Load them up, kick them through the snow—these haulers will serve you well no matter what. (Charles Dustin Sammann) Mystery Ranch Saddle Peak ($229) We demand a lot from our packs: they need to accommodate a variety of loads, move with us, and carry comfortably on our backs. Until pack makers design the one that can do it all, we’re left weighing pros and cons. Of all the packs we tested this year, the Saddle Peak demanded the fewest compromises. Mystery Ranch—based in Bozeman, Montana—designed it to tame the local Bridger Bowl Ski Area. There

Just remember one thing: it’s all about fit. (Charles Dustin Sammann) Petzl Sirocco ($130) Stop thinking of helmets as accessories. They are crucial tools that have gotten so many major upgrades in the past few years it’s hard to keep track of them all. Take the new Sirocco. Weighing in at about a third of a pound, Petzl’s new lid is the lightest one we’ve ever tested. It’s also one of the most breathable, with an astonishing 24 vents. “I forgot I was wearing a helmet!” exclaimed one tester after summiting Mount Shasta on an

Cylindrical lenses that strike the perfect balance between performance and price. (Charles Dustin Sammann) Oakley Fall Line ($190) Old-school goggle lenses were formed flat and then bent to fit goggle frames, inducing headaches by warping the light and forcing your brain to make sense of the distorted images. Then early iterations of lenses thermoformed on a cylinder (no need to bend them) took over the high end, only to be replaced with top-dollar spherical lenses that mimic the shape of the human eye. But recent refinements in how cylindrical lenses are built—less distortion for less

Even outdoor gear deserves a second chance. (Courtesy Woolrich) Woolrich Civil War Gettysburg Wool Blanket ($115) These thick 1800s-era blankets were  first issued to Union soldiers to keep them warm. The modern version is still tough as nails, but now it’s made of 80 percent wool gathered from the cutting-room floor. Buy Now (Charles Dustin Sammann) ShotzSki Shot Ski (From $175) No après-ski throwdown is complete without a shot ski. Our favorite maker, ShotzSki has a host of recycled planks to choose from (fat, skinny, old, and new). Pick a design

Wherever your cold-weather escape trajectory leads, these best-in-class shades improve the view. (Courtesy Sunski) Sunski Plover ($58) Sunski, as ever, delivers quality and style that could easily cost twice as much. The Plover’s synthetic lenses are both polarized and mirrored—often premium upgrades. We put the optics to the test on a relentlessly sunny weekend on and next to the Pacific, where inferior lenses would have left our eyes fried. Buy Now (Courtesy Spy) Spy Cyrus Whitewall ($130) Aggro, loud, some screamingly unnatural red-orange color—you may not love such things in your

Tools that make it impossible to take a bad picture. (Courtesy Pentax) Pentax KP ($1,100) Stop shooting vacation photos on your iPhone and use this lightweight 1.5-pound box instead. The 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor captures bigger, richer files than your cell, making for better prints. Plus, the KP has a massive ISO range—up to 819,200—for crisp low-light shots. It can snap seven frames per second and has a weather seal to keep you firing in rain and snow. You’ll need a fast lens to get the most out of this Pentax, but it’s a setup worth

Comfy, classy shoes for ski-beat feet. (Courtesy The North Face) The North Face ThermoBall Traction Bootie ($60) This PrimaLoft-insulated kick was like a puffy jacket for our feet. The North Face also slapped on a lugged rubber outsole that had mind-blowing grip even while we were drinking beers on parking-lot ice. Bonus points: that outsole is made from recycled materials. Buy Now (Courtesy Vans) Vans Remedy Boot ($160) Vans ventures away from its home in Southern California and toward the wintry north with this boot that features a durable galosh-like lower

Win the parking lot post-ski scene. Tembo Tusk Skottle Kit (Courtesy Tembo Tusk) Tembo Tusk Skottle Kit ($275) The skottle—think a shallow wok with legs—makes an ideal grilling surface for post-pow steaks and veggies. Invented by South African farmers who repurposed old disc harrows from tractors, the propane-fueled cooking tool has gained popularity among U.S. overlanders because of its simple design and giant grilling surface. Buy Now (Courtesy Patagonia) Patagonia Iron Forge Hemp Canvas Double Knee Pants ($79) Ditch your crinkly, uncomfortable ski pants for these soft, warm, nearly indestructible work

Care for your digits. Arc’teryx Rush SV ($275) Arc’teryx debuted the Alpha glove a couple of years ago, with a revolutionary build: it sealed the membrane stitches with waterproof tape, making the Alpha the most weatherproof glove we’ve ever tested. The Alpha has now been upgraded to the Rush, with a removable quick-drying liner. Think of it as hard-shell armor for your hands. Buy Now Black Diamond Helio ($200) Versatility was on full display during a ski tour in Crested Butte, where the three-in-one Helio proved to be our

Survive a night (or two or three) in the snow. (Courtesy Mammut) Mammut Trion Light 38 Pack ($160)  Mammut’s Trion lets you jam in gear for days in the backcountry but is optimized for fast-and-light summit bids. Removable hip pads and top pouch slim things down when ounces count. Buy Now (Courtesy MSR) MSR Remote 2 Tent ($800) The Remote 2’s spacious, 33-square-foot interior and cavernous vestibule made waiting out a storm almost pleasant. The burly composite poles held steady in 30-mile-per-hour winds. Buy Now

Rugged, refined timepieces for nights out, the depths, and, yes, even space. (Courtesy Luminox) Luminox Navy SEAL 3500 ($375)  Luminox took the perennial favorite Navy SEAL model and gave it an update, with a less cluttered dial and the minor flourish of a red second hand. The 3500 is a remarkably tough piece of horology for such a reasonable price; the carbon-compound case is a perfect combination of lightweight and durable, and the luminescent markers will glow for up to 25 years. Buy Now (Courtesy Nixon) Nixon Station Chrono Leather