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
$97
from Backcountry
25% off
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.
$24.00
from REI
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.
$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.
All Gear
$98
$64
from Huckberry
35% off
Marine Layer makes supremely soft clothing that feels buttery on the skin. That’s why our reviews editor likes the men’s yoga joggers for light workouts and lounging around the house.
$499.00
$276
from Amazon
45% off
Contributor Andrew Skurka tested the Ambit3 Peak for more than 1,500 miles and 300 hours in 2018. For ultra runners and backpackers, the Ambit3 Peak excels in three important ways: its long-lasting battery, its barometer, and price. “It makes the traditional outdoor ABC watch obsolete,” he wrote.
$125.00
$99.00
from Amazon
21% off
This portable jump starter is the size of a sandwich, but has the juice to single-handedly revive a vehicle. Charge it via the included USB cable, and throw it in the trunk for additional peace of mind wherever you drive.
$20.00
$17.00
from Moosejaw
15% off
Our Gear Guy called the Lowball the only Yeti product you actually need. “I’ve been using this tumbler almost every day since August 2015, and after four and a half years of heavy use, it still works just as well as the day I got it,” he wrote.
Sponsor Content
ATG by Wrangler™ Mixed Material Shirt (Women’s)
$40
from ATG by Wrangler™
Bring comfort and style with you on your next outdoor adventure. The Women’s Mixed Material Shirt made with 85 percent recycled materials is quick drying with UPF 50 to keep you cool and protected from the sun. The comfortable stretch and zipper pockets add the functionality you need to play (or work) hard outside.
$50
$40
from Moosejaw
20% off
The Storm is a perfect example of how far headlamps have come. It’s moderately priced but pumps out 370 lumens from a proximity beam—ideal for working in close quarters or as a spotlight when you’re on the trail. We really like the battery meter, which shows how much juice you have left in your AAAs. Oh, and it’s fully waterproof.
$175
$131
from Backcountry
25% off
Outside Business Journal contributor Amelia Arvesen put the Abisko Trekking Tights through the wringer: “I’ve worn them on hikes, on multi-pitch climbs, to my circuit class at the gym, and to keep me warm when hanging around town,” she wrote. “Needless to say, they’ve become my go-to pants.”
$95
from Huckberry
“It’s easy to spend upward of $500 on field binoculars, but for the beginner or intermittent enthusiast, Nocs makes a solid pair at an affordable price,” our tester wrote. “[The Nocs] are the pair I reach for when I’m scoping out a new face at the birdbath.”
$23.00
from Backcountry
“This sock did everything extremely well, but mostly it was just damn comfy,” wrote our Gear Guy. The Hiker provides a nice cushion for the heel and forefoot without being too bulky, and the fit is super snug. The merino-nylon-spandex blend is odor-resistant and never itchy.
$280
$140
from Backcountry
50% off
The Flight Futurelight is one of our favorite shells for trail runs in any type of weather. “The Futurelight membrane acts like a nano-sieve: it’s permeable to air but not water, so it’s fully weatherproof and remarkably breathable,” wrote tester Martin Fritz Huber in our 2020 Summer Buyer’s Guide.
$25
$22
from Amazon
12% off
“This torturous-looking device is my go-to tool for relieving pain and relaxing stubbornly tight muscles,” wrote tester Aleta Burchyski. “With one or two consecutive daily uses, I feel more mobile and free of discomfort for a few days.”
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.