LIGHT BUT SUPPORTIVE Take a closer look and you can see it: One solid, continuous piece of polyurethane forms the midsole and sidewall supports on the awkwardly named AL-T. Because fewer materials are needed to brace the shoe, it’s very light but still sturdy enough to wear on technical trails—or…

Not only is it made without any animal products, the Gore-Tex-lined Kiowa Vegan also has plenty of ankle support and cushioning, making it ideal for overnight or light multi-day hikes. Even so, testers reported that the soft soles and synthetic-suede uppers made for blister-free day hikes, too. 15 oz;…

Give the air pump on the hip a few squeezes and the Summit’s already cushy hipbelt and back panel get even more luxurious. It’s a touch heavy but brimming with handy features like a detachable top panel that transforms into a lumbar pack. 7 lbs, 4,900 cu in;…

Cross a whitewater drybag with a technical backpack, and you might get something like the 4,393-cubic-inch Arrakis, this year’s burliest—and priciest—offering. Built with a tough, waterproof, washable nylon fabric, this roll-top beast was unfazed during a torrential rain that eventually saturated other packs. Three exterior pockets let you get…

Mobile Repair Stand This is a pretty smart add-on. By using one of the four adapters (price includes one), you can easily turn your Saris, Yakima, Thule, or, of course, Kuat hitch-mount rack into a bike stand. The clamp is totally serviceable if a bit finicky, and you can adjust…

Old-School Cool A 1,950-cubic-inch daypack made out of merino wool? Yup. And it’s not a greenwashed gimmick, either. For starters, the merino wool here bears little resemblance to your favorite sweater; the yarn is worsted and given a ripstop treatment so it’s durable yet light. While the overall design is…

This super-low-profile pack holds 50 ounces of water and 150 cubic inches of tools, lunch, and doodads in two organizer pockets. camel­bak.com…

Size, Price: 64 oz, $23; 100 oz, $25Flow Rate: 2*Funk Figher?: Yes, with cleaning tablets, sold separatelyFilter-Compatible?: YesValve Shutoff?: YesGotta Love: Big Bore wide opening: Throw in the ice!Bummer: Rigid valve can be tough on teethSplat Test: Survived *Ratings: 1=Average, 3=Excellent…

Why They’re CoolTo keep the mesh uppers on the XA Pro 2 adventure-running shoes from stretching after repeated dunkings, Salomon topped ’em with a polymer exoskeleton this year. » These shoes protected me from sketchy terrain better than tall models: Their ground-hugging profile meant I had less chance of rolling…

BRING ON THE BREEZEYou don’t know ventilation until you’ve experienced the GCS Pro. The uppers are like a screened-in porch—take off the shoe and look straight through it to read your watch, if you wish. But its real worth comes with every stride; on a warm fall day in the…

ALL-WEATHER, ALL-TERRAIN Finally, a forecast-be-damned trail shoe that doesn’t make your feet feel like they’re in a sauna. The Trail Sensor’s water-resistant, breathable upper—a synthetic fabric with Nano-Tech treatment—kept our feet warm and dry even on sloppy fall runs in Boulder, while the fully gusseted tongue kept out grit and…

Gaping openings make for fast, thorough cleaning. 70–100 ounces; deuterusa.com      …

A TRAIL SHOE FOR ROADIES Sometimes you drive to the trailhead; other times you just run there. This is your shoe. Built to have the same smooth heel-to-toe transition as ASICS’s road shoes, the lightweight Attack is sufficiently cushioned for gravel roads and packed dirt, yet it still feels responsive…

CAN HANDLE HEAVY STRIKING The Elixir is like a Ferrari with all-terrain tires. It combines the barely there mesh upper of a race shoe with the full-foam midsole of a distance trainer. A snug heel cup and soft forefoot flex promote maximum thrust at toe-off, while a thermoplastic spring mechanism…

ROAD-AND-TRAIL HYBRID Good for Packed Trails Take a road trainer and a trail runner, smash them together, and voilà: the Adrenaline ASR 5. Medial posting (a.k.a. denser foam) in the midsole delivers moderate pronation support, a rarity in trail runners, and the slender fit feels nimble…

Mild Stability Which sounds more like your morning ritual: Trying to set a new PR, or trying not to hit snooze again? If it’s the latter, the SyncroPace III is your shoe. Like most of Pearl’s running shoes, it has a remarkably comfortable, seamless upper and a…

If cushioning shoes are mattresses, the Cruise is a futon. “It’s firm, but good firm,” said one tester. The Cruise has Pearl Izumi’s trademark seamless upper, fabric eyelets that allow fine-tuning of the laces, and unique cushioning pads under the forefoot and heel that deliver a responsive ride. Best…

When the slope rips out beneath you, your beacon will help friends find you, but how deep you’re buried will likely determine whether you survive. The BCA Float 30 (with an insulated hydration sleeve; shovel and probe pockets; and, new for this year, a diagonal-ski-carry system) deploys a 150-liter…

Road The Haxial’s mesh liner conforms to every head shape, and you get Italian panache to boot. www.trialtir-usa.com Bonus: The aerator plate blows cool air onto your noggin.

Why It’s CoolWith their straight-gauge tubes and bruiser metal forks, bargain-priced aluminum bikes deliver a harsh ride. But Schwinn’s aluminum pipes are butted and shaped to balance stiffness with compliance—the Fastback quietly hummed down ratty pavement. » Check the bump-damping carbon-fiber fork—yeah, on a triple-digit-price bike. » Pedaling this racy…

BIKE TO WORK Modeled after classic Dutch commuter bikes, the Amsterdam gives you everything you need for jetting around a city—and strips away everything you don’t. Its steel frame can handle the bumps and grinds of crowded bike racks and won’t buck you off when you hit potholes. And its…

With help from the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, Specialized has overhauled this shoe with a newly contoured last, orthopedic footbeds, and a foot-hugging closure. “The most comfortable cleat I’ve ever worn,” raved one tester. specialized.com…

Whether you’re cutting blocks to build a snow shelter or testing slope stability, this light and compact (12-inch) metal saw won’t let you down—it’s durable enough to cut through wood or ice. bcaccess.com…

The beefy visor and netted vents can handle the worst gunk, while its snug retention system and padded chin strap keep everything in place. uvexsports.com…

BELIEVE THE HYPE Yes, actually, the iPhone is all that. First off, it’s sexy. The aluminum-and-glass build gives a nice solid feel, the 3.5-inch touchscreen and Mac OS X make operation fast and intuitive (despite the typing learning curve), and it’s a breeze on the Web. Thanks to its…

While not as stiff as a race shoe, the Springwater is an impressive blend of comfort and performance. A full-length TPU plate provides the power transfer, and the lugged rubber outsole makes for sure footing even on the sketchiest scree. keenfootwear.com…

With unlimited expandable memory (through an SD-card reader/writer slot) and a market-leading 3.5-inch full-color screen, the XL’s raison d’être is onscreen mapping. After a road trip through the interior of British Columbia—with detailed maps uploaded—it was demoralizing to go back to a smaller screen. When I traveled by bike,…

Up You Go “Rolled up the hills almost on its own,” wrote one tester. While that’s obviously an exaggeration, everyone agreed that the hardtailed, big-wheeled Stumpy was one of the most efficient climbers this year. But even more impressive was how it handled on the way down. Whereas most hardtails…

The 3x-optical-zoom-equipped SP-350 has all the trappings of an SLR—manual exposure controls, an ergonomic grip, and external-flash hot shoe—but without the bulk. During a late-summer trip through Jasper National Park, I tucked this 9.6-ounce black beauty into my jacket pocket and carried it everywhere, even on fast-and-light hikes. The…

Road Race-Ready The first iteration of this remarkably light and stiff shoe had just one Boa dial to adjust the fit. Now it has two. The result? One tester put on a pair out of the box and rode, blister-free, the long way from San Francisco to Las Vegas—over…

Along with having every other feature you can imagine (PC connectivity, workout logs, and more), the t3 can detect over- or under-training and help you adjust on the fly. It’s the sleekest model here, but its chrono settings can be tough to read midlap. suunto.com/training…

You can’t really consider a Dell a single piece of equipment. Each made-to-order notebook is like a rack of climbing protection you’ve customized for a specific big-wall route. The basic vanilla version—40GB hard drive, 1.6GHz processor, and 256MB of RAM—will get you safely up your backyard crag. When you’re ready…

Need to keep up with colleagues in exotic places like Caracas, Karachi, or Denver? Simply adjust the time-zone pointer of the OAKLEY GMT ($650) to any of the 24 cities stamped around the bezel. The hands of this quartz timepiece move to each locale’s time.

If you’re more likely to be looking at distant couloirs than shorebirds, this featherweight (5.3-ounce) monocular does the trick. It comes with a tripod mount and, like its two-tubed cousins, has a twist-up, twist-down eyecup and an ergonomic grip. 8×25; minox.com…

ASK MORE FROM YOUR PHONE Some friends and Web sites give great directions; others, not so great. So why not get the info straight from the pros? With a subscription to a third-party GPS application like TeleNav ($10 per month), the 8703e smartphone becomes a full-featured on-road navigator, providing onscreen…

Though smaller than an Etch A Sketch and weighing only two pounds, this highly portable, iPod-charging speaker system—with dual two-inch drivers, auxiliary input, and seven hours of playback per charge—sounds huge in the room or at the beach. alteclansing.com      …

Designed to play and charge iPods but also sporting an auxiliary jack, this sleek system will really rock a hotel room, but you’ll probably set it up back home, too. Lightweight but unflimsy, it thumps ten hours on a charge. logitech.com…

Rock this oversize titanium chronograph—with tachymeter and sailing-inspired style—confidently on deck or ashore. nautica.com…

EASY PHONE HOME This Belkin number syncs with Skype, the free online-telephony app, making for a simple but truly effective device for those who regularly go abroad or frequently make calls to friends or family overseas. Once you’ve got an account, you can call—and be called by—other Skype users directly.

Durable body, high-pressure capability (160psi), presta-Schrader compatibility…yes, yes. We loved it all. But it was the small drawers hidden in the ergonomic handle—big enough for extenders, valve caps, and patch kits—that sold us. blackburndesign.com…

This intuitive machine logs workout data and helps you meet goals by dictating what’s next. Pair it with the GPS Pod ($169) and it feeds you real-time pace and distance, plus, with the included heart-rate monitor, it records calories burned. suunto.com…

Tired of the Matrix-inspired graph-ics favored by most bike-apparel companies? Get your very own maillot jaune with this boldly simple polyester jersey. twinsix.com…

Garmin took a page out of Apple’s book with the Oregon 400t, the first handheld GPS unit with a touchscreen and an icon-based interface. The result is the most user-friendly and intuitive GPS unit we’ve tested. The touchscreen keyboard makes entering info a cinch—something testers really appreciated when temperatures…

IMPULSE BUY You don’t have to think too hard about springing for a pair of these affordable and versatile shades. Oversize wrap-back lenses give protection high, low, and peripherally, while the brownish polycarbonate produces a bright, sharp-edged view on par with glasses twice the price. The toric lens design—which follows…

A reasonably priced HRM watch that lets you target one of four heart-rate zones, beeps when you slip out of the zone, and ticks off calories burned. A light, highly readable training tool with three-striped Euro cool. shopadidas.com…

Women don’t need to settle for the Terminator look just to get performance shades. In this totally feminine number, you can break hearts, then whup some ass on the beach volleyball court. The Envy is a powerful sun buster with polarized poly lenses in a gray tint deep enough for…

One-Second Photo Polaroid is dead. Long live Polaroid! When the company announced in February 2008 that it was discontinuing production of its iconic instant film, reports about the end of an era ignored the fact that Fuji has supplied “Polaroid” film to the commercial industry for years. To fill the…

Prints from the EPSON STYLUS PHOTO 900 ($199) use a special quick-drying ink, so they come out smudge-proof. You can also print on plastic: Fire up the enclosed software, insert a CD into a special holder, slide that into the printer, and you’re ready to immortalize an image directly onto…

Meet the jacket version of that warm friendliness Germans call gemütlichkeit. The microfiber inner cuffs are soft and help retain heat, the collar is snug but not too tight, and the fleecy collar caresses bare skin. Testers favored the coziness on gusty alpine ridges, when wind-resistance trumped breathability. 1.3…

Use this 8.5-foot electronic probe when trying to pinpoint someone beneath the snow. As you probe closer to the mark, it chirps, beeps, and, once you’re within eight inches, emits a solid tone. Used in conjunction with an avalanche beacon—BCA’s Tracker2 ($335) is a tester favorite—it should help eliminate…

You get Swiss precision detailing (incredible fit, impeccable flat stitching) with a price tag to match. This bib isn’t cheap, but the full-coverage design and chamois are the most comfortable we’ve tried for long days in the saddle. www.assos.com…

Chaco’s retooled midsoles are almost 25 percent lighter than their weighty predecessors but still hike like supremely ventilated boots. The double straps and split toe yield good control but don’t work well with socks. www.chacousa.com…

Lab-coat white may be questionable by day, but after dark this shell’s seams shine when caught in the glare of headlights. 4 oz; www.adidas.com…

For nighttime running on busy roads, flip this jacket inside out and you’ll flash like a human traffic cone, thanks to a fluorescent mesh liner and reflective trim. 8.5 oz; hellyhansen.com…

These lightweight do-it-all pants repel a drizzle and dry quickly if soaked. The slightly tapered fit doesn’t flap around in the wind, and the soft chamois-trimmed waist belt is a welcome bonus. arcteryx.com…

WARMER THAN IT LOOKS When warmth matters most, grab the G50. On a late-fall backpacking trip in New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness, with temperatures plummeting into the single digits, one tester (who had forgotten his puffy) simply battened down the G50 and said, “I’m fine.” The surprising warmth-to-weight is due to…

FAST UP AND DOWN Not surprisingly, this aluminum hardtail easily kept up with competitors on climbs. But its standout performance on descents wowed testers even more. Why? Fisher’s Genesisters geometry works with a woman’s biomechanics, helping us flow effortlessly through tight switchbacks. The four-inch Fox F100 RL front fork can…

Don’t judge these pin-striped slacks on their looks alone. They’re completely waterproof-breathable, and thanks to an extra bit of insulation in the seat, you won’t freeze your ass off on the chairlift. ridedna.com…

Look good, smell good: In addition to being sensible (moisture-wicking and stink-free), this buttery, 100 percent merino polo is also pretty stylish. iobiocompatibles.com…

Our take: Guys can wear Peruvian-style hats, as long as the earflaps don’t have ponytails. This chunky, hand-knit acrylic lid gets the OK. shredalert.com…

The Heli Ski Short’s water-resistant leather-and-nylon shell fits so well, it’s hard to believe the liner is removable. hestrausa.com…

On a spring heli-ski trip in British Columbia, this synthetic-filled jacket provided a near-perfect balance of warmth, protection, and breathability. Credit the Windstopper shell, long pit zips, and removable hood. 1.9 lbs; mountainhardwear.com…

Perfectly tailored, ultralight, rustle-free, and, if you opt for the shield-your-eyes neon-green color, unbelievably car-repellent. Translation: It’s our favorite do-it-all shell. 3.3 oz; sugoi.com…

The cotton-and-nylon blend doesn’t dry as quickly as all-synthetic pants, but thanks to articulated knees and a loose cut, these are way more comfortable. Zippered cargo pockets keep your money and cell phone in place. Style conscious? You might not dig the elastic waistband and tapered cut. woolrich.com…

Thanks to the hydrophilic rubber at the nose and temples, the ultralight Stradas were our favorite choice for trail running and mountain biking. tifosioptics.com…

For sockless sneaking, these way-soft lace-ups are hard to beat. The look is swanky tennis shoe, but the reality is exceedingly comfortable walkabout-wear. clarks.us…

Thanks to its flat seams, jersey knit, and a touch of stretchy synthetic material, this was our favorite lightweight merino-wool top. io-bio.com…

SKI SHARP Good for Resort Look as good as you ski. The Spectre is for the guy who wants street-smart style but not at the expense of top-end technical performance. Beneath the understated, retro tweed is a waterproof-breathable Gore Performance Shell membrane protecting the jacket’s blizzard-ready…

Testers loved the tagless, adjustable waistband and removable chamois. And because most dirt jerseys are too baggy to secure an iPod, the MP3 pocket and headphone port make sense on these shorts. zoic.com…

They might be slip-ons, but that doesn’t mean the fit is sloppy. The Drakes are actually a surprisingly snug and techy shoe, with (mostly) waterproof uppers, a sticky outsole, and a reinforced toe box. ahnufootwear.com…

Resort Roomier than most resortwear, this waterproof jacket has a brushed-polyester lining, fuzzy collar, and removable hood. patagonia.com…

Because it’s lined with thick sheets of partially recycled synthetic insulation (PrimaLoft Eco), you get big-time warmth without looking like the Michelin Man. Compresses down to volleyball size and is trim enough to wear under a storm layer. 2.2 lbs; mountainhardwear.com…

Go extra large with the Rx-ready Tone, which features high-end Zeiss polycarbonate lenses and plenty of coverage. This piece is perfect for scoping lines on the slopes or just hanging out on an après deck. Burly stainless-steel hinges complete the solid build. giro.com…

No sloppy fit here. Because the Cocoon’s Gore-Tex barrier—called Xtrafit—is permanently fused to the rest of the glove, the inner layer never shifts around annoyingly. scottusa.com…

Mountain With one zippered pocket out back, a semifitted cut, and wind-cutting stretch polyester, the soft-shell-like Launch was a tester favorite on fall rides. Of course, truth be told, we saw said tester wearing it around town just as often. pearlizumi.com      …

Rambler The renowned comfort of Dansko doesn’t just come in a clog. This looks like a leather hiking boot but is actually a walking machine (especially suited for the high-arched), up for lower-impact trail forays, with four plush layers underfoot. dansko.com…

There’s nothing like slipping into something as soft as butter when your limbs feel like Jell-O. This French terry track jacket features feminine details (an empire waist and side tie) but is as comfortable as your college sweatshirt. oakley.com…

Be safe with this well-vented lid. Quick-dry pads beat stink, and a sleek adjuster dial makes perfecting the fit simple. bellbikehelmets.com…