Gear Picks

Our tester Andrew Skurka wrote a long-term review of the UberLite and found it ideal for three-season conditions (its insulation is good enough for temperatures down to 30 degrees.) This pad is as comfortable as the revolutionary NeoAir XLite, but cuts down weight by 3.2 ounces and isn’t as noisy when moving around.

The Insulated V Ultralite SL weighs just 15.2 ounces and rolls up to the size of a Nalgene for storage. We included it among the best winter camping gear in our 2019 Winter Buyer's Guide, where its quick inflation time (as few as seven breaths) won us over.

The synthetic insulation in the Ventrix is made to be active, with gill-like vents cut into the underarms to dump heat. The soft face fabric glides easily under your shell for perfect layering when the weather turns. We included this jacket as one of our favorite splurge items.

Our tester loved the ability to seamlessly swap between AAA batteries and the rechargeable ones that come with the ReVolt. And the torch has a max output of 300 lumens, which is nearly bright enough to light up an entire campsite.

Our tester Wes Siler loves these shoes for hiking and backpacking trips. Siler said the Lone Peak 4 “is more comfortable and has better grip than anything else I’ve tested.” Altra designed the Lone Peak 4 for hikers and runners with a wide, comfortable footbed and exceptional traction on anything from loose dirt to slippery mud.