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Our Favorite Tech for the Home Garden

Our Favorite Tech for the Home Garden

When friends of mine sent a video of their little robotic mower bumping along a long flat lawn, I was skeptical. How could a device the size of a small tire mow a large lawn? Well, Husqvarna makes mowers that can, pretty accurately, and have been for years. While the robot won’t be able to edge succinctly like a weed whacker, you’ll still get well-groomed grass for very little effort. It chops the blades and mulches to save you the work of constantly emptying a storage container.

The limitations involve installing a wire pinned to the lawn’s entire perimeter. Also, automowers are less reliable than push or riding mowers on steeper slopes. And like a robotic vacuum, it can’t remove toys, chairs, and hoses obstructing its path. Obstacles need to be picked up before it departs the charging station. Lastly, separate areas of lawn dissected by a driveway or sidewalk can’t be covered. Otherwise, the device is fairly thorough.

The biggest drawback? Price. For a city yard, the residential Automower 115H (4G) is $700, and to cover a larger suburban lawn, the wider Automower 415X runs $2,000. While other, cheaper brands may suit your needs just fine, Husqvarna has been perfecting landscape tools for decades and has a reputation for being built tough. I’d say it’s worth it, but the key is to find an automower that works for your yard and your budget.

The Best Hiking Gear (2023): Backpacks, Tents, and More

The Best Hiking Gear (2023): Backpacks, Tents, and More

REI 650 Down jacket

REI Co-Op 650

Photograph: REI

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

Puffy jackets can be worn as mid-layers instead of fleece. More often, though, they comprise the outermost layer of your clothing system. Size up so your down jacket can fit over a base layer, mid-layer, and rain jacket. Puffies are very warm but fragile. 

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

REI’s sub-$100 Rainier jacket uses high-quality laminate waterproofing to protect you from getting soaked. It’s well made and has a weatherproof center zip, along with pit zips for improved ventilation. It’s a great and well-priced option for casual day hikes. Read our Best Rain Jackets guide for more recommendations.

Shoes and Socks

You won’t have any fun on a hike—of any length—if you have bloody blisters on your feet. You may need to experiment to find out which shoes and socks you like best. Be sure to check out our Best Trail-Running Shoes, Best Barefoot Shoes, and Best High-Tech Socks guides for more.

hiking shoes

Salomon X Ultra 3

Photograph: Salomon

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

For moderate temperatures we prefer low-top, non-Gore-Tex mesh trail shoes, like these from Salomon. They’ll dry out much more quickly when wet than Gore-Tex-lined shoes, and speaking from experience they’re warm enough when moving, even in 45-degree temperatures. We also like the comparable Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator (women’s sizing, men’s sizing) for $67.

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

Where I will recommend Gore-Tex-lined boots is on snowy and icy trails. Constant contact with snow will soak through shoes that lack water resistance. Renegades have been around forever, and they’re durable and comfortable, although a bit heavy at roughly 3 pounds per pair. The mid-height helps keep snow from spilling in over the top of the boot too.

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

For those looking to speed over the hills and bound down trails, these were our favorite trail running shoes. Thanks to their wide toe box, low 5-mm heel drop, and sturdy rubber toe protection, they beat out lighter competitors. For running 3-5 miles a day, they’re our top pick.

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

We don’t recommend everyone go for thick leather hiking boots for most adventures, but if it’s really cold, you want your feet to stay warm, and you don’t mind trekking with a bit of extra weight, these are a great option. They work best as lifestyle shoes that you can take directly from the trail to the bar with just a quick rinse. They’re also great for wandering around town between trips to the trail, since they’re so classic and stylish.

If your feet run hot, you’ll want synthetic socks, which dry out faster than wool. This pair by Wrightsock are synthetic and have two layers to avoid blisters. Anyone can wear these, but Wrightsock also makes a version in women’s sizing ($14) that’s more tapered and slim-fitting.

Darn Tough Lifestyle Sock

Photograph: Darn Tough

From experience mountain climbing on glaciers and strenuous hiking in deep snow, I strongly believe a thin sock like the Wrightsocks above is still the best bet for keeping your feet from overheating. However, for slow-paced day hikes and low-intensity camping, you may be better off with a thicker sock to retain warmth, since you won’t be burning as many calories. Darn Toughs have a lifetime warranty(!) and are ultra-comfortable. No itchy wool here.

You probably don’t need gaiters, but if you’re walking through dusty environments, you’ll welcome them. They prevent crud from entering the tops of your shoes.

You may still run into some icy terrain in April. These traction devices slip over your hiking shoes so that the stainless-steel spikes on the bottom dig in, giving you more traction. The elastomer material is flexible enough to fit a variety of shoes. Just squeeze them on when needed and toss them in your pack when you’re past the icy part of the trail. They shouldn’t be a substitute for common sense; if the terrain is too icy to cross, come back when it’s warmer.

Clothing Accessories

Don’t forget about your head and hands. Once you’ve swaddled yourself in warm top layers, bottom layers, and shoes, make sure to keep your vulnerable noggin and paws warm with these gloves and hats.

BUFF Adult CoolNet UX neck covering

Photograph: Amazon

Forget tying a bandana around your neck. The Buff is easier to use. A tubular piece of thin polyester, you slip it over your head, and you can wear it in several ways. Leave it loose to keep the sun from scorching your neck, yank it up over your nose and mouth on chilly days for warmth, or pull it up over your head completely like a balaclava. It’s versatile enough that I bring one everywhere I go, from off-road motorcycle rides to winter mountain climbs to sweltering summer hikes.

Merino wool is the good stuff, silky smooth and not at all itchy. These 100-percent merino gloves are good for chilly-but-not-sub-freezing days, and they’re also touchscreen compatible so you don’t have to wrestle off a glove to use your phone.

Depending on the weather, you may need a sun hat or beanie to protect your noggin. I like a wool beanie to guard my neck against sunburn in cool weather, and this Smartwool is quite comfy. Check out our other guides, like the Best Sun Protection Clothing and Best Sunglasses for more suggestions.

Men’s Sizing, Women’s Sizing

Warmth ain’t cheap. These are serious winter gloves that’ll keep your hands warm and dry, even when there’s snow spread all over the ground at higher altitudes. Synthetic puffy PrimaLoft insulation traps heat, and Gore-Tex keeps it in, so feel free to spend a whole afternoon tossing snowballs without water leaking through.

A Backpack

Now that you have all your gear, you need something to carry it in. The most important aspect of a backpack is that it fits you properly. Outdoor retailers like REI offer in-person fittings. Features like water bottle pockets, loops for hitching gear, and chest or waist straps will probably vary depending on the level of activity you’re facing. 

backpack

REI Co-Op Flash 22

Photograph: REI

The sweet spot for a daypack is between 15 and 25 liters—enough to hold rain layers, a fleece, maps, water, sunscreen, lunch, and snacks, plus room for a book or camera gear. If this one’s out of stock, I also like the Mountain Hardwear UL 20 ($80).

If you get caught in the rain, a pack cover is a quick and convenient solution. However, it’s worth noting that water will still soak your pack’s uncovered back pad. If you’re hiking overgrown and under-maintained trails, a pack cover could also act as a sacrificial protective barrier that keeps your expensive pack from getting cut up.

A Cheap Pack Liner

Use a small trash compactor bag as a water-resistant pack liner inside your pack to keep everything dry in case it rains. They’re more durable than trash bags and almost as cheap. For a second layer of defense against moisture, pack your clothing and shelter in water-resistant stuff sacks or dry sacks.

Water Bottles and Purification

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is to not bring enough water, even on short hikes. Depending on the heat and your level of exertion, you could get thirstier than you think. For a short day hike, a liter bottle should be enough. If you’re heading out all day or it’s particularly hot or dry, read travelogues and park ranger recommendations and pack accordingly. Check out our Best Water Bottles guide for more suggestions.

water bottle

Miir Insulated Narrow Mouth Water Bottle

Photograph: Amazon

Metal water bottles are unnecessarily heavy for longer trips, but they’re fine for day hikes when it’s not freezing out (watch A Christmas Story if you want to know why). Of course, if you have plastic bottles lying around at home, you can use those. Just remember not to leave them on the trail.

I gave this one an honorary mention in my guide to the Best Reusable Water Bottles because it’s dead simple and cheap. Nalgenes tend to get brittle in ultra-cold environments, but unlike a metal bottle, you’re not liable to get your lips frozen to it. Don’t worry about BPA, either; this bottle is BPA-free.

If you favor hydration bladders instead of water bottles, this is a good one. Before I switched back to bottles, I preferred my Platypus to my CamelBak because it was easier to clean out between hikes.

Water filters remove not only viruses and bacteria, but sediment too. Collapsible filter systems like the Sawyer Squeeze are extremely effective, lightweight, and quick. You could use water purification tablets or droplets instead, like Micropur ($16), but know that they can take up to half an hour to work on most viruses and bacteria, and four hours (!) on Cryptosporidium. If the water is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes even longer to work. Better to just use a filter.

Safety Equipment

You’re probably not in active danger on a popular, well-traveled beginner trail. But it’s still a good idea to pack a few of these items just in case

headlamp

Petzl Actik Headlamp

Photograph: Petzl

Your hike might take longer than you think, or you just might want to start extra early. If you run the risk of needing to get around in the dark, a headlamp that shines at least 300 lumens will keep you on the path and leave your hands free. Get one that accepts AAA batteries rather than a nonremovable rechargeable battery, so you can bring spares on long trips.

Always let a reliable friend or family member back home know your plans before you head out. Cairn is a novel smartphone app that reports your location in real time to your authorized “safety circle” of people you allow to follow your progress. Cairn uses crowdsourced information to let you know where you can expect to find cell coverage on trails, and it’ll alert your safety circle when you’re overdue to return.

A mirror, which you aim at overhead aircraft to draw their attention, and an Acme Tornado Whistle ($7) can signal for help if you need rescue. 

If you aren’t bringing a tent, bring an emergency bivvy. It weighs less than 4 ounces and will keep you dry and warm (ish) if you spend an unplanned night outdoors.

Save your knees on downhill hikes and gain stability on sketchy trails with a pair of trekking poles. These have strong adjustment levers that never come loose or slip, no matter how hard you lean on them. Rubber tip covers ($10) keep them from scraping up trails, and snow baskets ($11) prevent them from punching through snow.

A First-Aid Kit

Prepackaged first aid kits are heavy, expensive, and usually incomplete. Pack your own in a little bag. Add some Band-Aid Hydro Seal ($6). They’re the most amazing blister bandages I’ve ever used. And pick up a Tick Key ($10) or a Coghlans Tick Remover ($6) to get those pesky bugs off your skin. Peruse our Home Emergency Kit Gear guide for other ideas. 

Trip preparation begins long before you pull your pack out of your closet and begin cramming it full of stuff. You can’t learn everything before you actually take your first outdoor trip, but you can set yourself up for success by learning a few key skills so that when you do run into a problem, you’ll know just how to handle it.

backpackers field manual book

The Backpacker’s Field Manual

Photograph: Amazon

Outdoor manuals can be fun and useful tools for preparation, as well as an accumulation of helpful tips. Rick Curtis’ The Backpacker’s Field Manual is the best comprehensive guidebook on hiking I’ve read. You can also practice reading topographic maps with your compass if you pick up Wilderness Navigation ($15) by Bob and Mike Burns.

Satellite messengers can be useful, but they’re expensive, and you might not have to use them that often. You probably have a great hiking companion already in your pocket. Alltrails is my favorite free pre-trip planner and trail discovery tool, but we have more in our Best Hiking Apps guide.

Even if you download Alltrails (and you should), it’s a good idea to download a second navigation app. Often, one will have details for a specific trail but not the other. While Alltrails is geared more toward pre-trip planning (although it’s still great for on-trail navigation), Gaia GPS is aimed at giving you a variety of up-to-date topographic maps that you can download for offline use. Before your trip, download maps on both apps to lessen your chances of losing your way once you’re out on the trail.

If you’re alone in the woods, it’s helpful to know what to do in emergency situations. A first aid course focused on outdoor situations is a good place to start. If you want more comprehensive (and expensive) training, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has an excellent Wilderness First Responder course.

Fitness Trackers

Heading into the wild can be a bit intimidating at first. Some folks find comfort in having a navigational aid strapped to their wrists. Others simply want to track their hikes to analyze their fitness goals. Check out our guides to the Best Fitness Trackers and Best Smartwatches for more of our favorite picks.

Fitbit Charge 5

Fitbit Charge 5

Photograph: Fitbit

We call the Charge 5 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) the best all-around fitness tracker for its combination of relatively low price and its bevy of biometric sensors. There’s a smart alarm that determines the best point during your sleep cycle to set an alarm, ECGs for monitoring your heart rate, sleep analysis tools that measure your blood oxygen levels at night, and more. You do have to pay $10 per month, or $80 per year, for a Fitbit Premium subscription to get the most from the Charge 5, though.

The 7S Sapphire Solar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) impressed us with its quick and accurate GPS connection that worked even under surprisingly thick tree cover. Preset outdoor activities—from gravel biking to swimming to running to bouldering—track biometric data so that you can analyze your runs and routes later on. The built-in altimeter, barometer, and compass round out the reasons we call this admittedly pricey unit the top outdoor watch in our Best Fitness Trackers guide.

This affordable watch is mentioned in both our Best Fitness Tracker guide and our Best Smartwatches guide. Sync it to Garmin’s Connect app, and you can track and analyze heart rate, blood oxygen, respiration, and sleep data. There’s no onboard GPS, since its focus is on tracking health data, but the battery lasts an impressive three to five days.

A Few More Things

There are always a few odds and ends that make your trips a little more enjoyable, whether by taking pressure off your battered knees or keeping your phone juiced up so you have plenty of evidence when your friends back home say, “Pics or it didn’t happen.”

Anker Powercore 1300

Anker PowerCore Portable Charger

Photograph: Amazon

I always bring a small battery bank to keep my phone topped up. There are no power outlets in the wilderness (I’ve checked). Check out our Best Portable Chargers guide for more recommendations.

Some people like to bring camp chairs on their hikes. Me, I never want to carry anything that heavy and bulky. I’d rather stuff a hammock in my pack. The Eno impressed me with its build quality, especially for such a low price. It comes with the straps needed to string it up between trees and, for once, some decent instructions for folks unaccustomed to hanging a hammock. There’s a two-person DoubleNest for $75 that holds a combined 400 pounds, if you’d like to bunk down with somebody in the breeze.

Suunto makes my favorite compasses. The park ranger’s office will usually have topographic trail maps if you stop off before the trailhead, but America’s parks are more popular and crowded than ever. Buy some ahead of time if you can, so you’re not without a map if the ranger’s office runs out.

ThermaRest Z Seat Pad

Photograph: REI

The ground can suck a lot of warmth from your body. Even if it seems warm outside, a lengthy break seated on the bare earth can leave you chilled. If you’re hiking when it’s cold out, or  just if the nights are chilly (it takes a while for the ground to heat up during the day), bring along an insulated foam pad to sit on during breaks. Your rear end will thank you for it.

Snacks

I’ve tried pretty much all the hiking-specialty snacks out there and don’t really recommend any of them. Options like the GU Stroopwaffel and the Sweetwood Fatty Meat Stick are very expensive and usually too packed with sugar or salt to be healthy. And—this is a judgment call—most of them taste pretty rank. I recommend packing your own snacks at home. Include lots of salty ones, since that helps your body retain water and ward off dehydration. If you want something more environmentally friendly than Zip-Locs, check out Bee’s Wrap ($18). Bring a typical trash bag from home to pack out your trash.

Alpinestart Instant Coffee

Photograph: Amazon

If you’re like me and have to have your coffee every morning, Alpinestart’s brew isn’t half bad. And you won’t have to carry around damp coffee grounds in your trash bag from making pour-over or French press coffee. Even I, a coffee snob, look forward to a cup on mornings when I like to perch myself on a rock and take in the sunrise. This package will make eight cups of medium-roast coffee.

Many people love listening to tunes out on the trails, but please keep it in your ears and don’t disturb the great outdoors for those who want to enjoy the quiet. The Pixel Buds A-Series (8/10, WIRED Recommends) were named the best overall in our guide to the Best Wirefree Earbuds for their IPX4 water resistance, easy pairing with Android devices, and Google Assistant integration.

Picture this: You’re outdoors on the trail, nature calls, and there’s no bathroom in sight. At that point, you’ll be glad you packed a cheap trowel to dig a cathole for solid waste. It weighs only 3.1 ounces and can be kept in an exterior pocket of your pack.

Lectric XP 3.0 Review: Clunky but Comfy

Lectric XP 3.0 Review: Clunky but Comfy

I rode the original Lectric XP electric bike for six months during the pandemic in 2020. It was a salve, a way to feel the breeze on my face during quarantine and go farther than usual without hopping on public transportation. I have a bit of a soft spot for it. Lectric’s aim was to deliver a foldable, powerful fat-tire ebike for under $1,000, and this is still true with version 3.0 of the XP three years later.  

I’ve seen more Lectric ebikes here in New York City than I can count. I get it—the Lectric XP is one of the most affordable foldable ebikes, and it comes with a lot of extras. I’d still never buy it myself—I live in a walk-up and don’t want to deal with such a heavy, bulky thing. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate this chunky vehicle. In the third iteration, Lectric has made some small but nice tweaks to the formula, resulting in a more refined and functional fat-tire ebike that’s still fun to ride.

XP Gain

I tested the standard Lectric XP, but as usual there’s a Step-Thru model if you want an easier time clambering onto the seat. Much of what I said in my review of the Lectric XP 1.0 is the same for the XP 3.0. This thing comes completely assembled, so all you need to do is take it out of the box and unfold it. It’s still freakin’ heavy (in fact, it’s 1 pound heavier at 64 pounds), but I found it easier to unfold than the cheaper and lighter Lectric XP Lite—the hinge is a lot smoother. 

It’s still annoying to maneuver and carry. I wish there was a way to affix the tires to each other when the Lectric is folded up, à la the Montague ME-1, which has tires that can be hooked together so that the whole ebike can roll around like a trolley. The XP 3.0 is bulky, so carrying it is a pain even with the metal handle near the seat post. There’s almost always something jabbing my legs as I walk down my steps.  

Make sure you choose the Elite Bundle when you buy, as it comes with a larger seat, suspension seat post, bike lock, and Elite headlight. These are all really handy accessories. As a 6’4″ man, I much prefer the giant seat over the original saddle; it’s more comfortable. This is my first time trying a suspension seat post, and consider me a convert. It makes those sudden bumps on the road easier on the butt. The headlight gets fairly bright, though its position tends to move around if the roads are rough, so you may have to readjust it every so often. I appreciate the option to install storage for the included bike lock, though it was a little tricky with the narrow space on the frame. At least I don’t need to bring a bag to carry the lock.

Three years on and I’m still not a fan of how you power the ebike. Lectric makes you stick a key into the bottom frame of the downtube. Twist it to turn the battery on so that you can press the power button on the handlebar and bring the XP 3.0 to life. If you plan to park it outdoors often, the key also unlocks the battery, allowing you to take it indoors for safety and recharging. I just hate constantly having to reach the underside of the frame. Do you think James Bond would be hunting for the keyhole before he hopped on a motorcycle? So uncool.

Lectric XP 3.0 electric bike folded up

Photograph: Lectric

Save Your Gear From the Elements With These Waterproof Bags

Save Your Gear From the Elements With These Waterproof Bags

Autumn is my favorite time in the South. There’s a day, usually in late October, when the humidity finally breaks, the air stirs, and you can feel it in your bones: Summer is over. If you’re in the Midwest, that might be a shame because snow is coming, while those of you in California might think, “What are seasons?” But for those of us down here near the Gulf of Mexico, cool, dry air is a thing of beauty. 

The endless hum of the air conditioner cuts off and you can hear the insects again. The windows are thrown open and you can lie on the couch, book in hand, and remember why it is you live here in the first place. This, my friends, is a good life. The only problem is that the wonderful afternoon breeze can blow away when you’re busy making dinner. By midnight, your open window is an invitation to the thunderstorm soaking the couch and the bag full of camera gear and batteries you left on it. That is precisely what happened to me earlier this year.

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High Tide

Couches dry. So do bags. But the camera and batteries would have been ruined (including one, ahem, that wasn’t mine), except that I had decided a couple months earlier to keep my batteries and cameras in dry bags inside my actual carrying bag. 

I spend a lot of time near water, so this isn’t as overkill as it might sound. But the real key to this decision was my discovery of Matador’s very sleek, slim, lightweight dry bags. A traditional rubber-type dry bag is bulky and difficult to get in and out of another bag. I have traditional bags, but I really only use them when I’m on the water paddling. 

The genius of Matador’s new bags is in their lightweight construction. The 8-liter bag weighs a mere 2.3 ounces and is made from waterproof 70D ripstop nylon, which isn’t bulky. Even with such lightweight materials, they achieve an IPX7 rating (meaning they’re submersible at a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes).

Something for Everyone

There are two sizes available, a 2-liter and an 8-liter. I use the 2-liter to store all my batteries, and the 8-liter to hold my Sony A7 along with two lenses and a pair of binoculars. This setup means I just grab two bags on my way out the door and I know I have everything I need, whether I’m putting them in a backpack, shoulder bag or camping bin. The Matador dry bags also have a flat bottom, which means you can set them down and they won’t automatically crumple over (whether they stay upright ultimately depends on what’s inside, but mine do).

The bags are not seam-sealed, which gave me pause at first, but Matador claims the welded construction it uses is more dependable and durable than seam-sealing. I’ve only had them for about three months so I can’t comment too much on long-term durability, but so far they’re fine and I’ve seen no evidence of any seam-peeling or delamination along the seams. They have a very sturdy feel to them, and they also come with a 1-year warranty. The bags are eligible for repairs even after that.

Perhaps the best feature is the little clear vertical window running down the side of the bag, which allows you to see the contents of the bag without opening it. With only two (of different sizes), I know what’s in them, but after the rain incident I ordered another one and it’ll be nice to see at a glance which has batteries and which has clothes—all of them, dry. 


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15 Best Outdoor Deals From REI’s ‘Gear Up Get Out’ Sale

15 Best Outdoor Deals From REI’s ‘Gear Up Get Out’ Sale

For years, REI has famously closed its doors every Black Friday to encourage people to enjoy their time outdoors post-Thanksgiving. Instead, it holds an earlier sale—the Gear Up Get Out Sale—so you can still enjoy steep discounts on great outdoor gear. The sale runs through November 21, and we’ve sifted through it all to find the best outdoor deals.

Check out our other outdoor coverage, including Gift Ideas for Outdoorsy People, Why It’s a Good Time to Snag Snow Boots, and a Great Bin for Outdoor Organization.

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Hiking and Camping Deals

backpack

REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack

Photograph: REI

This is one of the best daypacks for the money. It’s lightweight at a mere 14 ounces, so it won’t strain your back, yet it has well-padded shoulder straps and two exterior water bottle pockets, which many small packs lack. It holds 22 liters, which is more than enough for holding a rain jacket, lunch, water, a sweater, and maps for an afternoon of hiking. There’s also a version with graphic prints available for the same price.

If you like the idea of getting away from it all but keeping a lifeline handy in case things go wrong, a satellite communicator can keep you in touch with emergency services and loved ones back home. You can share your location, communicate back and forth, and trigger an SOS button if you need a rescue. The InReach Mini 2 weighs only 3.5 ounces and is compact enough to take up little room in a pocket. The battery lasts for roughly four to 14 days, depending on settings and tree cover. Sure, the new iPhone 14 can do all of this, but it won’t help if the battery’s dead after a day.

The Trail Hut 2 tent nails the right balance between price, weight, and quality. The hardware, such as zippers and guyline tie-outs, is solid, and its 78-ounce weight—while not featherweight—isn’t terribly heavy either. The interior design is laid out well with interior pockets and two doors and vestibules. It’s great if you plan on solo hiking and want space inside for packs or gear. If you plan to sleep two or three people in a tent, check out the Trail Hut 4 ($209), which is largely the same but bigger (and also on sale). Read our Best Tents guide for more.

ThermaRest NeoAir sleeping pad in yellow color

Photograph: Backcountry

Foam sleeping pads on their own aren’t warm enough for cold-weather camping. To insulate you and your sleeping bag from the winter ground, choose an inflatable model such as this. The NeoAir is an excellent insulator, plus it’s lightweight at 12 ounces and packable down to a small roll. Speaking from experience, it’s plenty warm when the mercury drops low.

Liquid fuel stoves are among the hardiest you can take into the backcountry. The downside is they’re often loud and spoil nature’s quiet, but the WhisperLite is relatively silent compared to others. Canister stoves can give you performance problems in the dead of winter, but MSR’s bombproof WhisperLite will keep kicking through almost any weather.

Hiking while holding a flashlight gets old, and it’s nearly impossible to set up a tent in the dark while trying to hold one. Free up your hands with a headlamp. The Spot 400 is a classic, dependable model that can throw 400 lumens up to 100 meters down the trail on its high setting. Its three AAA batteries will last for 200 hours on the low, six-lumen setting, which is enough for basic camp chores such as getting ready for bed.

Fitness Deals

Garmin Fenix 7S SapphireSolar smart watch

Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar

Photograph: Garmin

The 7S Sapphire Solar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a powerhouse for all the preset modes that can track your biometric data from various outdoor activities: gravel biking, swimming, running, and more. It’s our favorite outdoor watch for its quick and accurate GPS connection in rain and under dense tree cover, plus it packs a built-in altimeter, barometer, and compass. Read our Best Garmin Watches guide for more.

Women’s Sizing, Men’s Sizing

It’s no wonder we called them the cutest in our Best Trail Running Shoe guide. Just look at ‘em. Beauty isn’t just skin deep, though. They’re light, breathable, and offer solid traction on loose terrain. Just remember that Nikes run small, so you should consider sizing up a half-size.

Women’s Sizing, Men’s Sizing

Chafing is no fun. Whether you wear the latest high-tech cycling pants or stick with tried-and-true denim jeans, slip on a pair of padded cycling shorts underneath to take some of the wear and tear off biking. The stretchy, breathable polyester fabric wicks away moisture, keeping you from feeling swampy on long rides.

We crowned these the best cold-weather running tights in our Best Running Gear guide, thanks to a high waist and drawstring that keeps them from sagging during runs. As an insulating base layer under pants, they add plenty of warmth in rough weather. Even in 30-degree temperatures, they kept our reviewer warm and have lasted years with little wear. One downside is that they only come in a 28-inch seam, which could leave taller runners with chilly ankles.

Other Great Outdoor Deals

REI CoOp Outward Lawn Chair

REI Co-Op Outward Lawn Chair

Photograph: REI

Women’s Sizing, Men’s Sizing

Goosedown jackets are only getting more expensive, but REI’s house-brand down puffy has remained at the same base price for years. Now, it’s on sale for a price rarely matched and never beaten. Two zippered hand-warmer pockets on the outside are joined by two cavernous open pockets inside the jacket that can hold beanies, gloves, and scarves. It’s warm as an outer layer or insulating mid-layer.

This is my favorite outdoor folding chair, and it’s made of robust aluminum, 300-denier nylon fabric, and solid wood armrests. It weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces and holds up to 250 pounds. There’s a padded version also on sale for the ultralow price of $22, but it tends to go in and out of stock often; make a note to look at it another time to see if the deal comes back.

I crowned the Big Haul the best duffel bag in my Best Travel Bags guide, because it’s made of Bluesign-approved recycled nylon fabrics and has plenty of interior and exterior pockets for organization, as well as hide-away backpack straps so you can carry heavy loads on your back. Anyone who’s ever lugged a super heavy duffel through an airport will appreciate that. This 28-liter version is perfect for weekend getaways and is small enough to work as a carry-on when flying. There are more sizes on sale, all the way up to an enormous 120-liter version.

Nutcase Street MIPS Helmet

Nutcase Street MIPS Helmet

Photograph: REI

You can’t stay fit if you bust your noggin in the event of a crash. Keep that melon safe with this stylish, protective bike helmet from Nutcase. Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) is a technology that offers added protection to your brain from rotational injuries. It’s absolutely worth paying a little extra for. There are many styles available, from solid colors to truly wacky designs.

Ditch single-use plastics and go with a durable, reusable Nalgene water bottle for your hydration needs, from desk to campsite. There are more designs available here, which don’t show up on the formerly linked product page, for the same discount. These models are BPA-free, so sip without worry.