Gear Patrol

The outdoorsman on your list is easily identifiable: he’s rarely home and smells faintly of man sweat and wood smoke when you do catch him between excursions. His particular passion falls within an extensive of range possible pursuits (noodling for catfish, anyone?), but one thing is for certain — he does them outside. His look…

If the race goes to the swift, the swift are advised to go get a pair of On Cloudracer ($129) running shoes. 18 Cloudtec low-profile cushioning elements increase running efficiency, according to an independent research study (through the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) that showed a lower heart rate and reduced lactate buildup at a…

Oakley’s Airwave goggles are a new breed of advanced snow sport eyewear equipped with a heads up display that simulates viewing a 14-inch screen from five feet away when a user looks in the lower right corner of their peripheral vision. That description sounds confusing, but the important thing to remember is that the technology…

When the snowing gets tough, the tough go running. But stepping out for a few dozen miles in the crunchy or slushy white stuff isn’t for the faint of heart — you have to be prepared. Solomon can help you do just that with their Snowcross CS ($200) lightweight winter trail running shoe. It looks…

There aren’t many situations or locations that preclude pulling out your smartphone. Your anniversary dinner with your wife should probably be at the top of that list. Out on the ski slopes the phone also doesn’t see much daylight, but because of the chore it requires versus the acrimonious stink eye. Outdoor Research Stormsensor Gloves…

Even if you’re sidelined by bitter weather, we doubt you’ll take umbrage with the newest member of the Nike club (how clever) — the VR_S Covert ($299+). Available in February 2013, Nike’s sharp new red driver sports a High Speed Cavity Back, bringing a technology once reserved only for irons to a fairway near you….

No, it’s not what NASA nicknamed Neil Armstrong when he was crabby. The Surly Moonlander ($2,350), a cartoonish-looking bicycle in Surly’s new ultra-fat-tire series, is meant to go where no bike has gone before. The Moonlander doesn’t just survive off the beaten path — it excels. This Surly 4130 CroMoly steel-framed beast wears 4.7-inch wide…

Be honest. When’s the last time you ever conducted an intense time trial on your bike? So why does your noggin need an overpriced, wind-tunnel-sculpted monster again? SAHN is an upstart brand that leveraged the industrial design and protective sports helmet backgrounds of its two founders to create a new breed of head gear built…

If the dictionary was filled with pictures, you’d fine the Snolo Sleds Stealth-X ($3,000) nestled right next to the term “over-engineered”. It’s comprised of three distinct parts: a carbon fiber mono shell sitting area, a single front ski with foot pegs and a connecting arm. Releasing a locking nut separates each of these parts, making…

Though the new Shimano Unzen Hydration Pack is named after the volcanic Mt. Unzen in Japan, it’ll serve you up something a bit more refreshing than molten lava on your next ride. Just like that volcano, though, the Unzen hides something intense under its sleek exterior. Side access, felt-lined pockets, a breathable back panel (nobody…

Doing battle with black diamonds this winter means swapping your corporate suit for some waterproof armor. The Aether Altitude ($675) has the technical features to protect you from the slings and arrows of an outrageous fall line, September through May. The jacket’s three-layer Schoeller C_change fabric dynamically adjusts water vapor permeability as the temperature changes,…

Unless you’re fortunate (or wise) enough to live near the mountains, purchasing proper fitting binding, boots and boards may be a mere half-pipe dream. But, at some point you’ll discover that skipping the rental headache is the only way to go. When you’re ready to make that jump, the 2013 CAPiTA DBX Snowboard ($500) will…

Superior foul weather gear should provide warmth, shelter your skin from precipitation and be breathable to boot. The Eddie Bauer BC MicroTherm Down Jacket 2.0 does just that thanks to a double layered shell that’s waterproof while venting perspiration (and not losing warmth). Additionally, its micro-channel compartments, stuffed with 800-fill premium goose down, minimize weight…

John Glenn strapped a Heuer stopwatch to his wrist; Scott Carpenter wore a Breitling chronograph; and everyone knows the story of Omega’s Moonwatch. Now it’s Zenith’s turn to join the list of legendary space watches. When Felix Baumgartner stepped off that skateboard-sized platform this week and plummeted to Earth while millions watched, you may have…

While the helmet cam videos of man’s boldest quarrels with gravity will never get old, Split of a Second earns our nod of approval for offering a rare glimpse in to the mind of one of the sport’s most famous pioneers, Wingsuit World Champion Espen Fadness. As you might have guessed, successfully defying death is…

If you’re more inspired than awed (it’s ok to be both — we are) by our Jeremy Berger’s recent Ironman quest, we’ve got your shoe: the Salomon S-Lab Sense ($200). Developed through collaboration between designers and world-class trail runners, the Sense is laden with top performance features specifically designed to enable forefoot running: lightweight construction…

Biking in the city can be a wonderful experience, especially when the sun starts to fade and the world quiets down. Unfortunately, it can also be a deathtrap, overshadowing your pleasure with the fear of being made into road goulash by an oblivious suburban mom in an SUV the size of your 2nd grade classroom….

The BioLogic PostPump 2.0 Seatpost ($50) is a useful, high-capacity floor pump that’s been integrated into a seatpost, providing you with air stashed safely and efficiently… under your bum. The patented design has a flip-out foot stand, Presta/Schrader valve adapter and allows you to use the saddle for convenient pumping; it only takes around 40…

Who hasn’t found themselves looking across a pond, lake, river or ocean with a desire to explore but absent the means to do so? With the Oru folding kayak, a whole new world of paddling exploration just opened up. The brain-child of San Francisco designer Anton Willis, the Oru goes from a package the size…

Winter’s thrills are already starting to winnow their way into your thoughts — days of hitting the slopes and nights on the town après-ski. Columbia’s Lhotse Mountain II Interchange Jacket ($240) has you covered for both activities, pairing a waterproof, breatheable shell and an inner insulating layer that can also be worn separately. In the…

Editor’s Note: This series was predicated on the idea that Ironman has become a thing guys aspire to do — so we decided to dispatch our correspondent Jeremy Berger to do just that. Along the way we learned about avoiding injuries, eating right, training effectively, bonking, and the importance of appropriate gear. Hopefully you have…

If you were unable to secure funds in time to get your hands on that other two-wheeled unicorn we featured, breathe easy friends. German automotive component manufacturer UBC GmbH has taken time away from developing parts for Porsche, Bugatti and its Formula 1 team clients and plied its hand-made engineering efforts to a pair of…

Riding your bike in the dark on city streets is an activity best reserved for those with a death wish. The Monocle is an inexpensive and ingenious way to avoid becoming street pizza. You’ve spent plenty of money on your iPhone; why not use it as a bike light, too? The Monocle, which is made…

Professional cycling has been brought in to the limelight lately, and what’s being exposed isn’t pretty. With no shortage of content, Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle co-authored The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs ($17)….

Statistics don’t look good for male cyclists: 200,000 traumatic brain injuries are attributed to recreational accidents each year; two-thirds of cycling injuries involve damage to the noggin; and men are more than twice as likely to mangle their melons than women. A good helmet is an obvious must-have, but in absolute worst cases the ICEdot…

A solid pair of binoculars in the field is vital — and when you’re trying to avoid being run over by a fast-moving barge or spot a pal that’s gone overboard, they’re absolutely key. But in order to weather tough watersport conditions, they have to be rugged, too. Having supplied binoculars to the military for…

Two former World Cup Alpine skiers, Erik Schlopy and Brion Friedman, had an epiphany: In a world without snow, skiing doesn’t go over too well. So they set out to develop ski poles made from sustainable materials in a climate-friendly fashion. The results are Soul Poles ($99+), high-tech ski poles made from a decidedly low-tech…

Want a cycling game-changer? You’ve got it. The Cannondale CERV by Priority Designs is a concept bike that adapts to a constantly changing riding environment. Typically, the rider’s body has to compensate for such changes, but the CERV has a “dynamically adjustable headset” that moves both vertically and horizontally during riding. For example, in a…

Tired of pounding out local 5K charity runs? Well, you’ve still got a couple of weeks to register for the 2012 UVU Jungle Marathon, which starts October 4th in the Brazilian Amazon. As you can infer, this is no ordinary 26.2 mile slog. Runners get the (seemingly easy) choice of completing either a six-stage, 149-mile…

The barefoot running trend is now a well-worn path: by eliminating the corrective, cushioning components of traditional running shoes, humans can return to running the way we did eons ago while chasing down antelope on the savannah. Most barefoot running shoes are, by nature, minimalist in design and construction. But the SKORA Form ($185), while…