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patagonia.com, 7.76 ounces
Weighing in at 7.76 ounces and made of polyester air-mesh and synthetic leather, the Patagonia Fore Runner barely feels like you even have a shoe on. Once you are laced up, the shoe is extremely comfortable, and they look good too, which I know men don’t care so much about, but women do! I barely noticed as I run over rocks or through gravel; the shock-absorption is still there even though this is branded more as a minimalist trail running shoe (with a most four-millimeter drop between heel and toe). I personally would like a slightly wider toe box, but these shoes caused me no discomfort on my runs. The multi-density, sticky rubber tread keeps traction on off-road courses in wet, dry, and muddy conditions, which is a must for a trail running shoe. I’d say that Patagonia is definitely a contender against Montrail & Brooks that have dominated my narrow world of trail running shoes.
-Jennifer Seabolt
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www.arcteryx.com
If you love playing in the outdoors, eventually you’re gonna get wet. Some use this climatic inevitability as an excuse to stay inside, while the truly enthusiastic knows that surviving poor weather comes down to simply outfitting yourself with the right gear. Enter the Alpha SL, Arc’Teryx’s lightest, most packable rain pants. Gore-Tex Pac-Lite assures wind/waterproof breathability, with angled side zips that extend from ankle to knees, making them easy to put on without removing your shoes. Metal clasps at the bottom clip onto boot laces to obviate the need for gaiters, extra patches of durable fabric at the lower seams and inside of the legs make for seasons-long endurance, articulation at the knees and seat offer greater range of motion, and an elastic waist band with a draw chord assures a no-sag fit. The pants stayed warm and dry throughout a 24-hour melee with hurricane-force winds and rain while backpacking in “wet and wonderful” West Virginia. You won’t find easy access to your inner pockets, but at only nine ounces, these are the rain pants you’ll stash in your pack and forget–until the rain and wind remind you.
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www.lorpen.com
While we love cotton t-shirts, cotton socks should be retired to historical museums along with monocles and hoop skirts. To understand this point of view, try Lorpen’s new Comfort Life Socks. We love their bright colors, snug-but-not-too-tight fit, and versatility. The socks come in both merino wool and modal (a super-soft cellulose fiber spun from beech trees) yarns. Both concoctions proved to be virtually indestructible, with a measurable benefit in moisture absorption to provide a sweat-free fit. We also like that the low-volume weave fits well under casual shoes. Both the merino and modal versions include about ten percent Lycra to add stretch and maintain shape. The modal socks didn’t shrink at all after a dozen washer/dryer cycles, but we recommend hang-drying the merino versions. The colorful stripes add a bit of playfulness to any wardrobe, although our testers voted for the retro peace sign design two to one. The Comfort Life Socks come if a variety of designs, in both men’s and women’s fit.
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www.isafebags.com; 3 pounds
Everyone agrees that the right outdoor equipment can make your family safer, but the new iSafe Collegiate Laptop Backpack elevates personal security to a whole new level. Like the Clark Kent/Superman scenario, this inauspicious pack cloaks a superhero-level alarm system. Hidden underneath a velcro-secured patch on the shoulder strap is an activation pin for the alarm. In case of emergency, you slip your fingers under the strap and pull the pin out of its housing (like a grenade). A painful, ear-splitting staccato siren erupts. Much louder and more shrill than a smoke alarm, the device is so loud that it’s a near-guaranteed deterrent for a would-be attacker, human or otherwise. Four LED lights on back of the pack blink when the alarm is activated. Inside is room for raingear and a down jacket, lunch, and a day’s supply of gear for your next urban or backcountry adventure. We’re still researching on the siren’s impact on bear, cougar, and wolves, but during testing, it cleared a room of tough guys in less than five seconds. Our testers also gave the pack a two-thumbs up for camping with kids—if they get lost, the siren’s as good as any audible locator beacon or whistle we’ve tested. Warning: You’ll want ear protection when testing this pack and, definitely, don’t let your toddler play with it while on an airplane or crowded theater.
Note the hidden alarm trigger on right shoulder strap (you know it is there, the bad guys don’t).
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www.sealife-cameras.com; 10.9 ounces
Cell phone cameras are handy, but they don’t fare so well in wet conditions. In contrast, the slightly-larger (4″ x 1.5″) SeaLife Mini II is a truly amphibious small camera that’s been tested (and guaranteed) to operate down to 130 feet. The rubberized casing is both waterproof and shock proof, proven by our young testers, who dropped the camera down a rocky embankment into a muddy eddy in the Deschutes River. In addition to the camera’s durability, they also liked the easy set up, with a 1-2-3 graphic on the 2.4-inch LCD color screen. In the underwater mode, the white balance adjusts perfectly; photos are bright, without the standard blue hues that dominate so much aquatic photography. In the Land Auto mode, exposure is automatically controlled, as is an internal flash. In addition to a 30-frame-per-second (640 x 480) Video Mode (ideal for action sports like surfing, rafting, or beach volleyball), there’s a Spy Mode where you can program the camera to shoot a continuous string of images at pre-set intervals—great for capturing wildlife at your favorite waterhole, nesting birds, or sneaky raccoons and bear cubs as they raid your garbage can. Pictures, with 9mp resolution (3472 x 2604), are clear and crisp, although we recommend using a tripod for capturing shots you hope to mount and frame. The SeaLife camera is powered by two AAA batteries and accepts SD and SDHC storage cards up to 8 GB.
Accessories include a Digital Pro Flash, Photo-Video Light, and Mini Wide-Angle Lens.
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