Hiking
Archive
Mud Control Tromping through sludgy puddles on the Appalachian Trail, the Moraga’s combination of a waterproof upper and snug-fitting gusseted tongue easily kept slop at bay. That was to be expected. What really impressed us was its bite. The Moraga’s toothy outsole shed the glop and provided plenty of stability…
Burly Day Hiker Whether for a dog walk or an eight-hour peak assault, testers came back to this shoe again and again—even if the forecast called for rain. The waterproof Gore-Tex lining in this nubuck hiker kept our feet dry but never steamy. Want something sturdier for multi-day excursions? Opt…
Board Sport Unbuckle the Blade’s padded back flap, place your snowboard across the pack horizontally, rebuckle, and you’re off. Not only is the process as quick and easy as it sounds, but testers liked the way this design balances the board’s weight, even if it’s not ideal in every situation…
Smart and Fast In an actual emergency, the last thing you want to do is fumble with zippers. Which is why Marmot designed the Backcountry’s external snow-safety-tool pocket with double zippers and a sturdy pull loop: You can rip it open with one quick tug. It’s just one of many…
Why It’s CoolThis old-school panel-access pack reminds me how much I miss that architecture. No need for multiple pockets when you can zip a stretchy front panel up or down and nab necessities at will. » Internal compression panels and external straps keep the contents hypersecure—no load shift. » Superb…
Your perfect weekend: packing a frying pan, camp chair, fishing gear, and 12-pack and marching 12 miles to a secret trout pond. Your perfect pack: the Catalyst. It features a dynamic suspension with a wide, firmly padded hipbelt linked directly to a pivot point in the middle of the…
Don’t let your daypack turn into a black hole. The compact Ray allows easy organization, thanks to dividers in the main compartment, deep exterior side pockets, and a separate pocket for your hydration system. It’s also light and secure enough for running. I ran the rigorous three-mile Jud Wiebe…
PROTECT YOUR JOINTS Can a low-cut hiker really deliver the ankle support of a high-top? Um, no. But the Camp Four comes darn close. The trick is accomplished with bands of thick PU molded to the rear of the shoe, which offered stiff resistance when my ankles tried to roll.
Why They’re CoolNothing beats a one-piece leather upper for durability, support, and comfort. A quick treatment with Nikwax Waterproofing Wax kept these boots totally dry. » Widely spaced lugs on the Vibram soles stuck to every surface I threw ’em at, from sandy washes to knife-edged volcanic ridges. » Should…
A Gore-Tex liner, built-in gaiter, and synthetic wool interior make this shoe watertight and warm. asolo.com…
With sticky, honeycomb-shaped lugs and a rubber-encased toe, the Zen Lady is grippy enough for scrambles up steep, rocky fourteeners, but a thick sole offers enough cush for long days on the trail. Suede uppers quickly mold to feet, and the toe-to-ankle lacing system tailors the fit. 13 oz;…
Good for SnowshoeingGaiters attach to a D-ring at the tongue base, and, like others here, a ridge on the heel keeps your snowshoe strap from slipping down. Tip: The sole is shank-free, so be careful when clomping around on rocky terrain. merrell.com…
A mash-up between a college book bag and a classic daypack, the streamlined, 2,000-cubic-inch Shrike was surprisingly versatile. The suspension system—basically a padded back panel and shoulder straps—isn’t anything fancy, but if you don’t overload it (30 pounds, max), it’s plenty comfy for long hikes. Around town, the front…
A Stiff and Stout Day Hiker Some light hikers feel comfy at first, only to prove mushy after several weeks of testing. All the more reason to appreciate the up-front honesty of Oboz’s superstiff Contour. Sure, break-in time is longer, but that extra rigidity translated to a secure and stable…
This 2,520-cubic inch duffel, made from recycled materials, held a yoga mat, water bottle, and post-yoga clothes with room to spare. Plus the inside has organizational pockets for your cell phone, ID, and more. prana.com…
Workhorse The 29-liter Mazama doesn’t have any whiz-bang features. Rather, words like “solid,” “sturdy,” and “intuitive” kept popping up on tester cards. Plush padding on the hipbelt and shoulder straps made it comfortable for long hauls, it’s reinforced in all the right places (including the waterresistant zippers), and multiple side…
Ski-Mountaineering Master With straps, loops, and holders designed specifically to carry skis, snowshoes, a helmet, ropes, ice axes, and trekking poles, the 40-liter, ski-mountaineering Spindrift is without a doubt the most versatile pack we tested this year. Even more impressive is how intuitive it is to affix all of the…
Why It’s CoolOnce you roll and buckle the top of this vinyl pack, the Cilaos becomes a giant drybag. Impervious to any water intrusion save a prolonged dunking, it’s perfect for canyoneering. » The harness is beefy beyond what you’d expect in a sub-4,000-cubic-inch bag—a framesheet and two aluminum stays,…
Why They’re CoolThe uppers—open mesh on the outside and brushed nylon within—of these two-pound-eight-ounce shoes are woven as a single piece, rather than sewn or glued together. The result is unimpeded airflow, which I appreciated on a hot hike through Saguaro National Park. » Tall, nubuck-reinforced uppers guarded my ankles…
How do you make the Pacific Crest Trail feel like the Pacific Coast Highway? Let this pack smooth out and speed up the miles. I literally ran the San Juan Mountains’ nine-mile Hope Lake Trail with the Arreba stuffed full. Credit the pre-curved harness, narrow back panel, and Wraptor…
LEATHER GOES NEW-SCHOOL While others try to reinvent light hikers with synthetic materials, Merrell went another route: It transformed the classic leather midweight into a new breed of light hiker instead. At just over a pound apiece, the Phasers are built for light-load cruising, but the sturdy, no-nonsense construction and…
DAY TRIPPER If your passion is touring, get the nimble Drift. “It’s the perfect size and profile for the typical day trip,” said a tester who put miles on the pack in the Colorado backcountry. Skis or snowboards strap on easily and stay rock-solid, with three different carry options. On…
TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS The waterproof Terrex may look like every brightly colored sneaker out there, but one of our testers proclaimed it “rugged as hell” during an off-trail scramble up Santa Fe’s ski basin. We think he was referring to the outsole’s combination of soft, grippy rubber and deep…
The lightest shoe here, the Lodi is ideal when piling on miles at top speed with little weight. The mesh upper offers natural air conditioning and saves ounces, yet the shoe still has ample arch and ankle support. Tip: The Lodi suits slimmer feet. 11 oz; ahnufootwear.com…
Good for SnowshoeingThe rubberized body of this waterproof-breathable, military-style boot is insulated with ultralight material. But it has a softer side, too, with a faux-fur collar and tongue. salomonsports.com…
The 3,970-cubic-inch, top-loading Sentinel may not look as sleek and stable as the other packs here. But it’s sturdier than it looks. The traditional suspension system consists of two aluminum stays, while the main compartment includes rear sleeping-bag access and a generous stuffsack. What impressed us were the extras…
Most Versatile You can certainly find less expensive day hikers out there, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any as versatile and sturdy as the Thunder. Testers reported this lightweight hiker was comfy and reliable during every stage of the review process—right out of the box, on day hikes, and…
Hiking up may be hard, but it’s the downhill that your joints will really feel. Bring along a pair of trekking poles so they can take the brunt of the impact instead of your knees. The thermofoam-handled Aergons are lightweight and easy to adjust on the fly.
By Stephen Regenold The handheld radio crackled with static before coming to life. “Roger that,” came a voice. “What’s your location?” I was standing near a swamp, remote and deep in the woods of central Minnesota. The day’s task — scouting a wilderness race course…
If you’re strapping a camera to your helmet or handlebars and hurtling down a mountain, you want it to be able to take a beating because, presumably, you aren’t showing your bros footie of yourself schralping the bunny slopes. The toughest POV camera we’ve seen? Hands down…
For last ten years I've engaged in yearly two-week backpacking trips in Canadian Rockies with hiking buddy. We carry in all of our food and gear for 10 to 12 days and then emerge, and I'm looking to replace I my six-year-old Arc'Teyrx Bora 95 litre pack, which blew out under one of its lateral tension rods this year, two years after I replaced the harness. –Ed Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
By Stephen Regenold It costs about $20. Its light shines bright enough to runin the woods full speed at night. The Byte from Princeton Tec is a compact andhigh-performance headlamp new for this fall. I took the Byte…
By Stephen Regenold In the I-didn't-know-we-needed-that category this month,Contour Inc. of Seattlehas unveiled the world’s first GPS-enabled helmet camera. The 1080p videocamera, called the ContourGPS, comes with a GPS built in to capture and recordyour location once per second while on the move. It…
By Stephen Regenold In this column last month, I covered two major companies, Kelty and JanSport, who will introduce retro-style, external-frame backpacks in 2011. The article pitched external-frame packs as throwbacks — bulky, exposed and skeletal products that were left behind two decades…
By Stephen Regenold A red handle, a small white cross, a blade or two, and fold-out tools for the job — a Swiss Army Knife is an icon of utility and smart design recognizable the world over. Invented in the 1880s,…
What is a good hiking boot for a seven-day Grand Canyon rafting/hiking trip in September? We'll (my wife and I) be rafting four to six hours each day with time for side hikes, and then will be hiking out of the canyon on the last day (about 7.5 miles) carrying about 20-30 pound packs. We both already have Chacos so we're covered on the river sandal front. -Chris Springfield, IL
There's the gear you want, and there's the gear you need. After much internal debate, we present the 25 products every guy should own.
I am going trekking in Nepal this September? What are essential items of clothing for this trip? Can you recommend the different type of layers that I will need? Saoirse Rooney Dublin, Ireland
I am looking for a good backpack for my camera gear (Nikon D300, 2 lenses, etc), but also carry my hiking gear on day trips. I have a Gregory Z30 as a daypack, but that is not easy for carrying my camera gear. I also tried some camera backpacks...but those don't have enough space and technical capabilities to support a long day hike. Any suggestions would be very helpful. -Dave Vienna, VA
By Stephen Regenold Panoramas, summit shots, trailhead embarkations, sunsets, and battlewounds — the photographic proof is a requisite for any grandadventure. As such, I rarely under-pack in the camera department. Formore than a decade, starting with a Pentax K1000 camera and…
By Stephen Regenold Kelty and JanSport are taking a retro tilt with backpacksin 2011. Both companies recently unveiled new backpacks that look like modelsyour father might have worn when he hit the Appalachian Trail in 1964. The JanSport D2 is an external-frame pack…
What's the best gear to buy a beginning hiker? My 22-year-old girlfriend is just getting started, but she's not outdoorsy. CilliantLouth Ireland
The North Face recently released a new iPhone app designed to help users find trails for hiking, mountain biking and over a dozen other activities, Mashable reports. The app, entitled Trailhead, pulls its routes from EveryTrail.com, a…
What is the best clothing for hiking/bushwacking in the jungles of Thailand in August? Nylon/Gore Tex vs. cotton, shorts vs pants? Is it too hot for raingear? Also, what do you recommend for a sleeping bag? I already have bug netting. Is a 40 degree bag still to warm? Would a fleece sleeping bag liner suffice? I'll be sleeping in a tent. –Erik Shandaken, NY
By Stephen Regenold A million little needles work a million strands of yarn. Gears shift. Machine arms adjust and spin, the mechanized anatomy of a knitting machine pulls raw yarn on one side and spits out a sock on the other. It is a…
A few weeks ago, my friend Aileen and I made a rookie mistake, despite being inveterate outdoorsy types. We hiked 12 miles through Santa Fe National Forest equipped with only an 18-oz water bottle between the both of us. Not the smartest move, especially in high desert. Luckily, just when…
If you're familiar with the online shopping website Gilt Groupe, then you probably know that it mostly survives on the likes of Gucci, Missoni, Marc Jacobs, and other designers that grace the floors of Neiman…
When I was a kid, I don't remember every buying my dad a gift that wasn't a fanciful tie bought at a department store under fluorescent lights or a shiny pen that costs somewhere in the double-digits. I wasn't even sure why someone needed a pen like that–my BIC pens…
When I was a kid, I don't remember every buying my dad a gift that wasn't a fanciful tie bought at a department store under fluorescent lights or a shiny pen that cost somewhere in the double-digits. I wasn't even sure why someone needed a pen like that–my BIC pens…
By Stephen Regenold Headlamps have become de rigueur in the outdoors world for light at night. But the handheld flashlight still has a place for camping and other activities. This spring I put three flashlight models head to head, including a penlight, a super-bright model, and one…
By Stephen Regenold Over the past few years, reviewing equipment for camping, hiking, biking, and other pursuits, a few products and a few ideas have stood out. These five innovations in gear have literally changed the way I do things outside.
By Stephen Regenold Invented during the Great Depression, and seen as a small icon of American design for more than 75 years since, Zippo brand lighters package fuel, spark, and flame in a portable, durable metal case. Flip…
By Stephen Regenold “Free of bisphenol-A. Free of polycarbonate. Free of phthalates. Free of cadmium. Free of lead. Free of PVC.” Thus read the bullet points dissecting the makeup of Thinksport's 350 Silver water bottle. The $15.99 stainless-steel bottle comes from…
By Stephen Regenold A pair of international trips this year have netted me multiple bouts of stomach sickness, but I can't say I haven't tried to allude the little bugs that cause ill will to so many travelers. One weapon I've employed, the AdventurerOpti…
Wow, it's been nearly a decade I've been stopping in and asking you questions for my Army sponsored jaunts around the globe. It's Afghanistan this time and I need a stiff mountaineering boot that is still light and won't cook my feet to death in the 110 degree heat this summer. Our issue boots are getting better, but still aren't quite there for the really steep, rocky stuff. My average load is around 40 to 60 pounds with the body armor. Don't worry about colors or "military looking" stuff. Just let me know what will get the job done. BTW: The Suunto altimeter you turned me onto back in '02 is still going strong and hard at work over here. Nice job.—LarryFirebase Vulcan, Afghanistan
By Stephen Regenold Mike Horn is a South African explorer known for his solo sailing expeditions and extreme feats, such as circumnavigating a route along the Arctic Circle via kayak, ski, and on foot. It was a solo trek that took more…
On first glance, the black grips on the Wenger EvoGrip S18 look gimmicky and the Big Bird-yellow color is a bit loud for my taste. But, after a few test runs, I realized that the non-slip rubber allowed me to cut with more confidence and the…
By Stephen Regenold It took a van loaded with gear to get from my house tothe airport. Then in the terminal, I juggled a cart stacked with three rollingduffel bags, a carry-on suitcase, and a daypack to wear on the airplane…
I am looking for an all around boot/shoe to go hiking with in the mountains, usually distances of more than 20 miles. I like to hike without socks in the summer. I have had Merrells before but want to try something different now.—BryceRaleigh, NC
By Stephen Regenold My head is still spinning. My feet are damaged but on the mend. To say the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race was a crazy time would understate the experience. After almost seven straight…
By Stephen Regenold It took months of training and nearly a full week of human-powered effort (six days, three hours, and 31 minutes, to be exact) to traverse the entirety of Tierra del Fuego in Chile's Patagonia region. But from a ferry depot on the Strait of…
I am an avid reader of your advice and I like the way you also explain technologies. So here's a question that involves both: I would like some shoes for day hikes of up to six hours. I already have some great boots (Meindl Burma) for multi-day trips or rugged day-hiking terrain. But I'd like something light for other occasions (but probably with some waterproofness as it rains a lot in New Zealand). The trouble is, I don't really know what I am looking for. Light hikers, trail runners, cross-terrain shoes...? Are these different names for essentially the same thing?—KarenWellington, New Zealand
I took the Petzl Zipka 2 headlamp ($40) on a recent camping trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It's one of the most pared-down headlamps on the market these days. Petzl replaced the conventional elastic-band head strap with a thin retractable cord. At first…
By Stephen Regenold This gear won't be in shops until the spring or next fall, but here's a peek at a few innovations and out-there items coming soon to an outdoors store near you. Glowing Sandals: Never trip in the dark again. A small…
Courtesy of Flickr Alexander Kendrick, a 16-year-old from Los Alamos, New Mexico, has invented a device that allows cavers to text to the surface of the Earth from deep underground, NPR reports. It's basically a…
One of my health resolutions this year was to drink more water. Should be easy, right? Except for the fact that I sit at a desk all day, and when the water fountain's out of sight, it's out of mind. I needed a water bottle, and not one that would…
Nokia, the world's number one phone maker, has a full navigation suite now available to any compatible smartphone for free, Wired.com reports. The suite includes maps, updates, driving and walking directions, guides from Lonely Planet…
By Stephen Regenold My plane ticket is booked. The training schedule I've committed to for months is winding down. The great adventure that is the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race, a weeklong endurance event through Tierra…
Your dog likes to roam around outside for several hours a day, so why not make good use of play time by strapping a solar panel and battery pack to its back? …Right? That's what one guy thought, anyway, as shown in this YouTube video that was featured on…
By Stephen Regenold Send a Tweet from the backcountry, track your GPS position anywhere on the globe, text-message a friend out of cell-phone range, or blip out an SOS signal in an emergency situation via a roving satellite network. These are the touted features of a GPS/satellite…
One might think that jeans would’ve suffered neglect due to all the highfalutin’ Space Age materials on the market today. After all, they’re slow to dry and stretch out between washings. The knees blow out with minimal provocation. But these limitations have only strengthened my love for them. With synthetics…
I trying to find the best boot setup for my job. I a professional dog hiker. My job entails hiking five to six miles a day three days a week with 13 dogs throughout the winter in mountainous terrain. Generally I moving so much that I sweating and warm, but after I start my descent my feet are sweaty and start to freeze. I use sock liners and hiking socks with my Vasque Sundowners or Asolo's with Outdoor Research gaiters and Yaktrax Pros. Is there a special winter boot out there or setup you recommend? John Missoula, MT
By Stephen Regenold From whitewater kayaking in Colorado to trekking in Belize, the past 12 months proved to be another epic year of adventure. Along the way, I put dozens of outdoors products to the test–tents, packs, boots, bikes, and knives among the mix. These…
By Stephen Regenold It stuffs down to a size smaller than a baseball. Its manufacturer, Sea to Summit Inc. of Perth, Australia, suggests using it as a keychain. But unpack the Ultra-Sil Day Pack and its crinkly “siliconized” Cordura nylon quickly takes shape, a backpack…
I love gadgets. I always have. Gadgets are handy little devices that usually aren’t necessary, but are still fun to have along for the ride. The Highgear Terrapod ($70) is a gadget, and a rugged one at that. I've gotten along fine on backpacking journeys for…
A few years ago, I bought a pair of hiking boots with a molded sole. Spent $250 for the things. I have to admit that they were comfy. They lasted less than a year; the sole ce off both boots, and because of the way the sole was attached there was no way to repair them. I just had the third sole put on a pair of Lowa's that I bought in the late ?70s. As far as I'm concerned these new boots are for the throw-away crowd who face all the adversities of hiking across the parking lot of the local mega box. I'm looking for a new pair of boots with the good "old" style welt and a similar rugged construction. Or, at least, something that can be repaired. Leroy Fayetteville, AR
My biggest problem with my current daypack is that my back gets very sweaty, even with a quick-dry shirt. Do you know of any daypacks that allow for more airflow between the pack and my back? Christopher St. Louis, MO
The Flash 65 by REI ($150) is fairly elusive to the eye. It seems like just another backpack with nothing special to offer. Fortunately, this pack is loaded with smart features and the fit is awesome. Designed to be a lightweight pack at two pounds…
Spot Messenger emergency beacons have become popular with backcountry users as a low-priced way to summon help when outside of cell-phone coverage areas. Today, however, the company issued a statement that it would be accepting free returns of the new, smaller version of the beacon—the Spot 2—after the company…
By Stephen Regenold With its new high-top trail shoe, Inov-8 stakes a simple claim: The Roclite 288 GTX is “the lightest-weight waterproof boot on the market.” Its GORE-TEX membrane provides a waterproof barrier. It weighs about 10 ounces per foot in a men's size nine–half the weight…