Editors' Choice Awards 2010/Gear Guide 2010 Table of Contents

Editors’ Choice Awards

The last pack you’ll ever need. A two-pound tent. The most versatile boots we’ve tested. And the best camp coffee and jerky you’ll ever taste. We took this year’s finalists to Switzerland for a 100-mile shakedown in the Alps. Here are the 15 products that passed the ultimate gear test, plus a look at 17 years of past winners.

Tough Stuff

With 170 years of gear experience on our core test crew, we’ve tested thousands of products. Among them, 30 much-loved favorites that keep performing despite weather, abuse, and hungry bears.

Zero Impact Challenge

Five manufacturers answered our call to make eco-friendly footwear that’s sturdy enough for the trail. The result: boots that cut their climate impact by 25 percent or more–and really work. By Berne Broudy

Reviews & Product Specs

Tents

This year’s tents offer more headroom, lighter weights, and tons of strength and durability.

Backpacks

These packs allow hikers to travel fast and comfortably thanks to dynamic suspensions and weight-saving materials.



Boots

Whether you need a trail runner or a burly mountaineering boot, here’s the best of the year.

Sleeping Bags

Sleep tight in any season with these summer, three-season, and winter sleeping bags.

Essentials

Having the right boots, packs, bags, and tents is never enough. Here, a roundup of all the other “essential” pieces of gear you’ll want to in the great outdoors.