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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…
Visible technology may be the buzz at most design shops, but on trip after trip, this pack scored top marks because of what you can’t see: two hinges hidden behind the lumbar pad. Each side of the hipbelt swivels independently, allowing it to conform perfectly to your body shape…
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…
Why They’re CoolI’ve never experienced a more comfortable hike in boots capable of carrying 40-pound backpacking loads. The trick? A softer insert embedded in the heel of a dual-density polyurethane midsole keeps things pillowy, while a polyurethane heel cup and full-length thermoplastic shank do their share, adding the rigidity needed…
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…
GREEN KICKS WITH GUTS Eco-friendly shoes used to be fine for backyard lounging, not the backcountry. With its new footwear, Patagonia makes it clear such restrictions no longer apply. Here’s why. Performance: The outsole’s narrow profile and stiff edges boosted my confidence on sketchy downclimbs, while the upper’s durable leather…
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,…
Ground-biting traction and a cushy, flexible midsole made this low-top our favorite for fast scrambling in steep terrain. scarpa.com…
A waterproof inner bootie, full-grain leather upper, and stiff sole make this a legit snowshoe boot. A removable shearling insole makes it legitimately cozy. uluboot.com…
LOVES BIG LOADS Can’t decide whether to pack the pinot noir or the grigio? Bring ’em both—and the cast-iron skillet. On a multi-day trip in the Cascades, the Argon’s burly suspension system and memory-foam hipbelt and shoulder straps didn’t flinch at 60-plus pounds. It’s also crammed with tons of user-friendly…
Good for SnowshoeingThe diamond-pattern sole dug into snow and slush, while the shearling lining and shock-absorbent insole made the Woodbury feel like an outdoor slipper. timberland.com…
This smart little pack brings a dash of technical know-how to a street-savvy bag. In town, you can remove the hip strap to dial back the crunchy-guy factor, while a bit of reflective piping increases your visibility when riding or walking in the dark. Wherever we were, the water-resistant…
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…
Why It’s CoolThe sleek new Platinum Pro holds up to 21 cubic feet of gear and opens from either side, but here’s the important part: I got this sucker out of the box and locked on the roof in less than two minutes, all by my lonesome. » The arched…
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…
Size, Price: 68 oz, $23; 101 oz, $25Flow Rate: 3*Funk Fighter?: Antimicrobial coatingFilter-Compatible?: YesValve Shutoff?: Yes, via capGotta Love: Spring-loaded valve barely needs biting; hygienic capBummer: Valve cap bangs around when not in placeSplat Test: Splatted *Ratings: 1=Average, 3=Excellent…
Pick up the pace with this fast-forward shoe. Fans of its predecessor will recognize the familiar heel-cushion design, with its embedded thermoplastic, impact-dispersing “waves.” But now there are three waves rather than two, and they’re angled farther forward. The effect: It improves heel-to-toe transition, propelling you into the next…
SPEED ABOVE ALL Let’s put it this way: If all the other shoes reviewed here are full-suspension bikes, the Wave Creation 8 is a hardtail. The stiffness, which makes this shoe startlingly lively, is the result of two suspended plastic plates embedded underfoot. Some break-in time might be required: “At…
MOST VERSATILE From a fast 5K to a long, slow jog to a moderate trail run, these shoes do it all. The 2120 has a lighter midsole material than its predecessors, and a solid support system helps both heel and midfoot strikers retain a natural stride while gently correcting overpronation.
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVELER Like a full-suspension mountain bike, the Arnuva can barrel over rocky, undulating trails with utmost comfort. The upper is armored against trail debris, and the ultrarunners on our crew deemed it an excellent choice for even the harshest high-alpine trails in Colorado’s Indian Peaks. A Gore-Tex liner keeps…
ROUGH AND STABLE Meet the grizzly bear of trail runners. The XT Wings are tough, unstoppable in rugged terrain, and, best of all, faster than their heft suggests. A broad heel base and medial pronation support provide stability on both flats and descents, while the pull-cord lacing delivers a snug…
Aerated foam backing, mesh shoulder straps, and a two-liter reservoir make this a good summer runner, but check the fit: Some testers found the straps set too far apart for their shoulders. 13 oz; www.thenorthface.com…
STORM CHASER Messy technical trails and foul weather are no longer deterrents for this major update. The new seam-sealed Gore-Tex upper kept testers’ feet warm and dry in cold slop (but it’s muggier in warm temps than its soft-shell counterparts), while the grippy outsole, underfoot protection, and torsional stiffness added…
Technical Terrain The Ascend 4 wins the award for best out-of-the-box fit. The low-to-the-ground silhouette, combined with multidirectional traction, make this shoe impressively agile, while its ample cushioning and structured, supportive heel kept our testers feeling fresh on ten-plus-mile runs. It’s not sturdy enough for nasty scree-filled…
Good for the Road No one likes to stand corrected; fewer still like to feel corrected while they run. Among stability shoes, the updated Sequence plays the part of the gentle guide, offering noticeable pronation correction followed by such a smooth transition to toe-off that the support…
Speed Demon For shorter trail races, no shoe made us feel faster than the Avi-Stoltz. It’s a highly reactive shoe whose comfortable, simple upper felt “like a house slipper,” according to one tester. (Others found the high ankle cuff annoying.) Despite its light weight, the Avi-Stoltz delivers enough support and…
Road The DS Trainer was minimalist before minimalist was trendy, and its 15th iteration is still extremely lightweight and has high-speed specs, gentle stability control, an airy upper, and just enough cushion for moderate-length runs. Our team raved about the fit, aided by pressure-free asymmetrical laces: “It feels like it…
The Ghisallo is a wake-up call for weight-freak roadies dutifully switching everything (even water-bottle-cage spacers!) to carbon: There’s another gravity-defying game in town. Weighing less than a box of Clif Bars, this all-titanium frame is not only the wispiest factory model available; it’s the lightest complete bike we tested.
WIN A TRIATHLON Lance-like speed, La-Z-Boy comfort. Well, almost: The 9.9 features the same basic design of Trek’s Armstrong-era time-trial bikes—the TTX foil shape, bottom bracket, wheel cutout, and fork. But thanks to longer head tubes and a slightly steeper, 76-degree seat-tube angle (a flip-flop head allows 74.5 to 79…
With a buckle closure and carbon sole, these have all the features of a top-end cleat—except the staggering price tag. bike.shimano.com…
RACE-READY CARBON If you place speed above all else, consider this hardtail. The 986 may be Look’s first foray into the off-road world, but as their road bikes have proven, they know their way around carbon. With dramatically shaped tubing—faintly hexagonal in the top and seat tubes and broad in…
Why They’re CoolThey’re smaller than the Pentax and the Olympus 8x’s, yet the Katmais offer superior low-light vision—better to my eyes than anything else here, save the Steiners and Leicas. » They’re powerful enough to render detail, yet they sweep across an impressive 335-foot field of view. » The glass…
To create our new favorite road shoe, Sidi took the slipperlike synthetic upper, full-carbon sole, and adjustable heel retention of its top-of-the-line (and rather narrow) Ergo 2, then reassembled it all for those of us with wider feet. sidiusa.com…
Why They’re CoolOK, the prisms in the new Conquest line don’t quite match the light transmission of four-figure Zeisses, but these suckers cost $600. You still get anti-reflective lens coatings that deliver terrific brightness and dead-on color rendition. » For 10x binos, they’re exceptionally easy to hold, even during prolonged…
Plush Hardtail For years, carbon fiber and full suspension have been the driving forces in mountain-bike innovation. But the industry’s recent embrace of big-wheeled rigs has breathed new life into aluminum frames and hardtail designs. “This bike reminded me that aluminum hardtails are incredible climbers,” wrote one tester. “Extremely comfy…
Love that color display—and what else can you cram your weight in albums into and then skip across a lake? www.apple.com…
Climb Any Mountain The only difference between this frame and the one Cannondale’s pros are racing in Europe is the carbon fiber. The SuperSix 3, built up with Shimano Ultegra components, uses a less expensive weave, but the molds are the same. Given that, we were expecting it to handle…
Before you cry sticker shock, consider this: The 5D’s 12.8-megapixel sensor puts it among the very best digital SLRs available, and last year a comparable resolution would have set you back twice as much. Unlike most D-SLRs, the 5D sports a full-frame sensor that’s the same size as traditional…
The Modena is the first carbon-fiber stock road bike from Titus, a company known for its formidable custom-made machines. That may sound like a come-down, but consider this: For half the cost of most naked frames in the custom line, you get a complete bike (lighter than last year’s…
Probably the easiest to use right out of the box, the waterproof eXplorist 500 is also a pocketful of power. After a quick off-trail jaunt (exactly 1.44 miles) on a local hill (676 feet up, from car to summit cairn), I graphed my hike’s vertical profile in brilliant color right…
The original Rolodex killer will now call the office about your, um, plumbing emergency, check the online snow forecast, provide a soundtrack for your climb (via an onboard MP3 player), video your epic descent, and then e-mail your friends to brag about it. Beat that, three-by-five index card! Off the…
Find north, lock your heading, and get your trek on with this titanium-cased digital compass. The face’s bearing-indicator lights make it pretty much impossible to get off track. swissarmy.com…
These pocket-size compacts deliver impressive optical performance for such a small package. Serious birders might want more power and clarity, but amateurs won’t be disappointed—or burdened (they weigh just 11.8 ounces). 8×28; vortexoptics.com…
Tell the time on TISSOT’S SILENT T ($410) without even looking. Run your fingertip around the ingenious touch-sensitive bezel rim: When you hit the hour and minute, the watch issues a distinctive little buzz to your wrist.
Get a video of your buddies skiing through the biggest storm of the season. This waterproof digital camcorder with image stabilizer won’t go kaput when covered in fat flakes. sanyodigital.com…
PRO SPECS, AMATEUR PRICE Need proof that technology trickles down? Just a couple of years ago, the 40D’s impressive features—10.1 megs, 6.5-frames-per-second shooting, self-cleaning sensor, nine-point autofocus system—would have set you back a few grand. Despite all that, this camera’s best asset is actually Canon’s latest DIGIC III image-processing engine.
Loaded with backcountry tools like a digital compass, alti-meter, barometer, and ther-mometer, this chronograph does everything but radio search-and-rescue. origowatch.com…
A bike shop on your back. Park’s RK-41 Portable Race/Ride Kit packs 41 tools—from common wrenches to specialty items—into a 16-inch-wide backpack that unfolds into a freestanding work station. parktool.com…
This 63-piece collection has all the basics (hex wrenches, chain cleaner, cable cutter), plus enough advanced equipment (derailleur-alignment gauge, threadless saw guide, bearing-cup press) to open your own bike shop.
This tiny, lightweight travel alarm clock/speaker system charges your iPod and delivers surprisingly solid sound via a pair of stereo speakers at the sides. Plus you can throw a couple of AAs in it, toss it in your bag, and take it to the beach.
Disproving conventional wisdom that gray lenses make for a flat, blah view, Maui Jim’s high-tech PolarizedPlus2 lenses add contrast and depth to reveal colors in all their throbbing glory. The optically ground glass yields superb clarity and detail, with a dark tint for searing brightness. And the oversize frames provide…
Why It’s CoolShall we begin with the puny footprint, 4.1-ounce weight, and 4.2-megapixel image resolution? » You get multi-mode metering like you’d find on more expensive models. For example, there’s “spot,” so you can read right off someone’s nose, and “multi-point,” which is best for trying to nail both the…
VERSATILE, AFFORDABLE Lose your glasses every other month? Don’t be embarrassed. Just buy these bargain shades and stop losing your money too. You get pink/red photochromic lenses that are good to go all day, and detailing like an adjustable metal nosepiece, sticky rubber where you need it, and antifog vents…
Why It’s CoolThe overall package is tiny, but the EX-S3’s generous two-inch LCD screen makes framing and viewing shots a cinch. » At truly pocket-size dimensions and weighing just a hair under four ounces, the 3.2-megapixel Casio is worth taking everywhere; I found myself constantly popping off candids, like the…
Sample the fun, colorful prints—think hula girls and wine bottles—of PATAGONIA’s fast-drying CAPILENE SILKWEIGHT BOXERS. (800-638-6464, www.patagonia.com)…
You Can Hear Me Now?! A godsend to anyone who’s accidentally water-skied with a phone in his pocket, the Brigade is the first messaging phone sold in the U.S. that’s shock-resistant and waterproof (to one meter, for 30 minutes). At 4.4 inches long and 5.5 ounces, this sideways-clamshell unit is…
This no-nonsense Canadian company specializes in “practical high performance”—a quality exemplified by the generically named but brilliantly engineered Rain Jacket. I stayed comfortably dry while cross-country skiing in a wet snowstorm, thanks to highly breathable eVent fabric and spare but effective features, like a huge chest pocket and a…
Take action video and stills all day on the slopes, return to your condo, kill the lights, and project the images directly onto your wall. Gimmick? Not when it’s a well-priced 12.1-megapixel camera from Nikon, with image stabilization, 5x wide-angle zoom, and crisp (if washed-out) images. And not when there’s…
Meet one of this summer’s best road shoes: The mostly mesh upper keeps your dogs cool and dry, even when the rest of you is melting. 11 oz; www.pearlizumi.com…
Depress a button and the Griz’s handle folds open. Push another and the handle lengthens to twice the length. Now you’re digging. We like how quick and easy it is. And the solid D-shaped handle. And how the big, gently serrated blade bites into rock-hard snow. 28 oz;…
Despite the name, there’s nothing feminine about this hard-riding, go-anywhere rig—except the women’s fit, of course. The racers among us loved the aggressive position, which made for fast handling on tight trails but still provided plenty of hookup in back on loose, sketchy climbs. On one log-riddled trail, a…
Why They’re CoolNative freshens the familiar in both substance and style. Trip on the two-tone nylon frame: It’s dark on top and fades to a see-through pale-ale color you almost want to drink. » The design stretches the slender temples, with a beguiling little S-curve at the end. The temples…
VIKING-TESTEDThis is virtually the national label of Iceland—and for good reason. When it’s raining daggers in Reykjavík, this two-layer piece keeps you bone-dry, thanks to an eVENT waterproof-breathable membrane that bars rain and wicks away perspiration. Soft fleece lines the collar and pockets, and a zip-off hood moves with you…
In spite of the daunting name (note to Garneau: Don’t let the lab guys name things), these shorts work quite simply. The stout carbon-infused Lycra provides plenty of support but still wicks moisture on the hottest days. louisgarneau.com…
HIGH-PERFORMANCE HIPSTER Our guarantee: With this jacket you’ll either be the best-dressed guy in camp or the driest sidewalk cruiser in town. The Sray is unabashedly unlike any storm shell we’ve seen before, and that’s why we love it. With a slim cut and head-turning plaid pattern borrowed from Helly…
When is cotton not cotton? When it’s treated with Schoeller 3XDry, like the fabric used in this shirt and others in Woolrich’s new 3XDry collection, making it water-resistant, odor-resistant, and quick to dry. woolrich.com…
Shades in this price range are usually ill-fitting or outfitted with crappy lenses. Not so with the Alpe. The ear pads are adjustable and the polycarbonate lenses are surprisingly crisp. tifosioptics.com…
ALL-WEATHER PERFORMER Unlike most soft shells, which will keep you dry and comfy 90 percent of the time, the ultra-stretchy Tremor won’t wilt when conditions get sloppy. While OR won’t officially call the Tremor waterproof, our testers will. Thanks to a Gore Windstopper membrane and taped seams, the Tremor bested…
MOST VERSATILE New Gore-Tex Pro Shell fabric, which is lighter, more comfortable, and more durable than the company’s former top-of-the-line stuff (XCR), is one of the season’s standout innovations. The key is a softer inner fabric that works great when worn over a base layer. In the La Grave, Marmot…
The ubiquitous brimmed hat, done right: The Yukon’s understated style, chunky wool knit, and a band of fleece lining make this best in class. coalheadwear.com…
Wherever you roam—on the sea under a blazing sun or in the forest on an overcast day—these polarized green-gray lenses, with a gradient that’s darker up top, let your eyes relax and enjoy the scenery. revo.com…
With duck down inside and houndstooth graphics outside, this puffy fared well during cold days on the slopes and in town. roxy.com…
ONE FOR THE ROAD The worst highway glare disappears with these polarized, photochromic lenses. The reddish tint is even called Driver. And comfort is king here. With ultraslim nylon temples and barely-there frames, the Maestrale is so lightweight you forget you’re wearing it. It sorta disappears, too: You don’t notice…
ROCKET LAUNCHER This lively, full-carbon ride has about as much zip and stiffness as anyone could hope for, thanks to a true monocoque build and high-grade carbon fiber throughout. By mixing Shimano’s top-shelf Dura-Ace and midrange Ultegra components, Felt delivers true race-worthy performance while keeping the price down. The cutout…
BIG PROTECTION The anorak is back (also see the Triumph, below)—and we like it. When a group of testers got stuck in a downpour on a mountain-bike tour in Utah’s Abajo Mountains, the only guy who stayed bone-dry was the one in the Alpha SL anorak. Credit the material, Gore’s…
Removable liner, elastic leash, chamois, goggle squeegee, iPod-wheel fingertip dots: If the Patrol had a bathroom, you could sublet it. 180s.com…
BACKCOUNTRY STANDBY Good for Backcountry Technically, the Vanquish is a “soft” shell, but it certainly didn’t behave like one in the field. Gore-Tex’s Soft Shell material is fairly breathable and virtually waterproof—we didn’t test it in driving rain, but it easily shed several hours of…
With welded seams and a water-resistant polyester shell, this insulated soft shell is ready for any winter-weather play. 1.6 lbs; patagonia.com…