Table of contents for 2023 Summer Gear Guide in Outside

Osprey Exos/Eja Pro 55L $290 Looking at this pack’s cushy hipbelt, airy trampoline back panel, and plentiful pockets, you’d be forgiven for expecting it to weigh twice as much as it does. But that’s the magic of the men’s Exos/women’s Eja Pro 55L, which is more comfortable and durable for its weight than any other pack we’ve tested in its category. The Pro is composed of 100-denier ripstop nylon reinforced with a 200-denier ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)—a stronger-than-steel fiber often used by ultralight cottage brands. The pack’s dorsal pocket is woven with that same blend, rather than the usual stretch mesh, further boosting durability. Even after a season spent section-hiking the Colorado Trail and brushing through rocky gaps on peak-bagging missions, the Pro remains scratch-free. Its 3.5-millimeter spring-steel perimeter frame is…

BEST FOR FIRST-TIMERS The North Face Trail Light Down 20 $220 It’s easy to get caught up in a numbers game when testing sleeping bags. At two pounds four ounces, and with 600-fill down, this mummy doesn’t win any weight or warmth superlatives, but our testers were impressed with the high-end bells and whistles that come at a fraction of the usual price. Chief among them: a well-designed, fully insulated hood with an elasticized cinchable collar, two vertical baffles along the bag’s sides to reduce cold spots and retain loft, and extra synthetic insulation in the toe box. And like many far more expensive bags, sustainability is at its core: the DWR-finished nylon body, silky 30-denier nylon lining, and down insulation are all 100 percent recycled. “It’s hard not to…

Crazy Jacket Fly $220 It’s become cliché to describe ultralight wind shells as “barely there,” but in terms of breathability and comfort, you can definitely tell when you’re wearing the average wind jacket. That’s why the Jacket Fly, from Italian brand Crazy, impressed us. This shell’s most laudable quality is how we didn’t notice it when it was on but missed it when it wasn’t. It’s the lightest jacket we’ve tested, smushing down to baseball size and weighing less than two ballpoint pens. “It’s the first wind shell I’ve found measurably more comfortable and breathable than the ultralight rain shells in my closet,” said one New Mexico–based tester, who loved it for backpacking in the breezy, low sixties in Cibola National Forest and for sunny, 50-degree runs near Santa Fe.…

a. Maloja LindaM shirt $165 Maloja updated the tried-and-true button-down by subbing in a banded collar and three-quarter-length sleeves to great effect: the revamped neckline prevents chafing from backpack straps while the sleeves add a little extra sun protection. The nylon fabric (with 12 percent spandex) is double-woven to pull double-duty—the nubbed texture of the shirt’s interior promotes airflow and wicks sweat to the material’s smooth-faced exterior. 7 oz (XS–XL) b. Lé Bent Ultralight Racerback tank top $75 Soft, breathable fabric elevates this basic tank into a beloved essential that testers wore everywhere. Blending non-mulesed merino wool with rayon produced from organically grown bamboo, the material scores high marks for sustainability and feels silky. This fabric blend also aced the moisture-management test: the textured fibers feature tiny divots that promote…

TESTERS: 48 (and 10 dogs) PRODUCTS TESTED: 104 MARSHMALLOWS BURNED: 16 ROAD-TRIP MILES: 8,200+ LONGEST ROAD TRIP: A 2,500-mile, detour-stacked adventure from Bellingham, Washington, to Bishop, California, and back again LONGEST STINT ON THE ROAD: Our full-time vanlife tester used gear every day for three months straight. To vet this year’s top car-camping equipment, we crisscrossed the country in all directions, in everything from gilded Sprinter vans to jerry-rigged beater trucks with built-in woodstoves. Wherever our nearly 50 roving testers took their gear—trailheads, RV parks, remote beaches—it turned heads and made life easier and more comfortable.…

BEST PERFORMANCE ON A BUDGET Fezzari Veyo $4,999 as tested The Veyo’s carbon frame has all the hallmarks of a modern performance road bike designed with aerodynamics in mind: internal cable routing, a slightly sloping top tube, aggressively dropped seatstays, and truncated airfoil cross sections used for the down tube, seat tube, and matching carbon seatpost. Fezzari is a direct-to-consumer brand, so buyers can customize their Veyos with a range of build kits. We tested the Veyo Pro build featuring Shimano’s outstanding Ultegra Di2 group, which we feel offers the best balance of performance and price. Unlike many aero road bikes that sacrifice ride quality for wind-cheating performance, the Veyo has a carbon frame that gives an impressively smooth and damp ride across a wide range of tarmac conditions. It…

MOST DISTINCTIVE Reeb SST $9,850 as tested Reeb, a small-batch manufacturer in Lyons, Colorado, made one of the most exciting and beautiful mountain bikes we’ve ridden in several seasons by combining a traditional steel frame with high-tech 3D-printed parts, modern trail-bike geometry (65.5-degree headtube angle and 76-degree effective seat angle), and wise suspension picks. The 140-millimeter fork and 120-millimeter rear suspension are not things you see in other trail bikes, but they made the SST a surprisingly good all-arounder during our test. With tons of grip and a planted demeanor, this bike eats up tight corners and switchbacks and fits into awkward bits of trail that stymied other rigs. Its suspension is active and supple over small impacts, making the SST feel like it has more travel than it does.…

BEST FOR KEEPING PACE WITH THE PELOTON Trek Domane+ $13,000 as tested The Domane+ SLR 9 stands out as the best performance e–road bike we tested for two reasons: its 28 mile-per-hour max speed meant we could actually keep pace with our fittest friends on group rides, and the TQ HPR-50 mid-drive motor is a cut above the competition. The motor is impressively compact, lives in the bottom bracket, and generates up to 300 watts of assistance and 50 newton-meters of torque. The result is a Class-3 bike that charges. Its 360-watt-hour battery housed in the down tube gives this ride a range of up to 90 miles. Like the standard Domane, this version has a sleek OCLV carbon frame with endurance-focused geometry for confident handling. We were also inclined…

a. Zwift Hub Smart Trainer $500 Zwift’s Hub Smart Trainer bests the competition with user-friendly features that start with the purchasing process: you select the cassette range specific to your bike so there’s no need to swap between your bike and this wheel-off trainer. The Hub is quiet, stable when on sprints, and engineered to offer a natural pedaling resistance. Plus, it’s way more affordable than similar trainers from other brands. b. Garmin Edge 840 Solar $550 A trusty cycling computer is a must-have for data-hungry (and directionally challenged) cyclists. The new compact Edge 840 boasts multi-band GNSS for more-accurate positioning, and run times are long thanks to solar charging. During testing, it had enough juice to power through 24 hours of continuous use, even when connected to a power…

a. BEST SMALL-WAVE BOARD Bing Surfboards Levitator Type II From $1,525 If you’re in the market for a traditional log that’ll serve you in a range of conditions, then the Levitator Type II is worth a look. Shaper Matt Calvani wanted to create something more maneuverable than his original nose-riding-focused Levitator model. He narrowed the board slightly and added a little more curve in the outline, but he kept the wide point forward to allow for effortless trim. He also added a rolled V-bottom contour out the tail to keep turns smooth and generate drive to get around long sections. While Calvani sacrificed a bit of the board’s nose-riding performance to buy turning ability, testers loved its versatility. (9’2”; also available in lengths up to 10’) b. BEST ALTERNATIVE BOARD…

BEST FOR UNDER A WETSUIT Patagonia Sunny Tide one-piece $129 This simple, lightweight tank suit is luxuriously comfortable for paddling, swimming, chasing waves, bodysurfing, and just hanging out at the beach thanks to its secure mid-hip fit. Its stretchy fabric is fully lined and composed of 83 percent recycled nylon and 17 percent spandex jersey, which makes it one of the softer swimsuits we tested. Flat, non-adjustable straps rest away from the neck for comfort and freedom of movement, which testers especially appreciated while SUPing. (XS–XXL) BEST SUPPORT AND COVERAGE Carve Camari one-piece $98 The crossover back strap on the Camari provides solid support and is also fairly easy to tie without help, because the tie point is midback—an area your hands can comfortably reach. The fabric is 82 percent…

a. BEST FOR MULTI-PITCH TRAD Black Diamond Aspect Pro $200 This shoe’s biggest asset is its cushy microsuede footbed, which gives it a softer demeanor than similar trad shoes and amazing performance right out of the box, with almost no break-in. Despite a full-length bilayer midsole, the shoe provides a dash of sensitivity. The leather footbed also promises long-haul comfort, bolstered by a sweat-wicking knit tongue and thick, ropy laces that ensure a dialed fit. 10.6 oz b. BEST GRABBING AND SENSITIVITY Tenaya Indalo $215 This downturned, slightly asymmetrical, semistiff quiver and bouldering shoe scored high marks for performance and fit. Some wide-footed testers were skeptical about its pointy toe at first, but Tenaya built just enough softness into the microfiber upper and lateral stretch on the bilayer perforated tongue to let…

a. Edelrid HMS Bulletproof Belay FG Eco carabiner $40 Unlike most belay carabiners, this one’s not anodized, which means it’s free of the toxic chemicals used in the anodizing process. The ample basket and the steel insert are also big selling points, as these main wear zones often scuff or thin on a standard aluminum biner. But you can barely ding this steel. 3.1 oz b. Grivel Plume HMS K3GH locker $15 This locker’s Twin Gate system is novel: you pop open the outer gate, floss the eye of your belay device or rope over it, and press down on the inner gate to get it all the way in. The HMS designation means this piece is suited for belaying with either a belay device or a friction hitch (Münter),…

Fabletics Dry-Flex Open Back Tank $50 The open-back design made this top a standout, as it was “awesome for ventilation,” according to one tester who raved about the cooling breeze on her back during runs. Others praised the breathability and sweat-wicking powers of the recycled polyester-elastane blend during kickboxing and spin classes. The loose and flowy cut allowed dynamic movements without feeling like too much fabric, and the low-cut arm holes prevented sweat from pooling. (XXS–4XL) Outdoor Research Argon Short Sleeve Tee $55 This shirt kept our testers cool during sticky workouts, thanks to OR’s proprietary moisture-management technology, which uses ultrafine recycled polyester-spandex yarns in an open-texture mesh to provide airflow and wicking. The loose-but-not-too-loose fit felt snug without being constricting, and it didn’t chafe during runs, rides, spin class, or…

BEST FOR WEEKEND WARRIORS Apple Watch Ultra $799 Endurance athletes will likely turn their noses up at the Ultra because of its relatively short battery life—about 36 hours with normal use—and lack of specific sports features geared toward data-driven diehards. But for anyone who’s more of a weekend warrior, the Ultra is a great choice, especially if you’re already an Apple user: it excels at storing and streaming music, delivering texts, and making phone calls; plus it has a tough-as-nails build and comes with highly intuitive workout software. BEST FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES Garmin Enduro 2 $1,099 This watch is a clear choice for serious endurance athletes because it has so many tester-favorite features, including an astounding battery life (150 hours of GPS with solar charging), built-in topographic maps, an intuitive…

PRODUCTS TESTED: 26 MILES TRAVELED: 20,758 PHOTOS TAKEN: 5,000+ NIGHTS SPENT IN CAMPERS AND TRAILERS: 30 DRONE CRASHES: 0 (THOUGH THERE WERE SOME CLOSE CALLS.) Shopping for the ultimate adventure rig? We support that, with just one word of advice: “Be realistic about what you need and what you’ll actually use,” says lead overlanding tester Bryan Rogala. “Rig envy is real, and it’s easy to convince yourself you need the most off-road-capable camper to beat the crowds.” In other words, being conservative can save you thousands.…

Osprey Ozone 2-Wheel Carry-On 40L/21.5” $280 The Ozone 2-Wheel Carry-On is perhaps the most convenient on-board piece in Osprey’s updated Ozone line. Made from an ultralight yet durable aluminum frame and recycled nylon fabric, this suitcase (like all pieces in this line) also features a buttonless trolley handle and a YKK reverse-coil coated zipper for improved water resistance—both industry firsts. The suitcase also has a high-clearance frame and oversize, 90-millimeter wheels, making it rugged enough to handle terrain beyond concourse floors. Matador GlobeRider 45 Travel Backpack $350 The GlobeRider combines the traveling ease of a backpack and the functionality of a duffel bag. It’s also rugged as all get-out: 420-denier nylon UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) reinforced ripstop meets 420-denier recycled nylon meets 100-denier nylon ripstop, and each of these materials features…

LIGHTEST Gossamer Gear Fast Kumo 36 $190 Compact, comfortable, and featherlight, the Kumo 36 is a fastpacker’s dream. Weight savings come from stripping nonessential features and using high-end PU-coated Robic nylon (70 denier in the body, 100 in the boot). In lieu of a frame, the pack relies on a removable foam back panel that supports up to 25 pounds and doubles as a sit pad. The Kumo is designed to go fast, from the easy access to four chest pockets and dual-zippered hipbelt pockets to the wide, vest-style shoulder straps, which spreads loads evenly across the upper body. Through-hiking testers also appreciated the removable hipbelt, trash-stash pocket, and D-rings. The Kumo’s feature set made it easy to log long miles: a tester who wore it for an 118-mile section…

BEST ALL-AROUND Norrøna Senja Gore-Tex Active Jacket $549 When you don’t want to compromise on weather protection, breathability, or weight, the Senja lets you have it all. Its three-layer material with a Gore-Tex Active membrane (Gore’s lightest option) performed well on a wet, 50-degree hike to Colorado’s 12,979-foot Mount Toll, keeping sweat down with the help of pit zips and extra vents: one on the back (with mesh) and two zippered side vents. Features are a mixed bag. Some, like a rump-covering hem and helmet-compatible hood with a sturdy brim, drew cheers. But the small wrist pocket and “butt pocket that allows you to sit on your phone” felt awkward, and the internal waist strap poked uncomfortably under a hipbelt. The streamlined cut fit a couple of thinner layers, and…

Stowaway Gourmet $13–$20 Historically, none of our preferred backpacking food brands have had perfect batting averages when it comes to dehydrated meals. That is, until we tried Stowaway Gourmet, a tiny operation that emerged in the midst of the pandemic: there isn’t a single dud among the brand’s 13 flavors. That’s due, in large part, to texture. Owner Dan West is tight-lipped about his freeze-drying process, other than to say it’s been entirely reinvented compared with those of older, larger brands. The shrimp in the Thai curry are plump and juicy. The penne in a tomato-mushroom sauce is perfectly al dente. Sage-flecked scrambled-egg curds in a soon-to-be-released breakfast bowl with sausage and goat cheese are whole and luscious. Recipes have a worldly fluency that goes far beyond a token pad…

TESTERS: 14 BIKES TESTED: 60 FLATS: 37 WRECKS: 8 MILES RIDDEN: 5,900 MOST EXPENSIVE BIKE TESTED: $18,000 BURRITOS CONSUMED: Enough to be embarrassed Our esteemed colleagues at Pinkbike and Velo run the best bike tests in the business, so we teamed up with them to bring you the following reviews of the top bikes and accessories of the year. These rigs run the gamut from affordable hardtails to top-of-the-line e-bikes. There are no bad choices here—unless what you choose blows your budget.…

BEST ALL-DAY RACER BMC Kaius 01 $11,999 as tested Because the gravel category includes a broad range of riding experiences, BMC has an expansive quiver to cover adventure riding as well as racing. The new Kaius is unapologetically focused on the latter. The light and stiff carbon frame has an aero-inspired silhouette and a fully integrated one-piece carbon handlebar-and-stem combo to match (though it’s also available as a two-part stem and bar). As a result, longtime roadies will feel right at home. This high-end gravel bike boasts an ultra-efficient power transfer and noticeably low weight. The maximum tire width of 44 millimeters is narrower than some of its competitors’, though it’s spot-on for most racers, who tend to select tires between 38 and 42 millimeters. That tire clearance and the…

BEST FOR HIGH-STAKES RIDING Santa Cruz Nomad 6 $11,199 as tested The Nomad has been a perennial favorite with enduro racers and aggressive trail riders. Recently, Santa Cruz revamped this long-travel brawler with a mullet setup: a 29-inch front wheel (for rollover benefits) paired with a 27.5-inch rear wheel (for agility). It ticks all the boxes you’d expect to find on a modern enduro bike: it has 170 millimeters of front and rear suspension, internal down-tube storage, room for a longer travel dropper post, plus generous chainstay and down-tube protection from impacts. But the sixth-generation Nomad is really a study in incremental improvements. Our testers admired its blend of predictable handling and stability at speed—a confidence-boosting combo that urged us to push our boundaries, becoming better riders in the process.…

BEST VENTILATED AERO Specialized S-Works Evade 3 $300 Specialized doesn’t claim the new Evade 3 is more aerodynamic than the Evade 2. Instead, the brand focused on better ventilation, so that riders can take advantage of the helmet’s reduced drag in a wide range of weather conditions. The intake vents up front are notably larger than the Evade 2’s, and full-length internal channeling gives that incoming air somewhere to go. Testers agreed that the Evade 3 is noticeably better at moving the breeze across the rider’s head because of these updates. In fact, it’s one of the best-ventilated aero helmets we’ve ever worn. 11.4 oz BEST BARELY-THERE FIT Giro Aries Spherical $300 The Aries is a light, fully featured helmet that prioritizes ventilation over aerodynamics, though its slim profile means…

TESTERS: 33 MILES PADDLED: 141 PRODUCTS TESTED: 95 ENCHILADA PLATES CONSUMED: 5 WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS: 3 WIPEOUTS: Countless Getting wet is an inevitable part of testing watersports gear. This year, our crew experienced freshwater dunkings in search of trout, headfirst dives down the faces of waves, and even a tumble into a board’s fins, which resulted in four bruises and two cuts—all to bring you the best products of the year.…

a. BEST FOR CHARGERS Jackson Kayaks Gnarvana $1,599 Its newest creekboat design since the Nirvana five years ago, Jackson Kayaks’ Gnarvana is a confidence-inspiring charger, blending speed, maneuverability, and boofing chops for everything from creeks to Class V rapids. The kayak has an all-new high rocker profile, plus more width and length. This keeps the bow dry and hull stable, but also maneuverable at launch time. It also offers training-wheel-like stability. “It’s fast, yet extremely easy to paddle and excels in every style of whitewater,” said one hard-charging tester. “I’m certain it will be my race boat in 2023.” (43–51 lbs, 8’6”; 9’3”) b. MOST MINIMALIST Alpacka Ghost $750 Alpacka’s new Ghost is almost as lightweight as its namesake. As a specialized craft for those who cut every possible ounce,…

Oros Strike Indicator $10 FOR THREE-PACK We always thought strike indicators were terrible—until now. We dislike that most hard-plastic and yarn models connect to a leader with a rubber O-ring or a hard post, which places them to the side of a leader and makes casting them a pathetic mess. Many also have multiple small parts that are easily lost—try finding a tiny hard-plastic O-ring in the tall, streamside grass. But then we discovered the Oros strike indicators, and we changed our tune. They feature two foam hemispheres that contain male and female parts (read: no external parts for flies to tangle on) and twist together with the leader centered in the sphere. Nylon hardware holds the line in place, while friction from the compressed-foam pieces prevents the hemispheres from…

TESTERS: 31 PRODUCTS TESTED: 61 OUR MOST VETERAN TESTER’S YEARS OF CLIMBING EXPERIENCE: 49 HIGHEST GRADES CLIMBED: 5.14a sport, 5.12 trad, V10 MOST PUNISHING TESTING VENUE: The Bugaboos, British Columbia MOST ACCESSIBLE TESTING VENUE: A backyard garage gym with a side-by-side MoonBoard and Tension Board VERTICAL FEET SENT: We lost count. Testing climbing gear can be a punishing pursuit. We ask our gear gurus to jam their feet into tight-fitting shoes, load their packs and harnesses with heaps of new hardware, then send them off to tackle some epic problems and projects in remote corners of the climbing world. It’s not an easy job. Good thing “easy” doesn’t appeal to climbers.…

a. Black Diamond Vapor helmet $150 The updated Vapor is one of the lightest helmets on the market, which takes away the biggest excuse climbers have to not protect their noggins. The 18 triangular cutouts provide superior breathability, with one tester finding it comfortable enough to wear on 12-mile glacial approaches in British Columbia. Despite its ultralightweight foam construction—considered to be relatively fragile—another tester noted that after tripping and falling backward onto the helmet attached to his backpack, it only had a small dent in the polycarbonate crown. 5.5 oz (S/M); 6.3 oz (M/L) b. Edelrid Zodiac 3R helmet $85 The new Zodiac 3R looks surprisingly sporty for a hard-shell helmet, with black and green colors, an angular design, and a lower-profile fit compared to the previous Zodiac. It’s also…

Rabbit EZ Tee Cropped $48 We fell in love with the silky feel and cute colors of this polyester-spandex top. The cut is relaxed but not boxy, and it falls just above the hips for a shorter fit than most running tees or tanks in our rotation. Multiple testers found themselves sporting this one around town in addition to wearing it on runs. (XS–XL) Craft Pro Hypervent Singlet $60 This whisper of a polyester mesh tank was an instant favorite among our higher-mileage trail runners. The racerback design and soft flatlock seams around the neck and armpits made the singlet feel invisible when we were wearing it. One tester noted that the tank held up particularly well to dirt, looking fresh even after her dustiest trail runs. (XS–XL) Mountain Hardwear Shade…

Maloja AntermoiaM. Tee $79 Every detail of this T-shirt is dialed to perfection. The drapey cut doesn’t grab the body during twists, the mid-hip length stays put during downward dog, and the rolled sleeves hug the biceps without flopping. Best of all, a soft nylon-spandex mesh panel flows down the back between the shoulder blades and wraps the back of the waist. Plus, the main body’s silky lyocell-cotton-spandex fabric has excellent stretch. (XS–XL) Athleta Transcend 7/8 Leggings $99 All our testers experienced love at first asana in these classic high-waist leggings. Credit goes to Athleta’s new VitaFree fabric, a blend of nylon and Lycra that manages to walk the knife-edge between lightweight and supportive, hugging the body like a second skin. “I’ve started wearing these bottoms to the Ecstatic Dance…

iPhone 14 Pro $999 Thanks to a sensor that’s 65 percent larger than the one included in the iPhone 13 Pro, plus the ability to shoot in the uncompressed Apple ProRAW format, the 14 Pro can take 48-megapixel photos that have stunning detail for a smartphone. For regular photos, the iPhone automatically takes every four pixels on its sensor and converts them into much larger quad pixels that can drink in more light and produce a regular 12-megapixel image. The result: an image that looks great even in low light. On the software side, the phone’s Photonic Engine allows the 14 Pro to combine multiple, uncompressed images into one single great photo. Bottom line: it’s a powerful adventure camera that fits in your pocket. Sony a7RV $3,900 If you’re trying…

TESTERS: 254 MILES COVERED: 7,040 HIGHEST ELEVATION: 19,000 feet, Himalayas, Nepal LOWEST ELEVATION: 0 feet, American Samoa HOTTEST TEMP: 115° F, Escalante Canyon, Utah HEAVIEST LOAD: 125 pounds, Chugach National Forest, Alaska MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF PRECIPITATION: 10, Anchorage, Alaska BEST TESTER QUOTE: “The pockets, I learned, are also good at holding standing water. In a pinch, you could carry a big straw and periodically drink from the small ponds on your hips.”—Tester Bradley Allf, after evaluating backpacks during a downpour in Linville Gorge, North Carolina…

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT $240 Therm-a-Rest’s NeoAir XTherm was already a bit of a unicorn in the backpacking world when it came out in 2012: crazy warm, packable, and lightweight. The new Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT must be a flying unicorn, then, since it’s better in nearly every way. This pad sports an impressive bump up in R-value from an already winter-ready 6.9 to 7.3, which is unheard-of in the one-pound weight class. At the crux of this extreme warmth is an additional layer—the pad now has five—of Therm-a-Rest’s proprietary coating, a thin metallic film woven into the pad’s interior that reflects heat back at your body and reduces heat loss. The extra layer also softens the crinkly potato-chip bag noise this pad’s predecessor was known for. The pad’s thickness…

SHORTEST BREAK-IN Zamberlan 335 Circe Low GTX Women’s $250 Despite the impressive level of support, these warm, low-cut hikers felt like slippers right out of the box. The 1.5-millimeter polypropylene lasting board was designed for hybrid trail-running and hiking shoes, which means they feel unusually flexible but still protect against sharp sticks and rocks. A larger heel surface and EVA midsole provide stability and cushion. The microfiber upper with Gore-Tex lining stayed waterproof throughout testing, and although the boots aren’t insulated, they are surprisingly warm in variable conditions. Associate Gear Editor Kelly Klein wore them while backpacking on New Mexico’s Mount Taylor, where the 11,305-foot summit had four fresh inches of snow. “My toes stayed cozy the whole time, which is saying something, because I have Raynaud’s—it’s easy for my…

BEST ALL-AROUND Mystery Ranch Bridger 35 $289 With the organizational chops of a running vest, the load-carrying capacity of an overnight pack, and the close-to-the-back fit of a truly athletic daypack, the Bridger 35 emerged as our top choice for gear-intensive, all-day adventures. Thanks to a four-millimeter spring-steel perimeter frame and a cushy, EVA-foam-padded hipbelt, one tester carried 40 pounds for a 16-mile hike this summer and reported no rubbing or next-day soreness. Organizational features hit all the marks: chest pockets, top lid pocket, hipbelt pockets, and dual stretch-mesh side pockets. As for durability, the recycled ripstop Robic nylon (100-denier on the body, 330 on the boot) emerged with zero tears after a season of bushwhacking and ridge scrambling. The Bridger’s biggest drawbacks? Weight and price. 3.7 lbs (men’s and…

Diorite Gear Telescopic Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles $180 The Diorite is a rare no-compromises trekking pole: it’s the burliest all-carbon construction we’ve ever tested, with a formidable telescoping length that’s a godsend for tarp-oriented hikers. Even though the Diorite looks and feels like an overbuilt aluminum pole, it tips the scales below eight ounces—a weight normally reserved for folding fastpacking poles. Most ultralight carbon poles in that weight class require babying. In contrast, the Diorite inspired confidence even when several testers slid down sheer, sandy descents in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains. The extra-long EVA foam grips were comfortable in the hand and made choking down on steep climbs easy. The beefy locking mechanisms are replaceable, along with the individual pole sections and pole tips. Best of all, the Diorite poles…

a. UCO Eco 4-piece Mess Kit $20 Made from a proprietary blend of postconsumer recycled polypropylene, this eight-by-eight-inch kit ditches the brand’s two-piece utensil design for a single spork. Testers praised the bowl’s tight seal and silicone tether loops, which kept leftover veggie pasta in vodka sauce secure, even while getting jostled on a trip to Sinks Canyon in Wyoming. 8.3 oz —Lily Krass b. Miir Stainless Steel Cold Brew Filter $15 For backpackers who find regular rocket fuel insufficient, this stainless-steel cold-brew filter is the key to a highly caffeinated hike out of camp. Setup is dead easy: pour grounds into the filter, fill a 32- or 42-ounce wide-mouth Miir bottle with water, and let it steep overnight. Bummer: the featherweight filter fits only the brand’s proprietary double-walled thermoses. 1.6 oz…

BEST WEARABLE BAG Mountain Hardwear Yawn Patrol 30 F $275 Sleeping bags that also claim to be loungewear tend to be gimmicky. Not the Yawn Patrol, which is a sleeping bag, quilt, and extra-long poncho all in one thanks to clever zipper design. One smooth-running zipper extends from the top of the bag to the feet to split it into a quilt. Another runs a third of the way down for easy entry and to create sleeves for reading or drinking while inside the bag. Tough, 45-denier nylon protects the bottom of the bag from dirt, while a lighter-weight 30-denier nylon top shell and interior are soft next to the skin. One tester especially appreciated the insulated hood with a pillow pocket, phone pocket, draft collars, and multiple zippers. What’s…

Giant Propel Advanced SL 0 $12,500 as tested Giant set out to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the 2023 Propel while also making it more of an all-around performer. The new bike is still intended to slice through the air, and it makes use of truncated airfoil tube profiles everywhere it matters: namely the down tube, seat tube, seatstays, headtube, and fork blades. However, the new Propel now strikes a much more svelte profile that further blurs the lines between an all-out aero machine and semi-aero lightweights like Giant’s own TCR Advanced SL. Even without wind-tunnel testing, it was clear from our first pedal stroke that the Propel Advanced SL 0 is a proper rocket ship. It’s easy to bring up to high speeds and requires less effort to hold…

Trek Fuel EX $10,750 as tested The Fuel EX first showed up in Trek’s catalog way back in 2005 with just 100 millimeters of suspension. Fast-forward to 2023 and this bike’s best iteration yet: it’s slacker and longer, with an all-new 140-millimeter-travel frame paired with a 150-millimeter fork and highly adjustable geometry. This modern trail bike somehow manages to both climb and descend better than its predecessor. The adjustable geometry comes via Trek’s proprietary Mino Link, which joins the rocker link to the seatstays and offers riders a half-degree of head-angle change. You can further adjust handling with Trek’s headset cups, which make the stock 64.5-degree head angle a full degree steeper or slacker. These options are prime for riders looking to fine-tune the bike’s handling to suit their local…

BEST AFFORDABLE HARDTAIL Marin Team Marin 1 $1,589 as tested If you want to try cross-country racing, or just want to add a hardtail to your quiver for a reasonable price, check out the Marin Team Marin 1. This aluminum rig is no-frills—it doesn’t even have a dropper post, something our team recommends adding immediately—but it is solid. With a 67-degree headtube angle and 74-degree seat-tube angle, it handled the rough trails around Tucson, Arizona, during Pinkbike’s Value Bike Test, as long as riders remembered what kind of bike was under them. And it’s well spec’d for the price, with a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain, MT201 brakes, a 120-millimeter RockShox Judy Silver TK fork, and fast-rolling Vee Rail Rocco tires. There’s also a 780-millimeter-wide bar mounted to a short, 35-millimeter…

a. MOST VERSATILE SURF SHAPE Fanatic AllWave $1,699 Redesigned for better maneuverability in variable conditions, the new AllWave lives up to its name. Fanatic added sharper rails and a swallowtail for snappier acceleration through racy, down-the-line sections. The bottom features a larger rocker curve that keeps the nose up on steep waves and improves mobility in smaller surf without losing too much speed. We found the vacuum-epoxy construction durable—though it added weight—as it withstood damage from submerged rocks during low-tide sessions. It’s not the most high-performance board, but the AllWave has been thoughtfully redesigned to help SUP surfers of all levels catch more waves and have more fun. (150 liters, 8’10”x31.5”) b. BEST INFLATABLE Red Paddle Compact MSL Pact Inflatable $1,649 Finding an inflatable SUP that holds its own in…

a. Cheeky All-Day Sink Tip Fly Line $59 This season we ignored the morass of specialty lines on the market and just spooled up the All-Day Sink Tip, which is 90 feet long with a 15-foot sink-tip head. It drops six inches a second. When we wanted to throw streamers to the riverbanks or sink damselflies, scuds, and leeches in still waters (places you’re likely to find big fish), it was enough tip to get us down. b. Sage R8 Core 9-Foot 6-Weight Rod $1,050 We cast this stick all over the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest, where it became our go-to in nearly every situation. It’s just the right mix of power and finesse—stiff at the butt section and sensitive at the tip. It handled everything, from hunting large lake…

Scarpa Vapor S $229 Don’t let the low-key aesthetic fool you: the Vapor S is a powerful slipper. The key to its strength is a sticky, full-length XS Grip 2 outsole married to a surprisingly flat last and a touch of asymmetry that curls your big toes downward like talons. None of these attributes alone screams high performance, but consider them alongside the shoe’s overall flexibility, glovelike fit, gummy M50 rubber over the toe box, semistiff heel cup, and low-profile, rounded toe that deforms preternaturally into tiny pockets, slots, and thin cracks. The collective result is a fierce steep-rock beast, one you can maneuver into subtle heel-toe cams that would feel clunky in any other shoe. For a slipper, the Vapor S is also surprisingly versatile. “I was very impressed…

Ocun Hawk QD Wire Bio-Dyn-Ring Quickdraw $110 FOR FIVE-PACK We’re big proponents of Dyneema—it’s great for saving weight on multi-pitch climbs or when starting up a long onsight while carrying a ton of draws. But, like so many synthetic materials used in climbing, standard Dyneema comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels. Bio-Dyneema, on the other hand, presents a better alternative: it’s upcycled from waste products of the pulp and timber industry, but with standard Dyneema’s weight, strength, and UV resistance. (Ocun, for now, is the only company using bio-Dyneema for its dogbones.) The Hawk QD Wire, featuring this new material, rates to a very high 25 kilonewton breaking strength—i.e. more than enough holding power, and plenty of toughness, for high-wear situations, like the dogbone sitting over an edge or while alpine…

TESTERS: 83 MILES COVERED: 16,551 HIGHEST ELEVATION: 12,500 feet HOTTEST DAY: 108° F LONGEST RUN: 50K race with 8,500 feet of elevation gain MOST MEMORABLE WORKOUT: The short but mighty Lanikai Pillbox trail run, on Hawaii’s Oahu island—so steep and slippery, our tester needed to hold on to ropes tied to trees to stay upright and keep moving. To narrow down this year’s best running, workout, and yoga gear, we tested more than 450 products—from shoes to singlets, shorts to shades. We covered thousands of miles over all types of terrain to find gear that disappears while enhancing your performance and experience.…

BEST FOR UNSUPPORTED ULTRA-LONG RUNS Black Diamond Distance 22 $200 The Distance 22 is Black Diamond’s largest hybrid running vest/pack. That size translates to ample storage for the trail: a roomy main compartment, two zippered front pockets, two flask pockets, four mesh front and side pockets, dedicated pole pockets, and a dual ice-ax carry system. “There was room for 30 miles’ worth of gels up front, my phone, and an InReach with a battery pack. All the important stuff was accessible without things feeling cramped,” reported one tester. BEST FOR WEEKEND LONG RUNS Salomon ADV Skin 12 $160 The Skin 12 feels like a good hug—tight but not suffocating. Stretchy bungee-cord adjustments provide an über-custom, snug fit and keep flasks from sloshing and bouncing. Our testers loved all 13(!) accessible…

Ever wonder how we decide on the Editor’s Choice winners highlighted in these pages? For the backpacking category, we enlist a crew of veteran hikers to put all the year’s new products through the wringer over the course of an entire season. Then we have the category managers for each page send us their top picks. The final step: we gather these nominees and go on one last testing trip to determine the winners. For this issue, we held that Editor’s Choice journey in early October on a traverse of Mount Taylor (a sacred peak known to the Navajo as Tsoodzil, or Turquoise Mountain), in the San Mateo Mountains of northern New Mexico. On the first and last day of our four-day excursion it was T-shirt and shorts weather. In…