Hiking

From hydration packs for day hikes to trekking poles for a thru-hike, GearJunkie covers all the gear for a safe and comfortable ramble.

OR Trade Show: 2011 Teaser

The Gear Junkie crew is off to Utah this week and the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show. Here’s a quick visual tour of a few…

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Six Outdoor Essentials

Equipment can break. Your body can wear down. These six items have helped Gear Junkie endure and work through bad breaks, gear malfunctions and pain.

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22-Gram Backpacking Knife

A freakishly light and affordable backpacking knife, the 22 GRAM from Baladeo aims to please even the staunchest go-light backpackers.

Written by T.C. Worley

‘Off-Leash’ Dog Collar

The Release N Run collar has a tiny retractable leash hidden inside. It was designed for people who frequent dog parks and natural areas where…

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Water-Carrying ‘Vest’ Pack

Need to run or hike fast with water and little else? A hydration vest is a good option. In this column, Gear Junkie tests the…

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Trip Report: Hornby Island, B.C.

Hornby Island, a dot of land in British Columbia’s inside passage, was the venue this fall for a solo trail run adventure. Gear Junkie recounts…

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Bear Grylls Gear

We reviewed Gerber’s Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife last month. In February, the company will unveil a complete line of “Bear”-branded products. Gear Junkie offers a…

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11-inch Camp Knife

SOG’s evolution of the 1838 “Bowie”-style knife includes an integrated sharpener and a polymer handle over-molded with a rubber grip. Writer T.C. Worley gives the…

Written by T.C. Worley

‘Top 10’ Gear of 2010

Drum roll. . . GearJunkie’s annual ‘Top 10’ Gear picks award the best of the best outdoors equipment after a year of use and abuse…

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Long-Distance Radios

Not your grandfather’s walkie-talkies. Motorola cites 35 miles as the maximum communication range for its new handheld Talkabout radios.

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Oakley All-Metal Sunglasses

Oakley’s latest sunglasses are made of metal. A stout aerospace aluminum offers durability as well as performance features for moderate activity outdoors.

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Review: Vasque Transistor

The Transistor FS shoe has no footbed and a low-to-the-ground design. Contributing writer T.C. Worley put them to the test this fall.

Written by T.C. Worley

Bear Grylls Knife

Bear Grylls, he of the broadcast television hit “Man vs. Wild,” has designed a knife for Gerber. The “Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife” comes to market…

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Review: ULTRA Headlamp

Overkill for the average hiker, but an essential tool in certain high-stakes nighttime scenarios, Petzl’s ULTRA headlamp is in the running as the brightest on…

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External-Frame Backpacks

Clunky remnants of another era? Not so claim several backpack manufacturers who have brought external-frame models back to the retail floor.

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Origins of Swiss Army Knife

Swiss Army Knives are symbols of utility and smart design known the world over. Gear Junkie traveled to Switzerland this summer to investigate the history…

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‘Best in Show’ awards

GearJunkie.com’s inaugural “Best in Show” awards highlight a dozen innovative new products seen at the Outdoor Retailer trade show this month.

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World’s Scariest Hikes

Shoulder a pack. Lace up your boots. Now, don’t look down. My recent article for Travel+Leisure covers 10 of the planet’s scariest hikes.

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Gear Made in the USA

The outdoors industry has no shortage of goods that come from overseas. But a surprising number of brands tout products originated in the USA. Gear…

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CamelBak Antidote

Hydration stalwart CamelBak touts a “redefinition” of the water reservoir with its to-be-released Antidote line.

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Ultra-light Backpacking Tips

Gear Junkie offers a few bullet points from an ultra-light trip last summer in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

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‘Weatherproof’ Socks

From Patagonia to winter bike commutes in Minneapolis, Gear Junkie reviewer T.C. Worley put Seirus’ “weatherproof” socks to the test.

Written by T.C. Worley

Darn Tough Socks

Writer T.C. Worley tested Darn Tough’s Coolmax socks running and cycling this summer.

Written by T.C. Worley

Gear for Trekking Nepal

After a two-week trek in Nepal earlier this year, Gear Junkie steps back to examine the clothing and equipment that worked en route to Base…

Written by Stephen Regenold

Heated Boots Fail To Impress

Columbia’s heated boots, powered by lithium-polymer batteries, are touted to provide the “warmth of a furnace.” Our test found this to be far from the…

Written by Stephen Regenold

Free USGS Topo Maps

Your guide to the free downloading of 1:24,000-scale USGS topo maps. Go forth taxpayer! Enter into the public domain. And download at will.

Written by Stephen Regenold

Columbia Heated Boots

Heated boots have long been a Holy Grail. Columbia continues on the quest with its heated men’s and women’s boot models.

Written by Stephen Regenold

Wenger Nomad Compass Watch

You’ll be the best-looking navigator in the city with Wenger’s high-end Nomad Compass, a $375 timepiece enclosed in a stainless steel case with black and…

Written by Stephen Regenold

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