Honest, field-minded reviews of outdoor and safety gear.
A ferro rod is the one fire starter that works soaked, frozen, or wind-blasted, no fuel, no battery, tens of thousands of strikes. The Überleben Hexå is a thick, ½-inch rod that rides in your kit for years, for the day your lighter is lost, empty or soaked. New to fire-building? Read our guide to…
The fastest, most convenient way to boil water in the backcountry — a push-button integrated system that boils half a liter in about a hundred seconds.
The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L (women’s) is a three-layer rain jacket with pit zips, an adjustable hood and a recycled nylon face, at 12.4 ounces (352 g). It is durable and dependable in heavy rain; the fabric is stiff and the cut is close at the hips.
The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L (men’s) is a three-layer rain jacket with pit zips, an adjustable hood and a recycled nylon face, at 14.1 ounces (400 g). It is durable and dependable in heavy rain; the fabric is stiff and only moderately breathable.
The AquaQuest Safari is a 70D ripstop nylon tarp with taped seams, a 5,000 mm waterproof rating and 19 tie-outs, at 1.7 pounds (770 g) in the 10 x 10. Light enough to carry and tough enough for regular use, it is the one we would pick first.
Reach, throw, row, go: the throw comes second because a rope from a stable boat is safer for everyone than a swimmer going in after someone. Canadian rules require a buoyant heaving line in almost every paddlecraft. The NRS Compact Rescue is small enough that it actually rides along, which is the only feature that matters in a bag you might use once in a decade.
A solo kayaker in deep water has one problem: getting back into a boat that wants to roll over. A paddle float turns your paddle into a temporary outrigger so the boat holds still while you climb. The NRS Sea Kayak float has two independent air chambers, which is the redundancy you want in the one piece of gear you only use when things have already gone wrong.
A women’s-cut merino hiking sock that regulates across seasons and dries overnight in a sink. Check the size chart carefully before buying several.
In bear country your food is your responsibility, and increasingly, a hard-sided canister is required by law. The BearVault BV500 is the transparent, tool-free canister that keeps bears out and your trip on track. Heading into bear country? Read our guides to protecting food from wildlife and handling wildlife encounters. Our field rating ★★★★★4.7 What…
The bushcraft-standard folding saw: a 7-ounce (200 g), rust-resistant blade that locks open and closed and cuts wood far above its size. Our overall folding-saw pick for most people.
A full-tang carbon-steel bushcraft knife you can baton and spark a fire with, at a fraction of premium prices. Our field review of the Morakniv Garberg survival knife.
0.6 oz (17 g) of US-made aerospace aluminum with a clever upside-down pry trick and a lifetime warranty. Our field review of TheTentLab Deuce, the benchmark backpacking cathole trowel.
18 tools with outside-accessible one-hand blades, replaceable wire cutters, and a 25-year warranty. Our field review of the Leatherman Wave+, the do-everything full-size multitool.
If there is one device that has become the standard for calling for help in the backcountry, it is this one. The Garmin inReach Mini 2 packs global two-way satellite messaging and interactive SOS into something the size of a small stopwatch. Light enough that there is no excuse to leave it behind, capable enough…
A compact solo kit is perfect until the group grows or the trip gets longer. Then you want more supplies, better organized, ready for more than a scrape. The Surviveware Comprehensive (98-piece) is the step up: a labelled, water-resistant kit with enough gear to handle a family, a basecamp, or a multi-day trip without weighing…
Once you have learned real map-and-compass navigation, a basic fixed-declination compass starts to hold you back. The Suunto M-3 is the natural next compass: a precise baseplate model with adjustable declination and a globally balanced needle, built for the hiker who actually navigates rather than just checks which way is north. Our field rating ★★★★★4.7…
The Coros Apex 4 is a GPS watch with offline topo maps, dual-frequency GPS, a titanium bezel and sapphire glass. The 46 mm model tracks for about 65 hours on a charge. The screen is plain and it lacks smartwatch extras.
The onewind 11 ft hammock is long and wide enough to lie flat on the diagonal, and comes with a bug net, an adjustable ridgeline and 12 ft tree straps at 2.6 pounds (1.2 kg). Add a tarp and insulation and it is a complete place to sleep.
The Exped MegaMat is a one-person self-inflating foam mattress, 4 inches (10 cm) thick with an R-value of 8.1. Too heavy to carry far and priced at a premium, it is the pad for car campers who want to sleep the way they do at home.
The Exped MegaMat Duo is a self-inflating foam mattress for two: 4 inches (10 cm) thick, flat to the edges and warm enough for winter. It is heavy, bulky and costly, and for car camping it is the most comfortable bed we know.
Light cushioning, true sizing and merino temperature control in the sock most hikers should default to. The heel is where it eventually gives ground.
The versatile men’s puffy — warmer and less bulky than fleece, tolerant of damp where down struggles, packable, and priced below premium down.
The do-it-all women’s trail boot — comfortable from the first mile, grippy, durable, and waterproof; the proven 3-season default for day hikes and lighter backpacking.
A light, packable 2.5-layer rain shell with pit-zip venting and recycled materials — the proven default for hikers in weather. Our field review of the Marmot PreCip Eco.
A taste-free hydration reservoir whose full-width top slides open for easy filling, cleaning, and drying. Our field review of the Platypus Big Zip EVO reservoir.
When you start backpacking in earnest, the weight and bulk of a budget synthetic bag begins to matter, and that is when most hikers make their first jump to down. The Kelty Cosmic 20 has been that first down bag for a generation of backpackers: warm, compressible, and priced so the upgrade does not hurt….
Once you hike enough miles, the little frustrations of your first water filter start to matter: the slow squeeze, the clogging, the fiddly cleaning. The Platypus QuickDraw is the filter for the hiker who has moved past all that. A fast, versatile hollow-fiber filter that flows quickly, threads onto the bottles you already carry, and…
Once you start counting ounces and caring about a good night’s sleep, the sleeping pad becomes one of the most important, and most personal. Pieces of gear you carry. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT is the pad committed backpackers keep coming back to: three inches (7.6 cm) of insulated air that packs to the size…
A durable, weather-ready freestanding two-person tent that pitches fast and includes a footprint — the tent to grow into when entry-level shelters start to feel limiting.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar is a rugged GPS watch with multi-band tracking, an altimeter, a compass and a flashlight. The 45 mm model runs up to 28 days as a watch and 40 hours of GPS. It has no maps, only breadcrumb navigation.
The Osprey Eja 58 is a women’s backpacking pack with a suspended mesh back, an adjustable torso and a full frame at 2 pounds 11 ounces (1.22 kg). It carries about 35 pounds (16 kg) or less comfortably; the hip belt is thin and fixed in shape.
The Garmin GPSMAP 65s is a multi-band handheld GPS with a 2.6-inch (6.6 cm) screen, topo maps, a 3-axis compass and a barometric altimeter. It holds an accurate position in canyons and dense forest and runs up to 16 hours on two AA batteries.
Twelve points per foot at three depths in an abrasion-resistant matrix that survives the rock and pavement which shreds chains. Low profile enough to run in. Limited in soft snow over ice.
22 x 8 in (56 x 20 cm), 3 lb 10 oz (1.64 kg), with steel crampons and traction rails underfoot. The modern snowshoe to buy if you are buying one pair.
The step up from a first life jacket is not more flotation, it is less bulk. The NRS Vapor is a thin-panel, pre-curved vest certified by both the U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada, built by the company most serious paddlers treat as the standard, and cut so low in profile that it stops being something you notice.
A 14-inch (36 cm) camping hatchet forged from one piece of American steel with a stacked-leather grip – the classic, essentially unbreakable, buy-it-and-hand-it-down camp hatchet.
The value merino base layer for men who move — real 250 wool that regulates, wicks, and resists odor for days, at a friendlier price than the boutique brands.
The packable hiker’s rain shell for women — light, breathable 2.5-layer NanoPro with pit-zip venting; the proven default for hiking in weather.
The versatile women’s puffy — warmer and less bulky than fleece, tolerant of damp where down struggles, packable, and priced below premium down.
The value merino base layer for women who move — real 250 wool that regulates, wicks, and resists odor for days, at a friendlier price than the boutique brands.
The regular hiker’s buy-once pole: Black Diamond’s one-handed FlickLock adjustment, a dual-density foam grip, and aluminum durability that outlasts hard use. Our field review of the Black Diamond Trail.
Nothing ends a hike faster than unhappy feet. The Merrell Moab 3 has been the default answer to “what hiking boot should I buy?” for years, and the Mid Waterproof version is popular for one big reason: it is comfortable almost immediately, with very little break-in.
A daypack is the bag you actually live out of on the trail, so fit and comfort matter more than any single feature. The Osprey Talon 22 is our pick for an all-day hiking pack that also doubles as a travel carry-on: it carries beautifully, adjusts to your back, and is built to last. Owners keep coming back to the brand.
A headlamp is one of the ten essentials for a reason: the moment a day hike runs long, hands-free light stops being a convenience and becomes safety gear. The Black Diamond Spot 400-R is our pick for most hikers — bright enough for the trail, rechargeable so you are not feeding it batteries, and small enough that it lives in the pack unnoticed.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has accurate GPS, offline maps, a bright screen and satellite SOS from the wrist. Apple rates it at 50 hours of use and up to 45 hours of GPS in a new extended mode. It works only with an iPhone.
A warm, waterproof gauntlet glove with generous synthetic insulation and a DryVent insert. The workhorse winter glove for regular cold-weather hiking, snowshoeing and winter camping.
Stable, protective and comfortable from the first mile, with a wide option. The trail runner for rocky, rooty mountain trail and light backpacking.
A rock plate, a wide stable base and soft DNA LOFT v3 foam. The protective trail runner for rocky, rooty mountain trail, and the best all-rounder for most three-season hiking.
