WILDERNESS-READY Two unique features make the Onix the year’s best GPS for the backcountry. The first is a layering function that lets you view different kinds of information—compass, waypoints, and map, for example—on the display together, eliminating the need to continually scroll between screens. The second—and even cooler—feature is the…

Interval junkies will love this new lap counter, which stores multiple training sessions with best and average lap times. And the sleek style feels right even if you're not prepping for Kona. timex.com      …

For adventurers in trouble, the ACR TERRAFIX 406 GPS I/O ($750) is among the first personal locator beacons with an internal GPS receiver, to bring help faster. When triggered, the eight-ounce waterproof device sends a distress signal to rescue teams, along with your lat/long coordinates, accurate to 100 yards.

Ah, the sweetheart of black-ops agents and adrenalists every-where. This next-gen chrono is as tough as they come, is good down to 200 meters, features ultra-precise atomic timekeeping, and charges via any available light source. gshock.com…

WALK, TALK, RUN, ROCK Fitness fanatics, listen up: This audio-focused, 3.3-ounce slider phone is the smallest, lightest device we tested—a stellar running companion. On board you’ll find a two-meg camera and a fitness app that can count steps, gauge speed, and monitor calories burned. Once we swapped out the puny…

This green-minded company’s solvents, lubes, and polishes are all biodegradable, and the reusable bucket comes with a paper-based cellulose sponge and horsehair brushes. And, yes, all of it works as well as—if not better than—the traditional stuff. pedros.com…

Casio takes its heavily armored G-Shock line to a new style plateau. Powered by the sun and kept perfectly precise by atomic technology, the 200-meter-rated Rose Gold is one of the best all-around travelers we’ve tested. casio.com…

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…

For starters, the interface is almost too much fun, like having a Mac in your hands, and audio integration is a snap with iTunes. Like the first-gen iPhone, the 3G has a 3.5-inch touchscreen that’s almost impossible to scratch—proven on multiple beach trips. Unlike the original, it boasts a…

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…

No one does GPS like Garmin. This totally wearable (but not waterproof) watch records distance, pace, and heart rate, saves data wirelessly to a computer, and has a new fine-tuned calorie counter that factors in heart rate. garmin.com…

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…

Whether it’s Black Eyed Peas or ABBA that gets you pumped to run, this iPod Nano–size armband (made for the Generation 4 version) won’t slip down your arm while running. It will also pull your whole look together—it’s constructed from nylon, just like high-end running shoes.

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…

Not only does the HP PSC 2510 PHOTOSMART ALL-IN-ONE ($399) copy, scan, fax, and, yes, print all your mundane workaday documents, it also churns out superbly bright, high-resolution digital pictures. The PSC 2510 has slots for a Sony Memory Stick, Compact Flash, SD, xD, and SmartMedia so you can insert…

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…

Snap these aluminum grabbers onto any pair of Dynafit bindings and you can ski-climb slopes up to 25 degrees before having to de-skin and boot-pack. Available in three widths (82, 92, and 100 mm). 8.3 oz; TAGS: steep slopes, security…

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…

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.

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…

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      …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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).

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.

Why It’s CoolYou can paddle it, sail it, and fold it up to take with you wherever you go, making this the definitive kayak for adventure travelers. » A beefy hull and keel strip protect against tears on coral or ice. » You can change the hull shape from a…

Why It’s Coolt looks like a fiberglass-composite boat—but the price says plastic. It’s cut-sheet plastic, thermoformed into a material Perception calls “Airalite.” Deployed here in the Carolina 14.5, the company’s quintessential day-touring boat, the material makes a formerly rotomolded craft stiffer, lighter, and sleeker. » While the gloss factor makes…

ROOMY PLAYBOAT With a roomy cockpit and extra-large foot bumps—which can accommodate up to size 13 feet—the Agent is the best big-dude boat with agile performance. It’s not as speedy as Dagger’s previous freestyle boats, but thanks to an ultra-loose, yet edgy, double-release chine and a heavily flared stern…

CLASSIC LONGBOARD Bob McTavish shaped the original Fireball in 1994. Since then, his 9’1″ performance longboard has become a hard-to-find classic—until late 2007, when Global Surf Industries started mass-producing it. Our GSI model rode well in a variety of conditions, from crisp East Coast beach rollers to a point break…

The Golden has the solid flex and feel of wood—it’s available in either ash or padauk—and because its blades are coated with a polymer similar to what’s used for spray-in truck-bed liners, it’s practically indestructible. wavedogpaddles.com…

Versatile SUP Stand-up paddleboarding continues growing, with more and more SUPers taking to lakes and whitewater. On a five-day, 65-mile trip down the Yellowstone River, the well-rounded ATB (29.5 inches wide and 4.9 inches thick) was stable yet fast, while extra rocker in the nose and tail reduced purling in…

When you start gearing up to cling to walls of ice in the dead of winter, it’s no time to skimp, and PETZL‘s versatile and redesigned QUARK ICE TOOLS are a good place to start.

A harness is more than just something to hang by. You’ll want it to be durable with plenty of gear loops for carabiners, like the featherweight (only 11.2-ounce) R-280. Sure, it might look paper-thin, but its strength-dispersing technology uniformly distributes your body weight for maximum comfort.

1. This is simply the most adapt-able winter-specific storm shell we tested. The key is Schoeller’s new waterproof-breathable fabric with c_change technology, a membrane with a polymer structure that opens up when you get hot and contracts when you cool down. Translation: Testers didn’t overheat when their buddies did…

Why It RulesThe Airjet’s two-minutes-flat pitching saved me when I was hustling to beat some sleet: Thread two cross poles and a brow pole through the sleeves, then stake out six points. Done. » The Airjet stood taut as a kettledrum—even under two inches of wet snow. » Thanks to…

Talk about kids in a candy store. Contemplating the 20-surfboard quiver we assembled for Buyer’s Guide testing this year, our wave riders felt as if they’d been given the keys to Wonka’s brand-new surf factory. We had longboards, guns, funboards, thrusters, and fish—yet there was one stick our testers…

Ready to go pro? Then you already know that tricks are for kids—and success hinges on huge air. Enter Dagger’s Crazy 88, our Gear of the Year selection. This boat is a masterly equation of length, width, weight, and volume distribution, all of which pull together when the time comes…

At 3.2 ounces, the COLEMAN F1 LITE is the lightest new lantern, with a mesh globe in place of delicate glass, and minimalist styling. Alas, it’s not the brightest. The F1’s 38 watts won’t flood a campground—reading Raymond Chandler while sitting more than five feet away soon strained the eyes—but…

1. The Stratocruiser 25 is a chameleon. It’s stylish enough to wheel inconspicuously through swanky hotels, but still tough enough for epic-trip abuse. After 18,000 air miles and a half-dozen rattling safari drives in South Africa, it posted a perfect unscathed score: no tears, breaks, or blown zips. Credit…

Why It’s CoolThe gaudy gray-and-orange patterns of the bag’s nylon shell start to look pretty attractive when you remind yourself how little you forked over here—this is the biggest bang for the buck on the market. Fashioned with a taffeta lining and stuffed with DuPont Thermalite insulation, the 30-degree Super…

1. The Aura is downright spacious (35 square feet), with two doors and two big vestibules. It’s plenty sturdy, easily withstanding 50-mph winds without guylines. And light: The Aura flirts with the four-pound barrier, the two-person freestanding tent’s equivalent of the four-minute mile. 2. Talk about usable space:…

Most high-wattage lights are prone to overheating, but not the L3. Heat-diffusing plastic fins allow this three-watt lamp to blaze without any time constraints. Search-and-rescue types will love the bright, concentrated beam, but it’s pricey for a camp light. 8.7 oz; www.brunton.com…

1. Remarkable for its smart blend of features, capacity, ergonomics, and durability, this 9.9-pound duffel hits the sweet spot for most travelers. Its shell—420- and 630-denier nylon, with 1,680-denier ballistic-nylon reinforcements at crucial wear points— is a suit of armor. Add a tough back panel, bumper, and wheel…

If you’ve lusted after a high-end, ultralight three-season sack but balked at the price, stop hemming and hawing and buy the Arroyo. It weighs just a zipper fob over a pound and a half, thanks to 800-fill down, and delivers conservative warmth with a comfortable, full-zip design. A nautilus-type…

It used to be that sleeping bags’ degree ratings were determined in various ways, so conventional wisdom dictated that you buy a bag with a temperature rating at least 10 to 15 degrees lower than the lowest temperature you’d expect to be camping in. That’s starting to change. For…

MR. BIG ‘N’ TALLWith its X-pole design and meshy walls, the Alcove 2 looks unremarkable at first. Then you notice the scoop built into the door frame, which helps create a 14-square-foot vestibule—double the size of those found on many packable tents. I worried about the mesh near the top…

We’ve tested plenty of snowshoes with serious bite, and others that are extraordinarily comfy, but what makes the Mountaineer so impressive is how well it performed in both those categories. Thanks in part to two independent toe straps, the binding perfectly cradled every boot we jammed in it, from…

GREAT SPACE-TO-WEIGHT RATIO Nemo Equipment made quite a splash when it debuted its impressively sturdy inflatable tents a few years ago. But this year’s Losi, the company’s first three-season poled tent, is a lot more affordable—and practical—for most of us. When guyed out, the two-door Losi was as unflappable as…

BARGAIN SYNTHETIC Confession: I was nervous diving into the 20-degree Klickitat when the forecast called for below-freezing temps. Its uninspiring loft just doesn’t say “sweet dreams.” But I stayed plenty warm, making this inexpensive sack one of the year’s best deals. The trick? A new synthetic insulation, called Climashield XP,…

BEST ULTRALIGHT The Kilo’s polyester taffeta lining is decadently soft, and because it has extra amounts of lofty 750-fill down in the feet and shoulders, it delivers on its temp rating. It’s so small and light one tester stashed it in her purse. 35°F, 1.3 lbs; rei.com Bonus:…

This stainless-steel-and-aluminum beast (25″x16″x8″) lights itself and has an antimicrobial cutting board, hard-anodized aluminum griddle, and integrated storage bins. 33 lbs; coleman.com…

Thanks to an orange filter, the three-watt-LED Polaris creates a warm, natural glow. Only drawback: It’ll undoubtedly be the only gadget at the camp powered by (heavy) C batteries. 15 oz; brunton.com…

Thanks to its mostly mesh canopy, the double-door Adobe received high marks for warm-weather stargazing and ventilation. But what really impressed us was its performance in an early-season Wasatch snowstorm. The full-coverage fly kept pelting snow from drifting through the mesh, while the tent’s unique pole structure—a pair of…

A quick twist of the X-Zoom’s barrel-like lens focuses the beam—spot mode threw the light 450 feet—but it can be dialed back for a diffuse, longer-lasting glow. 7 oz; mammut.com…

Portable Purification We’ve been big fans of Steripen’s UV-light wands for years. You just swish it around in your one-liter bottle for 90 seconds and it zaps everything from viruses like hepatitis to protozoa like giardia. This newest version is smaller, has a new optical water sensor that can sense…