Big Agnes’ Insulated AXL Air Pad Named 2018 Backpacker Editors’ Choice

March 13, 2018

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (March 13, 2018) – Big Agnes announced today that it has been awarded a 2018 Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award for its 10.6-ounce Insulated AXL Air pad. The honor is one of the most prestigious awards in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of outstanding innovation in design, materials and performance. This is the 12^th Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award for Big Agnes.

“We are proud to be pushing the boundaries on ultra-light comfort in the pad category,” said Bill Gamber, Big Agnes co-founder and president. “The AXL Air pad and Insulated AXL Air pad are by far the lightest and most comfortable we’ve made to-date. Our customers will love that they no longer have to choose between ultra-light and comfort, like many of our products they offer the best of both worlds.”

The 2018 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards started 25 years ago and continues to honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of  experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.

The Insulated AXL Air mattress inflates to a thickness of 3.5 inches and is offered in five sizes. The 20”x72” mummy pad weighs 10.6-ounces and packs down to the size of a soda can. It combines a high tenacity propriety nylon rip-stop shell with internal minimalist construction for an unmatched comfort-to-weight ratio. The PrimaLoft® Silver insulation and heat reflective barrier trap heat for a warm night’s sleep and its large outer chambers create a cradling effect to prevent users from rolling off the pad.

“Backpacker gear reviews set the benchmark by which all others are measured,” said Dennis Lewon, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. “That’s because no other magazine or website conducts field-testing as rigorously or impartially as the crew led by our Gear Editor, Eli Boschetto. Under Eli’s leadership, they put new products through punishing real-world abuse in the toughest terrain and worst weather. Eli also oversees a transparent process that has earned an unrivaled level of trust from readers, retailers and manufacturers. The result is best-in-class reviews that lead consumers to best-in-class gear.”

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About Big Agnes: Named for a peak in the nearby Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, Big Agnes®, Inc. is located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and produces award-winning sleeping bags, pads, tents and insulated apparel. For more information, visit www.bigagnes.com or call 1-877-554-8975.