Gear Picks
Our Buyer’s Guide Favorites Are on Sale at REI
Save big on our favorite apparel from our Winter Buyer’s Guide, at REI’s Gear Up, Get Out sale now through November 25.
Featured
$129
from Backcountry
Made with recycled material, the Black Hole is a travel companion that you can feel good about. It’s equipped with an internal sleeve for laptop storage and smaller pockets for a wallet or phone. Our tester noted the Black Hole is also a great option for pure gear hauling.
$140.00
$112.00
from Backcountry
20% off
The Bitterblaze made it into our 2019 list of favorite gloves for a reason: they’re out-of-this-world warm. Outdoor Research lined them with aerogel—the überwarm, porous silica insulation used by NASA in its space suits.
$89.00
$62.00
from Backcountry
30% off
How did this baby make it on our very exclusive list of fall's best flannels? It has everything to do with the Fjord’s variety of colors and patterns, heavy-duty warmth, absurd softness, and two big chest pockets for holding your everyday carry essentials.
$100.00
from REI
With ultra-sticky rubber outsoles and leather uppers, these sport shoes are perfect for finding the edge on granite faces, climbing in the gym, or, if you’re like this guy, scaling 663-foot skyscrapers.
$249.00
The Micro Puff was our favorite jacket of 2018 because there’s a lot to love about this warm, super-light 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.
$160.00
from REI
These kicks were one of our favorite pairs in the 2020 Winter Buyer’s Guide. The paraffin-treated cotton upper and flannel lining is made to keep cold weather out of your soles. “The Vibram Megagrip outsole and reinforced leather accents make this vintage-inspired hiker even more winter-ready,” our tester wrote.
$65.00
from REI
In our 2020 Winter Buyer’s Guide roundup of the best flannel shirts, the super soft Flare Gun Stretch was a fan favorite. Our testers found themselves wanting to wear it a few days in a row—so they did.
$25
$19
from REI
24% off
On the slopes, you want your feet warm but not suffocated. That’s the thinking behind these socks, and it’s why we included them in our Winter Buyer’s Guide lineup. “The PhD Ski Ultra Light offers a snug, barely-there fit, but the nylon-merino-elastane-polyester blend still kept our toes warm,” our tester wrote.
$150.00
from REI
Don’t let winter halt your cycling schedule. With these pants, you won’t have to. Our tester loved the Summit AmFib Lite’s stretch, water-resistance, and thermal fleece fabric panels in the back.
All Gear
$150
$113
from Columbia
25% off
The Escape Summit OutDry was our favorite boot for wet hikes in our 2021 Summer Buyer’s Guide. “We raced up trails during muggy New Mexico monsoons and were flabbergasted by how well the membrane pulled sweat off our feet, keeping them dry and blister-free,” wrote our testers.
$85
$51
from Backcountry
40% off
Testers Ryan Stuart and Stephanie Pearson picked the Groundwork as a killer-value sleeping bag. “We were shocked to learn that this 20-degree synthetic mummy rings up under $100,” they wrote. “It’s a great pick for car camping or even short backcountry jaunts.”
$180
$135
from Dick’s Sporting Goods
25% off
“The Nike ZoomX Invincible shoe might not break speed records, but it rules for recovery runs,” wrote our Buyer’s Guide testers. “From top to bottom, Nike has created the best max-cushion shoe we’ve ever tested.” That’s why we gave it a Gear of the Year award.
$230
$172
from Backcountry
25% off
The Perimeter 50 pack won our Gear of the Year award in our 2021 Summer Buyer’s Guide for its no-frills design and ability to swallow gear. “If you’re looking for a pack that can fit both Mom and Dad and pivot from through-hiker to family wagon, the Perimeter is hard to beat,” wrote our testers.
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Revo Descend N
$199
Revo's best-selling Descend N glasses features NASA-based polarized lens technology with a rimless design with panoramic views for when you need to see it all.
Sponsor Content
The Birkenstock Outdoor Collection
$170
from Birkenstock
Legendary Birkenstock comfort, build to go off road, on trail, and everywhere in between. Meet the new collection of all-terrain, water-ready, outdoor sandals for every adventure. Available now at Birkenstock.com.
$68
$48
from Backcountry
29% off
“Baggy shorts sag during inversions, but a too-svelte fit can make lunges awkward. Manduka’s four-way-stretch Agility nails the balance, with a nine-inch inseam and 22- inch leg opening that feel just right,” wrote our Buyer’s Guide tester.
$110
$65
from Keen
41% off
“This strappy number is best for those who want the wind on their toes, even on technical terrain,” wrote our Summer Buyer’s Guide tester Jill Robinson. (Men: check out the Targhee Open Toe sandals.)
$150
$130
from Asics
13% off
Running shoe testers Cory Smith and Lisa Jhung picked the Asics Gel-Nimbus Lite 2 as the best shoe for everyday miles in our 2021 Summer Buyer’s Guide. “It feels like a well-worn favorite right out of the box,” they wrote. “Overall, it’s a refreshing departure from the traditionally stiff and firm Asics platform.”
$200
$160
from Backcountry
20% off
The fully-submersible Cyclone hip pack is the bag you want for SUP adventures. Its waterproof compartments made it one of our favorite accessories in our Summer Buyer’s Guide.
$179
$159
from Bose
11% off
Summer Buyer’s Guide tester Will Palmer picked the Bose Sport as the best earbuds for running. “The fit on the well-sealed, sweat- and water-resistant Sport is more secure than anything else in our test,” he wrote.
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.