We gave these to a Tennessee tester, and the lightweight, stretchy, DWR-treated fabric proved extremely breathable day in and day out. “These shorts gave me excellent freedom of movement with just the right amount of stretch without being too baggy,” he said.
When it’s slightly too cold for a T-shirt but too warm for a full-on midlayer, the Calico Hooded Zip Tee is just right. This pullover had enough technical features for hard climbing on winter days in Colorado’s Eldorado and Boulder canyons but enough comfort and style in the sun at crags in Utah.
One of the founders of Cloudveil recently launched Stio, a brand with a similar spirit (Jackson, Wyoming-based, designed for climbers and skiers—and cracking beers back in town). The Origins Hoody has become a tester favorite.
When waterproof-breathable shells venture below 10 oz., you might have to make sacrifices, like non-adjustable cuffs or hood or limited breathability. Not so with the 6.9-oz. Focus LT: Testers praised this Spartan-butuseful jacket for blocking rain but never getting clammy and called it one of the best three-season hardshells they’d worn.
Patagonia’s own version of water-resistant down ups the ante by boosting loft to an astonishing 1,000-fill. They zap 800-fill down with radio waves until its molecular structure changes, allowing the plumes to accept a silicone DWR treatment without the use of chemical binders.
This one-of-a-kind kneepad features a wraparound design with quick-cinch buckles that makes the pad easy on, easy off. Instead of taking off your shoes or bunching up your pants, you can strap it around almost anything on your leg—no more duct tape, liquid adhesives, or weird shave jobs just to get your kneepad on.
When you find clothing that is comfortable, versatile, stretchy, and flattering, it’s a winner. The Urban Gym Capri has a wide waistband for a slimming effect, but, more important, it keeps the pants in place. “These never slipped down—with a harness or without,” one tester said.
Take the weather resistance of the best softshell and marry it to the breathability of an unlined fleece, and you have the Acto MX. “It’s great for high-output activities in the alpine,” said one tester after climbing the Breithorn outside of Zermatt, Switzerland, on a crisp, bluebird day.
“It’s like wearing armor,” said one tester after a two-week stint in perpetually weather-beaten south Patagonia, during which he rarely took the jacket off. “From climbing to sea kayaking to horseback riding, this jacket is perfect for the cold and wet, and it handles abrasion better than just about any other shell I’ve seen.”
Eliminate neck pain with the Belay Specs. They utilize glass prisms mounted to a durable, stainless steel frame that bend the light (like a mirror) so you can see the route above while looking straight ahead. They’re especially great for belaying a project or for multiplehour sessions at the gym.
“I went from the office to the gym and back, and then straight into a meeting with no one batting an eye; this is a great-looking pair of shorts that happens to have a really comfortable harness inside,” our tester said. You might feel like you forgot something the first time you tie in, or even a little skeptical about taking a big whipper, but the harness inside the stylish shorts will keep you safe.
With thick palm leather, Kevlar stitching in high-friction areas, and a breathable, wicking synthetic polyester-Spandex material on the back, “These gloves made me a convert to always using belay gloves, whether it’s gym, sport, or trad,” said one tester of her six months with the gloves in Yosemite, Red Rock, and Shelf Road.
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