The Gear Our Editors Loved in September

Published October 8, 2022 05:49AM

Hints of autumn have finally arrived in the form of crisper air and changing leaves, and our editors are loving every moment of it after record-breaking heat waves this summer. Here’s the gear that helped us relish the cooler temps even more.

Filson Hyder Quilted Jac-Shirt ($250)

Outside of mountain towns, there’s a point at which it is no longer acceptable to wear your technical puffy jacket to social gatherings. I’m still trying to figure out where the line is, but the Hyder Quilted Jac-Shirt is the perfect fall transition jacket for me. With recycled 100 gram PrimaLoft insulation and a tough, waxed cotton outer, it’ll keep you dry in light rain and remain warm even if you’re caught in a downpour. A super-soft Moleskin collar blocks wind, while two front pockets and two hand pockets offer plenty of storage for keys, gloves, or a hat. With barn coat vibes, trendy diamond stitching, and a trim fit, it’s equally at home chopping wood as it is going out to dinner. —Benjamin Tepler, gear editor

Rad Power Bikes Radwagon 4 ($1,999)

You’ve no doubt seen one of these elongated rigs parked at the playground, the local coffee shop, or at the elementary school in your community. In just a few years, the Radwagon 4 became ubiquitous in neighborhoods across the country—think of it as the Harley Davidson for suburbanite moms and dads. The bike is a workhorse of affordable e-cargo bikes, and its no-frills construction keeps its price tag low compared to its competition (some models cost four times as much). I joined the ranks of Radwagon 4 owners a few weeks ago, in anticipation of my three-year-old daughter starting preschool. Her Montessori is four miles from our house, and we are privileged to live in a community crisscrossed by bike paths and multi-use trails. My affection for the bicycle sprouted on the first early-morning ride to class. My daughter sat on the wooden platform behind me as we sped along a gravel pathway, grazing cows on one side of us and head-high sunflowers on the other. The journey to drop her off took no more than 15 minutes, as we avoided gridlock on the main streets and instead zipped through the neighborhoods. The wind whipped our hair. The rising sun warmed our cheeks. When we arrived, both of us wore ear-to-ear grins. —Frederick Dreier, articles editor

Osprey Poco Child Carrier ($330)

Last weekend, my husband and I took our seven-month-old on his first backpacking trip. Lugging overnight gear and a baby up a steep trail to an alpine lake wasn’t easy, but the experience was definitely improved by the Poco carrier. The pack has a bunch of pockets and one main trunk that allowed me to jam in a Jet Boil and plenty of extra clothes and diapers‚ so my husband didn’t have to carry all of the gear. A handy sun shade folds out to offer plenty of protection from UV rays and helps ward off low-hanging branches you may brush up against. And the Poco’s baby harness provided peace of mind that our guy wouldn’t take an unexpected tumble off my back. My only complaint: the opening where my baby’s hands pop through is exactly level with my ponytail, so I spent a lot of time asking him to stop pulling my hair. —Abigail Wise, digital managing director

REI Co-op Savanna Trails Pants ($55)

There are a lot of hiking pants on the market with similar designs and features, but what sold me on this particular pair for an early-fall trekking trip to the French Alps were the price, stretchy fabric, flattering waist fit, and—my favorite part of the pants—drawstring cords at the bottom of the legs. The cords let me cinch them by my ankles when it was cold but then pull the cuffs up to right below my knee so they fit like three-quarter-length pants when the weather warmed. Bonus: I’m short (five foot one) and was happy to have a selection of petite sizes to try. I wore these for nine consecutive days, in wind, rain, and shine, and had no complaints. —Tasha Zemke, associate managing editor

Bubba Growler Stainless Steel Water Bottle ($35)

A September of constant traveling meant that both my budget and hydration levels were low. This vacuum-insulated stainless steel growler, which I picked up from Walmart at the beginning of a road trip to British Columbia, is $35 and 64 ounces—an ideal combination for a thirsty editor. Though it doesn’t insulate as well as my smaller Yeti and Hydro Flask vessels (which are also at least twice as expensive), it keeps my water cold for a full day. I bought it with the straw lid and a handle, which was great for driving when I couldn’t use both hands to unscrew a wide-mouth lid—the straw also encouraged me to drink more water casually because it’s one less step to open the bottle. On day two of the road trip, I opened my car door and the Bubba rolled out of my too-full back seat and banged loudly on the pavement, something that happened more than a few times throughout my trips. But other than a few small dents on the bottom, the steel is holding up quite well. —Kelly Klein, associate gear editor

Pact Room Service Sateen Sheet Set ($130-$220)

It’s tough to fit in exercise, dad duties, and work into a day. Traditionally I’ve given up sleep to make it all happen. That changed this month when I kicked the booze, started sharing a bedtime with my toddler, and invested in a really comfortable set of organic cotton sateen sheets from Pact. I find myself miraculously asleep within a half an hour without the normal thoughts of missed deadlines pushed off until morning. They’re supple, without being cloying on my skin, and their temperature range (thin enough to work on hot nights and a nice under a down blanket on cold ones) has this crusty old non-sleeper snoozing the best he has in years. —Joe Jackson, Gear Guy

Peragon Limited HD Retractable Truck Bed Cover ($1499)

My truck is in a constant state of change. Testing overlanding and camping gear for Outside’s Summer Gear Guide and The 101 video series has me bolting and unbolting accessories, attaching racks and shells, loading slide-in campers and towing trailers frequently. My 2018 Tundra has literally had three different bed and roof racks bolted to it since I got the truck in March, and as I’ve reviewed all of these products I’ve also been searching for the right bed solution for a truck that has to wear so many hats. Enter Peragon Truck Bed covers, and their Limited HD Model. I needed something that would protect my gear from the elements and theft every day, but would also easily get out of the way when I needed to use the full truck bed or load my camper. Most tonneau covers offer either security or versatility, but not both. Peragon’s folding aluminum panel design provides way more protection than a soft cover, is lockable, and supports up to 300 pounds on top. It also lets you run various bed racks over the top of it. Best of all, the panels can be totally removed from the bed and folded up in about 10 seconds and stored in a truck or garage, so you don’t have a bulky canister taking up bed space. They’re made in Shell Lake, Wisconsin and are a direct-to-consumer company, so get a ton of value and the covers are quickly shipped to your door for free in the continental US (or for just $99 if you live in Hawaii, Alaska, or Canada). I’ve yet to find another bed cover that offers all of that, and looks as good on my truck. —Bryan Rogala, contributing writer

Ibex Springbok Tencel Short Sleeve Tee ($75)

One day in early September average high temps dropped from the 90s to the 60s on the high plains where I live, letting me shelve ultra-thin singlets and start wearing natural-fiber shirts for morning or lunchtime runs. A favorite this year is the Ibex Springbok tee, made from a mid-weight (150gsm) blend of 45 percent merino wool, 45 percent Tencel (a fiber made from Eucalyptus), and 10 percent nylon. I don’t know what I like better: the feel of the fabric, which is wool-soft to the touch but also holds its shape; or the fit, with gusseted arms providing comfortable shoulder space and flatlock side seams wrapping around to the front. The fabric absorbs a bit too much sweat for me to run in the tee during the summer, but I still wore it often: hiking in Utah canyons, going out for pizza with my son at his college, and day after day in my remote office. Now that it has cooled off, I appreciate the warmth of the merino against my skin for the first few miles, and later, the way it doesn’t cling when it starts to get soaked. Plus, it dries quickly when I keep wearing it after the run. —Jonathan Beverly, senior editor

Coolman Cold Therapy System ($190)

When my partner Dan had knee surgery last year, his mom, a retired nurse, bought him this ice machine, which circulates ice water to keep a swollen joint cold for up to 90 minutes at a time. (The machine can run for as long as you want; just press “play” again after the 90-minute limit.) Since then, perhaps unfortunately, the Coolman hasn’t gotten much rest: a friend of ours borrowed it after her knee surgery, in the past couple weeks I’ve been using it for a sprained MCL, and now Dan and I switch off, since he recently tore his labrum. As many of us know, RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is a crucial protocol for recovering from many sport-related injuries, and the Coolman makes it much easier and less messy to keep swelling at bay, which means I certainly ice more than I would otherwise. —Gloria Liu, contributor

Char-Broil 1-Burner Deluxe Portable Propane Gas Table Top Grill ($55)

Twenty years, that’s how long my friend Jim Gilchrist, a climber-backpacker from Western Colorado, has had his portable Char-Broil grill. Oh, it’s had a leg or two break and be replaced, but haven’t most of us? Despite the hard use, the stove is still going strong. Recently four of us drove six or seven hours to go climbing in Maple Canyon, Utah, set up our camp in haste, and did a few pitches before dark. When it came time to start dinner, he volunteered, opened up the grill, screwed on the propane canister, and had a great meal ready in so little time we were amazed. As soon as we got home from that trip, my husband bought one, and we have been using it ever since. —Alison Osius, senior editor