Gear Picks is a curated selection of products we’ve tested and heartily recommend. We stand by this gear—and the brands that sell it—and many of our editors and writers use this stuff weekly. We often feature gear we’ve included in our bi-annual Buyer’s Guides and online roundups, presented here in an easy-to-scroll format. We only feature deals on gear we’ve tested ourselves and, whenever possible, provide a link to a past review so you can make sure it’s something that suits your lifestyle—ideally at a steeply discounted price. Happy shopping—and gear-picking.
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Our Gear Guy loves the Hydro Flask 32-ounce tumbler. With one of these suckers, he can “nurse a single pour for hours without having to worry about lukewarm beer.” The same goes for hot drinks—a freshly brewed cup of coffee will stay warm for up to six hours.
We like snuggling up in this organic cotton shirt on rainy days or relaxed evening hikes. The Fjord is one of our favorite fall flannels for women. “The pearl buttons add just the right amount of femininity and will catch the light on sunny days,” we wrote.
We love the Boulder X’s classic leather build, super cushioned sole, and grippy Vibram rubber outsole. Contributor Jakob Schiller fully endorsed it in his article about the best approach shoes. “I loved them so much I wore one pair for four years straight,” he wrote.
We named the Gaea the best aerobic layer in our 2019 Winter Buyer’s Guide. It’s “warm where you need it to be while remaining supremely breathable,” one tester wrote. It has insulation across the chest, at the shoulders, and in the collar, while the uninsulated mesh back panel keeps you from overheating on high output missions.
This is the midlayer that makes life easier on 20-degree high-alpine backcountry excursions. “The outer fabric on the Proton LT was more wind resistant than many of the other jackets,” we wrote in our review.
Keep your kid’s waterworks at bay on hikes or backpacking trips with this carrier. In our test of child carriers, the Poco AG Plus was “by far the sturdiest, most durable, and most stable of all the packs I’ve tried,” wrote our tester. At 7.6 pounds, the pack is heavier than some comparable models but also includes 26 liters of gear capacity.
Kodiak’s Fernie boot was editorial assistant Claire Hyman’s most used piece of gear from 2019. “It keeps my feet perfectly warm and dry, with a soft microfiber lining and a seam-sealed waterproof upper,” she wrote. Plus, the understated style means it looks just as good on a snowy hike as it does out to dinner.
Columnist Wes Siler included this piece in his fall roundup of timeless wardrobe staples. “Compared to nylon soft shells, this thing is going to hold up to—and look better with—wear, and the zippers and stitching are built to match,” he wrote. The G-1000 fabric is heavier than nylon, so it’s not ideal for thru-hikes but otherwise works like a charm.
Our testers hailed the StretchDown as one of their favorite winter puffies. “A snug hood and 800-fill down retained warmth on 20-degree mornings,” one wrote. It's also a staff pick.
The StretchDown is a staff favorite. "This puffy is made with a nylon-elastane face fabric that's super stretchy, so it's great for increased range of motion for climbing, hiking, and skiing," said gear editor Ariella Gintzler.
In our roundup of the best puffies of 2019, the Thorium was our favorite for its durability. This jacket is sheathed with a stout face fabric and a DWR finish, so it can take a beating. Plus, it has water-resistant insulation at the spots most likely to get wet.