Petzl NAO Headlamp

www.petzl.com, 6 ounces
“Throw away all your old flashlights and headlamps,” said our tester after taking the NAO on a three-week road trip. “The reactive-lighting NAO is the only headlamp you’ll need, or want to use.” We don’t take the word “revolutionary” lightly, but the new NAO headlamp is worth getting excited about. In contrast to other lamps, the 400-lumen NAO has a beam that automatically adjusts to focus on your target. If you’re pouring over topo maps, the light adjusts to a wide beam with low output. When you look out the tent fly to see if it’s a raccoon or bear rustling by the picnic table, the beam focuses, with greater light intensity for—drum roll please—a distance of 300 feet. Other advantages include fewer manual adjustments and a better burn time than any other headlamp we’ve tested. The NAO comes with a single rechargeable lithium battery that’s guaranteed for 300-plus charges—we didn’t do the math, but that’s a lot of alkaline batteries you won’ t need to buy. Each charge provides nearly five hours of use in high Reactive mode (the auto-adjust) or eight hours in low Reactive. You can set the lamp on a constant function, which disables the sensor, but cuts significantly into the battery life, as the Reactive power setting really does make power use more efficient. The rechargeable battery can be replaced with 2 AAA batteries, but our testers swear that the rechargeable battery ups the lamp’s performance. We were leery of the downloadable battery management program that allows you to adjust the light intensity, burn time, and beam distance on a computer, but are happy to report that even techno-troglodytes found it easy (and fun) to customize the lamp’s performance. The easiest option is using the custom profiles pre-programmed to enhance performance for specific activities like climbing, running, trail running, and hiking. Two features worth noting: a big off-on knob that’s easy to manipulate with gloves or in the dark and a water-resistant shell that never leaked, even during a monster Texas monsoon that one tester encountered while night hiking up a mesa near Lajitas.

$175

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Vapur Element Water Bottle

vapur.us
Carrying a hard, rigid, bulky water bottle takes up valuable space, which is why we’re partial to the soft-sided variety. Touted as “the Anti-Bottle,” the Vapur Element is constructed of a durable three-layer, BPA-free nylon plastic, and when it’s empty you can roll it up and slip it into a pocket, purse, or pack (try that with a hard bottle). In fact you can fold, spindle, and mutilate it—and it springs back to its original shape without cracks or dents. The dishwasher-safe bottle has a cap design that delighted our sausage-fingered testers: it flips open with the flick of the hand and seals soundly, with no leaks. What sets it apart from other flexible bottles is that it can be frozen, so you can use it for an ice pack, or fill it half way, freeze it, and then fill it up with liquid in the morning for an icy cold beverage. The free-standing bottle comes with its own carabineer, so you can easily clip it to a pack.
Available in 0.7 liter and 1 liter volumes and three color options

$12

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Nau Introduces Tencel—An Environmentally-Friendly, Shocking Soft Fabric Made from Eucalyptus

We’re always on the lookout for all-natural fabrics that are sustainable, skin-friendly, and not infused with chemicals. And while Nau never fails to wow us with their sleek, sophisticated, active-meets-haute designs, their new Tencel fabric gets a standing ovation. Made from the pulp of sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, Tencel has a smooth-fiber structure that’s softer than silk, easily washable, and durable. Nau selected this new fabric because to its “neutral electric properties,” which basically means your muscles aren’t affected by the material (in contrast to many synthetic yarns that feel itchy or clingy). The fabric was tested with electromyography, a method developed by orthopedic physicians to detect the excitability of muscles under the skin. In addition to not sticking to your skin, Tencel has excellent wicking properties, helping to regulate your temperature by absorbing sweat before it can get caught between your skin and shirt, keeping you cool in hot temperatures and warmer when you’re sweating on cold days. The regenerating fiber is manufactured using a closed-loop system, which uses a non-toxic organic solvent solution. A full 98 percent of the materials used to make Tencil is recovered and reused, making it one of the most eco-friendly regenerating fibers available.

Products with Tencel, like the men’s Arye T-Shirt and women’s Variant and Stratum dresses are now available at Nau’s online store.

Starts at $32

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Nau Vice Blazer

www.nau.com
Like a snake shedding its skin, spring offers the perfect excuse to trade our down-insulated apparel for lighter fare. The Vice Blazer remains one of our fashion-forward favorites. The jacket’s tailored details—the heathered texture, angled button-down pockets, half-lined interior—cast a casual, hip impression. Hidden within those sartorial details are a bevy of tech specs that appeal to our inner gear geek. The poly/organic fabric blend has been treated with DWR to shed water, the drop-in internal pockets are deep for your sundry must-haves, and a narrow U-lock fits perfectly in the zippered rear pocket. As with most Nau jackets, the sleeves also shape out at the cuffs, creating a cycle-friendly profile to cover that awkward space between glove and sleeve. The buttons synch all the way to the collar, but on cooler, windy days, the cold can slip through the buttons; a wind-proof layer is a smart accessory. The jacket performs equally well while traveling, letting you fit into whatever well-dressed scene might dominate. The Vice has proven so desirable, one tester had his stolen while attending a travel conference in Glasgow. Perhaps that’s how the jacket got its name?

$295

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Obermeyer Kenai Ski Jacket

www.obermeyer.com
With age comes wisdom. Just look at the Kenai shell, which seems to benefit from every brain cell of knowledge that Klaus Obermeyer has learned in his 60-plus years of making cold-weather clothes. The jacket’s poly exterior is laminated with Cocona—activated carbon derived from coconut shells—that delivers some of the most breathable/waterproof fabric on the market, and lends the fabric sly vertical striations that are refreshingly different from most jackets you see at the resort. The all-natural treatment also increases the overall durability, and boasts both UV protection and odor resistance. In short, this jacket can take anything from a deep-freeze blizzard to soupy spring slush. A mixture of nylon and spandex compliments the durable outer layer by provided the perfect measure waterproof stretch, which allows the jacket to fit snugly and flex when conditions demand. Waterproof pit zips offer quick-access temp adjustment, Velcro cuffs let you dial in the fit, and you get a bevy of pockets: hand, sternum, and the arm on the outside; a zipper pocket and a stretch-mesh pocket tailored for your goggles on the inside. The jacket even comes with an attached lens wipe. Overkill? Perhaps…until you need it. Features that speak to a life beyond the slopes (like a zip-off powder skirt and reflective trim) hint at the Kenai’s four-season versatility (and makes the price more approachable). Just a head’s up: for those with longer arms and torsos (like one lanky tester), the fit can prove a bit tricky. The large was too big, while the medium fit everywhere, save the arms; extending the arms pulled up the sleeves, but gauntlet-style gloves kept things covered.

$400

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