Outside Buyer's Guide Spring - Summer 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER Money Talks As much as I love gear, it’s supposed to be a vehicle for getting people outside, not an end in itself. Same goes for the companies that make that gear. Many of them were founded by people who truly love being outdoors, and that means they have a stake in the issues affecting that world. The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently crunched the numbers, and in 2016, the outdoor industry accounted for 2 percent of U.S. GDP, with nearly 4 percent annual growth. Brands are using that economic clout to raise their voices. Arc’teryx, Ibex, Patagonia, and others refused to participate in last summer’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, because of what many consider to be an anti-public-lands stance by the Utah legislature. Then, in…

Outdoor Research Interstellar $299 At long last, the holy grail of waterproof jackets. The Interstellar blew our crew away with an uncanny mix of weatherproofing, breathability, and stretch. “It feels softer than a soft shell but as waterproof as any hard shell I’ve used,” said one tester. “Not to mention that it’s the most breathable rain shell imaginable.” The Interstellar is the product of a new design process Outdoor Research calls electro spinning, which arranges polyester fibers in a crystal-like structure that’s waterproof, breathable, and flexible. The result, AscentShell, is a best-of-all-worlds three-layer fabric. The Interstellar vented sweat better than any waterproof shell we’ve seen in a long time. It didn’t leak during long days hiking in the rain, and the drop-tail design added coverage on rainy bike rides, making it…

a. NW Alpine Eyebright jacket $599 Reaping the benefits of Dyneema’s legendary strength-to-weight ratio, the Eyebright is 30 percent lighter than other jackets we tested. After a year of roughing it up, it has yet to show any signs of wear. b. Snow Peak Mini Solo Combo 2.0 pot system $76 Made of 100 percent titanium, the Mini Solo has a stacking design that fits a pot, cup, and fuel canister into a package the size of a Nalgene, all at a svelte 5.5 ounces. c. Granite Gear Crown2 38 pack $185 The 2.1-pound Crown2 has all the bells and whistles of a bigger pack—like side compression straps, an adjustable waist belt, and comfortable suspension—without the extra weight and dead space. d. Therm-a-Rest Corus HD quilt $250 Quilts make a night under the stars the liberating experience…

a. Mountainsmith Cooloir 24 $140 Pairing a removable insulation box with an outer shell, the Cooloir was a breeze to hose down and dry out after a trip. It’s large enough to pack lunch for four, but we wouldn’t trust it to keep cheese cold for more than 48 hours. b. Dakine Party Block $100 While the Party Block lacks the cooling chops of others on this page, we found it perfectly adequate for trips to the lake. It’s large enough to swallow 18 cans, and the strap converts into a portable beer belt. c. Yeti Hopper Backflip 24 $300 Of the many coolers we tested, the Backflip was the most comfortable to carry. Credit the just-right minimalist hipbelt and padding on the back and shoulders, which helped support the load without feeling squishy. d. Mountain…

Tecnica Forge GTX $250 You’re looking at the most comfortable hiking boot we’ve ever tested. The Forge GTX is also the first heat-moldable hiker on the market, using the same technology that gave us the custom-fit ski boot. But there’s more going on here than just luxe interiors. Tecnica gave the Forge a Gore-Tex layer to shrug off weather, a thick wrap cuff for support, and a burly build that offers plenty of stability and traction for serious backpacking. The rock plate stood up to hours of bushwhacking with a 60-pound pack in Colorado’s Park Range, and the fat lugs on the Vibram outsole gave us confidence on slick roots and gravelly paths. The waterproof layer kept feet dry and toasty when conditions turned slushy, even if the Forge tended to…

a. BioLite CampStove 2 $130 We’re always nervous when a company opts to upgrade a favorite piece of gear, but the second generation of the CampStove 2, BioLite’s electricity-generating wood-burning stove, features some outstanding improvements, including an integrated battery and increased efficiency—it generates 50 percent more power while still boiling a liter of water in under five minutes. b. Eureka Gonzo Grill $190 The versatile Gonzo shone during more than half a dozen rafting trips last summer. The ingenious cast-iron cooking surface—grill on one side, griddle on the other—evenly distributed heat for flawless golden pancakes in the morning and perfectly seared steaks at night. In fact, the Gonzo excels at so many tasks, it doubled as one tester’s full-time backyard grill. c. Coleman FyreSergeant $180 Coleman hasn’t brought out a new stove in a couple…