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| The Best Backpacking Tent Review
What's the best backpacking tent? In an epic, three-year-long backpacking bonanza we tested 24 of the best two-person tents on the market. We compare two door, single side door, and single front door tents and rank each on its weather resistance, livability, adaptability, weight, packed size, and e...
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| The Best Barefoot Shoes For Women Review
What is the best barefoot running shoe for women? To find out we reviews the most popular models in head-to-head tests to figure out what was the ideal for each activity. We took them to crossfit, stand-up surfing, gardening, sprinting, trail running, and just wore them around the house. We scored e...
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| The Best Climbing Belay Device
We tested 13 top belay devices in the gym, up and down Yosemite’s walls and in our lab (our garage). We tested belay devices for efficiency in throwing rope fast to a leader, smoothly belaying a second, rappelling single or double ropes of varying diameter, and for overall durability. Then we select...
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| The Best Tape for Climbing
When approaching that meat-grinder of a hand crack and contemplating whether you’d actually like to see what the bones and tendons on the back of your hand look like…most of us will reach for the tape. While most tapes will do the job, we thought it would be cool to take a more analytical approach t...
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| The Best Backpacking Water Purification and Filter Systems
What is the best water treatment system for backpackers and campers? To find out, we took 15 of the best systems and put them in head to head tests. The results shocked us: both the Best Buy and Editors' Choice are not traditional pump systems! Our conclusion: water treatment has come a long ways in...
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| The Best Climbing Camming Device Review
We took the 17 best spring-loaded camming devices (usually just called a climbing cam) and put them in head-to-head competition in hundreds of placements.
We scored them on how well they did in parallel cracks, flared cracks, tight placements, horizontal placements, free climbing, and aid climb...
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| The Best Down Jacket for Women Review
We had the privilege of evaluating exciting new products on the market for the 2012 season that use innovative down treatments such as Color-Tec and DownTek. We got our hands on the L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Jacket, which uses the relatively new technology of treated hydrophobic down, which we evalua...
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| The Best Rain Jacket Review
What's the best rain jacket? To answer this question, we took a selection of the top selling men’s rain shells and put them to the test judging each on an array of factors, and comparing them side by side. We chose a range of jackets from the most expensive to the most budget oriented; jackets with ...
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| The Best Camping Tent Review
Looking for the most comfortable camping tent? One that will keep your friends and family dry in a storm, and will give you the ventilation you need to stay cool on a hot summer day when the insects start to get hungry? We took eight of the top models on the market and put them head-to-head in a var...
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| Big Wall Climbing Harness Review
What is the best harness for big wall climbing and aid climbing? We took five of the best big wall harnesses and put them head to head. We evaluated these harnesses in five main areas: comfort, adjustability, comfort while sleeping, gear loops, and ease of free climbing. ...
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| The Best Hiking Boots Review
What are the top men's hiking boots? To find out, we took 12 of the top-rated and most popular boots, and put them through a gauntlet of tests. A great pair of boots will take you anywhere, while a bad pair will leave you crippled and sad. For this review we've tested and analyzed the best options o...
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| The Best Down Jacket Review
What is the best down jacket? We tested and reviewed 15 of the top-rated down jackets in focused side-by-side comparisons. Our testing took us all over; the Cascades of Washington, the Sierras of California, and the ice climbs of Montana to name a few. We didn't necessarily look at the warmest jacke...
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| The Best Fleece Jacket Review
Which fleece jacket is the best? We took eleven men's fleece jackets and put them to head-to-head tests to find out. We examined them each on: wind resistance, water resistance, breathability, comfort and cozyness, warmth, layering over, layering under, ease of movement, eco-groovy, and ease of care...
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| The Best Climbing Harness Review
We tested 19 of the top harnesses in a head-to-head comparison to find out which is the best. The fact is that there is no piece of climbing gear you will spend more time with than your harness. Climbing shoes come and go and ropes wear out, but your harness will last for years or maybe a decade. Th...
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| The Best Trail Running Shoes Review
We selected 10 of the season’s top trail running shoes for a head-to-head comparison on the trails in and around Boulder, Colorado and on trips around the country. We ran flat fire roads covered in crushed gravel, meandering through farmlands. We charged technical single-track that climbed and desce...
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| The Best Avalanche Airbag Review
What is the best airbag pack for backcountry travel? We tested five of the best and most popular avalanche airbags on the market and compared them in the following categories: airbag system, comfort, pack features and usability, special features, and weight. We tested these side-by-side in the field...
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| The Best Sporks Review
Frustrated by the burden of carrying a specific utensil for every food medium? Looking for something versatile, something light, or something to add that extra bit of pizzaz to your meal? Look no further than the compound spoon-fork known as the spork. We brought together three of the best sporks on...
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| The Best Climbing Shoes For Women Review
We took the top women's climbing shoes and put them to a hands-on…err…feet-on test to find the very best. We found that not all climbing shoes are created equal. Some are better performance shoes, others are better all-day shoes and still others are better for beginners. Find out how the climbing sh...
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| The Best Camping Coffee Makers
Nothing completes a morning quite like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, and brewing coffee is one of those morning rituals that many people don't like to go without, even if they are on vacation. Does backpacking mean you have to settle for yucky instant? Or (heaven forbid!) do without? Luckily for...
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| The Best Sun Hat Review
What is the best sun hat? We took 12 of the top sun hats on the market today and put them in head-to-head testing throughout California where we tested each hat in five key categories; Protection, Breathability, Comfort, Durability, and Style. Through our testing we found the best value hat, the mos...
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| The Best Avalanche Beacon Review
What is the best avalanche beacon for the backcountry? To find out we took nine of the top models and put them in rigorous head-to-head tests in the Cascades, Sierra, and Alaska. We had novices test them to see which is easiest to use and learn and then also put them in the hands of expert mountain ...
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| The Best Camping Stove Review
We took nine of the top camping stoves and put them in side-by-side tests in both our gear lab and campgrounds across the Western US. We looked for which stove was best for small groups as well as families. We found a number of surprises: the BTU rating alone does not tell you how fast it boils wate...
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| The Best Mountaineering Boot Review
We tested 8 of the best mountaineering boots ever made, including some of the latest and greatest, and some tried and true performers. We wore these boots to climb ice, snow, rock, and choss from the Sierra to the San Juans, from Patagonia to the Ruth Gorge. We discovered the best boots for multi-we...
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| The Best Mountaineering Boots For Women Review
From wet and snowy glaciers and peaks in Patagonia, to many laps on steep pitches of solid ice in Ouray, Colorado, to temperate ice climbing in Lee Vining Canyon, California, these boots spent several seasons scaling pristine frozen water, which allowed us to evaluate ice climbing ability. To test h...
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| Best Climbing Approach Shoes
We looked at 13 of the best climbing approach shoes and put them through rigorous head-to-head tests. We scored them on smearing, edging, hiking, durability and their lightweight/compactness. We took them up El Capitan, to the sport crag, on long hikes, or just around town. In the end we choose a wi...
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| The Best Long Underwear Review
We tested the long underwear that can handle the rugged stuff, keeping you warm and cozy while performing from the tops of mountains to the depths of caves. Sure, you can wear them for a run or to a Yoga class, but you can also take them around the world – skiing, climbing, biking, and just plain c...
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| The Best Ski Jacket Review
We scoped out the best of the best in men’s insulated ski and snowboard jackets. We put them through the paces on the resort, and pushed their limits in the backcountry. Our expert skiing testers slammed through foul weather and slid on rock-hard steep descents.
The nine jackets we reviewed ...
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| Helmet Cam Showdown: GoPro vs Contour
For our comparative test of the most popular mini-HD helmet cams on the market, Matt Gerdes set them both up on his helmet and went straight to 21,000 feet over the Swiss Alps for some wingsuit flying in -5 C temps. He then repeatedly wingsuit BASE jumped off many of the biggest and baddest cliffs i...
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| The Best Climbing Chalk Review
Ahh…chalk. For some of us climbers it’s only necessary in the blazing heat when even a bag of dust would start sweating, and for others it’s a physical and mental crutch upon which we rely to grunt out those superhuman crux moves on our latest project. Either way, we all use it at some point and whe...
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| The Best Rock Climbing Shoes Review
What are the best climbing shoes? To find out, we reviewed 25 of the best men's rock climbing shoes and put them in head-to-head competition. We evaluated these shoes on edging, cracks, comfort, pockets, and sensitivity. We did side-by-side comparisons both in our lab, the gym, coastal sport crags a...
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| The Best Performance Shirt For Women Review
We took nine of the best selling active base layer tops and put them through the paces to help you find the one that’s right for you. These tops can be layered as any true base layer should, but they can also perform on their own. We hiked, biked, paddled and climbed our way through nine different ...
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| The Best Nut Tools for Climbing
We took seven of the best nut tools and tested them at cleaning a variety of cams and nut types in all sizes and over a broad spectrum of rock types. We compared their weight, durability, ability to clean a nut, ability to clean a cam, the comfort level while pounding on the nut tool with our hand, ...
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| The Best Climbing Approach Shoes for Women Review
Why not approach a climb in your hiking shoes? Typically climbers are hiking because they are, well, going climbing. Usually this means hiking in locales that aren't always well-maintained trails. It involves cross-country travel, rock-hoppping, and some occasional soloing up large rocks. In this sc...
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| The Best Daisy Chain For Climbing
What is the best daisy chain for climbing? We look at seven of the best options and test them head-to-head. We evaluated them on four criteria: fall absorption, ease of hooking, durability, and weight. While daisy chains can be used for free climbing, in general, we recommend an anchor chain instead...
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| The Best Flip-Flop Sandals Review
We took the best flip flops and sandals and put them head-to-head in every situation they were meant for, and some they were not. We climbed mountains in them just so you won't have to. We wrote this review for people who want to wear flip flops all day and do just about anything. (If you just want ...
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| The Best 4 Season Tent Review
We tested thirteen of the best four-season tents in a head-to-head winter competition everywhere from the High Sierra to Chilean Patagonia. We assessed each tent based on its strength, weight, packed size, livability and features. Our rankings and awards identify the best overall tent, the best valu...
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| The Best Parka For Women Review
Looking for a parka that can keep you warm, yet also stylish? We tested eight of the best parka style jackets, ranging from longer cut, around-town parkas, to heavy-duty technical parkas suitable for serious winter activities. Each parka was compared across a range of metrics including warmth, comfo...
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| The Best Sleeping Pad Review
Which sleeping pad is the best? We enrolled 17 of the best portable sleeping pads in a rigorous testing regime that evaluated the following five categories: warmth, comfort, durability, weight, and packed size. These pads joined us on mobile trips all over the world: the jagged High Sierra, wet and ...
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| The Best Winter Down Sleeping Bag Review
We tested six of the best quality zero degree down sleeping bags in a head-to-head competition that assessed the following categories: fit, weight, warmth, packed size, and features. We pushed the limits of these bags by sleeping in them in cold places all over North America, Patagonia, and Alaska. ...
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| The Best Flip-Flop Sandals For Women Review
This flip-flop sandals review is for you like-minded, open-air-footwear loving folk. We took five of the top selling flips and road tested them, dirt tested them, water, bike, and coffee break tested them. We looked at things such as support, durability, traction, and comfort. Also taken into cons...
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| The Best Bike Pump Review
We tested eight of the top selling floor pumps in five categories that we believe make all the difference when you are making a decision on which pump to buy: looks and design, portability, comfort, durability, and general ease of use. Happily, no pump failed miserably in any of our categories, but ...
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| Best Rope Bags for Climbing
We looked at the seven most popular rope bags on the market today. We compared them side-by-side in a variety of ways. How durable they were, how big their tarps are, how easy they are to roll up, how easily we could fit a 60m rope, a 70m rope, and a rope plus other items like shoes, draws, water bo...
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| The Best Big Wall Hauling Devices
There is no part of big wall climbing reviled as much as hauling. To ease the pain we looked at the four top hauling devices and put them up against some monster El Cap loads. We evaluated each device on its ease of hauling, ease of setup, durability, ease of use, and portability. We found that all ...
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| The Best Travel Backpack Review
For our travel pack review, we picked out a range of top-of-the-line full-size, framed backpacks; compressible day packs; and carry-on backpacks. We used these packs for everyday around-town activities, adventures in the backcountry, and week-long trips. Through all this, we considered how they woul...
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| The Best Hiking Midweight Socks
Do you have yet to find the perfect mid-weight hiking sock? One that will fit like a second skin, wick moisture away, and keep you warm, wet or dry? To help solve this very problem, weve tested five of the leading mid-weight socks, in all types of adverse conditions. These socks have been put throug...
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| The Best Nuts and Stoppers
We looked at 11 different types of nuts and tested them in a wide range of cracks in a mixture of rock types. We compared their ability to hold a fall in a full range of fissures, from pin scars to parallel sided cracks. We compared and weighed factors that we believed most appropriate for alpine, a...
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| The Best Hiking Pant for Women Review
After wearing these pants day in and day out, on short day hikes, overnight backpacking trips, on airplanes, traveling around towns, and on mountain bike and climbing adventures, we came up with some distinguishing criteria for women's hiking pants. We evaluated these pants on the technical qualitie...
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| The Best Camping Sleeping Bag Review
What the best sleeping bag for general-purpose uses like camping and sleepovers? To find out we tested over 70 different sleeping bags— all types, sizes, and styles— in an epic multi-year camping spree. This review compares 15 general-purpose bags for car camping, crashing on your friend’s living ro...
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| The Best Camping Chair Review
We took seven of the best camping chairs and tested them side-by-side in the mountains, at the beach, and at the park for some summer barbecues. Through our testing we have found which chair performs the best all-around, which chair gives you the most bang for your buck, the most comfortable chair, ...
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| The Best Laptop Backpack Review
We tested eight of the best backpack-style laptop bags in a eight-week head-to-head competition that assessed comfort, storage, versatility, laptop security, aesthetics, water resistance and durability. Our ranking and awards, reflect the average of eight testers- each of whom used each bag for a we...
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| Water Bottle Showdown: Klean Kanteen Vs. Nalgene
Which water bottle is the best? In the ultimate water bottle showdown, we put the Nalgene and the Klean Kanteen head-to-head in rigorous side-by-side tests.
For years, the Nalgene was the unchallenged ruler of water-bottle market. The Nalgene was indestructable, cheap, and utilitarian, and it g...
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| The Best Travel Duffel Bags
We took our favorite burly travel duffel bags (aka "duffle", but more properly spelled "duffel" for the town of Duffel in Belgium that first manufactured them) and compared them head-to-head to help you decide which one to take on your next adventure. We tested them while running through airports in...
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| The Best Slackline Review
Whether you are completely new to slacklining or progressing to serious tricklining or longlining, this review will help you select the setup that’s right for you.
Check out our How To Article and Buying Advice article to learn more about slacklining....
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| The Best Performance Shirt Review
We took six of the best selling performance shirts and put them through the paces to help you find the one that’s right for you. These shirts can be layered as any true base layer should, but they can also perform on their own. We hiked, biked, paddled, and climbed our way through nine different ca...
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| Crash Pad Review: The Best Bouldering Pad
We selected over a dozen of the best bouldering crash pads, lined them up, and fell on them repeatedly. Then we dragged them around, loaded them up, unloaded them, and fell on them some more. We found a big difference in all the pads when evaluated by foam, design, durability, and features. We put t...
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| The Best Softshell Jacket Review
What's the best softshell jacket? We tested 18 top-tier softshells over three years of skiing, ice climbing, mountaineering, rock climbing, showshoeing, and hiking. Our tests compare different types of jackets, from highly insulated models to thin, uninsulated models in an effort to examine the pros...
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| The Best Climbing Harness For Women Review
There are two important reasons to choose the right climbing harness. First, it is the piece of climbing equipment (other than climbing shoes) that can cause you the most pain and discomfort. Second, you are likely to use the same harness for years as a harness is one of the more durable pieces of c...
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| The Best Hardshell Jacket Review
What’s the best hardshell jacket? We tested 21 of the latest and greatest, top-of-the-line models in a nine-month mountain sport fiesta. Our intensive testing and in-depth research offers insight into one of the most expensive types of outerwear money can buy. In addition to providing detailed buyin...
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| The Best Rain Jacket for Women Review
We took a selection of the top selling women’s rain shells geared for the outdoor recreation enthusiast and put them to the test, judging each on an array of factors and comparing them side-by-side. We chose a range of jackets from the most expensive to the most budget oriented; jackets with the mos...
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| The Best Fleece Jacket for Women Review
We took our previous fleece review and updated it by testing seven more top-of-the-line fleeces. We tried out some of the industry's best technical fleece jackets and cuddled up in some of the fleeciest around-town pullovers the gear world has to offer. We wore these fleeces constantly and tested th...
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| Best Climbing Helmet for Your Dome
We chose eight top climbing helmets, dragged them through tight chimneys and up big walls, sport climbs, and long trad routes. We took the occasional leader fall and descended big climbs in the dark with a headlamp strapped to the helmet. In the end we ranked and rated each helmet on five key points...
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| The Best Backpacking Sleeping Bag Review
What is the best sleeping bag for backpacking? We tested nearly 40 down and synthetic sleeping bags in a head-to-head competition that assessed weight, warmth, packed size, features, and versatility. We pushed the limits of these bags by testing them for years in dry deserts, temperate rainforests a...
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| The Best Carabiners for Climbing
What is the best carabiner for rock climbing? We compared 15 of the best carabiners in a variety of tests to find out. Each carabiner was judged on the following six categories: ease of unclipping, ease of clipping, ease of handling, how many ropes fit, rope pull smootheness, portability . In the en...
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| The Best Sleeping Pad For Women Review
Women’s sleeping pads are slightly shorter and slightly warmer than their traditional counterparts. Based on the results from our primary sleeping pad review we selected six of the top women’s specific models and went head-to-head, putting female bodies on female pads. Our reviews identify the singl...
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| The Best Messenger Bag Review
We tested eight of the best messenger bags suitable for carrying a laptop along with other items in an eight-week head-to-head competition that assessed comfort, storage, versatility, laptop security, aesthetics, water resistance and durability. Our ranking and awards- which reflect the average of e...
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| The Best Handheld GPS Review
Which handheld GPS is the best? We tested and reviewed seven of the latest and greatest handheld GPS units in a head-to-head competition that assessed satellite reception, ease of use, speed, display quality, and mapping software. Our testing occurred over a six-month period and included lots of out...
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| The Best Backpacking Backpack Review
We took 11 of the highest rated backpacking packs and tested them side-by-side for five months. We choose versatile packs meant for trips of two to eight days but also capable of going up to 22 days (yes, we tested some on trips that long). These are load 'em heavy and charge packs, not to be confus...
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| The Best Bike Saddle
We took 13 of the best bicycle saddles available and put them through the paces. We wanted to know if each could offer comfort, performance, and a competitive weight without compromise. To discover the answer, we rode on these contenders in all conditions and for long distances, from muddy mountain ...
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| The Best Hydration Pack Review
We took 11 top packs and spent six months hiking, biking, and running to find which is the ultimate hydration system. Ever since the first CamelBak arrived over a decade ago, hydration options have changed a lot and there is now an overwhelming number of innovations and options. Which of these innov...
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| The Best Wind Jacket Review
We identified the top wind jackets and put them in numerous side-by-side tests. These are jackets intended for running, hiking, biking, and general outdoor use. They can hold off a little rain in a pinch but their main purpose is wind protection -- a crucial element of a state-of-the-art layered clo...
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| The Best Climbing, Belay, and Rappel Gloves
What is the best way to protect your hands from climbing, belaying and rappelling? We answer that question by testing 16 of our favorite climbing gloves on big walls, crags, and at the gym. We belayed hundred of pitches, rappelled thousands of feet and climbed hundreds of aid pitches in Yosemite. We...
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| The Best Altimeter Watch Review
We tested five of the best altimeter watches on the market in side-by-side tests over a year. These watches feature the key functions that hikers, backpackers, and climbers use the most: altimeter, barometer, digital compass, and standard time-keeping features. They all performed well but their user...
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| The Best Rock Climbing Rope
We got together 13 of the top climbing ropes and after lots of unwinding and flaking, put them to the test in a giant summer of climbing on ropes for comparison. Comparing ropes turned out to be much harder than expected. Obviously, all the ropes performed the basic functions of catching falls, bein...
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| The Best Day Pack Review
Whether you are a frequent hiker, a student, or a weekend warrior, chances are you could use a day pack for one or more of your activities. Any time you need to carry more than your phone and wallet, it is handy to have a vessel to carry all the necessities, such as food, water, and extra layers.
...
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| The Best Portable Solar Panel Review
What is the best way to charge your phone, tablet and other small electronics when off the grid? To find out, we took ten contenders and put them in head-to-head tests. We compared them on the following categories: output power, ease of use, weight, and versatility. In the end we found big differenc...
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| Finding the Perfect Big Wall Aider
We reviewed eight of our favorite big wall aiders and used them on more than 100 walls, from El Capitan to Baffin Island. We evaluated aiders using five main criteria: comfort, ease of walking up, durability, ease of use free climbing, and top-stepping. We then chose our top aiders in three categori...
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| The Best Big Wall Gear Sling
We took four big wall gear slings and tested them on Yosemite's big walls and in our Gear Lab. We scored each gear sling in five categories: comfort, adjustability, organization, ease of getting on, and overall bomberness. We scored each gear sling, added up the points, and then awarded our Editors'...
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| The Best Ultralight Sleeping Bag Review
What's the best ultralight sleeping bag for backpacking, climbing, and fast and light adventures of all kinds? We tested 10 top-tier, cutting-edge bags in order to find out. These bags are hyper light for their warmth, pack down to a miniscule size, and keep you warm and comfortable in a wide range ...
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| The Best Backpacking Stove Review
What is the best backpacking stove? We tested and reviewed nine of the top-rated one-burner backpacking stoves in a back country cook-off that assessed control, versatility, setup, stability, durability, and wind resistance. We bruised and battered these stoves on trips all over the West Coast. From...
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| The Best Climbing Harness Package
When you are just starting to climb it can be hard to figure out what harness and belay device/carabiner to buy. Climbing companies package these items together with a chalk bag so you can get all the essentials in one place. We looked at the most popular climbing packages and rated them against eac...
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| The Best Climbing Slings and Runners
Climbing runners have come a long way from the archaic knotted bits of rope and webbing that climbing’s early enthusiasts had to choose from. In today’s climbing world, high-tech fibers stronger than steel allow slings to be skinnier than imaginable and still maintain a full strength rating. As wi...
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| Haul Bag Review - The Best Bags for Big Wall Climbing
What is the best haul bag for big wall climbing? While it would hard to climb with all eight of these bags head-to-head, I did use them all over 110-plus big wall ascents from Yosemite to Norway. Each bag was evaluated on five variables: durability, capacity, waterproof-ness, ease of access, and sus...
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| The Best Trail Running Shoes for Women Review
Does the thought of pounding pavement seem dull and senseless? Or are you a road-running warrior that likes to hit the dirt once in awhile? We’ve selected 7 of the finest women’s trail running shoes out there, ranging from barefoot-style to traditional to assess in the wide range of conditions you m...
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| The Best Insulated Jacket Review
What's the best insulated jacket? We've lived in, camped in, climbed in, skied, hiked, and biked in literally dozens of insulated jackets over the past couple years. Here, we compare side by side 20 of the absolute best. The spectrum is large; you'll find insulated jackets for the weight-saving b...
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| The Best Ski Jacket for Women Review
We tested eight top-of-the-line insulated ski jackets to help you find one that’s right for you. We skied countless runs at Mammoth Mountain, California, sat on many chair lifts, and went for an overnight ski trip in the Sierra backcountry to put these jackets through their paces.
We compared ...
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| The Best Softshell Jacket for Women Review
The softshell is an interesting piece because it strives to do so much in one layer. It resists wind, repels water, and breathes well. Softshells tend to be much more comfortable than hardshells, being more flexible, less stiff and noisy, and not as suffocating. However, a softshell is not the jacke...
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| The Best Hiking Shoes for Women Review
Do you like hiking in a traditional boot? Or do you prefer the light feel of a trail runner? What are hiking shoes anyway? There is an emerging genre in the outdoor industry of the hiking shoe, which offers the best of both worlds: extra support for hiking, but the light comfort of a running shoe. W...
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| The Best Bike Computer Review
We geared up in the rain, the snow, and the cold to test eight of the most popular bike computers on the market, side-by-side. We clipped in for training workouts, long rural rides, and jaunts around the city.
We tried to get the most use out of each computer, testing them on set-up, ease of u...
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| The Best Locking Carabiners
What is the best locking carabiner for rock climbing? We compared 15 of the best locking carabiners in a variety of tests to find out. We judged each carabiner on the following six categories: lightness/compactness, ease of unlocking, gate hang up, amount of knots held, rope pull smoothness, and gat...
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| The Best Anchor Chain for Climbing Review
What is the best anchor chain for connecting you to your climbing anchor? We look at three of the best options and test them head-to-head. We evaluated them on four criteria: fall absorption, ease of clipping, overall feel, and weight and bulk.
The first question you may have is, "What is an an...
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| The Best Barefoot Shoes Review
We took seven of the best barefoot shoes and put them in head-to-head tests to figure out what was the best for each activity. We took them running, hiking, surfing, climbing, weight-lifting and just wore them around the house. We scored each in six key categories: barefoot feeling, warmth, traction...
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| The Best Insulated Jacket For Women Review
These seven synthetic jackets were run through the gauntlet of climbing, skiing, hiking, stuffing into packs, and battling the winter elements around town. They varied in thickness, warmth, and weight but they each functioned well in different ways. We paid close attention to the performance in the ...
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| The Best Quickdraw for Climbing
What is the best quickdraw for rock climbing? We compared 13 of the best in a variety of tests to find out. We judged each quickdraw in the following five categories: ease of clipping, ease of unclipping, ease of handling, ease of grabbing, rope pull smoothness and portability. In the end we found t...
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| The Best Ultralight Tent Shelter for Backpacking
What’s the best ultralight tent shelter for backpacking? We tested nine of the lightest two-person floorless tarps and pyramids in an effort to find out. Our reviews assess each shelter based on its weather resistance, livability, weight, durability, and adaptability. Our awards highlight the best a...
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| The Best Backpacking Camping Chair Review
We took the top lightweight backpacking and camping chairs and put them in side-by-side tests at the beach, in the mountains, and at the park. We break down what is the best for each application. These are light chairs that always weigh under three pounds. These are ideal for transporting, whether i...
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| The Best Hydration Bladder Review
We took six top hydration reservoirs and spent six months backpacking, mountainboarding, surfing, dog-walking, hiking and biking to figure out the best one for each application. When hydration bladders first came out, they were usually used with the small hydration pack. But now just about every bac...
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| The Best Long Underwear For Women Review
We took the best women's long underwear and put them in head-to-head tests. These are the shirts that can handle the rugged stuff, keeping you warm and cozy while performing from the tops of mountains to the depths of caves. Sure, you can wear them for a run or to a Yoga class, but you can also tak...
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| Picking the Best Ice Axe
We looked at 14 different ice axes and compared them head-to-head in the following categories: self-arresting, anchor digging, step chopping, use as improvised anchor, steep ice and snow climbing, and comfort to carry. We also looked at their advantages and disadvantages across different user groups...
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| The Best Parka Review for Men
Nothing makes winter comfortable like the perfect down parka. We’ve tested ten parkas, of a variety of weights and styles, to help you find the very best parka for winter. All the parkas are compared side-by-side, and scored according to a range of factors including warmth, weight, versatility, we...
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| The Best Small Climbing Daypack Review
We searched out seven of the best small climbing daypacks on the market and put them through extensive testing; these packs went everywhere with us for over two months. From the high granite walls of Yosemite and Squamish to shorter trips up the Monkey’s Face at Smith Rock or the Bastille Crack at E...
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| The Best Hiking Boots for Women Review
We hand-picked nine top hiking boot contenders for a foot-to-foot comparison to determine the best. After rigorous wearing, long walks in the desert and mountains, scrambling over granite and sandstone rocks, and dunking in a creek, we started to see some standout differences between them. Though th...
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| The Best Car Camping Mattress
Which camping mattress is the best? We enrolled six of the best car camping mattresses in a rigorous testing regime that evaluated the following three categories: warmth, comfort, and durability. Our testing, which involved two years of tenting in campgrounds across North America, identifies the bes...
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| The Best Yoga Mat Review
Interested in finding a yoga mat that is perfect for YOUR style of practice? There are seemingly as many options for purchasing a yoga mat today as there are styles of Yoga. To simplify this process for you we have selected ten top yoga mats, as well as two "hot yoga" accessories to help you in you...
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