Essentials: Running

1. For cool night runs, pull on BROOKS‘s reflective, wicking VAPOR-DRY GLOVES. $28; www.brooksrunning.com

Running

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

2. No arms means no rub in NEW BALANCE‘s chafe-free SLEEVELESS CODE TOP, while the polyester fabric wicks sweat and dries fast. $36; www.newbalance.com

3. INSPORT‘s SOLTEC CAP keeps your melon cool and dry with mesh sides and a terry sweatband. $18; www.insport.com

4. Carry 22 ounces of cold water in NATHAN‘s THERMAL QUICKDRAW, a smart handheld with insulated bottle holder, soft hand strap, and zippered key pocket. $22; www.nathansports.com

5. SHOCK DOCTOR‘s X-ACTIVE INSOLES provide extra cushion, added stability, and a metatarsal arch that should relieve plantar fasciitis pain. $25; www.shockdoctor.com

6. PEARL IZUMI‘s slim-fitting polyester INFINITI VEST insulates your core and blocks wind without binding, thanks to a bit of stretch across the upper back. $70; www.pearlizumi.com

7. With ten different fabric panels addressing your foot’s every need—breathability, cushioning, even right and left fit—ASICS‘s QUARTER SOCKS are worth the splurge. $17; www.asicsamerica.com

8. Err on the safe but dorky side with STRIDELITE‘s flashing STROBE-LITE RUNNING BELT (four ounces with batteries). $30; www.stridelite.com

9. Give yourself a rubdown with TRIGGER POINT TECHNOLOGIES’ QUADBALLER , which kneads those muscles like a Swedish pro. $60; www.tpmassageball.com

Essentials: Riding

Riding

Riding

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

1. BLACKBURN‘s AIRFIX pairs a nine-piece multitool with a full-featured CO2 inflator. The only way to make changing a flat easier? Squeeze in a bike tech, too. $40; www.blackburndesign.com

2. It’s depressingly easy to damage lenses when switching between tints. But RUDY PROJECT‘s HORUS has plastic-framed lenses, which make for a quick, scratch-free swap. $175; www.rudyprojectusa.com

3. The SELLE SAN MARCO MAGMA MGC weighs half of what most saddles do and still feels surprisingly gentle on your soft parts. $199; www.velimpex.com

4. With on-ride gadgets galore, CRANK BROTHERS’ MULTI-19 is the next best thing to carrying a work stand. $30; www.crankbrothers.com

5. Why do so many pros choose TIME‘s RXS TITAN CARBON pedals? They’re strong and light (6.7 ounces per pair), and they offer ultimate power transfer. $300; www.timesportusa.com

6. Alleviate aching fingers with ERGON‘s ergonomically correct MP1 mountain-bike grip. $30; www.ergon-bike.com

7. No more sweaty hands, thanks to the mesh palm swatches on PEARL IZUMI‘s GEL-VENT PRO GLOVES. $40; www.pearlizumi.com

8. KINETIC‘s HEAVYWEIGHT DUAL simulates road feel better than any other indoor trainer we’ve ridden. $450; www.kurtkinetic.com

9. A veritable laptop for your bars, GARMIN‘s EDGE 305 HR is a waterproof, wireless unit that monitors altitude, speed, distance, time, and heart rate, as well as ride profiles you can download to 3-D maps. $379; www.garmin.com

10. TITANIUM KING CAGES weigh less than an ounce and are guaranteed for life. $60; www.kingcage.com

Essentials: Hiking

Hiking

Hiking

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

1. MOUNTAINSMITH‘s priced-to-go DOG TRIPPIN’ package includes everything for the well-outfitted pooch, from pack to fleece bed. $80; www.mountainsmith.com

2. CLOUDVEIL‘s CLUTCH TEE is a smart-looking, quick-drying shirt for the hottest days. $35; www.cloudveil.com

3. BUZZ OFF‘s WICKNIT HOODED SWEATSHIRT looks better than a head net, smells better than bug juice, and works as well as either, thanks to mosquito repellent bonded to the fabric. $69; www.exofficio.com

4. It’s a sippy cup for adults! The CAMELBAK BOTTLE‘s lid incorporates the company’s no-leak bite valve. $12; www.camelbak.com

5. BLACK DIAMOND‘s NEVE STRAP aluminum crampons adapt to lightweight shoes for summer snow travel. 21 oz per pair; $130; www.bdel.com

6. Gore-Tex PacLite and heavy-duty packcloth make OUTDOOR RESEARCH‘s CASCADIA GAITERS light, tough, and waterproof. 7 oz per pair; $49; www.orgear.com

7. Spend less, sleep more. The tough-skinned, two-pound, 1.5-inch-thick THERM-A-REST TRAIL LITE is a killer value at $50. www.thermarest.com

8. With FlickLocks top and bottom, BLACK DIAMOND‘s ENDURO CF trekking poles are quick to adjust even with gloved hands. $110

9. We thought Schoeller Dryskin fabric (think soft shell) was overkill for a pair of knee-highs—until we tried GROUND‘s BOLDER SHORT. Now we never take them off. $80; www.groundwear.com

10. Consider MONTBELL‘s ULTRALIGHT DOWN INNER SNAP NECK VEST a sub-six-ounce emergency blanket. The puffy, micro-packing pullover is stuffed with 725-fill down. $99; www.montbell.com

Essentials: Floating

Floating

Floating

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

1. With engineering help from Johns Hopkins University, WHITEWATER RESEARCH & SAFETY INSTITUTE sets a new standard for melon protection with its WRSI CURRENT WATER HELMET. $70; www.whitewaterhelmet.com

2. Minimize skin irritation from surf wax or your PFD with DAKINE‘s Lycra PERFORMANCE RASHGUARD. $36; www.dakine.com

3. TEVA‘s latest bootie, the 3.2mm neoprene split-toe P-2, provides low-profile protection, traction, and warmth. $80; www.teva.com

4. STICKY BUMPS’ surf wax, STICKY GUM, is tackier than other brands for optimum traction. $1; www.stickybumps.com

5. Avoid greasy palms—and a nasty burn—with SOL SUNGUARD’s SPF 30+ waterproof zinc oxide HANDS FREE FACE GUARD stick. $8; www.solsunguard.com

6. Design your own top-shelf SUPERFREAK BOARDSHORT with O’NEILL‘s new custom online program. $80; www.oneill.com

7. Cut the cornea-cooking glare with DAKINE‘s wide-brimmed INDO HAT. $29

8. With a watertight, form-fitting seal, DOC’S PROPLUGS prevent exostosis (a bony growth in the ear canal that surfers and kayakers can develop) without throwing off your balance. $10; www.proplugs.com

Essentials: Road-Trip

Road-Trip

Road-Trip

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

1. Haul it all in THULE‘s ATLANTIS 1800 cargo box. Brand-new for 2006, the 1800 is long enough (77 inches, to be exact) to stash your powder sticks as well as boots, bags, and several cases of beer. The rapid-fire QuickGrip bar mount means simple, one-handed installation and removal, and the Atlantis’s clever dual-side opening allows access from either side of the car. $499; www.thule.com

2. Maximize storage space and minimize clutter with THULE‘s LOAD & GO packs. These soft-sided yet bombproof nylon duffels and totes are designed to fit snugly in an Atlantis cargo box. They’re smartly finished with a waterproof tarpaulin base (some models) and convenient side pockets and come in a variety of bright colors, so you’ll never go searching for lost gear under the seat again. From $30; www.thule.com

3. For short hauls or long, YAKIMA‘s fork-mount SPROCKETROCKET bike carrier has a streamlined wheel bed and a well-placed (behind the crossbar) quick-release fork clamp for supersmooth loading and unloading. Plus it accommodates the widest mountain-bike forks. $149; www.yakima.com

Essentials: Travel

Travel

Travel

Photograph by Jens Mortensen

1. View, store, and play digital photos, video, and music with EPSON‘s 40-GIG P-2000 MULTIMEDIA STORAGE VIEWER, a compact Mac- and Windows-compatible unit with USB 2.0 and a brilliant 3.8-inch LCD screen. $499; www.epson.com

2. Besides translating more than 400,000 words and phrases in 12 languages, FRANKLIN‘s EURO INTERPRETER helps untie your tongue with phonetic spelling. $80; www.franklin.com

3. The WHICKEY & COX, a padded photo hauler from new-to-the-U.S. Australian bag company CRUMPLER, has space for two lenses and a camera body (two if you squeeze), a trick front tripod strap, and removable innards so you can lock your gear at the hotel and fill the pack with other goods. $200; www.crumplerbags.com

4. Fleet-footed travel demands a multitasker like LOWA‘s SCIROCCO, a lightweight multi-use shoe that grips trail and cobblestone alike—and won’t attract withering looks from the concierge. $95; www.lowaboots.com

5. Think of ADVENTURE MEDICAL KITS’ TRAVELER as an easy-packing patch kit for the body, with treatments for cuts, blisters, and other travel trauma. $36; www.adventuremedicalkits.com

6. A few stirs of HYDRO-PHOTON‘s battery-powered STERIPEN kills waterborne nasties with the same UV purifying treatment used by a growing number of municipalities. It’s especially handy when refusing a dubious glass of water would be culturally awkward. $150; www.steripen.com

7. Thwart slash-and-dash perps lurking on busy streets with PACSAFE‘s STASHSAFE , a wire-reinforced hip pack with lockable belt. $35; www.pac-safe.com