HIGH FLYER Like the Tahoe-based hucker for whom it’s named, this one is all about the park. The Jackson Pro’s true-twin shape and easy swing weight allow for solid spins and switch riding. “Superstiff and powerful, this thing tore through the park,” remarked one tester after multiple laps. Strips of…

Good for Park and Pipe The reverse-camber Compact was the most confidence-inspiring and maneuverable park-and-pipe board we tested this year. We’re also big fans of Ride’s proprietary urethane sidewalls. They absorb chop better than other brands’ and help eliminate washout (over-rotating), a common problem with rockered…

Good for Telemark Now available in a size small, the NTN binding offers women accustomed to alpine-like control and power a no-sacrifices way to get into telemark skiing. Testers liked that they didn't have to bend over and mess with cables to get in and out. And everyone praised…

Good for All Mountain The highest-scoring ski in this category, the twin-tipped John wowed our testers with its versatility. Ex-racers can arc race turns, jibbers can throw them switch, and big-mountain skiers can blast through trees and powder. “Fun, fun, fun,” said one tester. Clearly the company…

Good for Resort Testers were truly shocked: You’re not supposed to be able to get a boot this good at this price. The key feature is the special plastic underfoot: It’s formulated for optimum energy transmission, and they must have gotten the recipe right, because the Sensor…

Why It’s CoolIt’s so simple—a single strap secures the floating lid, and that’s all you see looking at the front of this bag. Not to fear; you get ice-ax loops, daisy chains, and compression straps down the sides, but the absence of front clutter is refreshing. » The suspension is…

TELEMARK Good for All Mountain With the same dimensions as Rossi's S7 Barras alpine ski, the Mancini has a traditional camber and shape but adds a mega-wide rockered tip for float and a narrower pintail for scrubbing turns. The result is a ski that's equally adept at abrupt direction…

Why They’re CoolThere’s a 20-foot-long slab of slick rhyolite near my house, inclined at about 55 degrees. Maybe one out of ten pairs of hikers I try will cling to it at all, but the sticky-soled Ventures just walked right on up. » Surprisingly, the sharp lugs also performed perfectly…

Band Aider New to running tech? Start here. A foot pod and waterproof wristband measure time, total distance (90 to 95 percent accurate), and speed (ballpark), then uploads the info into basic Web-based tracking software. nikerunning.nike.com…

Ankles prone to rolling? The Breeze’s stable platform makes it incredibly supportive for a light hiker, yet it doesn’t feel clunky. The mostly mesh upper breathes exceptionally well and dries quickly. The Breeze excelled on fast-and-light trips, like a jaunt up and down Vermont’s Stowe Pinnacle. www.tecnicausa.com Bonus:…

All Mountain A few years ago, Marker wowed side-country fans with the burliest (and heaviest) AT binding in history, the Duke. And two years ago the company came out with a lighter version, the Baron. The weight-loss trend continues with the Tour F10 and F12, which both come in at…

Can’t bear to leave anything behind, even on a weekend trip? This sleek pack has the biggest capacity of the bunch, with a suspension that can handle 40-plus pounds and a height that didn’t cause instability when I hiked Colorado’s steep Liberty Bell Trail. The pack is on the…

The Quasar features triple-layer foam for a cushioned fit, spherical lenses for optical clarity, and, like the Smith (right), an equalizer vent to help eliminate moisture buildup and fogging. All those inclusions would more than merit the $140 price tag, but the Modulator lenses are also photochromic, a feature…

LITTLE BIG BOOT A hike on the eight-mile trail to the top of Colorado’s 14,259-foot Longs Peak demands a lot out of a shoe: support, traction, durability, agility, and low weight. That’s a tall order, but the Namche carried the day, performing like a running shoe disguised as an approach…

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL Even at a wider 95 mm underfoot, the Sentinel was one of the more dynamic skis in the category. The front of the ski is playful and floats nicely in resort powder, but the Sentinel is all business in the back, where the sidecut and…

HARD CHARGER Unless you huck off every cliff in sight, donning body armor is overkill. But a little back protection makes sense for anyone who ventures into exposed, big-mountain terrain. The multitasking, 1,450-cubic-inch Razor is built with a Shield Back System: foam-wrapped polyethylene pads that are part of the internal…

The Sensor3 is easy to like. It has a slightly wider fit that almost every tester (except those with really narrow feet) raved about. But it’s no slouchy cruiser; despite its comfy fit, it’s one of the stiffest boots in Rossi’s line. TAGS: easygoing, big mountain…

THE PERFECT TRAVEL HIKER We didn’t pick this shoe because it’s good-looking enough to wear to dinner. We picked it because it performs just as well as the other light hikers we chose and you won’t look like a dork walking around downtown later that evening. The mid-sole of the…

Testers dug the Geos for their roomy toe box, flexible and responsive upper, and easy-to-lace liner. Grippy fabric—it feels like a cat’s tongue—in the heel helps keep your foot in place. Be forewarned: These run about a size too big. TAGS: stylish, runs big…

Thanks to beefy waterproof-breathable uppers and grippy lugs, the Alby Low is our top pick for inclement weather. Ultra-cushy soles pad finicky feet on long walks, and on a snowy day hike, one tester reported perfectly warm and dry toes. 13 oz; hellyhansen.com…

Lightweight Response And for those of you who ride Burton’s EST boards, the company has updated its EST-only CO2 binding. Testers agreed that the new soft-rubber cushions in the highback soak up even more chatter, but they had mixed feelings about the redesigned ankle straps. They’re lighter but also…

Why They’re CoolAt a scant one pound 15 ounces per pair, I could feel the V-Lites maximizing my fuel efficiency with every step. Yet the full-height uppers shielded my ankle bones from rocks, stumps, and gravel. » Hi-Tec built the V-Lites around a midsole of shock-absorbing EVA, which made for…

RACE READY The brand of choice for over half of the top World Cup ski racers proves it can make planks that arc for weekend warriors, too. The B5i’s capped construction allows for easy turn initiation and release, which is why one tester felt “like an Austrian in a one-piece,…

This was the best multi-day haul pack we tested. In terms of both price and usability, the 3,480-cubic-inch El Lobo hits the sweet spot. “Feels lighter than it is” and “really moves with you” were common tester refrains. Credit the Lobo’s X-shaped chassis and dual-pivot hipbelt, which, as advertised,…

Best for Scramble-Hikes Most approach shoes are either too slipperlike for hiking or too rigid for scrambling. But SCARPA’s Epic hits the sweet spot with its combination of a thick, shock-absorbing EVA foam midsole (for the hike in) and a sticky, smear-ready outsole (for the assault on the top). The…

I am an organization freak, so I find Zen when all of my gear has its own place, like in the multiple pockets of this compact 1,200-cubic-inch hydration pack, which holds three Nalgenes’ worth of water. ospreypacks.com…

The HighRoller’s universal attachment accommodates all wheel sizes from a 29-inch downhiller to Junior’s 20-inch Huffy. Bonus: The tire clamp eliminates contact with your bike’s frame, preventing ugly rub marks on that candy-coat paint job. yakima.com…

Size, Price: 70 oz, $21; 105 oz, $22Flow Rate: 1*Funk Fighter?: Antimicrobial treatmentFilterCompatible?: NoValve Shutoff?: YesGotta Love: Saucepan-style handle makes for easy fillingBummer: Second-rate bite valve makes for low flowSplat Test: Survived *Ratings: 1=Average, 3=Excellent…

Why They’re CoolThe translucent outsoles are made of a house-brand polymer that, according to Brooks’s R&D crew, lasts 30 percent longer than that supersticky rubber you see on approach and climbing shoes. It also improves wet and dry skid resistance by 20 percent. In the lab, anyway. » The road…

MAKE TRAINING FEEL LIKE RACING Sometimes you float through your training runs like a butterfly, while other times every step stings like a bee. But since you’re no Muhammad Ali—sorry, you’re a midpack dude prepping for a charity marathon—you’ll like this smooth-riding, ultra-comfy trainer. On both good and bad days,…

SMOOTH, CUSHIONED VERSATILITY Lucky number 13? It is if you count a commitment to research as good fortune. The 13th version of this all-purpose favorite is the result of years of accumulated R&D. This Kayano boasts thicker gel cushioning units in the heel than previous models, resulting in an even…

STABILITY IN MOTION Ever watch a caterpillar crawl over your knuckles? The weather-resistant, soft-shell Shadow Dragon takes a page from the little bugs: the outsole’s 12 protruding lugs, which gave us a noticeable boost in stability on the small rocks, roots, and other obstacles of Boulder’s Mesa Trail. 11.5 oz;…

CAN TAKE THE HEAT The 874 is built like an elite road racer: a slender torso atop a powerful lower body. A weird physique for a shoe? Perhaps, but the combination of an almost lacy, two-layer mesh upper wedded to a thick midsole and luggy tread works extremely well on…

This featherweight back hugger stays in place during even the most jarring bob-and-weave trail running. Pack sparingly: There’s space for only energy bars, keys, and a light shell. The spongy back panel is soft but gets sweaty. Two-liter reservoir included. 12 oz; www.kelty.com…

ROCK AND ROAD Sometimes run roads, sometimes trails? This hybrid combines ample cushioning and a road-shoe-like fit for pounding pavement, with a bi-directional tread that gripped even the sloppiest terrain. Though pillowy, it’s still responsive. Faster testers appreciated the smooth transition from heel strike to toe off. The tight mesh…

em>Packed Trail In a word: smooth. The Cascadia 4 can handle both big miles and varied terrain, making it an ideal training shoe for trail marathons or ultras. The environmentally sensitive BioMoGo midsole (which, Brooks claims, will break down in a landfill 50 times faster than most…

Good for Trails If you run both roads and mellow trails, be good to your budget: Buy one shoe that can handle both. The Boulder Canyon has the guts of a neutral road shoe—a single-density EVA foam provides ample cushioning on pavement. But it also has grippy,…

The Gripper On the worst running surfaces of our test—loose dirt, rock slabs, and muddy sidehill traverses—the Rockridge excelled. Prominent lugs and sticky rubber combined for a gluelike grip on all surfaces, making these an “epic adventure partner,” as one tester put it. The mesh upper was supremely breathable, thanks…

Saves Some for Later Last fall, we picked Nike’s amazing LunarGlide+, with its unique Dynamic Support midsole, as our Gear of the Year. Nike built the new LunarEclipse+ on the same platform but opened up the toe box, and took its stability one notch further, bracing the heel with a…

What Amazon did for books, Leopard is doing for bicycles. By sticking with Web-only distribution, this small Bay Area–based bike manufacturer is offering teched-out, full-carbon race bikes at unheard-of prices. The CL1 is constructed of uniquely ribbed carbon tubing and has radically shaped carbon seat- and chainstays, resulting in…

SMART SPEEDThe Diamondback’s straightforwardness is what makes it a standout. This stable, confidence-nurturing cross-country racer holds its line with minimal effort on climbs and descents, and pedals much lighter than its 25 pounds might suggest. A full Shimano XT parts set, including hydraulic disc brakes, makes the SL a…

ONE-GEAR WONDER If you think a four-bar linkage is a night on the town, the Lewis is for you. This aluminum-framed single-speed hardtail is all about simplicity, with one gear, a smooth, quiet trail manner, and no complicated rear suspension to maintain. But it’s not a complete Luddite. You still…

PEDAL-FRIENDLY HEAVYWEIGHT Six-inch all-mountain bikes can be heavy and no fun to pedal, which is why they’re generally reserved for car shuttles and ski lifts. Not so El Guapo. With oversized aluminum tubing, stout links, and through-axle hub, it looks the part of a squishy all-mountain banger. But a Shimano…

Deep channels and 22 vents keep the air flowing, but the three-way-adjustable retention system sold us on Bell’s top-of-the-line road helmet. Bonus: The included visor means the Volt can double as your mountain-biking lid. bellbikehelmets.com…

With a more relaxed geometry and longer travel (4 inches vs. 3.5), Giant's all-new Anthem X line is a slightly more trail-tuned version of its race-specific Anthem line. Theoretically, those changes should make it slower, and maybe they do, but we couldn't tell. “Feels like a full-on race bike,” said…

Versatile Starter If you’re looking for an affordable bike that can handle commutes and get you going on your first fitness or group rides, the Grand Sport is worth a look. If, like our testers, you’re already accustomed to riding light and stiff (and much pricier) bikes, you won’t be…

When things get mucky, throw on PEARL IZUMI‘s microfleece-backed neoprene BARRIER SHOE COVERS.

Let there be light transmission! Kowa’s new 44mm lenses use patented multi-coating technology to enhance brightness. Ideal for glassing wildlife at twilight, this brute produces exceptional color and detail. 10.5×44; kowa-usa.com…

  London, Rio, L.A., and Tokyo on the itinerary? With 24 cities ringing the crystal, all you need to do is dial in the appropriate metropolis and you’re in the (time) zone. txwatches.com        …

This inch-square jobbie’s familiar interface and blue-on-black screen make navigation a cinch. Multiformat USB; www.mobiblu.com…

BUCK’s 172 MAYO TNT locking knife tucks a surgical-sharp three-inch blade into an ultracool titanium handle. (800-326-2825, www.buckknives.com)…

Looking for high performance at a low price? The N5 tracks lap times, stores data for 30 workouts, and offers the usual gamut of zone alarms, calorie counting, and percent of max—and doesn’t require a Ph.D. to use. nbmonitors.com…

The G4’s cool, buffed shell, recessed ports, and ergonomic edges house Apple’s most powerful mobile command center to date. We love iLife—an included suite of powerful programs that edit and organize photos, movies, music, and more. With 64 megs of dedicated graphics memory, a hard drive that buckles its own…

Stalking powder on the mountain all day? This is your multitalented timepiece, with weather-forecasting barometer, altimeter, digital compass, inclinometer, thermometer, timer, and more at your icy fingertips. quiksilver.com…

Keep your most essential files (baby photos, passport and driver’s-license scans, the great American novel) on you at all times with the two-gig USB “blade.” Oh, and it’s a sweet little pocketknife, too. swissarmy.com…

Tiny capsules filled with a luminescent gas will keep the hands and numbers on the LUMINOX ULTIMATE FIELD CHROMO 824 ($650) glowing continuously for 25 years.

The base of the HIGHGEAR ALTITECH2 ($150)—a digital multitool that reports temperature, altitude, and barometric pressure—pivots at a 90-degree angle to sit on a level surface. Presto! Alpine-start alarm clock. When you break camp, its carabiner clips to your backpack.

HI-DEF, IN HAND The V1253 is a fine still camera, thanks to 23 scene modes that match almost any scenario imaginable, plus a macro mode that can focus as close as two inches. But with its ability to capture HD-quality videos, and in such a minuscule package, this may be…

Thanks to tough—and 100 percent recycled—fabric on the rear, knees, and ankle cuffs, these weather-resistant pants can handle everything from ice climbing to bushwhacking. patagonia.com…

Whether you’re spying landmarks while at sea or just finding your bearings, the Navigator’s compass leads the way. This 20-ounce marine binoc took on stream dunks and foggy conditions with aplomb. 7×30; steiner-binoculars.com…

HARDCORE MEETS HIP Loud and proud, this oversize job does surprisingly well on sweaty runs, staying put and providing solid protection. Kaenon’s SR-91 lenses (copper polarized here) provide glass-like optics in a shatter-resistant material and rank up there with the elite when it comes to the prized trifecta of acuity,…

Call SUUNTO’S X9 ($699), the first GPS watch that’s more serious navigation tool than cyborg fashion statement. The integrated satellite receiver shows lat/long coordinates, stores waypoints, and delivers ETA and distance predictions for your destination.

If you pack a cell—and you know you do—Oakley’s Razrwire lightens the load and keeps you moving. No need to stop hiking or get off the bike to take a call; simply reach up and tap a button to connect to a Bluetooth-enabled phone. Got voice dialing? Tap and talk…

Why It’s CoolFive-by-sevens printed up at near-35mm-film quality, which is a real testament not just to electronics but to the quality of the f/2.8 lens. The bonus here is a 27mm-equivalent wide-angle, which is great for shooting landscapes, and a 110mm-equivalent 4x optical zoom. » The videocam-style swiveling LCD preview…

Why It’s CoolCloudveil rolls a surfeit of nice details into an eight-ounce full-zip jacket made of silky nylon. The fabric is Cloudveil’s own CirrusPlus—a wind- and water-resistant 40-denier ripstop interknit with a lighter 30-denier yarn to give it a soft hand. » It’s quiet. » The collar has a microfleece…

Delivering huge, rich sound in a slim package, the Max speaker system is a must-have travel accessory. Dock your iPod or iPhone—or use the aux jack for other devices—and listen for 3.5 hours per charge. alteclansing.com…

Get howitzer-like bang for your buck with the Logic. Its functional midweight fabric—a stretchy nylon water-repellent face woven to a soft fleece lining—works for almost any activity from early spring to late fall. The high versatility is married to clean detailing (such as laser-cut zipper openings) normally reserved for…

Good for Backcountry We’ve never really liked previous integrated probe-shovel combos—they’ve been either short (the probe), cumbersome (getting it out of the shaft of the shovel), or both. The Arsenal is different. The ten-inch-wide blade and sturdy aluminum construction can move serious snow. And the seven-foot-ten-inch 240…

An easy-to-use tab system makes swapping the Synergy’s four lenses—gray, amber, rose, and clear—a cinch in changing light, and the rubber temples eliminate slippage. www.nerveusa.com…

Why It’s CoolA rather stunning metering system compares the kind of shot you’re about to take with an onboard file of more than 30,000 “image maps.” Instantly locating the closest match, the N75 balances the exposure perfectly. » This sucker will shoot almost two frames per second and, once you’ve…

This high-performance tee fights odor, wicks sweat, and will outlast your passport. www.prana.com…

Why They’re CoolNo matter how hard the cold wind blows, your eyeballs won’t mind, sheltered by removable, round-the-eye foam pieces that close the gap between shades and face. The double-pane poly lenses allow the inner surface to rise to your temperature, so there’s no steaming up. » Wide-range photochromic tinting…

Our criteria for a good travel speaker: light, tough, and sounds good enough to keep playing once you’re there. The last one is usually the deal breaker, but the iP49 docking station flips open and pumps out surprisingly rich, bassy notes. Plus it has FM radio, alarm clock, equalizer, and…

Why They’re CoolYou barely feel these rimless half-ounce wonders, which perform like big wraps. A springy stainless nosepiece and temples support poly lenses. The copper tint, enhanced by polarizing, reveals a splendidly sharp take on reality. » The rearward swoops at the lenses’ outside corners make for good protection from…

The Talon delivers images as sharp as binoculars twice the price, plus it’s easy to use, 100 percent waterproof, and backed by a lifetime warranty. 8×42; www.vortexoptics.com…

A contoured footbed and a soft, neoprene-lined upper make the V-Lite the most comfortable sandal here. And because it has a beefy midsole and snug, one-pull lacing, it also performed well hiking. hi-tec.com…

CROSSOVER ARTIST Don’t mistake these shades for snooky streetwear; the sports bona fides are all here in this elegant blend of style and performance tech. Cleverly concealed sticky pads at the nose and ears, combined with springy nylon frames and temples, kept the Serpent from migrating on sweaty faces. The…

BEST CROSS-COUNTRY RACER Pedaling this nimble featherweight, one tester reported soaring up steeps she normally inches up in granny gear. A freestyle rider doubted the full-carbon beauty could handle a beating, but after a punishing four-hour technical grind, she gave the four-inch-travel Contessa an unqualified thumbs-up—thanks to components like Deore…