Summer Buyer's Guide
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Extend the body of this two-in-one flashlight and it converts into a lantern with a 360-degree LED bulb that casts a warm orange glow. Plus, it conveniently takes four sizes of alkaline batteries (AAA to D). 7 oz; brunton.com…
Best for Cold, Wet Weather This is a great price for any zero-degree-rated bag, never mind one stuffed with PrimaLoft Infinity, a top-shelf but affordable synthetic insulation with a great loft-to-compressibility ratio. Just don’t expect the same fabrics and tailoring as on high-end bags. There’s no ergonomic footbox, and the…
Can Take a Beating The Ascent 40 was designed with climbing in mind; for example, it comes with a rope tarp. And while it does a fine job getting rope to the crag, we also loved it as an adventure-travel pack. That’s because the 2,450-cubic-inch Ascent is basically, as one…
Night Hiker You can preset your favorite three brightness levels from a menu of ten. And, thanks to an internal regulator, the Myo RXP burns bright right up until its indicator light says it’s time to change the batteries. But the reason we took it to Rainier? Whiz-bang features aside,…
Nemo’s Asashi is a spacious four-person tent that’s easy to set up. nemoequipment.com…
Utility City, Smarter Our favorite commuter helmet, the Section is the lightest in its class and sports eight vents. Too few? If you ever yard-sale in this hard hat, you’ll appreciate its tougher shell and rounded profile—which won’t twist your neck like a more aerodynamically shaped helmet can when…
Water Runner Several two-year-old pairs of 920s are still in rotation among our staff—and this updated version proved to be just as popular. The reason is simple: The 921 is a well-built water-and-land shoe with aggressive off-road tread, rigid rubber overlays for lateral support, and generous (and well-protected) drain holes…
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…
Heart Matters A heart-rate monitor should be both intuitive and powerful. This affordable one does well on both counts, automatically telling you what heart-rate zone you should be aiming for and uploading your workouts to training software with an optional $55 FlowLink cradle. polarusa.com…
Amphibian A webbed sneaker-sandal mash-up? About time! My new favorite summer shoe, the Paradox resembles a light hiker but is brilliant in the wet stuff, secure while crossing rocky rapids and perfect for watersports where you need more protection than you’ll get in a sandal. chacousa.com…
Ansel in Your Pocket The design-conscious Germans didn’t invent the category of full-featured, full-sensor compact (that honor probably goes to Sigma, for last year’s DP2). But they do it better than anyone. The 12.2MP X1 uses a top-of-the-line CMOS sensor and a fixed 36mm f/2.8 lens of the first order,…
In Santa Fe, summer monsoons sweep through on an every-afternoon basis. I prepare by bringing this waterproof, breathable eVent jacket—it’s windproof up to 60 miles per hour. rei.com…
Pavement Pounder The Glide 2 is the Tempur-Pedic bed of the road-running world. Case in point: Soft, moldable foam conforms around your heel and the top of your foot, making this one of the most comfortable runners we've ever stepped into. It's a breezy, mesh neutral trainer with ample cushioning, ready…
Sure, your rain jacket can stave off a downpour, but it’s equally important to have quick-drying pants. These water-repellent nylon capris are roomy and have five secure pockets for stashing energy bars and a pocketknife. mountainhardwear.com…
Bargain-priced but equipped with polarized poly lenses and sticky rubber. suncloudoptics.com…
Take It Anywhere The greatest thing about canoes like the Explorer LT is their versatility. There's enough room (1,100 pounds of capacity) to tool around with dogs, lunch, and kids—or pack up camping supplies and head out for a week. And because it has a moderate amount of rocker and…
Necessary addition to your starter kit: a chalk bag. Keeping your hands dry is essential for better grip. This bag offers easy access—and is available in feminine prints. metoliusclimbing.com…
1. Equipped with five fin boxes, the Walden works as a thruster or quad. Our 6’4″ test model carved up small waves best as a quad. And when the surf jumped up, we popped out the back two fins and added one in the center for a thruster…
Extreme Protection French specialist de l’alpinisme Julbo gives side-blinkered glacier glasses a sexy, multisport makeover. Photochromic lenses in brownish tint go from dark to really dark, ideally suited to ultrabright no-shade zones such as high alpine and deep desert. Since they’re polarized, they’re also water-worthy and a perfect match for…
Strawberries, soy, raisins, coconut, and chocolate: With 130 calories, four grams of protein, and 17 grams of carbs, this slender bar will help you postpone dinner until after your run. The penalty: 2.5 grams of saturated fat. soyjoy.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.
The beefy visor and netted vents can handle the worst gunk, while its snug retention system and padded chin strap keep everything in place. uvexsports.com…
Designed to play and charge iPods but also sporting an auxiliary jack, this sleek system will really rock a hotel room, but you’ll probably set it up back home, too. Lightweight but unflimsy, it thumps ten hours on a charge. logitech.com…
BIG BOAT, BIG WATER Sitting inside the Everest’s wide-mouth cockpit, even our largest tester (6’1″, 195 lbs) said it swallowed him, with tons of room to spare. This multiday boat can accommodate a paddler up to 230 pounds, plus any overnight gear. With all that space, the ride is Cadillac…
SIMPLE BUT VERSATILE First impression: generic name, not many features. But we decided to give it a chance thanks to its comfy fit, good looks, and the fact that it costs half as much as the most technical jackets here. Final impression: It’s a solid jacket for the money.
The cotton-and-nylon blend doesn’t dry as quickly as all-synthetic pants, but thanks to articulated knees and a loose cut, these are way more comfortable. Zippered cargo pockets keep your money and cell phone in place. Style conscious? You might not dig the elastic waistband and tapered cut. woolrich.com…
PREFERS TECHNICAL TRAILS The mashed-up name says it all: smear + edge = “smedge.” True to the equation, the Smedge is a serious approach shoe that won’t let you down when the trail gets vertical. Plastic overlays fortify the shoe’s mesh, so it won’t tear. And like a rock shoe,…
It’s like putting your car’s high beam on your head. Powered by a 1.4-pound rechargeable battery pack, this Swedish-made, 20-watt halogen lamp is ridiculously bright and per-fect for caving or mountain-biking at night. 1.8 lbs; milausa.com…
BUILT TO LAST The Woodpecker, from Swiss company Exped, is meticulously crafted—just what you’d expect from a nation of legendary watchmakers. (Of course, its heavy-duty zipper is the only moving part.) A well-placed, down-filled chin guard keeps your face from brushing against frosty zippers. Glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls prevent late-night fumbling.
This futuristic, iPod-compatible shoe—put the wireless chip in the sole and go—is chock-full of women-specific features. Most noticeable are flex grooves that are aligned relative to a woman’s lower center of gravity, resulting in a more efficient gait. 10 oz; nikerunning.com…
Improving on its top-of-the-line bent-shaft freestyle paddle, Adventure Technology shaved an ounce off its standard (30-degree offset) AT2 by switching to full-carbon construction. atpaddle.com…
AFFORDABLE AND VERSATILE Let’s put it this way: If the other jackets here are Audis, the Waypoint is a Toyota. Made from Columbia’s proprietary Omni-Tech waterproof-breathable fabric, it sheds precipitation as ably as pricier jackets and kept testers completely dry fly-fishing in an all-day drizzle off Long Island. The catch…
SMALLER AND SMARTER This is BlackBerry’s finest model to date. Svelte and ultralight, it’s more like a cell phone—and less like a paperweight—than its predecessors. But despite the diminutive scale, the Curve is endowed with a full qwerty keyboard we found to be unbeatable among smartphones for fast, accurate typing.
How does Giro improve on its popular E2 cross-country race helmet? With an adjustable visor, an easier and more snug fit, and a lower profile that provides better coverage while increasing weight by less than an ounce. giro.com…
Last year, consumers were buying $9,000 bikes and bad mortgages like there was no tomorrow. Then tomorrow showed up. The spendy bikes are still out there, and still worth it for racers who have the cash. But in a time of great frugality, it's nice to know you can get…
Mild Stability If the 769 were a coffee drink, it’d be a quadruple espresso. That highly caffeinated feel is due in part to a lightweight midsole compound and deep flex grooves under the toes. Which is not to say it’s jittery: A midfoot shank and a dual-density…
If you run hard-packed trails, the Whisper is for you. While the thin sole wasn’t comfortable on rocky terrain, the Whisper’s great traction on loose gravel and secure one-pull lacing (plus its light weight) make it race- ready. Best for wide feet. 9 oz; salomonsports.com…
It’s a sandal or a shoe. Four large teardrop-shaped openings and 12 drain holes keep them free of water, and a slimmed-down quick-lace system holds them firm. Step on the heels to turn them into sporty clogs. newbalance.com…
Super-zoom digicams have come into their own. Check out the ten-meg 565’s specs: RAW shooting, exposure lock, built-in image stabilization to reduce image blur, a 20x zoom that stretches from 26mm to a ridiculous 520mm, to name just a few of its SLR-like capabilities. Over a week in Mexico,…
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.
They might be slip-ons, but that doesn’t mean the fit is sloppy. The Drakes are actually a surprisingly snug and techy shoe, with (mostly) waterproof uppers, a sticky outsole, and a reinforced toe box. ahnufootwear.com…
Mountain-Ready With its sturdy, full-grain-leather construction, Gore-Tex liner, and plush EVA midsole, the Ascend is far and away the burliest, most rugged boot to win our respect this year. It’s twice as heavy as the Stumptown but twice as supportive, too; it’s the only boot here we’d…
The most breathable soft shell here, the Verglas was our favorite jacket for high-energy excursions. Whether testers were climbing or simply riding their bikes home from work, they were impressed with the Verglas’s vast comfort range. Credit the thumb loops, hood, and a woven nylon fabric that’s treated with…
This is the only synthetic-insulated bag we’ve found that matches the loft, weight, and compressibility of a comparably rated down sack. The key is Mountain Hardwear’s proprietary Thermic Micro insulation, which testers found both more compressible and loftier than other synthetics. Plus, the baffles are welded rather than sewn,…
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…
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…
Built for the Long Haul If you’ve got big plans this summer—or you’re the mule for a weekend family trip—you want a beast like the 5,200-cubic-inch XT 85L. The suspension system, a hybrid of old-school frame construction and new-school torso padding, didn’t flinch when one tester loaded it up with…
Simple and Sturdy Basic, tough, reliable—for most testers, the water-resistant Remix had all the qualities they wanted in a headlamp. There’s one big LED when you need a focused beam of light (like when you’re looking for the outhouse) and three smaller LEDs for less precise tasks (like reading or…
Simply pop open Eureka’s collapsible aluminum Chenango and start setting the table. eurekatent.com…
Road Comfortable Crossover In many ways, the Sterling is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Prolight. There’s a removable (and padded) bug-net lining, a Boa-like knob that dials in the perfect fit with a few clicks, and a visor for mountain biking. All that, and it’s…
Sea Change Borrowing from the best of all water worlds, Keen forged the Hydro Guide from the sole of a topsider (you’ll recognize the V-cut siping immediately), the now-ubiquitous Keen toe protector, and the Z-laced strapping of a classic river sandal. The result is an all-around amphibian suitable for both…
Compression socks are catching on, and for long, blister-free runs, I’ve become a fan of toe socks; Injinji’s Ex-Celerator Compression Toesocks combine the two. injinji.com…
Utility Multi-Purpose Marvel A water-resistant, breathable, seamless soft-shell upper, rubberized toe box, and an aggressive ride/hike sole made this a favorite multi-condition shoe, and testers loved that its runner-like profile meant it was inconspicuous and comfortable for walking around (quietly) off the bike. 15.4 oz; pearlizumi.com…
German Engineering If, like in that song, I was walking 500 miles, I’d wear this incredibly comfortable shoe, no question. Suede-lined, molding ergonomic footbed below. Supple, unlined leather above—meaning you control the climate with your choice of socks (or lack thereof). birkenstockusa.com…
Less Is More The war for more megapixels is over. In the G11, Canon actually drops to a 10MP sensor from the 14.7MP sensor in this camera’s predecessor, the G10. But don’t call it a retreat. No quality is lost—the new sensor presents a clearer picture, even in low light.
If you’re in training mode, try this low-profile, watch-style monitor, which can track up to nine runs. Moving on up to a triathlon? It’s water-resistant down to 50 meters. Plus the sleek interface is so intuitive that I wore it—and got it—right out of the box.
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…
Not only is this racer-back tank adorable on its own; it’s also a smart next-to-skin layer. The built-in shelf bra has you covered when it comes to support (even if you’re a C cup), and the nylon-spandex combo is soft to the touch, wicks moisture, and won’t make you…
Deep lugs even in the instep offer traction, while to-the-toe laces customize the fit. specialized.com/women…
The Big Easy More than 30 inches wide, with a pontoon-style hull, the open-decked Commander is the perfect stable platform for gear-intensive outings—even if that gear is a good book and a well-stocked cooler in the gaping stern tank well. As a canoe/kayak hybrid, it's not quite stable enough to…
ITALIAN FLAIR FOR THE MASSES Before carbon took over cycling, aluminum was the racer’s material of choice. And before Trek took over the Tour de France, Pinarello owned that event. While the Italians’ top offerings can cost more than college, the aluminum FP2—which comes with a vibration-damping carbon fork and…
USER-FRIENDLY RIPPER Top pros like Bruce Irons, Joel Parkinson, and Luke Egan all ride Aussie shaper Jason Stevenson’s designs; the 6’5″ 300KW thruster we tested is identical to the one Egan surfs on in competitions. The bottom features a speedy, single-concave shape that transitions into a double-concave section near the…
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…
This 100-percent-real-fruit energy bar features a maltodextrin-fructose blend to deliver more energy to muscles over the long haul, with six grams of protein and zero junk food. powerbar.com…
Perforated side panels let out steam nicely, while a hem drawstring, an extra-tall collar, and soft chin padding help seal out the chill. 5.9 oz; merrell.com Bonus: Low-key style is coffee-shop friendly.
Heat the race-worthy, carbon-soled R220 in an oven at an authorized shop and a special vacuum will mold the shoe to your foot for a stable, slipper-like fit. bike.shimano.com…
GET UP, STAND UP Last year saw stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) move from the wacky fringe to the pages of Us Weekly, as seemingly every celebrity picked it up. With the fad still on full burn, shapers are racing into the SUP market, which is what makes the C4 special. It…
1. A paradigm-shifting camera, the D3 has a new sensor with incredible low-light sensitivity that, with a high-speed shooting rate (nine frames per second) and a new autofocus system that locks on to moving subjects like glue, can make images that were literally impossible to capture before now.
Elegant enough for a five-star dinner but ready for anything, this brushed-steel, sapphire-crystal chronograph is rated to a depth of 100 meters and sports a tachymeter, date window, and luminous hands and numerals. swissarmy.com…
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…
THE WETTER, THE BETTER Not surprisingly, sandal maker Chaco’s first-ever light hiking shoe excels in soggy conditions. As one of our testers shimmied down a waterfall drainage, he bloodied a knee, but, thanks to a full-coverage rubber rand, the Canyonlands escaped scratch-free. The low-profile outsole provided plenty of friction as…
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:…
VERSATILE THREE-SEASON SACK The EcoPro costs a bit more than Marmot’s other synthetic 15-degree-rated models (like the Trestles 15, $90). But this bag has good karma. Its insulation and shell are spun almost entirely out of recycled plastic bottles. In fact, the only unrecycled things on this roomy bag are…
While this trainer may not serve up super-stability or piles of cush, we appreciated its simplicity, light weight, and ability to comfortably take on miles. It’s a good choice for neutral runners to mild pronators, as the medial post does offer a tinge of support, which is plenty for…
It’s not a gimmick. You really can toss WRSI’s football-themed throw bag farther and more accurately. When your buddy’s trapped in a recirculating eddy, drill him in the head. Trust us, he’ll thank you. whitewaterhelmet.com…
NO MORE OVERHEATING Breathability can be a bugger to gauge. But of the 30-odd hard shells we tested, the Pinnacle, from British newcomer Rab, let the moisture out better than the rest. Credit the jacket’s two-layer eVent fabric, which, like most waterproof-breathable fabrics, uses a porous membrane that vents…
EASY PHONE HOME This Belkin number syncs with Skype, the free online-telephony app, making for a simple but truly effective device for those who regularly go abroad or frequently make calls to friends or family overseas. Once you’ve got an account, you can call—and be called by—other Skype users directly.
The Slinger isn’t as breathable as more ventilated, higher-priced lids. But the one-handed dial adjuster in the back gives the helmet a secure, confident fit, making it without a doubt the most comfortable $100 helmet we’ve worn. e-rudy.com…
One of the most versatile bikes we tested, the 928 Carbon is comfortable enough for mountain centuries and quick enough for hard efforts on twisty courses. With its race-inspired geometry and compact gearing, the Mono-Q earned high marks as an efficient climber, though testers would have liked to see wider…
Mild Stability Which sounds more like your morning ritual: Trying to set a new PR, or trying not to hit snooze again? If it’s the latter, the SyncroPace III is your shoe. Like most of Pearl’s running shoes, it has a remarkably comfortable, seamless upper and a…