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REI 700 Down EL $249
Such a deal! For 250 bucks you get a durable bag filled with high-quality, 700-fill-power down.
Why It's Cool: REI piled on the features, including a proper head-hugging hood, an excellent down collar that I could easily snug from inside, and a full-length zipper. >> Unlike bags that sacrifice durability to save weight, the 700's ripstop shell fabric is sturdy enough to stand up to serious abuse. And the water-resistant laminate underneath shrugged off condensation and drips. >> Interior room is generous, with 60 inches of shoulder girth and 41 inches for your feet. >> Tight, five-inch baffle spacing controls the down to maintain even loft. >> The silky Pertex lining is a delight to spend the night with.
Hmmm... I'd prefer double-zipper draft tubes on a 10-degree bag. The 700 has just one. |
Gregory Acadia $199
As a longtime Gregory aficionado, I've relished the way the company's packs handle heavy loads. But could this new entry-level model bear any resemblance to my $330 tatus symbol?
Why It's Cool: Guess what? The 3,800-cubic-inch Acadia feels like a real Greg. Its compression-molded-foam hipbelt uniformly spreads the load around my hipbone/lumbar platform with nary a wrinkle. >> It's rated to 40 pounds, but I'd confidently cheat up to 50. >> A narrow-but-stiff framesheet and single aluminum stay do a great job of transferring the load without nixing nimbleness like broader framesheets do. >> It weighs four pounds 14 ounces, but you still get several external pockets and a sleeping-bag compartment—niceties often stripped away on lightweight packs. >> A "chimney" down the center of the back panel lets the spine breathe. >> It's available in four sizes.
Hmmm... The hipbelt lacks the cant adjustment found on pricier Gregory packs, so be sure its flare matches yours. >> Compression-molded foam is an acquired taste. I like it, but it might be too firm for you. |
Hi-Tec Incline $60
Hi-Tec has always offered a lot of boot for not much money, but this time they outdid themselves.
Why It's Cool: The Inclines' split-leather- and-nylon uppers offer more support than I've yet found in $60 boots. I wouldn't hesitate to sign them up for backpacking duty, yet at just two pounds five ounces, they're super light. >> With all the wiggle room up front, my toes felt like they'd scored an upgrade to business class. >> An EVA midsole cushions your stride, while a steel shank firms up the arch support and a fiberboard insole adds a layer of pro against rocks underfoot.
Hmmm... The top two lace holes are simply punched through the padded lining on the upper. It's difficult to thread the laces, and even more difficult to tension them. |
Markill Dragon $33
As the name implies, this stove is a fire-breathing beast.
Why It's Cool: Cooking with the Dragon makes you feel right at home: The vast burner head evokes a gas-powered rangetop, with all the attendant power and precision to boil or simmer. >> Sturdy, simple pot supports fold out to a condor-like span for the ne plus ultra in stability. >> Nothing but the stiffest gale will defeat the Dragon's built-in windscreen. >> The piezoelectric starter fired the gas every time, even after I zipped the button as many times as I could in a minute. >> The Dragon is one tough beast. I kicked, threw, and dropped this stove and barely dented its rugged composure. Burns: Isobutane canister.
Hmmm... Think George Foreman, not Sugar Ray Leonard. At 11 ounces, the Dragon is a heavyweight. >> The flame-adjuster knob, while easy to grasp, is a bit stubby if you're wearing heavy gloves. |
(5) Daggers Triton $75
Though designed to get wet, this bang-for-buck winner shines on the sand.
Why It's Cool: Polarized gray-tint poly lenses slay glare off water. >> Should you take a wave to the face, the water will sheet right off, thanks to a hydrophobic lens coating. >> Such features suggest aquatic applications, but Triton is an all-sports wonder, especially when you consider the price. >> This model owes its solid grip to a springy frame with sticky pads over the earpieces. >> The look is a snappy and streetwise take on the classic sport wrap—you get the same wide, bent-back lens coverage without looking same-old. Rx-able? Yes, through your friendly hometown optician.
Hmmm... The design fit a buddy so perfectly he didn't want to give it back, but I couldn't get the Triton to sit quite right on my large cabeza. |
(5) Pentax UCF X 8x25 $99
Only the price is cheap.
Why It's Cool: I was astonished by the view through these little binos—it's bright, tack-sharp, and color-true like nothing I've seen near this price point. To help control image aberrations, Pentax built in aspherical lens elements, which reduce the number of lenses needed to get a sharp image. >> Close focus is an equally astonishing five feet—great for inspecting invertebrates, like scurrying scorpions. >> Proper snap-out eyecups are comfortable and durable, and offer a decent 15 millimeters of eye relief for four-eyed folk. >> The objective lenses of this porro-prism instrument are built into a single housing, which should enhance durability by keeping them aligned properly.
Hmmm... It's not waterproof. >> Focusing is a little stiff and slow. >> Say sayonara to the eye caps—they're untethered and easily lost.
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Schwinn Moab DS2 $749
With plush suspension and stop-on-a-dime disc brakes, this is the most fun you can buy for less than a grand.
Why It's Cool: Schwinn distilled costly rear-suspension technology to create a relatively simple linkage system dubbed Iso-Drive. There's minimal bob under hard pedaling; it's highly compliant over bumps. The 3.5 inches of travel out back danced over six-inch deadwood. Credit also goes to the Manitou Six Sport fork, with four inches of travel. >> The Hayes disc brakes breed downhill confidence: With an inch of snow on the ground, I was the only one in my posse who wasn't doing a panic squeeze to burn off speed.
Hmmm... Components are a mixed bag. Cheers to Hayes brakes, TruVativ cranks, and Shimano clipless pedals, but generic hubs and 24-speed Shimano Alivio shifting will leave you itching for an upgrade. |
Cloudveil Prospector $135
This fast-drying summer-weight jacket costs less than it should.
Why It's Cool: It's light and priced right: The 11-ounce Prospector boasts many of the same features found in pricier soft shells made with super-stretchy Lycra, but Cloudveil heads off sticker shock with its house-brand flexy fabric, called Inertia. >> The DWR-coated fabric dealt with moisture—both sweat and light rain—better than any other soft shell we tested. >> While rock climbing in Colorado's El Dorado Canyon, the laminated cuff tabs were easy to adjust with gloves; the alpine cut and the higher pocket placement proved harness-friendly.
Hmmm... Inertia's trade-off? Flexibility. It stretches in only two directions. >> For a jacket that prides itself on moisture management, you'd think there'd be more ventilation options than one chest pocket. |
Reebok Premier Road $80
Like your grandfather's wool cardigan, the Premier Roads aren't flashy, but they're comfortable and get the job done when you're running long, slow miles.
Why It's Cool: This pair is really pretty basic, and that's their best feature. The Premier Roads are highly cushioned and very comfy road trainers, thanks to an extra-thick slice of DMX foam (paired with Reebok's own spin on EVA) running from heel to toe. >> A firmer medial posting provides reliable motion control, while the four sections of the multimaterial outsole independently address shock absorption, traction, durability, and flexibility for each part of the foot during the heel-strike-toe-off cycle. >> But I didn't think about any of that when I ran—I was entranced by the sweet, consistent rhythm humming from my feet. And, really, there is no higher compliment that can be bestowed upon a running shoe.
Hmmm... They're not tortoises, but "race pace" definitely isn't in their vocabulary. At best, you might crank these up to about 60 percent of top speed. |
Eagle Creek Load Warrior $185
The 5,500-cubic-inch Load Warrior adds a couple of key organizational components to a simple duffel-bag design, puts it on wheels, and away we roll.
Why It's Cool: The design coup here is a two-compartment lid, accessible from either the top or underside: One slot is sized just right for boots and lined to keep 'em isolated; the other is a mesh-lined laundry chute. >> The rest of the bag is no-brainer duffel space—you can easily pack odd-size or bulky stuff without being compartmentally constrained. Two interior and two exterior compression straps keep it all in place. >> Where some rollers feel overbuilt and hefty, this one is rigid where it needs to be—the underside wheel wells—but checks in at considerably under nine pounds unladen.
Hmmm... The top grab handle is a nicely padded affair, but if you want to tote the bag as a duffel you'll find that the main handle is a flat, spartan, hard-rubber hand-wrencher. |
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