Gear Picks
Change Up Your Trail Food Game with These Tasty Snacks
Nowadays you have more options than ever, from nutrient-dense seeds to bars that taste like they came out of your grandma’s kitchen. Here are six of our favorites.
Featured
$6.00
from Amazon
Almond butter might be a healthier alternative to peanut butter, but it lacks the natural sweetness of its latter. Justin’s solution? Add a bit of honey powder to the mix. We love this pouch which strikes the right balance of protein, fat, and carbs. It goes well on bananas and apples or tastes great by itself.
$21.00
Sunflower seeds are a workhorse snack packed with B vitamins, healthy fats, protein, and magnesium. These single-serve packs of kernels were developed by Olympic skier Jonny Moseley and his wife, who were looking for healthy on-the-go fuel for their active family. The Classic is flavored with pink Himalayan salt and is exactly the savory note we crave on hot mountain bike rides and hikes.
$8.00
$6.00
from REI
25% off
Biltong is a South African snack that was brought to the U.S. in recent years. It’s like jerky, but more tender. Kalahari’s version is straight-forward, with no sugar or soy and packed with protein (16 grams per ounce). Our favorite flavor is garlic.
$3.00
from REI
The Tiki Bar has only eight ingredients (all of which you can actually pronounce) and tastes full-on tropical thanks to a heavy wave of mango and a light side of coconut. The lemon zest adds a kick and the almond butter-honey combo provides a welcome density to keep you full.
$15.00
We’re indifferent about the fact that each Wise Bar is infused with CBD, but we’re completely stoked about the use of lemon and ginger, which adds a snappy note to the bar’s filling foundation of dates, almonds, and oats.
$7.00
OK, canned shellfish might sound like an odd trail snack. It’s not right for every occasion, but if you’re in the backcountry for extended periods of time and get tired of bars, a tin of these mussels can be the savory bite your body craves. Bonus: they’re loaded with B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids.
All Gear
$65
$45
from Amazon
31% off
These are Outside contributor Andrew Skurka’s favorite trekking poles. “[They] are not best in class, but they’re an irresistible combination of price and utility,” he wrote. “I’ve used these poles extensively, including on a thru-hike of the Wind River High Route, and I’ve recommended them to countless hikers.”
$25
$20
from REI
20% off
Don’t let falling temperatures keep you from getting your sweat on. Thin merino wool, like the kind used in the Chase beanie, is ideal for arduous winter activities, wicking moisture to help you stay dry and warm. We featured it in our 2019 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
$79
$26
from REI
67% off
We recommended this pack for the remote worker in our Holiday Gift Guide. The 20-liter Wayfinder is a versatile everyday pack made from durable ripstop nylon. Plus, it has all the tech features you need for work travel, like cord organizers and padded laptop sleeves.
$249
$174
from REI
30% off
The Micro Puff was our favorite jacket of 2018 because there’s a lot to love about this warm, superlight piece. “The PlumaFill is tacked between sheets of ten-denier nylon fabric in long strands, so it won’t shift and create cold spots,” our tester wrote.
Sponsor Content
NDO Wind Block Tights
$198
from Tracksmith
Running in the coldest conditions just got easier with the Tracksmith NDO Wind Block Tights. With double-sided with wind-blocking lining on the front and thighs, three pockets and snug, high-waisted fit, plus reflective sashes on the front thigh and back left calf for visibility in low light, you’ll be ready to brave the elements with confidence.
$180
$140
from REI
22% off
In 2019, we gave the Carbon X our coveted Gear of the Year award. “The Carbon X is the everyday runner’s superhero cape,” wrote testers Cory Smith and Lisa Jhung. “Hoka’s rocking-chair-like outsole propels heel and midfoot strikers onto their toes, maximizing launch.”
$300
$269
from Amazon
10% off
“Though we’ve tested pricier, more feature-rich watches, we liked the budget-friendly simplicity of the new M2,” wrote our Buyer’s Guide tester. “It provides all the data you want (heart rate, activity tracking, interval timers) without any extraneous, confusing metrics that you don’t need.”
$120
$100
from REI
17% off
Outside tester and mountain guide Andrew Skurka summed up the Lone Peak best in his roundup of backpacking shoes: “[It’s] a favorite of thru-hikers, who appreciate its extra-wide toe box and generously cushioned 25-millimeter stack height when putting in long days on well-maintained trails.”
$199
$150
from Amazon
25% off
This quiet, four-speed tool helps ease sore muscles. “It doesn’t come with a lot of frills—there is no carrying case and no extra attachments—but it is a solid piece of machinery that can give you a relatively deep massage,” wrote our tester. “For the majority of people, the Impact is likely as much of a gun as they’ll ever need.”
$1400
$1200
from REI
14% off
We featured this trainer in our 2021 Buyer’s Guide roundup of the best home gym gear. “Sync this trainer with popular apps like Zwift to simulate real rides or plot your own—the Neo 2T changes resistance to mimic descents and hills up to a 25 percent grade,” wrote tester Hayden Carpenter. “It folds for storage and fits most setups.”
$120
$90
from Backcountry
25% off
Back in 2017, we rounded up the best hiking shoes, according to adventure guides. The Boulder X made the cut: “The laces go all the way down to the toes so it's easy to fine-tune the fit and the Vibram outsole grips equally well to wet and dry surfaces,” wrote one guide.
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. Whenever possible, we 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.