BIG-WHEELED HARDTAIL In the age of compression rates and leverage ratios, Bianchi continues to produce refreshingly simple bikes. This aluminum hardtail is tough enough for the roughest trails but doesn’t need the constant tweaking of a full-suspension rig. The 29-inch wheels roll so smoothly, you can forget you don’t have…

The Slinger isn’t as breathable as more ventilated, higher-priced lids. But the one-handed dial adjuster in the back gives the helmet a secure, confident fit, making it without a doubt the most comfortable $100 helmet we’ve worn. e-rudy.com…

Kudos to Diamondback for producing an affordable five-inch trail bike. “One of the better balanced rides of the day,” said one tester. “It corners smoothly, it's a nimble climber, and it descends like a free-ride bike.” Granted, you have to lock out the rear shock to hang with lighter bikes…

Flexible Flier With race models like the Orca and Opal, this small Basque company has a well-deserved reputation as a maker of elite-level bikes. In an effort to get similar performance at a more attractive price for everyday riders, Orbea simply laid less-expensive carbon fiber into the same molds it…

SHIMANO‘s redesigned XTR PD-M980 RACE PEDAL is lighter than its predecessor yet has three times the platform area.

The Throttle pulls off a rather nifty trick: In addition to being superlight—they weigh less than a pack of Gu Energy Gel—the grippy temples also make them the most comfortable glasses here. nativeyewear.com…

MOST TECHNICAL The photochromatic lenses are a delight in low light or even mist, with a pale yellowish tint that knifes through murk. But when the morning fog finally burns off, the Race’s tint quickly darkens to a snow-and-ice-worthy shade of amber, blocking out an impressive 93 percent of available…

Few sunglasses can switch from the Pacific Crest Trail to Rodeo Drive like this frameless number. Copper-tint polarized resin lenses protect against glare and pump up contrast for active sports. There’s secure grip in the right places, and the modest-size wrap lenses don’t sacrifice protection for fashion. Flair starts…

Why It’s CoolThe ripstop nylon fabric is embedded with a carbon yarn designed to dissipate static cling. So whether you’re layering it with a shaggy fleece or shagging in a fleecy lair, you won’t get that irritating snap-crackle-pop that synthetic threads tend to give off when they rub together. It’s…

Welcome to Savile Row. Enter your measurements and choose options on Beyond’s Web site and a couple weeks later take delivery of a custom-fit, custom-featured soft shell—I designed a model for cycling and nordic skiing. The one nonnegotiable characteristic—Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric—kept me just right during a 15-mph road…

Lightweight and low-profile, the Hooligan is perfect for slim faces and smaller heads. Bonus: You can afford another pair if you lose ’em at the crag. www.ryderseyewear.com…

Stay cool—literally and figuratively—with this high-style lid. www.kaenon.com…

Pull on this warm shell when the mercury plummets. The densely knit polyester doesn’t flap in the wind, and a fleecy lining wicks sweat (but adds heft). 12 oz; www.cloudveil.com…

MEAN AND LEANA smidge less of anything and the ultra-minimalist Kicker would be missing something important. But it’s all there: optics, protection, and security. Since the gray polarized poly lenses present a slightly flattened view, the Kicker is best suited to sailing, say, or riding your cruiser bike—activities that don’t…

With an adjustable strap across the arch, this flip-flop won’t fall off when you have to motor. And the multidirectional tread helps prevent slick-deck spills. sperrytopsider.com…

REFRESHINGLY UNFUSSY When Jackson, Wyoming–based Cloudveil promises a do-it-all mountain soft shell for under $150, the smart money gives it a try. So our Jackson-based tester did everything in it: He biked to work in light rain and snow, boot-packed up Glory Bowl in 20-degree weather with just a lightweight…

FOR FULL-THROTTLE, TECHNICAL RIDERS The Juliana powers through rocks, roots, and other trail detritus at full speed. One tester cleaned the gnarliest line that Stowe, Vermont, has to offer—while a pod of guys gaped as they walked the perimeter. Both the four-inch-travel RockShox Reba Team front shock and the rear…

The most refreshing trend in skiwear: technical ski jackets that are stylish enough to wear around town. The water-resistant J-Turn looks as good with jeans as it does with ski pants. quiksilver.com…

In a word, refreshing. Not only does this polyester base layer have an antimicrobial treatment, mesh underarm venting, and a low-key graphic; it’s also slim-fitting and a bargain. dakine.com…

The next best thing to wearing a hat hand-knit by a loved one? One designed by Swedish freeskiers Kaj Zackrisson and Sverre Liliequist, who founded Kask in 2004. kaskofsweden.com…

A new technology from Gore (called 2 in 1) allows you to adjust insulation. Sounds gimmicky, but it works: Flip the insulation to the back of your hand, and dexterity improves dramatically. kombisports.com…

Walk the walk: Thanks to a bamboo lining, organic cotton, and natural rubber, this jute-laced felt boot is eco-approved. Plus tiny bumps on the insole deliver a well-deserved foot massage. simpleshoes.com…

Large, stretchy back panels dump heat, while a more tightly woven polyester front blocks the wind without feeling like plastic wrap. 8 oz; columbia.com Bummer: A bulky internal stuffsack in the left pocket adds unnecessary weight.

With no fewer than eight pockets (three of them zip-pered), adjustable cuffs, and zip-off legs, these quick-drying nylon pants are ideal for any kind of adventure travel. aigleusa.com…

This is the first amphibian from running powerhouse NB. Portholes allow water and sand to drain, and a Vibram sole doggedly grips rocky terrain. newbalance.com…

Gore-Tex, supertough yak leather, and rubber have never looked, nor felt, so good together, and the springy footbeds and grippy soles let you tromp trails and tour town with equal ease. eccousa.com…

If I were still a boy, this would be my wubby. This midweight merino-wool top is good-looking enough to wear to work but plenty technical (thumb loops, articulated arms, and a front zip) for backcountry skiing and backpacking. icebreaker.com…

THE WHOLE PACKAGE Good for Resort System jackets might seem passé to some, but the reasonably priced three- in-one Rodeo Magic, which can be worn as a shell, a midlayer, or both, is a pretty sweet (and, of course, versatile) garment. While not as waterproof…

We found it nearly impossible not to get a wedgie when walking in Assos’s top-of-the-line long-distance/training bibs. But on the bike, the anatomical chamois was as comfortable as any we’ve ridden, and the mesh straps seemed to disappear. assos.com…

They’re waterproof. The outsoles are specifically designed for increased traction on wet surfaces. And they fit and feel like running shoes. In other words, they’re like your old clunky duck boots, only much, much better. llbean.com…

Backcountry/Free-ride FlyLow broke into girls’ gear with a waterproof-breathable and lightly lined soft shell that’s warm enough for skiing but, thanks to ample pit zips, great for touring as well. flylowgear.com…

Good for Trail Our crystal ball sees a bestseller. The baffles are fully packed with midlevel, 650-fill down, which helps keep the price low but didn’t noticeably affect the compressibility or the warmth. Interior pockets are big enough to hold a bottle, gloves, or skins. 1.2…

Trust us: It’ll make you a better photographer. The simple, intuitive M8.2 demands that you actually turn the aperture ring and shutter-speed dial manually, not just fondle screens. Luddite madness? Or a call for patience and thoughtfulness? The latter, no question. After days of shooting in Vancouver,…

Inexpensive sunglasses don’t get much better than this. The Eightball has more than just badass looks, a snug and secure fit, and great coverage going for it. It also sports polarized lenses and grippy rubber nosepads, making it a stylish shade that’s up for any adventure.

The price of our favorite tide watch drops by nearly half, putting it within reach of the dirtbag surfers who want it. www.ripcurl.com…

By welding, and not stitching, this waterproof-breathable soft-shell glove to a leather palm, Spyder made the most comfortable glove in this year’s test. spyder.com…

Four two-inch speakers—a pair of twist-off satellites, on three-foot tethers, and a subwooferlike bass unit—make this 40-watt aluminum system bump like a P-Funk track. www.thinkoutside.com…

Mountain Most of the mountain-bike shorts we tested had a lot going on: multiple pockets, vents, and doodads. Not the streamlined Rambushes: They're easy to adjust, have just one pocket, and, most important, they're made of a comfy wool chamois that's naturally odor-resistant. smartwool.com      …

With an anodized-titanium handle swaddled in carbon fiber, XIKAR’s XI 158 EXCURSION knife is a techie’s dream cutter. (888-266-1193, www.xikar.com)…

Multisport Mixer An active type in casual-shoe clothing (and with sustainability cred), the comfy Sight Hemp features the tough eponymous fiber, a scrappy lugged sole, and an antimicrobial lining. If it weren’t such a great all-terrain traveler, it’d be in our mix of light hikers. merrell.com…

Lose the chest strap. With a touch of the finger, the 10M takes accurate readings in four to five seconds, twice as fast as other strapless monitors. Don’t look for lap features or data storage, but you do get the usual zone alarms, a stopwatch, and a calorie counter.

You can pretty much bet on a short, fierce thunderstorm on your hike. This shell has welded seams and a cinchable but ample-size hood to make sure not a drop of rain gets through. And when the weather clears? It scrunches to the size of a grapefruit in your…

Meet your new cross-country training partner. With its integrated GPS receiver, the FORERUNNER 201 ($161) from GARMIN spits out continuous pace data on its widescreen LCD. Input your time and distance goals, and a little animated sprinter lets you know whether you’re really whupping it, or falling behind.

Relieve pressure on your hands by donning the mesh-backed Veer. Its leather palm gives excellent grip on shifters and full hand protection. pearlizumi.com…

Beneath the waves, this scuba bad boy—an air, nitrox, and gauge computer with electronic compass, four-button operation, and giant matrix display—is king. suunto.com…

This easy-wearing aviator update features ergonomic, eye-shaped polarized lenses for smart coverage, a snug and streamlined fit, and an impressively feathery weight. Spring-loaded hinges add comfort and durability. TAGS: lightweight, polarized, comfort…

How’s this for a pendant? String it around your neck and—no matter the disaster—you’ll always have a half-ounce, 1.8-inch talon handy. buckknives.com…

Buy More Passes With its subtle herringbone-like weave, square buttons, and asymmetrical front pockets, the Mohave is stylish in a low-key way. So when we saw the reasonable price tag, we figured Scott blew the budget on flair. Wrong. This insulated hard shell is brimming with smart touches, like wrist…

Named for the speedsters who wear it on the track, TAG HEUER’S FORMULA 1 ($600) is an all-around performer, even away from the asphalt. This rugged Swiss Miss serves up easy-to-grasp ridges on the crown, a unidirectional bezel, and a 200-meter depth rating for fumble-proof visibility on land and sea.

HOTHOUSE How good is Arc’teryx at making jackets? So good that it’s managed to build a streamlined, stylish soft shell that thrives in the backcountry but looks at home in the city. On bitter Minnesota evenings, when everybody else started reaching for their puffies, our tester stayed toasty in the…

If you’re heading way off the grid (think Nunavut) and need real-time weather data, invest in BRUNTON’S ATMOSPHERIC DATA CENTER PRO ($249). The handheld instrument pulls in 24-hour trend graphs for temperature, barometric pressure, and altitude. Beam the data to your PC via an optional infrared receiver ($49).

Think of your winter workout gear, like SALOMON‘s lightweight, breathable MOMENTUM II SOFTSHELL JACKET, as a vacation investment—your ticket to transcending the slop and sleet to a warmer, sunnier plane (in your head, anyway).

ALL-WEATHER BADASS Digicam designers must not get out much; the 790 SW is one of only two made to scoff at the elements. (The other is Olympus’s even tougher, fancier, pricier 1030 SW.) Rubber gaskets seal out dust and render the camera waterproof to ten feet down—a feature we tested…

CW-X‘s REVOLUTION TIGHTS will serve you well. Through a miraculous feat of fabric engineering, they combine light, stretchy CoolMax sections with firm muscle-supporting panels without a tangle of seams.

Ideal for backcountry scoping, the Infinity features rugged, powerful optics. With a durable yet light-weight chassis, it’s primed for all conditions. 8.5×45; bushnell.com…

Big. And burly. With its roomy grip, double-pointed aluminum blade, and virtually unbendable shaft, this was our favorite shovel. 40 in extended, 29 in collapsed, 1.8 lbs; life-link.com…

Super-zoom digicams have come into their own. Check out the ten-meg 565’s specs: RAW shooting, exposure lock, built-in image stabilization to reduce image blur, a 20x zoom that stretches from 26mm to a ridiculous 520mm, to name just a few of its SLR-like capabilities. Over a week in Mexico,…

An upgrade to Minox’s proven, staff-favorite HG line, the powerful APOs deliver great edge-to-edge color quality in a tough but lightweight magnesium package. But that don’t come cheap! 8.5×43; minox.com…

Why It’s CoolThe Z1’s silver plastic body oozes style—and garners envious looks on the trail. That said, the beauty is beyond skin-deep. » At its highest resolution, the 3.2-megapixel Z1 will reel off five frames in less than five seconds. And when I took lower-res shots of a friend mountain-biking,…

Slap Happy This watch’s fumble-free solution to recording your splits: Smack it! The slap-sensitive face works great (and is especially useful when wearing the watch under long sleeves). Plus, the enormous display is very easy to read. Note: Accidental bumps can trigger the timer, and the wrist strap is not…

Straight to Video Annoyed by menus, toggles, and buttons with inscrutable little symbols? You won’t find them here. Swing the lens arm up and this deceptively high-powered camera is ready for action. Separate buttons allowed us to take video and stills without changing modes, and by swiveling the lens unit…

The iPad adds 3G connectivity to the debut version’s wi-fi so you can Web-browse, watch movies, or read the new issue of your favorite outdoor magazine from your car or a park bench. No, it won’t replace your laptop just yet, but in our go-everywhere testing, it lived up to…

Get superior optics in a pocket-friendly package with this super-sleek palm-size model, updated this year for improved light transmission at dawn and at dusk. 8×20; www.zeiss.com…

This nine-footer is a high-performance board with plenty of float, so it’s Cadillac-smooth in peeling surf. Up front it’s wide, round, and inviting for toes-on-the-nose time. And the double concave hulls spill to the tail in a slight V, which gives the board a shot of high-octane get-up-and-go. Pair…

A wide chest band and ample cups suit a range of sizes and hold everything securely in place for pickup volleyball. $72; www.watergirlusa.com…

SUMMER RUNABOUT The oversize cockpit makes for easy entry, the desk-chair-style high backrest is ergonomic and supportive, and the front deck net holds a water bottle, sunscreen, or a map. In other words, it was easily the most comfortable boat for cruising on calm days. Plus it’s easy to tailor…

SMOOTH AND STEADY Liquid Logic consulted a flotilla’s worth of southeastern kayak instructors when designing the river-running Remix. The result is a boat that’s about as user-friendly as they come: No edginess, no surprises, and easy to keep upright in squirrely water. And if you do flip? “It’ll literally roll…

Water Runner Several two-year-old pairs of 920s are still in rotation among our staff—and this updated version proved to be just as popular. The reason is simple: The 921 is a well-built water-and-land shoe with aggressive off-road tread, rigid rubber overlays for lateral support, and generous (and well-protected) drain holes…

Light and Tough The 13-foot Revolution is part of NRS's new series of urethane boats. With ample rocker and sporty tubes, the Revolution doubles as a high-performance whitewater paddle raft and, as an oar rig, a stable deck for fishing and lounging. We put the 13-footer pictured here to the…

Why It’s CoolThis freestanding phenom, a measly three pounds 11 ounces, has twin doors and vestibules! It pitches in seconds, using two color-coded poles, one-way sleeves, and nifty cleat-lock adjusters. » Mesh ceiling panels and a single roof vent evacuated my CO2 and kept the interior nearly bone-dry. Dual mesh…

For alpine jaunts, bring along a ProLite 4 from Therm-a-Rest. The sleeping pad is 20 percent lighter—yet far tougher—than the company’s previous self-inflaters.

How does Jetboil improve our favorite fuel miser? By increasing versatility. A pot support (pictured) allows you to cook with a frying pan. And a 1.5-liter pot (not pictured)—equipped with a heat-trapping FluxRing, built-in handle, and insulating neoprene cozy—makes the Jetboil ideal for groups of two to four. Fuel:…

If you like crappy weather—or at least camping in places with crappy weather—you’ll shell out the dough for a specialist tent like the Kaitum. On the outside, this caterpillar of a shelter sprouts a web of guy lines that turn the Kaitum into a four-season fortress. Inside, it’s a…

For easy camp duty—reading, washing dishes, re-staking the rain fly in the middle of the night—the AAA-powered Gizmo is a bargain. Three tiltable LEDs provide plenty of light for the price and weight. 2 oz; bdel.com…

The fuel miser: It's freezing and the wind's howling—a perfect time to fire up the Reactor, which has a completely enclosed, windproof burner. The integrated pot/burner system puts the Reactor in a class by itself: It's compact, incredibly fuel-efficient, and boils a liter of water in a fast three minutes.

POCKETS GALORE Are you forever looking for ways to stash small items, like camera, snacks, GPS, sunscreen, first-aid kit, and more? The Nimble, with no fewer than seven pockets and three storage compartments, is your pack. “It's more organized than my kitchen!” said one tester. Even better, the Nimble still…

LOTS OF COMFORT, LITTLE WEIGHT Big Agnes took last year’s already light Gear of the Year–winning Emerald Mountain tent and sliced off nearly a pound, while apparently sacrificing nothing. How’d they do it? An even smarter design, smaller-gauge zippers, and a featherweight body and 15-denier nylon fly that, because its…

STAY ORGANIZED We were all impressed with how well the Futura Pro carries a full load, but it was our anal-retentive testers who were most partial to this feature-laden, everything-has-its-place pack. A bottom compartment keeps food separated from clothing and gear, while a bevy of quick-access compartments (two long pockets…

They’re extremely light (carbon-fiber shafts), comfy (cork grips with foam extensions), and easy to adjust. Come winter, swap out the trekking baskets for the included powder versions. 1 lb; bdel.com…

The light-yet-stable Vapor Flash bridges the gap between an overnighter and a multi-day hauler. At 3,200 cubic inches, this traditional top-loader is just big enough for several days’ worth of gear (one tester even hauled a six-pack in it). But at a waifish three and a half pounds, it…