Posts in Gear Reviews
Best Base Layers of 2024/25

We tested two dozen lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight men’s and women’s base layer tops over four years. We put these base layers to work, and came out with the best base layers for warmth, durability, comfort, and ability to wick away sweat and odor over time.

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Best Women’s Winter Running Leggings of 2024-2025

Not all running leggings and tights are created equal; that’s why we thoroughly researched and tested this critical piece of gear for ourselves to find the best options for winter runners everywhere.

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Best (and Brightest) Headlamps of 2024/25

We spent 200+ nights testing the best headlamps for brightness, battery life, comfort, and ease of use for backpacking, hiking, running, climbing, and camping.

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Best Beginner Rock Climbing Shoes for 2024/25

Looking for your first pair of rock climbing shoes? We tested 30 top-rated climbing shoes in the gym, crag, and bouldering to find the best rock climbing shoes for beginners and mid-level climbers, with winners from La Sportiva, Five Ten, Black Diamond and Evolv

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Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets of 2024/25

We review 20 of the most popular synthetic insulated jackets and tested the top models for months in conditions as diverse as mountains in Arizona to snow storms near Bend, Oregon to walking a toddler in Portland. We considered models by Patagonia, Arc’teryx, L.L.Bean, Mountain Hardwear, Rab, Outdoor Research, The North Face, and Montbell.

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Best Down Jackets of 2024

We review 44 down jackets to find the 7 best puffy jackets for most outdoor activities: hiking, camping, backpacking to around town—ultralight to extreme cold

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