 1 stick.How to choose · Oct 15, 2026
Products pictured (Rakuten Ichiba): Onishi Foods Alpha Rice Gomoku Gohan 100g (1 serving)Freeze-dried meals for backpacking? 3 picks by situation200g and 320ml of hot water per night. Using alpha rice and freeze-dried food for backpacking meals, food for a 1-night, 2-day trip (dinner + breakfast) came to 200g, with 320ml of hot water to rehydrate it. My picks: Onishi's Gomoku Gohan for dinner, Onishi's white rice for breakfast, and Amano Foods' oyakodon topping as the side. I also calculated calories per gram from the official weight, calories and water amounts.How to choose · Oct 15, 2026
Pictured (Rakuten Ichiba): COROS APEX 4 (46mm)／Garmin Instinct 3 Dual Power 45mm／Suunto Vertical 2／DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Standard ComboHow to Choose a Hiking GPS Watch, and My Pick51g and 65 hours, plus a camera and a power source. I choose a hiking GPS watch by weight and battery mode. My pick is the 46mm COROS APEX 4 (51g, up to 65 hours, ¥69,960). I compared it with Garmin and Suunto by the numbers, and also picked a camera and a power source.How to choose · Oct 19, 2026
Pictured (Rakuten Ichiba): Deuter Speed Lite 21 / Mammut Lithium 20 / Mammut Lithium 30 / Millet Saas Fee NX 50+How to Choose a Hiking Backpack Size4 picks: 21 L for day hikes, 30 L for huts, 50 L for backpacking. I settled hiking pack size with one pick per use. Day hikes: the 21 L Deuter Speed Lite 21 (470g). Hut trips: the 30 L Mammut Lithium 30 (930g). Backpacking: the 50 L Millet Saas Fee NX 50+ (1,750g). I compared them at 20.6 to 35.0g per liter.How to choose · Oct 17, 2026