Most hiking shoes fail flat feet in the same three places: the midsole folds under the arch, the heel counter is too soft to stop the heel rolling inward, and the shoe twists like a dishrag on uneven ground. Add a heavy pack and a long descent and you get the sore arches, hot spots … Read more
There is a specific moment on a long trip when a trail shoe stops being a shoe and becomes a liability. Your arch folds on every downhill step, the toe box cramps after hour four, and the sole that felt lively at mile one starts to feel like a sponge with a hole in it. … Read more
The best rain jackets for hiking are the ones that keep rain out while letting your sweat escape, and the Columbia Watertight II is the pick we would put in a pack today. It has the highest rating in our lineup at 4.7 stars across more than 3,000 reviews, packs into its own hand pocket, … Read more
Hardshell jackets are built with multi-layer membrane construction for maximum weatherproofing, and in winter they are the layer that decides whether a hike ends well or ends early. They block wind-driven rain, falling snow and spindrift while letting sweat vapor escape, which is the whole game once the temperature drops and your insulation starts losing … Read more
The best insulated jacket for extreme cold is the CAT Heavy Insulated Parka, because 6,432 reviews describe the same thing: reliable warmth when you are standing still in freezing weather. If your cold arrives with rain or wet snow, shell construction outranks fill, and the Helly-Hansen Reine deserves its place beside it. That is the … Read more
A softshell jacket is a stretchy synthetic outer with a brushed fleece backer and a water-repellent finish. It blocks wind and light drizzle, moves with you, and vents heat far better than a waterproof hardshell. That is the whole point of one: on most hiking days you are working hard enough that a hardshell traps … Read more
Finding the best down jackets under 200 dollars is less about fill power than most guides admit. We spent six weeks comparing nine jackets in real cold, in the rain, and stuffed into a daypack, and the winner is the Orolay Women’s Thickened Down Jacket: close to 29k reviews, a dense windproof shell, six pockets, … Read more
Looking for the best rain gear for fishing? The Helly Hansen Gale Men’s Rain Jacket takes our top slot: it holds a 4.7 rating across 1119 reviews, keeps rain out rather than just deflecting wind, and layers over a fleece without swallowing your casting motion. Fishing rain gear is a different category from hiking shells. … Read more
Rain pants built for the trail are waterproof overtrousers you carry in your pack and pull on over your hiking pants when the weather turns. The best rain pants for hiking in our lineup is the 33,000ft Men’s Rain Pants, because it pairs a fully seam-sealed 5000mm membrane with mesh lining and half-length leg zips … Read more
Most ski jacket roundups answer the wrong question. They rank shells for a bluebird powder day, when the hardest problem is overheating on the run down. If you ride unheated chairlifts at a cold resort, your jacket has one job above all others: keep you warm through a six to eight minute ride in direct … Read more