These burly cotton-twill cargo pants are softer than Carhartts but tougher than what you got at the Gap. dickssportinggoods.com/NikeACG…

Grand Canyon river guides spoke, and Teva listened. The result: supersticky footbeds, secure ankle straps, lightweight and simple buckles, and rugged rubber soles. teva.com…

The PrimaLoft-insulated and waterproof/breathable Ripped has a moisture-wicking liner made of odor-resistant bamboo charcoal. kombisports.com…

The inner layer is 100 percent bamboo charcoal, which is naturally antimicrobial, while the outer layer is a poly-and-merino blend. Upshot: It’s surprisingly warm for its weight, and I couldn’t stink it up no matter how hard I tried. kombisports.com…

Our favorite synthetic belay jacket in the test, the Enclosure is light, easy to pack, and slim-fitting. The supple recycled-polyester fabric and PrimaLoft insulation bottomed out around 10 degrees in a stiff wind. 1.6 lbs; cloudveil.com…

The super-breathable Tattoo comes with 3/4-length sleeves for (minimal) extra protection, a loose fit that can accommodate arm and torso pads, and a roomy zippered rear pocket. louisgarneau.com…

Dress shoes with two secrets: The leather uppers are waterproof and breathable, and the outsoles are just grippy enough to run on cobblestones in the rain. rockport.com…

Casual This 850-fill piece is the ultimate base layer (yes, it’s svelte enough to wear under a shell), but its chic western flair looks even better after you peel off the layers for après-ski. nau.com…

Good for Trail When the weather waffled between freezing rain and slushy snow, this top-shelf technical jacket hit its stride. It’s a hybrid—a 750-fill down sweater wrapped in an eVent hard shell—that never wet out, even in a deluge, but breathed well enough for alpine treks and…

Good for Resort The uninsulated, waterproof-breathable Odin was developed with input from four ski patrols across North America and Europe, then field-tested in Antarctica by ski mountaineer Chris Davenport. You can tell. Its shoulders and waist—where your pack rubs—are reinforced with Kevlar and TPU panels, there’s a…

With reinforcements at the palm and fingers, ample insulation, a removable liner, and Xtrafit technology (see Scott, left), these are the perfect mountaineering gloves. Of course, I loved skiing in them in frigid temps, too. marmot.com…

I’m also partial to ASICS’s Favorite Long-Sleeve shirt, which, despite being long-sleeved, is thin and cool enough to wear during summer speed work. asics.com…

Travel-Day Dream Mister Rogers was no dummy. A slip-on is a good thing—especially if you’re hoping for an easeful passage through airport security. The upgrade here is that the Standard is ultralight, with a super-cush footbed and soft canvas upper. sanuk.com…

Any guide will tell you: Keep your feet warm and dry. Merino wool naturally fends off water, keeps swamp foot away, and (as we were pleased to find) fights stink. point6.com…

Cycling shorts are key for pain-free pedaling. These moisture-wicking, nylon-polyester-Lycra bottoms won’t ride up your legs (even free of gripper elastic), and the waistband lies flat without pinching. shebeest.com…

Because they have winter in Southern California, too. On your foot, it looks like any flip-flop, but the faux shearling adds more warmth than you’d expect. In other words, buy it for the novelty if you wish, but don’t be surprised when you wear it around the house and…

Puff Daddy We were impressed by how well the Mission’s pit zips regulated temperature on a mild midwinter trip to British Columbia, but there was plenty of stuffing (500-fill down) for the most frigid test days, too. So if single-digit readings are commonplace at your home resort, check out this…

MAMMUT‘s hybrid plastic, fabric, and leather MAMOOK THERMO BOOTS have built-in gaiters to keep out the cold stuff.

If the temps dip into the teens, throw on a fleece-lined POLAR REVERSIBLE BUFF, an odor-resistant, two-layer tube that can be worn 12 ways.

THE NORTH FACE‘s slim-fitting APEX CLIMATEBLOCK FULL ZIP JACKET, is all wind- and slushproof panels except the stretchy sides and forearms.

High-Performance Softboard Not long ago, the words “soft surfboard” would’ve drawn jeers from core surfers. Now comes the ultralight Y-Quad, a truly high-performance softboard designed by Tom Morey, inventor of the boogie board. The semihard slick-skin deck and bottom suggest a glassed board, but the soft rails and boxy tail…

Designing a one-boat quiver is always a compromise, but the Rx (a.k.a the Prescription) is no horse by committee. It can both play and run downriver, because it combines a flat freestyle hull—for spinning on a wave—with a progressive rocker and relaxed chines behind the hips, where eddy lines…

CREEK SPECIALIST The Habitat incorporates the trademark roominess of Wave Sport’s previous creekboats, but its new hull design is carvier, more forgiving, and not as flat-bottomed (read: you won’t crush your spine boofing). At just over eight feet, it was fast enough to cut across eddy lines on the Colorado,…

MOST VERSATILE The Avocet LV slices through ocean whitecaps as well as it holds a fast, true line on a glassy lake. This British-hulled boat—low-profile, high foredeck—has great secondary stability, which will build confidence in beginners learning to tour. But you won’t outgrow it, either. With fore, aft, and day…

Designed by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s son, Fletcher, the quad-fin Quark is one of the lightest, greenest, most durable boards we’ve seen yet. Its fishlike characteristics include a nearly 20-inch width, high flotation, and mild swallowtail that make even the mushiest surf entertaining. Meanwhile, the Quark has mucho acceleration…

Fitness King Paddling to get a workout? This lightweight performance touring kayak absolutely flies when you put your head down and hammer. “It sprang from stop to go like a racehorse,” reported one tester after zipping across Lake Champlain and back. The Cat 5's deck is arced high to accommodate…

MAMMUT‘s super-comfortable TOGIR SLIDE HARNESS has loops designed specifically for ice screws and tools. A lightweight dry rope (i.e., one that’s treated and won’t suck up water)…

Protect your noggin with this first-ever women-specific (read: ponytail-compatible) ten-ounce helmet. Ten vents release steam on hot days and the removable foam is washable when it starts to stink. petzl.com…

1. Atlas’s signature Spring-Loaded Suspension helps underfoot crampons bite into hard snow and ice for maximum traction. Offset rows of aggressive teeth have exceptional lateral stability and grip to keep you from sliding sideways while traversing. During a heinous descent of Vermont’s exposed Sunset Ridge Trail—a mix of rock,…

Why It RulesAs a custom shop, Feathered Friends tailors each of its bags exactly to your specifications, meaning you get your choice of fabrics, color, and even zipper location. I picked the Pertex Quantum interior for breathability and the Epic exterior for water resistance—the combo tipped the scales at just…

Zeal Optics’ Maestro nails it with its new ZB-13 sepia polarized polycarbonate lenses. The amber tint amps up depth perception, intensifies contrast, sharpens edges, and performs masterfully in so many light conditions that you’d think they were photochromic (the kind that adjust to brightness). But the lenses don’t change—they’re…

Rudy Project hits the sweet spot where sportsworthiness becomes fashion and vice versa. This frameless wonder fends off 70-mile-an-hour winds as effectively as ski goggles, but it’ll also turn heads in Santa Barbara. Add dreamy optics and negligible weight and the result is a Gear of the Year award. 1.

The Miox is the first significant advance in backcountry water purification in years. Dip the unit into a pond to fill its thimble-size reservoir. A built-in table-salt compartment creates a brine solution, which the device—it’s slightly larger than a fat highlighting pen—then zaps with a small electrical charge. Dump the…

Not counting genetic mutants like ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes—who could probably jog a century in flip-flops—the rest of us need trail runners that can go from dirt to rock to road and do it gracefully. The Vasque Blur accomplishes that trick and then some. The hybrid gave us quick toe-offs…

Why It’s CoolHere’s a sound argument for topping off your gear closet with an affordable, ultralight bag for warm-weather overnights. The Phantom takes up less room in a backpack than some fleece jackets and weighs less than a bag of gorp. » The zip is three-quarter-length (to trim weight) and…

1. It’s partly recycled, yes. But the Verde won this year’s award because of how it performed in the field. It’s all about the fill: The Verde’s insulation (Climashield Green) is “continuous filament,” meaning it won’t clump or shift—and create cold spots—as old-school synthetics do. 2. The insulation…

Why It’s CoolThough this stove is sweet enough at rest—when folded up, it’s so small it fits into the hollow beneath its own fuel canister—the Crux unfurled is engineering elegance: The burner head rotates on a ball-and-socket joint and locks into place with a reassuring snap. Small pot-support arms swivel…

1. The C905 is the only camera phone we’ve ever felt deserved the name. Its 8.1-megapixel camera features autofocus, a xenon flash, image stabilization, instant Web uploads, a sliding lens cover, and face-detection technology. We printed eight-by-tens that compared favorably with prints from a beginner DSLR. There’s even a…

You don’t need to attempt an unclimbed summit in Tibet to appreciate this tent, but that’s what our tester did. After weathering 50-mph winds while hunkered down at 16,600 feet, he says, “The Spire is one of the best tight-quarters, two-man mountain tents available.” The secret? A top-strut pole…

Huge, heavy boots are a thing of the past. If your normal routine involves short outings, mellower trails, or lightweight packs, steer toward low-cut, breathable, flexible trail shoes. If stuffed packs, over­nighters, or craggy summits are more your style, consider stiffer trail shoes or boots with taller, more supportive…

SLEEK SLEEPERMountain Hardwear welded bag-length sheets of its new Thermic CF insulation inside a nylon sandwich to make a uniformly warm 15-degree sack that’s compressible and affordable. On a late-season attempt on the North Cascades’ Liberty Bell Mountain, I clunked into camp with frozen toes, easily shoved my size-12 feet…

A running shoe that weighs less than eight ounces is usually a flimsy racing flat. So imagine our shock during the first test runs in the Kinvara: It’s a legit training shoe but with 30 percent less weight than most other high-mileage trainers. There’s radically less rubber on the outsole—only…

BARGAIN BASE CAMPER We packed a family of five into this spacious dome, and no one had to jostle for room. Its 65 square feet of floor space and five-foot eight-inch ceiling height feel castlelike if you’re used to Lilliputian backpacking tents. Two huge doors and 12 organizing pockets make…

ALL BUSINESS Sporting a mini (12-inch) zipper and an aggressively athletic fit (looks like it’s designed to fit a lollipop), the Epic is the leanest, meanest bag here. You can even use it sans tent: Its waterproof, taped shell was unfazed by damp nights. The catch? It’s probably too constrictive…

Don’t worry about dropping it in the drink—this three-mode light (spot, wide, and red for night) is waterproof up to 33 feet. 3.9 oz; uwkinetics.com…

A TINY SUMMERWEIGHT BAG The North Face claims that its revamped line of Flight Series bags are the first synthetic sacks to rival equivalently rated down bags in weight and compressibility. We were skeptical, but this 40-degree comes pretty darn close. The secret? It’s stuffed with Climashield’s newest stuff,…

With few bells and whistles, this lightweight bag, made with PrimaLoft MXL insulation, compresses to the size of a 12-pack—making it ideal for the fast-moving backpacker. Just don’t push it: There’s no collar, and a few testers got chilly on nights colder than 35 degrees. 25°, 3.3 lbs;…

Campers who feel claustrophobic in tight mummy bags will love the Cochise’s stretchy construction. The baffles of this 15-degree, synthetic-fill bag are sewn with elastic fabric, so you can squirm around without resistance—and even sit cross-legged to cook or read. The other upside to this elasticity: When you stop…

A Minimalist Sack The sleeping bag, deconstructed. The ultralight (1.4-pound) 700-fill-down Haven has no zippers and, thanks to the giant hole in the underside of the bag, a fifth less insulation and fabric than your average 20-degree bag. Uh, what? Yep, you actually “enter” the Haven through that hole and…

Water Wise Getting cold? Tired? It’s started to rain? The answer is the same: hot drinks. This 20-ounce bottle will keep your favorite beverage steamy for up to six hours (or cold for up to 24). Get the combo pack ($4 more) and you’ll also get a “café cap” that…

Quench your thirst with a PVC- and BPA-free bottle like this one, with its just-the-right-size opening to avoid spills. mysigg.com…

CARVING CHAMP Essentially built just like a race ski—with solid sidewalls, a full wood core, and a 15-meter turn radius—this aptly named ski is in a carving league all by itself. “Watch out for yellow jackets,” cautioned one tester. But even when this ski was ripping high-speed turns down firm…

FINE ART The Wasteland’s topsheet is so beautifully constructed from nine types of sustainably harvested wood that it looks like it could hang in a gallery. But this mid-wide directional twin is made to be ridden—especially in powder. The poplar core with centered carbon strut provides the pop needed to…

Liked last year's Mt. Baker? These are the same, only lighter. By using thinner steel, K2 shaved off almost a pound per ski, which testers noticed on the way up: “I felt like I could run in them,” said one. 120/88/108, 6.5 lbs; k2alpineterrain.com   Bonus: In all other conditions—especially…

Thanks to a DIN of 16, an innovative toe-height adjustment, and a beefy plate underfoot, the new Duke outperforms all other AT bindings on the descent. Or, as one tester put it, “The playing field has totally changed.” 5.6 lbs; markerusa.com   Bonus: There's nearly zero ramp angle, so you…

This day tripper has a wraparound binding so easy to put on, you can do it with bulky gloves or cold hands. The women-specific shape is tapered, with upturned toes and tails to make your stride more natural. 3.6 lbs; tubbssnowshoes.com. Pair them with: ULU CROW RABBIT…

SCARE-THE-TOURISTS FAST Good for All Mountain “It feels like a World Cup race ski and a powder ski had a love child,” said one tester. Part of the completely revamped line of skis from Blizzard, the Magnum 8.7 features the company’s Powerframe construction—essentially stacking more of…

The Tartan’s ergonomic grips are the most comfortable of any here, and the aircraft-grade aluminum should stand up to years of abuse. scottusa.com…

Good for Big Mountain This year's Ravyn received a facelift (new graphics) but otherwise returns unchanged. It remains relatively light for its footprint but still impressed testers with its damp feel and edge-to-edge prowess. “The harder the Ravyn is pushed, the easier it is to ski,” said one tester.

Good for All Mountain Testers praised the Push for its terrain-soaking dampness and remarkable out-of-the-box fit. Credit the snowboard-boot-like Boa liner (a nexus of metal wires you ratchet down tightly). “The best off-the-shelf fit and feel of any boot liner out there,” one tester noted. It's a bit softer…

BUILT FOR SPEED A teardrop shape and snappy return make these lightweight shoes a good pick for midwinter running or aerobic hikers. An extra toe claw delivers more power during quick-stepping toe-offs, and the easy-ratcheting binding feels stable in running shoes or low-profile boots. The frame is a magnesium alloy,…

By using different materials in different parts of the binding, EVA padding in the baseplate and gel-infused ankle straps, the United pulls off a nifty trick: It’s soft enough to take the sting out of flat landings but stiff enough to feel solid on firm snow at high speeds.

Good for Telemark While not a women-specific boot per se, the NTN-compatible TX is now available in women's sizes, providing testers with their first look at this sleek boot-and-binding system. Across the board, the results were clear: NTN provided our women the most arcing power they'd ever experienced. Bonus:…

The pounds you carry on your feet tax your body more than the pounds you carry on your back. That’s why our testers were such big fans of the Backcountry. At under three pounds a pair, they’re the lightest 30-inch snowshoes we’ve ever seen. To achieve such a low…

Good for Resort The first alpine boot made from sustainable (and recyclable) materials, the Renu has a shell made with a castor-oil-based plastic, a cork insole, and a bamboo-fiber liner. Experts will want something stiffer, but it’s plenty firm enough for intermediate to advanced skiers.

TELEMARK Good for All Mountain With the same footprint as Doug Coombs's original namesake ski, the new Coomback features a low-rise rockered tip for better flotation. “Nimble, agile, lightweight, and able to handle heavy pow with ease,” said one Alta-based tester. With tip and tail holes for K2's new…

ALPINE TOURING Good for Touring The Virus Tour, designed by extreme-skiing pioneer Glen Plake, impressed testers with a split, hinged tongue that allows seemingly limitless articulation for skinning or scrambling. “Incredible range of motion,” said one tester. We also love its smooth, if somewhat soft, flex. A thermomoldable EVA…

Big Mountain The Freeride has been the go-to AT binding for years. Why? It’s an all-around performance-driven binding that accepts alpine and AT boots. Switching between ski and walk mode, as well as adjusting the heel riser, happens with the flick of a pole. Taking a cue from its little…

Each size of this all-mountain twin is adorned with a different dude, like John Lennon, Albert Einstein, or Martin Luther King Jr. But all the dudes ride the same: Thanks to a robust poplar-and-beech core, it’s the stiffest and most carve-ready board here. Like the Rossignol One Magtek, it’s…

Like the original, only better. The leather uppers are now seam-sealed and waterproof. When combined with the nine-millimeter-thick felted-wool inner boots—rated to 40 below zero—this is a pair of kicks worthy of ice fishing in Minnesota. 5.2 lbs; sorel.com…

STREET-LEGAL ROCKET The Enforcer wowed us with its off-the-chart stability at high speed and penchant for tearing through piles of crud with nary a twitch. Credit its wood-core, vertical-sidewall, metal-reinforced construction and monster sidecut. The downside? The Enforcer can take its toll on lighter skiers. “It’s not a lazy-afternoon ski,”…

Why They’re CoolRockered Vibram soles endorse an effortless, natural walking motion. Why don’t more companies use ’em? » On a trek through Arizona’s White Mountains, the shallow, omnidirectional lugs gave me solid traction over dirt and needles, and excellent grip on smooth rock. » The polyurethane midsole is a step…

Designed by Nordica’s big-mountain and park athletes, the brand-new Ace of Spades has an upright stance designed to give you a solid, well-balanced platform for skiing switch and landing big airs. And should you land in the backseat, extra room around the big toe helps disperse some of the…

Like the Energise, this pack’s air-cooled suspension prevents sweaty-back syndrome. Stretch-woven side pockets didn’t rip when caught on branches, and zipper finger loops made gloved entries a cinch. 2.6 lbs, 1,500 cu in; www.ospreypacks.com Crowd pleaser:It’s available in five different capacities.

Yes, the graphics are a bit much, but testers couldn’t get over how stable this reverse-camber park rat was. “I went for any lip I saw,” one tester said. “It was so responsive.” Credit the true twin shape and its shallow sidecut, which also made arcing in and out…

When the going gets tough, the tough tighten up their Enigmas. Like an up-armored light hiker, the Enigma has the body of a sneaker and a Vibram sole shaped for cruising, but it plows through mixed terrain like a Hummer. Rigid support won’t wilt under a heavy pack, and…

Ultimate Power Need more leverage on your reverse-camber or mixed-camber board? Rome Snowboards is bringing it to you via a system of interchangeable canting beds in its new 390 Boss binding. Picture a wedge with the thickest part under the outside of your foot—when you push against it, you can…

ONE TOUGH CUSTOMERThe Breeze Low keeps its cool in warm weather with ultrabreathable nylon mesh, deployed here on both side panels and tongue. But the Breeze is no featherweight: Bands of leather cradle the scuff-prone mesh, shielding it from abrasion, and a plastic armor plate below the midsole guards against…

  Break poles like Bode breaks rules? BD’s strongest carbon-fiber pole has a lower Kevlar wrap to further protect them against your skis’ edges. Plus oversize baskets stayed afloat even in powder. Heading into the backcountry? Also available in a collapsible version, with an aluminum upper shaft, as the Carbon…

SPEED DEMON Can a running-oriented hydration pack double as a daypack? Yes, if it's designed as well as this one. During trail runs in the mountains above Santa Fe, the Riff's compression straps, foam back panel, and perfectly sculpted harness made for a stable, slosh-free ride. Yet on hikes the…