Patagonia stripped down its Nano-Air jacket to create an ultralight shell for high-output activities while still providing a touch of warmth. I find it to be an impressive layer when I need something to block the ...
Latest Reviews
Arc’teryx Rush Jacket and Bib Review
The Arc'teryx Rush jacket and pants featuring Gore-Tex Pro are constructed to be a lightweight, waterproof, and breathable kit for the backcountry. We took them to Arc'teryx's backyard in British Columbia for some real-world testing during ...
First look: The 2025 Arc’teryx Proton SL Hoody
The 2025 Proton SL Hoody is available in three colors for men, including Dynasty. We've got great news for fans (and future fans) of Arc'teryx's lightest-weight version of the uber-comfortable, uber-versatile Proton insulated hoody: it's officially back ...
Patagonia Stormstride | Testing the backcountry ski pant
The Patagonia Stormstride series is designed for backcountry touring but capable of pulling double-duty at the resort. This waterproof and breathable ski pant offers plenty of stretch for movement. Patagonia Stormstride pants. Size: Medium. Color: Smolder Blue. ...
Arc’teryx Serratus Hoody review: First look at the new technical softshell
The Serratus Hoody, and its women's counterpart, feature two different softshell fabrics to maximize durability and breathability. Arc'teryx's midwinter 2025 release of the Serratus Hoody adds a new technical softshell to the brand's ever-expanding jacket lineup. The ...
Stio Environ Jacket review: A full-featured ski shell to slay resort days
Rocking the full Stio Environ kit during a cold January day at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Stio Summer Kickoff Sale: Save up to 30% through May 26!I expect three things from a full-featured ski shell: weatherproof performance for ...
YETI Roadie 15 review: YETI’s newest, smallest, cheapest hard cooler
The YETI Roadie 15 features a DoubleDuty shoulder strap that can be shortened to allow for single-hand cooler carrying.Just in time for Fourth of July festivities, YETI released the newest member of the Roadie hard cooler ...
YETI Roadie 15 vs 24: How to choose
The all-new Roadie 15 showing off the DoubleDutyâ„¢ carry strapThe taller and deeper Roadie 24 with the HeavyHaulerâ„¢ handleYETI Roadies keep getting more portable!With the introduction of the all-new YETI Roadie 15, the Roadie 24 is ...
Yeti Hopper M30 vs Backflip 24
The YETI Hopper M30 (see image) is not your average tote bag. This soft cooler has enough storage capacity to hold up to 28 lbs of ice. It also features exceptional durability that won’t begin to fray ...
Yeti 105 vs 110: More varied than meets the eye
What’s unique about the YETI Tundra 105 (see image) is the dimensions. The clever folks over at YETI extended the height of the cooler while decreasing the footprint. To be specific, the exterior measures out to be ...
RTIC 45 vs 65: How to choose
If you have a larger group size, upgrade to the RTIC 65 QT (see image). The 65 quart capacity breaks down to 70 pounds of ice or 64 cans. That’s roughly 2.7 cases of beer.In the market ...
Yeti 65 vs 75 Review: Which classic Tundra cooler size is best?
With the YETI Tundra 65, you get all the same technology as the YETI Tundra 75 at a less expensive price.Update:YETI just launched its newest (and smallest, and cheapest) hard cooler - the Roadie 15. Here's our ...
First Look: Arc’teryx Vertex Speed Trail Running Shoe
Arc'teryx has released the Vertex Speed as a high-octane edition of its Vertex Alpine approach shoe. Here is what is new and different with this technical trail shoe made for running up (and down) mountains.We picked ...
First Look: 2025 Arc’teryx Norvan 4
Arc'teryx took input from their sponsored athletes and made notable changes to their long-distance trail running shoe. Here is a look at what has been updated on the Arc'teryx Norvan 4 along with our first impressions ...
Arc’teryx Shoes | Sylan, Sylan Pro, and Sylan GTX Review
Trail testing the Sylan Pro, the Arc'teryx shoes built for fast mountain running. The Arc'teryx Sylan Pro is part of the new for 2024 Sylan series, released from the brand's dedicated shoe design center in Portland, OR. ...
Osprey Aura vs Ariel
I'm a huge fan of Aura AG 65. Hands down the overall best backpacking backpack in my opinion (along with its men's counterpart Atmos AG 65).As some of you know, when it comes to gear, I ...
Best Osprey Hiking Backpack
Pictured is the Atmos AG 65 (women's counterpart is the Aura AG 65) - my overall top picks. I've been using and reviewing Osprey backpacks for years (full post list at the bottom of this article). I'm often ...
Osprey Talon vs Stratos
We've been putting Osprey backpacks to the test for many years now (find our full review list at the bottom of this article), so it only makes sense to compare and contrast Osprey's Talon and Stratos ...
MSR Elixir 3 Review
The MSR Elixir 3 is quite popular mainly because of its livability. Most backpackers including myself really like the ample headroom it offers - but it also is incredibly well ventilated, easy to set up and ...
Best 2-Person Backpacking Tents 2025
We dive into the important features of 2-person backpacking tents and how to decide what you need, along with our top picks of 2025.The NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 2 is our top ultralight 2-person backpacking tent.We ...
Best 1-Person Backpacking Tents 2025
We dive into the important features of a 1-person backpacking tent and how to decide what you need, along with our picks for the best solo shelters of 2025.Testing solo tents in the Wyoming backcountry.We’ve spent ...
Best Backpacking Tents for 2025
We dive into the important features of backpacking tents and how to decide what you need, along with our picks for the best backpacking tents of 2025.Through-hiking the Teton Crest Trail. Jackson, Wyoming.We’ve spent a lot ...
Best 4 Person Backpacking Tents 2025
We're talking about lightweight backpacking tents here! If weight and packability aren't your two most important criteria, then you'll get more for the price in the family camp category. If you're backpacking, hiking into a tent-only site, or ...
Marmot Limelight vs Tungsten
Quick summaryWhile both tents are rated for two people to camp comfortably and three people to camp not-so-comfortably during three seasons, the clear winner is the Limelight 3P as it had more bells and whistles included with it, ...
Other cool gear
Hitch Bike Racks | Everything you need to know
Hitch bike racks make transporting bikes easy, but there are important considerations depending on your vehicle and what type of bikes you need to haul. Read on for all of the details as well a look ...
Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio review: Rugged, easy-to-use backcountry communication
The 5 Watt Radio's 1800 mAH battery can last up to 5 days on a charge, even when temperatures drop well below freezing. That's good news for those of you looking for a reliable communication device for ...
Best gravel tires| going fast and going far
Racing the Panaracer GravelKing at the 2024 Steamboat Roubaix As the gravel scene grows so do tire options. In this article I provide a guide to make the selection process for gravel tires easy for you. ...
Garmin Edge 840 | Review & Testing
The Garmin Edge 840 fits nicely using the ENVE Road Stem mount.I’ve owned a number of cycling computers going back to an old Ciclosport and some early Garmin Edge models. For the last 10 years I’ve ...
Thule Motion vs Force XT | Roof-top cargo box review and comparison
Note: Thule has revised both its Motion and Force lines of roof-top cargo boxes. The Motion XT is now the Motion 3, featuring an updated aerodynamic design, additional size options, and more. The Force XT is ...
About Outdoor Crunch
At its core, Outdoor Crunch is about helping fellow adventurers find and choose the best gear for your pursuits. We prefer to be outdoors and in the backcountry as opposed to our desks. So while we juggle day jobs and family life from our home bases in Colorado mountain towns, our real passion is using, testing and reviewing the gear we rely on to perform well in critical situations. Head to the About Us page to learn more about Outdoor Crunch, including why we do it and how we sometimes make money from it (spoiler: we're 100% reader supported, and it doesn't cost you a thing).