I’ve been lucky enough to travel all my life, both for work and pleasure, from the arctic to equatorial tropics to scorching deserts. And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the right backpack.

Ultralight backpacking is exploding in popularity— and rightfully so: Going light means going farther, faster, and more comfortably, but you’ll need the right pack to do it with. We’ve been testing ...

For plenty of outdoorsmen and women, ultralight backpacking conjures up a particularly kooky image. Sawed-off toothbrushes. Dingy plastic water bottles with water filters screwed on top. Backpacks — ...