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1. The Mojo SL won this year’s award for one simple reason: It defies all categories and excels in every condition. It’s light enough to race cross-country, but with 5.5 inches of front and rear travel, it’s cushy enough for anything a sane rider would ever descend. 2. In…
Why It RulesThe Canon’s 6.3-megapixel digital SLR for $200 less than the competition—blows away every other digital in its class. The pictures are that good. » Want action? The Rebel will reel off four 6.3-megapixel shots in less than two seconds, and because the autofocus tracks the rate at which…
Good for All Mountain Decision time! Favor early-morning groomers beyond all else? A frontside ski is right for you (page 36). Ski the cut trails only on powder days? Check out the big-mountain category (page 37). Or if you mix it up, like more than half the…
After a decade of ever-more-mobile devices, 2010 has seen several advances we’ve been hoping for. Some companies have countered the problem of disposable gadgets, designing higher-quality products that are so fast and functional (like our Gear of the Year winner, right) that you’ll have no reason to trade them…
Why they ruleThanks to light-sensitive photochromic tinting, the brownish glass lenses make an unheard-of plunge from dark (87 percent of visible light blocked) to the stygian depths of full-on snowfield blinkers (95 percent). » The Advances have all the features of traditional glacier glasses—flexible side shades, bendable wire-core temples, and…
Why They RuleA company that satisfies legions of birders—some of the fussiest buyers—obviously knows its optics. Focusing is superfast and precise, but not overly sensitive. You see it, you nail it. » The image is breathtakingly sharp, like an Ansel Adams glass-neg enlargement. » Though Steiner spec’d the Peregrines for…
The question: Do you buy a mountain bike with big travel or less weight, stable angles or lively handling? Ellsworth’s Epiphany eliminates the compromise, riding an inspired line between cross-country and downhill. You get a bike with five-plus inches of front and rear travel in a package that weighs…
At six pounds 13 ounces, the Reverse Combi is the heaviest of the eight new-for-2005 shelters we tested—and is probably the most tent you’ll want to carry. But this Gear of the Year’s thoughtful design and creature comforts threw our usual light-is-right rules out the mesh window. Perhaps bigger is…
1. The Virtue Two debuts a radical new suspension system (dubbed Equilink) that offers more than five inches of active travel but has none of the drawbacks—no pedal feedback, no bob, and no extra weight—that plague most long-travel systems. It’s super-plush and, amazingly, still handles like a hardtail. 2.
1. Rudy has taken LCD-obscuring polarization down just four notches, to 96 percent. It’s enough to kill glare but also let you see the screen on your iPod, phone, etc. Developed for sailors who need to filter out reflected light and still read electronic gauges, it’s great for all…
1. From backyard strolls to backwoods epics, the Backcountry was our favorite all-purpose snowshoe. Its frame is really two pieces of aluminum alloy held together at the toe and heel by sturdy, flexible plastic, so the deck self-adjusts to tricky terrain. The inner tail is streamlined to allow a…
Lift lines to skin track. Heli-drops to sidecountry laps. Snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding. We subjected more than 20 new winter packs to serious use and abuse to whittle the list down to seven, a mix of generalists and specialists. But if you’re anything like us, you want one pack…
It isn’t quite the holy grail, but for high output in bad weather, like ski-touring in a storm, this jacket gets darn close to solving the weatherproof-breathable equation. While it’s not technically waterproof—the seams aren’t taped—one tester stayed dry for hours in sleet and wet snow. And when the…
Behold the Gear of the Year: A 16-ounce, 900-fill-down wonder that’s destined to be the new sleep standard for fastpackers and anyone else who appreciates gossamer weight in a three-season bag. Marmot’s ultrastuffable Atom practically vanishes into your pack. 1. How feathery is the Atom, with its über-premium down and…
1. Want race-proven? Trek’s all-new Madone is available in three levels of carbon (White, Black, and Red). Because the top-tier Red frames weren’t done in time, Alberto Contador won last year’s Tour de France on a mid-level Black frame, exactly like the one shown here. 2. Stiffer bottom…
Patagonia has virtually erased the line between soft shell and storm shell with the Spraymaster. The incredibly stretchy, astoundingly waterproof, and impressively breathable lightweight shell fuses the best of both worlds. Call it a firm shell. And rest assured, it’s the one jacket that will prompt you to seek…
1. A handful of shoes boast construction this light, but most are minimalist racing flats without much structure. Not so with the 902. Thanks to new-tech, lightweight materials—in the cushioning, foam, and even the breathable mesh of the upper—the 902 supports your foot better than many midweight shoes. 2.
1. The best soft shells are jackets that rarely spend time in the closet—they’re always in use. Such was the case with the Cipher. Its chest, tops of the arms, and part of the back panel are armored with Gore Windstopper fabric, while the rest of the jacket…
1. A paradigm-shifting camera, the D3 has a new sensor with incredible low-light sensitivity that, with a high-speed shooting rate (nine frames per second) and a new autofocus system that locks on to moving subjects like glue, can make images that were literally impossible to capture before now.
1. The AG is one highly engineered board, but all that technology disappears when you hop on it, and this directional twin-shape was our favorite all-mountain board. 2. Heavily reverse-cambered boards, with a rocker shape from tip to tail, can be a little squirrelly for riders used to traditional…
Good for Backcountry We’re not too nuts about the term “all-purpose” either, but we hope you understand our point: Whatever you do, from resort skiing to snowshoeing, we’ve got the perfect jacket for you. Some, like the North Face Free Thinker II, are bedecked with nearly a…
You have to hand it to big-mountain legend Jeremy Jones for launching a successful board line during the recession. Straight out of the gate, Jones’s boards won over our testers. In the end, though, it was the versatile Mountain Twin that had them wishing we could extend our test…
1. The Triumph is like the best hotel mattresses: soft and springy but not mushy. Articulated outsole lugs and a five-layer sandwich of foam, rubber, and thermoplastic in the heel absorb the impact of each foot strike while retaining a remarkable responsiveness. And thanks to its forward-leaning tilt, the…
1. When the Flyer shape was first introduced, in 1999, it was as a performance board for small waves. But it worked so well that it became Channel Islands’ bestselling board of all time. Like the Flyer, the Helix is versatile on a wide range of waves. It’s lively…
Innovation usually comes in fits and starts: a zipper here, a strap there. But Arc’teryx dispenses with the nickel-and-dime approach with this revolutionary pack. Any other year its every detail—from welded seams to dynamic suspension—would have been noteworthy. In this case the sum is much, much greater than the…
At first glance, this hauler might seem born out of Lockheed’s Skunkworks, but relax: Our Gear of the Year pack will get you there and back in a flash. A matchless mesh suspension setup saves aches and ounces, while the main compartment smartly stows as much or as little as…
1. Comfort: Go ahead, try and overload it. On treks in New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness and even ski touring in the Tetons, testers were unanimous: The Meridian carries like a champ. Credit the firm yet flexy composite frame-sheet that moves with your body, dual-density foam in the hipbelt that cushions…
*This shoe has been discontinued by New Balance and is no longer available. 1. The 850 simply fit and felt better than all the rest. Its deep heel pocket and snug waist created a tailored fit, and the toe box never felt confining. A web of dual-density plastic sandwiched…
1. Who says you can’t please everyone? Whether our testers had wide or narrow feet, or preferred slow, long runs or quick, on-your-toes workouts, somehow all were convinced the Glide was the perfect shoe for them. The key is a generous amount of padding in the heel collar and…
The antimicrobial poly-and-wool blend is an excellent funk fighter. And the body-mapping construction—thicker fabric around the chest, thinner under the arms, and flexible sections on the elbows for mobility—works: It’s extremely comfy and better at temperature regulation. Note: Runs small and slim—the large fits like a medium.
At our annual ski test, 12 hard-charging testers put the Kendo through its paces at Snowbird (see page 37), and every tester wrote something to this effect: “You can make every turn shape at every speed on every style of terrain.” That’s the ultimate goal of an all-mountain ski,…
The debate between bigger and lighter ends here. On an early-fall trip in the Wind River Range, Black Diamond’s Skylight performed like a big top, allowing a pair of testers (one over six and a half feet tall) to stretch out and stay dry. The shelter weathered a gusty…
Cameras haven’t been this cool since Nikon brought on the digital era in 1999 with the D1. Now it’s all about the convergence of still and motion photography. Cameras from the simplest point-and-shoots to pro-level DSLRs can now shoot HD video. So stop worrying about megapixels and figure out…
Tent walls condensing like a steam room? Roll over and go back to sleep in the Sierra Designs Trade Wind. The down bag’s waterproof shell is impervious to weather that will wilt the feathers of lesser bags like, well, a cold shower. But that’s not all. Premium down fill,…
Stripped-down light hikers can leave weekend adventurers craving a little more of everything. But, just like my pre-ramble, all-you-can-eat Southern breakfast, the Eclipse XCR fills the plate. Balancing strength and flexibility, this waterproof Gear of the Year winner made a meal of Alabama’s rugged Pinhoti Trail in a hard winter…
1. The fashion statement says, more or less, “Prepare to lose, girlie man!” But over-the-top style is not new to Oakley. The main reason the Radar crushes the competition is its truly remarkable lenses, with their anti-everything-that-screws-up-the-view surface treatment (see #2). 2. Mash your thumb against the lens. No,…
1. If there’s parity in reincarnation, this two-in-one trunk will be reborn as a tank. It easily passes dress code at luxe hotels, but its 420- and 1,680-denier fabrics, brawny wheels and housings, and beefy bumper guards and kick plate are meant for rough stuff. A ten-day tour of…
1. Fire roads. Technical trails. Even races and runs with short stretches of pavement. Regardless of what they were doing, testers reached for the Mountain Masochist more than any other shoe. And although it weighs less than 11 ounces and feels light and agile overall, it has just enough…
Good for Backcountry Such is the silky, soft feel of this lightweight, insulated number—the warmest pair here—that it belies the waterproofness and breathability of the proprietary Helly Tech XP fabric. You almost feel like you’re in your jammies. Zip vents at the inner thighs provide extra exhaust.
GEAR OF THE YEAR “You can never have a bad day on the Coomback,” said one tester of the most adored ski in this year’s test. Returning with refined tip rocker—which allows the ski to plane, surf, and smear in powder without giving up control on hardpack—the Coomback was lauded…
A couple years back, Brunton bagged its first Gear of the Year award with the burly, waterproof, scalpel-sharp Epochs. For 2005, greatness gets an upgrade. The new Brunton Epoch Zoom invites you to view the whole horizon, then drill in tight with the touch of a lever. Result? Another trophy…
Why they rule“Biomex” sounds like genetically engineered food from El Paso, but it’s really just Lowa’s name for an external ankle support. The hinged, rigid-plastic cuff locked my ankles in place on loose, off-camber talus—even as I teetered under a 35-pound backpack. Indeed, they aced the hairiest stability test I…
Wheel it, shoulder it, sit on it, kick it—Osprey’s Meridian 22 adeptly adjusts to any adventure and absorbs every road-inflicted insult. It relieves you of attachment anxiety, since it’s carry-on legit, but magically stows everything you need for an around-the-world journey. Can’t resist picking up that wooden mask in…
Remember that high school buddy who souped up an old Datsun 510, then went looking for suckers to race? The Taku is his kind of jacket. At first glance this 2005 Gear of the Year pick is just another storm shell, but a closer look reveals a whole lotta functional…
LIGHT Die-cut foam reduces weight and bulk, and raised “berms” along the perimeter, which prevent you from rolling off, make this featherweight feel wider than it is. The minimalist cushion is best for smaller (or tougher) hikers. 20′ x 72′ x 1′, 1.2 lbs; pacoutdoor.com…
1. No gimmicks here. The North Face’s new X-Radial suspension is the real deal. The secret is a lightweight aluminum, X-shaped frame that’s reinforced on the top and bottom to deal with heavy loads (up to 55 pounds) and actually pivots at the center of the X, which means…
1. Hi-res still camera and hi-def videocam. Sure, digicams can shoot video. But not like this. Video is recorded through high-quality interchangeable lenses on a full-frame 35mm sensor, providing the type of manual focus and other controls previously available only to Hollywood DOPs. Stunning. And the .mov format makes…
Good for Resort Resort jackets used to come in two varieties: There were the big, bulky numbers designed to keep you warm on the chairlift, and there were the lightweight shells you could take into the backcountry. But innovations in insulation, ventilation, and waterproof-breathable fabrics have…
The Squall seems spartan. It isn’t. Well, except for the hipbelt, which is simply unpadded webbing, but that’s all you really need. Plus what’s on the inside is equally important. Within this top-loading, 27-liter pack, everything has its place: There are sleeves for your probe, shovel handle, hydration bladder,…
GT designed its new i-DXC around the latest version of the company’s superefficient i-Drive suspension setup, so it rides as comfortably as a cross-country bike—without sacrificing race-day speed. Whatever your singletrack agenda, this Gear of the Year winner is equally equipped to play in the backcountry or jump into the…
Why It RulesDana eliminates the standard pack bag, while accommodating every weeklong-trip necessity. Imagine the skeleton of a pack: a back panel incorporating a superlight framesheet and two fiberglass rods, plus a front panel with two long pockets and a big mesh pouch. In between, there’s space to sandwich a…
Value never looked so good. The D50 puts a pro-quality digital SLR in reach of ambitious amateurs who want to move beyond snapshots—without shelling out more than they paid for their first car. With the ability to swap out lenses and go manual, it allows utmost creativity. And cutting-edge…
Sick of the bulk and crinkle of traditional shells? The doctor prescribes the new bargain-priced Patagonia Ready Mix, an airy dream of silky, stretchy protection that packs down to the size of a pomelo. This sensual soft shell is all you need for everything but the soppingest, most high-impact endeavors,…
1. Loads of space for little weight: Thanks to a three-pole, cantilevered design, the Emerald Mountain is packed with features—two doors, a massive vestibule, a six-pocket gear loft, and a respectable 29 square feet of interior space—but still weighs just a few stakes over four pounds. 2. What…
Ever since that heroic, fatal dash from Marathon to Athens, runners have been looking for an edge. Here’s a guaranteed advantage, whether you’re going 26 miles or two. ASICS’s Gear of the Year–winning Gel-Kinsei adjusts to various foot types and running styles, while improving performance across the board. The…
This turbocharged iPod is our favorite multimedia device ever. It’s all here: music, video, Wi-Fi, maps, and the option of 15,000-plus games and apps. Plus the interface is still unmatched. Mac or PC; 8–32GB; apple.com…
Let’s go ahead and call 2010 the year of the 29er. Though bikes built around 29-inch wheels, instead of the 26-inch standard, have been around for more than a decade, they’ve been largely a fringe category. No longer. Walk into any bike shop and you’ll see that 29ers—valued for…
Quiet, slightly stretchy GoreTex fabric. A simple cinchable powder skirt. Smooth-tracking waterproof pit zip. A truly helmet-compatible hood with great periphery visibility. While other hard shells offer these simple features, nowhere are they combined as elegantly and with as much attention to detail. You can just tell that every feature—like…
1. This is simply the most adapt-able winter-specific storm shell we tested. The key is Schoeller’s new waterproof-breathable fabric with c_change technology, a membrane with a polymer structure that opens up when you get hot and contracts when you cool down. Translation: Testers didn’t overheat when their buddies did…
Why It RulesThe Airjet’s two-minutes-flat pitching saved me when I was hustling to beat some sleet: Thread two cross poles and a brow pole through the sleeves, then stake out six points. Done. » The Airjet stood taut as a kettledrum—even under two inches of wet snow. » Thanks to…
Talk about kids in a candy store. Contemplating the 20-surfboard quiver we assembled for Buyer’s Guide testing this year, our wave riders felt as if they’d been given the keys to Wonka’s brand-new surf factory. We had longboards, guns, funboards, thrusters, and fish—yet there was one stick our testers…
Ready to go pro? Then you already know that tricks are for kids—and success hinges on huge air. Enter Dagger’s Crazy 88, our Gear of the Year selection. This boat is a masterly equation of length, width, weight, and volume distribution, all of which pull together when the time comes…
1. The Stratocruiser 25 is a chameleon. It’s stylish enough to wheel inconspicuously through swanky hotels, but still tough enough for epic-trip abuse. After 18,000 air miles and a half-dozen rattling safari drives in South Africa, it posted a perfect unscathed score: no tears, breaks, or blown zips. Credit…
1. The Aura is downright spacious (35 square feet), with two doors and two big vestibules. It’s plenty sturdy, easily withstanding 50-mph winds without guylines. And light: The Aura flirts with the four-pound barrier, the two-person freestanding tent’s equivalent of the four-minute mile. 2. Talk about usable space:…
1. Remarkable for its smart blend of features, capacity, ergonomics, and durability, this 9.9-pound duffel hits the sweet spot for most travelers. Its shell—420- and 630-denier nylon, with 1,680-denier ballistic-nylon reinforcements at crucial wear points— is a suit of armor. Add a tough back panel, bumper, and wheel…
It used to be that sleeping bags’ degree ratings were determined in various ways, so conventional wisdom dictated that you buy a bag with a temperature rating at least 10 to 15 degrees lower than the lowest temperature you’d expect to be camping in. That’s starting to change. For…
We’ve tested plenty of snowshoes with serious bite, and others that are extraordinarily comfy, but what makes the Mountaineer so impressive is how well it performed in both those categories. Thanks in part to two independent toe straps, the binding perfectly cradled every boot we jammed in it, from…
By Stephen Regenold The manufacture and sale of artificial rock-climbing holds is a small industry and one of those esoteric tiny areas of dedicated people and passionate companies that makes the outdoors world so neat. An even tinier niche focuses on artificial holds and…
By Stephen Regenold The twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show is an exhibition of thebest outdoors equipment in the world. New this year, GearJunkie.comlaunched an inaugural “Best in Show” award for the Summer Market tradeshow, held in early August. After four days in…
Jansport D2 External Frame Pack Yes, this is a brand new backpack, and it's for sale (or will be, in spring 2011). In 1972, Jansport put out a grande-size aluminum-frame backpack (revolutionizing the look of retro gear for decades to come). It was a high-volume, high-load pack capable of…
As I mentioned in a Facebook post that went up during Outdoor Retailer this week, skorts are everywhere. Practically every gear company that makes women's apparel–be it Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Patagonia, or Arc'teryx–is making…
Today is the last day of this summer's Outdoor Retailer show. Stand-up paddle-boarding continues to be the hot new sport, while the major theme in footwear is still less is more: Partly driven by the barefoot running trend, all the major running shoe companies are bringing increasingly designing more pared-down…
Outside's Sam Moulton reviews Black Diamond's Z-Pole. It's a carbon-fiber trekking pole that weighs in at 260 grams and costs $150. –Erin Beresini…
Outside's resident runner, Justin Nyberg, checks out the French antidote to barefoot running: Hoka. This super-cushy recovery shoe retails for $169. –Erin Beresini…
Here are a few more of the most interesting gear we found today on the floor at Outdoor Retailer: Hard Goes Soft—The New Storm Shell I don't know who this guy is, but I like his jacket. This is Mammut's new Kento storm shell, and it has one thing…
Eighteen months in the making, Patagonia's P26 light hiking shoe is finally here. Alicia Carr breaks down the shoe that Patagonia developed with input from Appalachian Trail hikers. It retails for about $185. –Erin Beresini…
Shannon Walton from Schoeller Textiles introduces black fabric that's specially treated so you can wear black on hot summer days. –Erin Beresini…
NAU Clothing's Caitlin Murphy introduces the NAU Gust Jacket, one of the nicest technical lifestyle pieces we've seen. It's made out of 100% recycled polyester, and is durable and water repellent. Portland-based clothing company, NAU, develops products by three main principles: beauty, performance, and…
Outside's Alicia Carr introduces the North Face Hedgehog. Lightweight, more durable and more comfortable than previous models, the Hedgehog is one of our favorite light hiking shoes–and it's the same price as previous models! The GORE-TEX version costs $110, and the…