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Racy Sailor A featherweight sports wrap, tricked out with Bollé’s nautical Offshore Blue poly lenses, the Kicker played against type for watersports shades, which tend to be massive Mac Daddy numbers. But the combo of sharp optics and blue tint, with antiglare polarizing—plus a lens coating to make water sheet…
Soft, quick-dry nylon makes this flattering knee-length dress the perfect thing to throw on after a sweaty yoga class. patagonia.com…
Deep lugs even in the instep offer traction, while to-the-toe laces customize the fit. specialized.com/women…
Your boxers weigh more than this full-zip nylon jacket. It blocks the breeze but lets steam out with a latticework of armpit vents, then disappears into your pocket when the wind dies down. 2 oz; www.hellyhansen.com…
Town Crossover Combine a down vest with a fleece-lined soft shell and this is what you get. We liked the long cut and urban utility look but not the floppy collar or double-what-we-expected price. 1.6 lbs; TAGS: soft shell, down, hybrid…
SMART INSULATOR Like the Gravitor (left), the Prima Fusion is also an insulated hard shell—with a few key differences. First, it’s insulated only in strategic areas along the chest, back, shoulders, and tops of the arms. The uninsulated sides, helmet-compatible hood, elbows, and pit-zip-equipped underarms make it cooler but…
When paired with high-quality base layers, CRAFT‘s full-zip ACTIVE CROSS COUNTRY TOURING PANTS are all you need 90 percent of the time.
The waterproof, nubuck Snowmass was the easiest boot here to slip on, thanks to stretchy elastic side panels. It’s also warm; a combination of wool felt and space-blanket-like material in the footbed kept our feet toasty.
MOVING COMFORT‘s MOBILITY 1/2 ZIP is soft and breathable but practically looks like a piece you can wear to a cocktail party.
Why It’s Coolhe Fever looks like a rodeo boat beamed forward in time from 1994. But ten minutes in the cockpit will remind you why those boats were so much fun. » Remember pop-ups and pirouettes? The Fever will bring back those classic tricks. » Smaller paddlers: this boat will…
Wide-set cups and full-coverage bottoms make this suit best for women with broad shoulders and muscular frames. $90; www.eddiebauer.com…
PARTY BOAT The Dirigo’s supersized rear cockpit has room for a pony keg, a well-behaved Lab, or, because it comes with a removable child-size jump seat, a water-ready grom. Primary paddlers have adjustable foot pedals, swaths of gunwale padding for your knees, and a “dashboard” complete with a cup holder…
For those who can’t disconnect, the waterproof speakers in the Multy Lynk work with any Bluetooth-enabled device. Best application: Use the boom microphone to call for help from your cell phone. vozsports.com…
Sail Away The Ventus was designed in collaboration with the U.S. Sailing Team. And while it certainly looks the part, it’s no one-trick pony. The siped outsoles and mesh-protected drain ports performed nicely kayaking around the lake, and just as well beachcombing in Florida. sperrytopsider.com…
Throw this sporty bathing suit on for surfing or volleyball. Then, to thwart tan lines, swap the top out for the Bali Bandeau ($40; not shown) in the matching print. carvedesigns.com…
While you can continue to use your daypack, eventually you’ll want to upgrade to something climbing-specific, like this 2,250-cubic-inch hauler, built roomy enough for a rope, a sling full of quickdraws, and extra layers. Why else do we love it? Ski loops mean it can double as a winter…
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…
Yes, it cranks. But the true test of stoves this size is how well they simmer—and the Bantam passed our (scientific) evenly-cooked-pancake test with flying colors. White gas only, 10 oz; brunton.com…
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,…
Why It’s CoolThe Hubba Hubba beguiled me right away with its prismatic fly and seductive space-pod look. » This radiant four-pound freestander sets up in a jiffy, with a single arching pole, short pole, hub connector, and clip-in mesh canopy. » The 40-inch ceiling and 30-square-foot floor afford two adults…
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…
The three-ounce Granite Gear Air Compressor ($24 for the small size) can crunch a standard 20- or 30-degree bag practically down to the size of an oatmeal canister.
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…
This fabric accordion expands at the knees, which gave me—a sleeper with restless-legs syndrome—a welcome night of unrestricted tossing and turning. The elastic keeps the Exceloft synthetic insulation close to the body for efficient warmth, though some cold sleepers found the rating a tad optimistic. 32°F, 2.7 lbs; www.montbell.com…
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.
It’s like a closeout deal without the closeout. This Thermolite Micro–filled sack has cozy touches not typically found on a summer bag, like extra chest insulation, a fleece liner at the feet, and a draft tube and full hood. And it still packs so small we stuffed it in…
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 CLASSIC ULTRALIGHT Thunder Dome? Perhaps something was lost in translation, because there’s nothing Mad Max–like about this tent from Japan-based MontBell. Despite the name, its earth-toned fly, two-pole design, and taut pitch are all rather traditional—in a good way. What’s not traditional is the exceptionally low weight for the…
BD’s signature FlickLock mechanism makes adjusting these sticks literally a snap (no twisting required). The oval-shaped, aluminum shafts are the stiffest we tested, and the grips nest perfectly in hand. 20 oz per pair; bdel.com…
LUXURIOUS LIGHTWEIGHT This 2007 Gear of the Year summer bag is super-soft and impressively warm for the low weight. Plus it lets you chill without being chilly: It unzips to the hips on both sides, freeing your arms for reading or cooking while keeping the rest of you snug.
This completely enclosed and integrated pot-and-burner system is incredibly fuel-efficient, boiling a liter of water in as fast three minutes. 13.6 oz (includes 1.7-liter pot); msrgear.com…
Our favorite: The Apollo is bright (three watts), compact (can-of-soup-size when collapsed), and easy on the eyes (you press a button to dim it). 11.1 oz; bdel.com…
The Minibus uses two parallel hoops connected by perpendicular brow poles that make for truly vertical sidewalls and the roomiest two-person interior in our test—five of us were able to comfortably sit in a circle and play cards. And although it resembles the hippie-mobiles of yore, its amenity package…
A secure clip let testers affix this waterproof flashlight to the brim of a baseball hat without it sagging. Though tiny—not much larger than a roll of Life Savers—the Serac is remarkably powerful for a light that runs on just one CR123 battery. 3 oz; leatherman.com…
All-Season Workhorse The Lookout 45 was designed with winter in mind—there are ski-, snowboard-, and snowshoe-specific straps. But our testers liked it so much, they kept grabbing this 2,870-cubic-inch bag for weekend adventures all summer. That’s because everything—from maps to hydration tubes to camera cases—has its place on this tricked-out…
Simply pop open Eureka’s collapsible aluminum Chenango and start setting the table. eurekatent.com…
Good for Frontside “This is the ideal Vermont groomer ski,” said one tester. Indeed, lightweight skis are great for backcountry travelers and mogul skiers, but to hold a 45-mile-per-hour turn on ice, you need some beef under you. With layers of steel and a power-boosting binding plate,…
The ideal goggle should vanish on your face, and the Crowbar comes pretty close. The extra-wide spherical lens and inverted V-shaped frame combine to provide the best peripheral vision of all the goggles we tested. oakley.com Bonus: Choose from almost 50 different frame/lens combos.
Stomp backcountry booters with this Recco-equipped, all-purpose powerhouse. The anti-slip lining in the heel pocket kept us locked securely in place. vanssnow.com…
Weighing in at just over a pound and a half per pair, the TLT Verticals are 50 percent lighter than any other AT binding on the market. Don’t worry, they’re burlier than they look—you can ski them hard. 1.7 lbs; dynafit.us Bonus: Dynafit reinforced the climbing post this…
This lightweight true-twin charged in the park and pipe, providing snappy power, easy switches, and smooth nose and tail presses. For improved freestyle performance, it has a softened tail for smooth butters and a wide centered stance (up to 23.5 inches) for riding rails. roxy.com …
CRUD DESTROYER Good for Powder The three-year-old Pontoon remains the best crud-buster of the lot, which is key. While all reverse-camber skis are fun in powder, once you hit manky snow (like the kind that wants to tear the ligaments off your knee), you’ll appreciate the…
One of the best all-mountain boots this year, the expert-level Blower “feels like an F1 car with monster-truck suspension,” said one tester. And while we don’t normally condone manfur, it’s what makes this twitchy, race-inspired boot so comfy. nordicausa.com…
The upper vents are lined with mesh, while the two in front create good airflow—our goggles never fogged up. But our favorite thing about the Vigilante is the Boa fit system. Just spin a knob at the back of the helmet to dial in the perfect fit.
Good for Touring If you spend as much time going up as coming down, the new Dynafits are the way to go. They're unbelievably light but tougher than they look. “You really can charge on these,” maintained one tester. The Vertical FT12 is fundamentally the same as the previous…
TELEMARK Good for Telemark While a few hard-chargers preferred the slightly heavier Scarpa T1 Lady for in-bounds turns, they raved about the flyweight Elektra off track. It's a good boot for a short-calved, aggressive woman and, as one tester said, “has consistent flex.” 7 lbs; garmont.com…
Like old-school Jordans, the One has an air chamber in the heel, which, along with a shock-absorbing insole, helps take some sting out of big landings. Best for narrow feet. flow.com…
Good for Telemark With the same cut and rockered tip as the Coomback, the Gotback was our favorite all-mountain tele-ski. But if you ski mostly groomers, you might want something with more edge grip: Although testers loved the way the early-rise tip plowed effortlessly over crud, some wished it…
Good for Resort The inner lacing system helps keep your forefoot exceptionally snug, but testers were most impressed with how light this Boa-laced boot is. Thanks to an ultralight outsole (made from blown EVA foam), your feet won’t feel like cement blocks at the end of the…
Good for Frontside K2 increased the width of this longtime favorite by four millimeters this winter and added a forgiving wide-footprint Marker binding to match. The result? One of the easiest-skiing high-performance front-side skis just got easier to ski and more powerful (since the binding transfers energy…
This bike-helmet-esque lid has a barrel ratchet adjuster that fine-tunes to head size with a quick turn. Another quick flip of a lever on the top opens and closes ten vents, and we love how your goggles nestle into the short brim, which has a fog-eliminating vent.
TELEMARK Good for Touring The overhauled Switchback won many converts with its new bomber 410 heat-treated stainless-steel toe bar. “A perfect match with lighter two- or three-buckle boots for touring,” said one Wasatch-based tester. It is the lightest telemark-touring binding on the market, but hard-and-heavy chargers preferred the beefier,…
Big Mountain In 2008, NTN turned a thousand years of freeheel thinking on its head. No more duckbilled boot toe. Instead, NTN added a safety-release system, step-in convenience, unprecedented downhill power, and free-pivot touring function. Rottefella lives up to its name, which means “rat trap” in Norwegian. But Americans have been…
Top it off with an ultralight lid like CAMP‘s SPEED HELMET.
Rome’s new lacing system lets you adjust four different areas—the inner liner, forefoot, ankle, and upper cuff. Sounds complicated, but two cords are all it takes. And it works. The Libertine received the highest score for out-of-the-box comfort and chutes-to-kickers credibility. TAGS: customizable fit, supportive…
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…
BIG FAT CARVER Despite the Olympus’s big but curvy proportions and rockered tip, it can, like all Elan skis, carve a mean turn. When you put it on edge, its deep sidecut and powerful guts (two sheets of metal and a burly wood core) penetrate even the hardest morning snow.
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…
ATOMIC‘s SNS PILOT RACE SKATE BINDINGS can be equipped with the SNS Wedge ($15), a “gas-pedal” shim that magically balances your weight on both the gliding and the kicking ski.
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…
Alpine Touring The Eagle’s wider mounting platform is sturdier than its predecessors’ and better at transferring power to the ski for increased edge-to-edge responsiveness. Accepts most alpine and all AT boots, and the smartly designed heelpiece makes switching from touring to downhill a cinch. 4.3 lbs. TAGS: smooth, sturdy…
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…
This aerodynamically designed pole is flat for speed and light for quick planting action. But fast doesn’t mean delicate. Because it’s made of carbon fiber and molded under extreme pressure, this pole is not likely to snap. swixsport.com …
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…
This easy-loading hitch rack keeps two bikes—of any shape or size—secure and separated. And it folds out of the way for hatchback access. thule.com…
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…
TAKES IT EASY Good for Packed Trails If cushion is king for high-mileage training or heavier runners, then the Supernova reigns supreme. Its pillowy crash pad is perfect for cruising on mellow trails. And despite its speedy geometry—the shoe is tilted slightly forward—the forefoot foam doesn’t feel gutted.
Why They’re CoolWith their mainly mesh uppers, the Lightspeeds excel on smoothish trails in hotter climes. On a warm day in southern Minnesota, I ran in a pair of conventionally vented shoes, then switched to the Vasques—and instantly blissed out with the sensory equivalent of propping my feet up in…
SEAMLESS DREAMTrot out the Lizards for trail-running where the term “trail” is generous. Seams in the uppers won’t blow out from abrasion—because there aren’t any. Even the synthetic-leather trim is heat-welded rather than stitched. A fat rubber toe cap provides further armoring. Serious shoe abusers, such as adventure racers and…
TOUGH, LIKE THE ROCKS YOU RUN ON Thankfully, a little dirt will tone down these kicks to an acceptable level of garishness. And then you can tell your friends that the Fruity Pebbles-colored upper is reinforced with a nylon mesh that’s tough as chain mail, and that the outsole might…