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The best new gear. That's what earns our seal of approval, and only after months of hardcore testing. This year, we subjected dozens of products to heinous trail conditions from Alaska to Wales. In the end, 18 survived to take our top honor.
We go above and beyond the regular gear testing rigamarole. We'll simulate a thunderstorm, go for full submersion, and then, a cold–weather test...in a beer fridge.
Want to make adventure films? Emmy Award-winning director Michael Brown shows you how. Plus, go behind the scenes as BACKPACKER staffers learn from the masters at Adventure Film School.
Head to one of the last truly wild places in the Lower 48: Wyoming's Red Desert. Read the story, follow our author on the trail in our video report, see more photos of the journey in a gallery of outtakes, and download the GPS Track.
