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If you’ve got summer backpacking trips on the horizon, you’re in the right place. Memorial Day sales are currently popping up like alpine wildflowers after a summer rain, and we’ve sifted through thousands of deals to bring you 15 backpacking bargains that caught our eye. Below, you’ll find deals on everything from tents to hiking boots, each one hand-picked by our gear team.
Katadyn BeFree AC 1.0L Microfilter
A squeeze-bottle filter like the Katadyn BeFree AC 1.0L is a fantastic main squeeze for hydration on the trail. You can drink straight from the flexible bladder thanks to a built-in filtration system integrated into the cap. The system is easy to quickly fill up at creeks or rivers without taking off your pack, so if you’re hiking in a zone with ample opportunities to re-up, you can carry less weight and still hydrate to your heart’s content. Plus, you can also use the Katadyn bottle as a filter to fill up any other bottles and bladders your crew might be carrying. Even better? This nifty trail essential is on sale for 25 percent off during Backcountry’s Memorial Day sale.
Superfeet Insoles
Starting at $42 (25% off) at Superfeet
Sadly, most of our favorite hiking boots, shoes, and trail runners come with flimsy, floppy, and downright insufficient insoles. Luckily, Superfeet is offering 25 percent off and free shipping this Memorial Day, making it the perfect time to upgrade your footwear game. In our humble opinion, if you’re not going to get a custom orthotic (which can be prohibitively expensive), Superfeet are the next best thing. The insole specialist offers a smorgasbord of support styles for different activities, not to mention a variety of arch shapes and sizes, making it easy to narrow in on the right insole for you.
Smith Optics Contour
Here are a couple of facts for you. First off, Smith makes some of the best sunglasses on the market. Secondly, last season’s models like the Contour are now 40 percent off during the optics maker’s Memorial Day sale. If you’re adding a new pair to your alpine arsenal, these put the “style” in “versatile.” All questionable jokes aside, the boxy, matte tortoise shell frame is casual enough for everyday use, while the contrast-enhancing ChromaPop lenses and grippy nose pads make them well-suited to hiking and backpacking.
Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Mat
With summer around the bend, we’re all about highly packable, featherweight pads with low R-values like Sea to Summit’s Ultralight Air Sleeping Pad (currently on sale for $105) at the moment. However, thanks to Backcountry’s Memorial Day sale, it’s a smart time to plan ahead, prep for cold-weather backpacking, and add a pricier pad to your kit at a discounted price. Enter the four-inch-thick Ether Light XT Extreme Mat. Thermolite insulation gives it a winter-ready R-value of 6.2, and after a couple of winter trips and splitboard missions, we can attest to its prowess in sub-freezing temperatures and camping in the snow. It also packs down relatively well given the insulation at play, which helps explain the normal retail price of $249.
Hyperlite Contour 35
Finding a deal on a Hyperlite pack typically involves Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace and a hiker who’s ready to trade in their trail name for a 9-to-5. You, however, can fulfill your very own Dyneema dreams this Memorial Day as Hyperlite’s slashing 15 percent off sitewide. This includes the thru-hike-ready, fast-packing, frameless Contour 35, which weighs just under a pound in a size medium. Despite the drool-inducing weight, Hyperlite still outfitted the pack with shoulder strap pockets for effortless hydration access and expansive mesh pockets if you need to carry extra gear.
Hyperlight Southwest 55
If Hyperlite’s lightweight Dyneema packs have caught your eye but you’re looking for a little more volume, a more structured back panel, and extra features like zippered pockets on a padded hip belt, check out the Southwest. Available in 40, 55, and 70L sizes, the pack balances Hyperlite’s renowned lightweight construction with a more robust feature set, giving backpackers the best of both worlds.
Hyperlite Crosspeak 2
One last Hyperlite deal here before we move on. Weighing just over two pounds, the Crosspeak 2 is as lightweight as it comes for a freestanding two-person tent. Dyneema fabrics and strong yet slender DAC Featherlight poles help keep weight low and weatherproofing high. The price tag is hard to swallow, sure. But it does get a little easier at 15 percent off.
Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag 15F
$335 (33% off) at Steep & Cheap
At just a hair over two pounds for a regular 15F sleeping bag, Marmot’s Helium is worth checking out even if you’re paying full retail. Now discounted by 35 percent, the toasty mummy bag is an absolute steal. It features a Pertex Quantum fabric that balances minimal weight with maximum toughness and weather protection, and it comes stuffed with top-tier, 800-fill, hydrophobic goose down.
Icebreaker Merino 125 Cool-Lite Anatomica Boxer
Merino is your friend while hiking and backpacking, especially when it comes to keeping your nether regions cool, comfortable, and chafe-free. Not only does the wool fiber wick well and dry fast, but it possesses naturally odor-bashing, anti-microbial properties, too. Icebreaker’s 125 Cool-Lite Anatomica boxers are ready for long days—and long weeks—on the trail thanks to a blend of soft yet durable Tencell Lyocell, anti-stink merino, and elastane for stretch. The 125 grams-per-square-meter weight is light enough for sweltering summer adventures, and low-profile enough to wear under long johns during the colder months. If you’re in need, stock up now, because these A-grade undies don’t come cheap.
Icebreaker Merino 125 Cool-Lite Sprite Racerback Bra and Sprite Hipster Underwear
$49 (25% off) at Icebreaker—Bra
$34 (25% off) at Icebreaker—Underwear
These Icebreaker women’s essentials feature the same Cool-Lite fabric blend as the aforementioned men’s boxers: an anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, soft, and strong blend of Tencell Lyocell, merino, and elastane. The stretchiness of the elastane helps the underthings fit comfortably enough during marathon trekking sessions, while merino wicks moisture and mitigates stink. Both bra and underwear are now 25 percent off, making Memorial Day the perfect excuse to elevate your base layer game.
Keen Hightrail Waterproof Hiking Boot For $116
$116 (25% off) at Backcountry—Men’s
$116 (25% off) at Backcountry—Women’s
Puddles, mud, techy trail, long slogs—Keen’s highly rated Hightrail can handle it all. The streamlined, mid-high boot offers ankle stability and support without unnecessary weight, while Keen’s proprietary waterproof and breathable membrane keeps your socks dry. Factor in stout toe protection, grippy lugs, and a shock-absorbing midsole, and these hikers are ready to go the distance.
Keen Hightrail Waterproof Hiking Shoe
$109 (25% off) at Backcountry—Men’s
$109 (25% off) at Backcountry—Women’s
If you liked the sound of those Keen Hightrail boots but prefer a low cut, look no further. These singletrack-ready sneakers feature the same waterproofing, high-traction outsole, and cushioned midsole as the customer-beloved boots, but in a lower-profile, lighter silhouette. The shoe is also a little cheaper than the boot if you like to save a few bucks.
Bulletproof 5lb. Bag of French Kick Whole Bean Coffee
$70 (30% off) at Caffeinate From Bulletproof
What E10 fuel is to an F1 car, coffee is to the hiker. Memorial Day isn’t just a good time to stock up on gear—you can score major discounts on daily necessities like coffee, too. Bulletproof has you covered with a five-pound bag of their French Kick coffee, a suave dark roast with hints of cocoa.
Black Diamond Equipment Storm 500-R Rechargeable Headlamp
$60 (25% off) at Black Diamond
No more plastic bags filled with half-used AAA batteries. The Storm 500-R is a rechargeable headlamp that’s powered by an included lithium-ion battery. Toggling between the 500-lumen max output and tent-friendly dimmed or color settings is so easy you could do it with your eyes closed. Simple, efficient, and trusted by hikers and backpackers the world over, the Storm-R is a welcome addition to any adventurer’s kit, especially at 25 percent off.
From 2025