Nike+ Sportsband

nikerunning.nike.com
I was looking for a way to track my runs, but not drop $100+ on the technology to do it, so after some recommendations from friends I got the Nike+ Sportsband. It is water (read: sweat) resistant, tracks my distance, pace, time, and calories, which was exactly what I wanted—AND it is easy to use! (It can also track heart rate if coupled with a Polar wearlink+ Heart Rate Transmitter.) I bought an after-market shoe pouch for the Apple sensor to go on my left shoe (since I didn’t have a shoe that was Nike+ compatible) and then put the sportsband on my wrist, pressed the start the button, and I was off on my run, getting real-time visual feedback via the wireless 2.4 GHz receiver. The sportsband is extremely lightweight and was not even noticeable on my wrist as I ran. After my runs, I snapped out the USB part of the sportsband and plugged it into my computer; it connects to the Nike+ online dashboard and shows my runs and breaks out my pace and times per a mile. I would suggest calibrating the sensor to your stride (do a mile run then a mile walk on a track), although Nike claims it’s 90% accurate right out of the box. I have used this band for everything from tracking my distance on leisurely walks to miles-long races and I would certainly recommend it to all runners looking for a cheaper and super-easy solution for tracking running or walking key metrics.
-Jennifer Seabolt

$59.00

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Benchmade 530 Folding Knife

www.benchmade.com
We’ll always love our multi-tools, but there’s something engagingly simple and graceful about a well-crafted knife. The Benchmade 530 achieves our Platonic ideal of the flip-knife, with its spear-point blade made of 154cm stainless steel, an ambidextrous thumb-stud opener, horizontal “scales” along its svelte black handle, and reversible steel pocket clip. At a feathery 1.88 ounces, it’s one of the lightest, most trail-friendly knives on the market, with a 3.25-inch blade that’s long enough for all back- and sidecountry uses—cooking, light camp work, and the like, and Benchmade’s proprietary Axis locking mechanism will help prevent the slim chances of user error. For more rugged applications, you should upgrade to the 530S, which adds a serrated edge on the lower half of the blade for deeper cutting. Either way, you’ll likely spend almost as much time using the knife as you will admiring its craftsmanship. As one tester—who had used only a give-away utility knife until he found the 530—said simply, “This is a knife.”

$110

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Horny Toad Mixologist Shirt

www.hornytoad.com
We’re honestly too distracted by the outdoors to tell whether or not the ’90s grunge trend is coming back. But we do know that we’ve always had a thing for flannel, and this spring our affection has drifted to the Mixologist Shirt. The soft-to the-touch organic cotton in this button-down edges away from normalcy with a slight, subtle weave that gives the shirt an instant lived-in look travelers will appreciate (read: ironing is not necessary). An external chest pocket over the heart is matched with an internal pocket on the right, in which you can stash vital docs or credit cards when facing a rough-looking street market. The double-button cuff and straight back on the yoke also lends the shirt the right measure of tailored attention to detail. It runs large; we suggest sizing down unless you need the space—or if the Seattle-look is indeed returning.

$68

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Zamberlan Parrot RR Hiking Shoes

www.zamberlan.com; 1 pound, 12 ounces
The right shoes are essential to a blister-free hike. Our tester beat up the Parrots on a multi-day epic rock-hounding at the John Day Fossil Beds in Eastern Oregon and fell in love with the out-of-the-box comfort the Parrot offered, with great stability on rough terrain. Built on a female-friendly last, the Parrot fits narrow, low-volume feet so well they almost feel custom-made. Outside, a rugged, durable Vibram sole with an aggressive tread pattern grips the trail. In a nod to climbing footwear, the Parrot has a rubber toe bumper to protect your feet from cactus, sharp rock, and other potential pitfalls of treacherous terrain. We appreciated the shoe’s well-thought-out features: a cushy EVA midsole underneath a moisture-wicking liner, and a soft, synthetic tongue that helps pad the often-troublesome area between the lace and instep. The uppers are a water-resistant split-grain leather that look sharp and provide plenty of protection from sticks and stones and both the toe and heel have thermoplastic inserts that help to decrease foot roll. One tester wished the cuff of the shoe extended a bit higher on the ankle—with the beefy leather upper, the low cut seemed a bit lacking for protecting tender ankle bones and supporting heavy loads.

$120

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EZ-Fit Insoles

ezfitinsoles.com; 2 ounces
Custom insoles can make the difference between performance and pain. They can also be incredibly expensive. Masterfit’s EZ-Fit Insoles are a solution that provides miles and miles of comfort at an affordable price. Cheap shoes have sewn-in footbeds, but performance footwear generally comes with a removable insole; shoe manufacturers realize that runners, skiers, hikers, and other athletes immediately pull out these cheap, flimsy factory insoles and replace with ones that provide real support and cushioning. One Bend, Oregon-based tester wears insoles 90 days a year in ski boots, and twice that in hiking and running shoes. Her top choice for support and all-day comfort? Masterfit’s EZ-Fit insoles. Rather than requiring you to go to a boot fitter (which we still heartily recommend, especially when you buy new ski or hiking boots), the EZ-Fit insoles can be trimmed at home for a perfect fit. The insoles then quickly adapt to your individual arch and heel shape to provide maximum comfort, stability, and performance. The insoles have “Contour Domes” that ring the heel pocket base—they automatically adjust to the volume of your heel for a snug fit—whether you’re foot is super thin or ultra-wide. The body of the insole is a multi-layered EVA, with a contoured arch that automatically adapts to provide just the right amount of support. Underneath the heel and forefoot are shock pads and a forefoot cushion for a smooth, pain-free stride.
EZ-Fit Terra is designed for running and hiking footwear; EZ-Fit Snow is designed for ski, snowboard and mountaineering boots

$39.95

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