Trail Designs

01/18/2025

Retirement announcement

It has been an amazing 20 years for Trail Designs! Being part of the ultralight cottage industry is a wonderful experience.

We (Rand, Lee, and Russ) have collectively decided that 2025 is the year we find a new crew to continue Trail Designs. Our goal is to make this happen by the end of this year.

We are reaching out to you (our valued customers) to hopefully get some help finding the appropriate group of people to keep Trail Designs going for another 20 years.

Thank you all for all of your support. We will continue building our popular Caldera Cones and Ti-Tris through the end of November for sure. Hopefully things will continue in 2026 under new management.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Russ at [email protected]

02/23/2021

"The Caldera Cone is considered the gold standard for ultralight backpacking when it comes to alcohol stove systems...."

Backpacking stoves fall into three categories: isobutane canister stoves, alcohol stoves, and liquid fuel stoves. Here are our top picks for backpacking.

02/17/2021

Backpacker just identified us as one of the "7 Essential Ultralight Brands"!!! :-)

Ultralight gear is in. Pared-down kits are no longer subject to questions and eye-rolls on the trail, and larger gear companies not traditionally known From packs to purifiers, these gear companies can help you cut weight while still carrying everything you need.

12/15/2020

Friends, after 11 years it’s time to pushback on Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee. Sure it’s taken the “camp coffee” by storm but here's a solution for a stunning cup of camp coffee — a low cost and lightweight technique for brewing World Class Coffee in the backcountry!

Looking for the perfect camp coffee? Try our pour over coffee method to make the tastiest backpacking coffee you'll ever have!

07/16/2020

I recently picked up the Caldera cone system from Trail designs, and it is said to be super wind resistant! Well, let's put it up against a fan :) ...

05/06/2019

"Staff pick best backpacking stove! To our mind Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri Cooking System is the most practical cooking system on the market. It’s exceptionally light — about 1/3 the weight of a JetBoil. It’s very stable, wind resistant, and fuel efficient."

A 9 pound pack is all you need to be safe and warm. So, if you want to lower your pack weight but retain all the convenience and comfort of “traditional” backpacking, look no further than this Lightweight Backpacking Gear Checklist. This Backpacking Gear is suitable for most most 3-season trips ...

02/15/2019

"In 2010 I took the Ti-Tri on the Pacific Northwest Trail and was so delighted with it that I used it on my next two long-distance walks, the Scottish Watershed and Yosemite Valley to Death Valley. I’ll almost certainly use it on the next one too, though with the new Kojin burner rather than the 12-10 one as the Kojin is more durable and can retain unused fuel. I think I’ve finally found the ideal stove for long-distance walks. "

In the Grand Canyon on the Arizona Trail. Stove: Optimus Nova Back in the spring I posted pieces about the packs and shelters I’ve ...

05/13/2018

Trail Designs showing up in sub-5lb pack lists! :-)

Looking to reduce backpack weight to the absolute minimum? Then you’ve come to the right place. This ultralight backpacking gear list has the lightest possible gear that still makes practical sense. If used properly, a five pound ultralight pack will keep you just as safe, warm and dry as heavier,...

03/07/2017

Great post by Alan Dixon..... Stellar insights on backpacking stoves! :-)

Any hiker can use these Efficient Backpacking Tips to get more time to do what they love best outdoors. Whether it's covering more miles, extra time to enjoy the views, take photographs, fish, get some extra swimming in a lake or even (gasp!) a mid-afternoon nap. Lead photo: 15,000 ft afternoon nap…

05/14/2016

Nice nod from the Gear Institute.....we made the "Perfect Kit" for Ultralight Backpacking!

01/05/2016

Wow! Great review by Andrew Skurka! Maybe we should rename the Sidewinder the "Cadillac". Think GM would notice?

This is my go-to backpacking stove system. It’s ultralight, super durable, and extremely fuel efficient. Includes an extensive list & discussion.

01/04/2016

Very cool! Liz Thomas (Snorkel) teamed up with Backpacker to do an online thru-hiker training class. Check it out here:

Upgrade any adventure with online classes from AIM Adventure U, powered by Backpacker, Climbing, SKI, Skiing, Warren Miller Entertainment, and SNEWS.