‘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 around the world. Congrats to Rab, Inov-8 Ltd., Icebug, Garmin, Ibex, Suunto. . .
Long-Distance Radios
Not your grandfather’s walkie-talkies. Motorola cites 35 miles as the maximum communication range for its new handheld Talkabout radios.
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.
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.
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 this month for $60.
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 the market.
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.
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 of the iconic brand.
‘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.
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.
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 Junkie investigates.
CamelBak Antidote
Hydration stalwart CamelBak touts a “redefinition” of the water reservoir with its to-be-released Antidote line.
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.
‘Weatherproof’ Socks
From Patagonia to winter bike commutes in Minneapolis, Gear Junkie reviewer T.C. Worley put Seirus’ “weatherproof” socks to the test.
Darn Tough Socks
Writer T.C. Worley tested Darn Tough’s Coolmax socks running and cycling this summer.
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 Camp at Mount Everest.
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 case.
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.
La Sportiva Baruntse Boots
A serious alpine butt-kicker. The Baruntse double-boot does duty from glaciers to high Himalaya peaks.
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.
Minimalist Multi-Tool
At just 5 ounces, Gerber’s bare-bones Crucial tool is the lightest butterfly-opening multi-tool in its line.
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 red accents.
Review: Leki Trekking Poles
Leki’s ergonomic hand grips, like what’s found on the Thermolite AERGON Antishock model, help set the trekking poles apart from the competition.
Ribz Frontpack
In the world of backpacks, there is a niche category of products that positions compartments and pouches over the chest. The RIBZ Frontpack is a new entry into this esoteric product realm.
Rand McNally fabMAP
Take a microfiber lens cloth and print a map on it. That’s essentially what Rand McNally did with its fabMAP products, a cartographical collection featuring cities and parks around America printed on a soft fabric.
New York Times: North Country Trail article
The trail goes through more than 100 state parks and state forests as well as areas managed by the National Park Service. It brings millions of day hikers each year into some of the finest natural places that New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota have to offer.
Pearl Izumi Infini T Long Sleeve
You know that t-shirt you love so much because it fits just right? This top manages to channel some of that mojo. The fabric is silky smooth, and the fit is streamlined but not restrictive. And the Infini T wins extra design points for the angle-cut cuffs that keep your hands bunch-free, plus a soft baffle inside the neck zip that prevents chafing.
Osprey Talon 11 backpack
When a hydration pack isn’t quite enough and a full day pack is a skosh too big, the Osprey Talon 11 is jumping up and down yelling, “Pick me! Pick me!” At first glance, it’s hard not to fall in love with the little acid green pack that has reflective flames on the front. After all, it’s light-weight, flashy and reasonably priced.
Review: Mountain Hardwear Quark Jacket
The Quark Jacket from Mountain Hardwear is described as “mosquito netting with a waterproof and breathable laminate.” It is indeed light weight, though it does its job to keep rain out while granting a noticeable amount of breathability. . .
Terra Nova Laser 20L Review – The Gear Junkie Scoop
Developed for sports like adventure racing and mountain marathons where you might run for hours with a backpack on, the to-be-released Laser 20L is marketed as the “best in class for weight, features and fit.” This is my test. . .
Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra
Waterproof-breathable boots are nothing new in the outdoors industry. But Hi-Tec has partnered with a U.K.-based defense company on its latest leather boots to incorporate a technology developed for military clothing worn in a chemical attack. . .