career as a snowboard photo颅grapher and cinematographer began when he was still a grom chasing powder with his friends in the Alps. After realizing that he wasn鈥檛 quite as rad as his buddies, many of whom would later turn pro, Tanon turned his attention to capturing their stoke instead. The Parisian has since spent over a decade on the slopes, perfecting the art of shooting action sports on traditional film. The medium presents challenges: he鈥檚 limited to ten images per roll, must focus manually, and can鈥檛 ascertain whether he鈥檚 nailed a shot until he鈥檚 back in the darkroom. Yet his work has a timeless quality that鈥檚 difficult to achieve with digital devices.

A few years ago, Tanon realized that snowboard media rarely showed female riders, despite an abundance of talented women. 鈥淭here were no photographers who only shot female snowboarders, no magazines that ran portfolios of them, and way less funding available,鈥� he says. Tanon decided to spend two years addressing the issue, riding alongside women at competitions and down backcountry lines in Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Scandinavia.

Photos from the project were compiled into the coffee-table book , which was published in the fall of 2021 and features hundreds of portraits, including the likes of Canadian professional freerider Robin Van Gyn and up-and-coming Icelandic park star . The images are accompanied by quotes and stories from the riders, printed alongside or etched directly onto the film negatives. The words depict the women with all the ferocity and grit you鈥檇 expect. For example, from Van Gyn: 鈥淔ear is the sign that lets me know I am crossing the boundary to something extraordinary, pushing the limits.鈥�

The project opened Tanon鈥檚 eyes to the gender disparities in the sport. 鈥淪pending time with these women, I saw that representation is not something that鈥檚 going to get better naturally. It鈥檚 an everyday fight for equality.鈥�

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There are two types of travelers in this world: those who need a specialized compartment for everything, and those who prefer to toss their belongings in a bag, zip it up, and go. Whichever you are, or if you鈥檙e somewhere in between, here are three of this year鈥檚 best outdoor luggage offerings to fit your travel style.

Norr酶na Trolley Bag ($329)

The problem with most giant rolling duffels is that the internal frame takes up almost as much room as the gear you鈥檙e packing. But Norr酶na鈥檚 Trolley duffel offers a cavernous 120 liters of storage space, thanks to a simple yet smart design feature that nixes the telescoping handle鈥攁nd therefore the internal frame鈥攊n favor of flat-lying handles sewn into the top. This keeps the bag鈥檚 weight low, making it easier to stay under an airline鈥檚 50-pound limit. Half-inch-thick, cushy trekking-style backpack straps make carrying this thick-skinned, 450-denier recycled nylon duffel over rough terrain more comfortable鈥攅ven when it鈥檚 fully loaded.

STM Goods Dux 30L Backpack ($250)

STM stands for 鈥渟marter than most,鈥� which sounds pretentious until you try the Australian brand鈥檚 Dux backpack. With 360 degrees of foam padding within the casing, our tester felt comfortable lugging around delicate cameras, lenses, and audio equipment. Flexible and adjustable polyethylene foam shelves form up to three protective compartments in the main body of the bag and are accessible through a zippered, butterfly-wing panel on each side. Plus, the laptop and tablet compartments are suspended above the bottom of the pack with a thick EVA foam cushion adding an extra buffer against dings and drops.

Gregory Quadro Pro Hardcase Carry-On ($230)

Many rolling carry-on bags now have a specific storage compartment for laundry or shoes. But Gregory ups the ante with a removable 22-inch sleeve that features an antimicrobial coating to prevent even the gnarliest items from permeating the luggage with their smell鈥攁 refinement that came in handy for our tester during a two-week trip without a way to do laundry. We also appreciated the external USB charging port (just zip your power bank into the interior pocket and plug it in) and compression straps with zippered storage for small items. The four wheels are buttery smooth rolling over all sorts of surfaces, from city streets to gravel.

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When I began venturing into the backcountry, the first big dump of snow meant my tent and sleeping bag went into hibernation for the season. Aside from the unpleasantly cold temperatures, the extra investment in specialized gear for an activity I鈥檇 only partake in a couple times a year kept me solidly in the three-season mindset. But eventually, my fondness for the solitude and silence of winter day hiking grew. So a few years ago, I decided to spend a night amid the snow. After making a few modifications to my regular backpacking kit, stealing pieces from other sports and taking some extra safety precautions, it wasn鈥檛 long before I was enjoying the desolation of the backcountry year-round. Here鈥檚 the gear you鈥檒l need to do the same.

Clothing

Layering is key to any backpacking trip, but it鈥檚 especially important during colder months. A phrase to live by: it鈥檚 easier to stay warm than get warm. That means start hiking cold, and add layers as soon as you stop, as the temperature necessitates.

Level one is base layers. I usually pack two sets for an overnight trip鈥攁 lightweight one for when I鈥檓 on the move, and a heavier one for around camp and sleeping. Look for garments made from merino wool, which holds its heat even when wet; if you鈥檙e sensitive to wool, synthetic polyester generally dries quicker and insulates in much the same way. My go-to lightweight base-layer top, the ($119), offers the best of both worlds, with the wool next to your skin and a polyester outer that dries out fast. It also has a zippered quarter-neck collar that allows for venting without removing a layer when I start to heat up. In particularly cold conditions, I鈥檒l pair this top with听 ($109) from the same line under my hiking pants. My heavyweight set is the from Kari Traa ($110 for the top, $100 for the bottoms), a women鈥檚-specific brand that offers extra insulation in places like the neck and hips, where female bodies are more likely to lose heat.

From there, add a midlayer (or two) and a waterproof shell. Most of the time I opt for a lightweight fleece like the ($129), but my more recent cold-weather favorite is Smartwool鈥檚 ($135), which offers a ridiculous amount of warmth for its weight and is designed with deep zipper for excellent venting. (While listed as a base layer, I find this works equally great as a midlayer in a size bigger than what I normally wear.) I top that with an 800-fill-power down jacket, like ($400), or, if conditions are going to be mild, a Mountain Hardwear 700-fill ($275). Down has a superior warmth-to-weight ratio to synthetics, and it works well in cold, dry climates like my hometown of Santa Fe, but it does a crappy job of insulating when wet. For wet climates, consider a synthetic piece, like the ($259), which is lighter than most similar midlayers. Either way, make sure your jacket has a hood.

My final layer is a water- and windproof shell. A soft-shell ski jacket will work in a pinch, but ideally you want something that鈥檚 waterproof-breathable, with maximum venting鈥攍ike the ($160). A helmet-compatible hood for climbing or backcountry skiing is a bonus, as it鈥檒l usually accommodate bulky midlayer hoods.

For bottoms, I typically wear a lightweight, quick-drying pair of hiking pants over my base layer, but I also always pack my pair of ($119), just in case the weather turns. Another arguably unnecessary but amazing addition are down pants, like the Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown ($250), which have been a game changer for keeping me warm at camp and while sleeping.

Additionally, I bring a lightweight, moisture-wicking beanie like the ($35), a Buff to protect my face from icy wind, and waterproof gloves (I just use my ski gloves ($150) around camp and a liner to wear on the trail). Sunglasses are crucial: in bright conditions, reflection from snow can seriously damage eyes and make it extremely difficult to see and navigate. While proper glacier glasses with light blockers on the side are ideal, a pair of amber-tinted, glare-reducing lenses that enhance visibility in low-light conditions are advisable. For a midrange option, makes lightweight glasses with removable side sun shields that can function as regular sunglasses when off the snowy trail.

Footwear and Accessories

You鈥檒l want waterproof boots鈥攂onus points if they鈥檙e insulated like Merrell鈥檚 ($110). Socks are more important. Look for heavyweight, merino wool hikers. My favorites are the ($23) from Point6. It鈥檚 essential to pack a pair of dry, lightweight socks for every day you鈥檙e on the trail (and I always add one more pair than I think I鈥檒l need). I also carry disposable foot warmers, like those from 听($3.75), to stick in my socks at night.

Depending on the conditions, you鈥檒l likely need some type of traction aid. For your first trip, stick to what you know: don鈥檛 head out on a weekend adventure in an area filled with fresh powder if you鈥檙e not used to walking multiple miles听in snowshoes, and don鈥檛 seek out steep, potentially treacherous routes if you鈥檝e never used an ice ax and crampons. At a minimum, I recommend spikes that鈥檒l hold up over long distances听and help you keep your footing on icy patches and packed snow. Mine are from ($75), but I recently invested in the brand鈥檚 more aggressive ($100), with three-quarter-inch spikes, a more solid attachment system, and stainless-steel bars on the sole to tackle harder terrain. When traveling in high elevations where the snow could be more than a few inches deep for extended stretches, carry snowshoes (丑别谤别鈥檚 our list of the top picks of 2022), and consider听getting some tall gaiters to keep any snow out of your boots, like this pair from听听($49), ideal for trekking through deeper drifts.

Finally, while I almost never use trekking poles in the summer, I use ($110) with snow baskets and exposed carbide tips in the winter, thanks to their extra stability. But adjustable ski poles will also work.

Sleep Setup

A three-season tent will work in the winter, provided you pitch it below the tree line, where t丑别谤别鈥檚 less exposure and wind, and it has strong aluminum or carbon-fiber poles and a solid rain fly. Both the ($559) and ($350) have worked well for me in snow. I try to find a dry spot to set up for the night, but if I can鈥檛, I either dig one out or pack down the snow to create a flat area with a compact avalanche shovel like the 听($70)听While I usually skip a tent footprint when backpacking in summer conditions, once things get cold I bring it for an added layer of water protection.

Look for a sleeping pad with an R-value of five or higher. However, if all you own is a light summer pad and you don鈥檛 want to invest in a heavier one, you can always add a couple R-value points by sleeping with a closed-cell foam pad underneath. I bring my ($55) with me, along with my winter pad鈥攁 Therm-a-Rest ($230)鈥攂ecause it鈥檚 great to have another warm, dry place to sit at camp.

Similarly, instead of investing in a winter sleeping bag, you can bring along a liner, like the ($63), which will add 10 to 15 degrees of warmth to your current setup. Also make sure to check the comfort rating on your bag, not just the limit鈥攖he former details what temperature you can comfortably sleep at inside the sleeping bag, while the latter indicates what temperature you can survive at inside the bag. So if your bag has a 30-degree (Fahrenheit) comfort rating, with a 15 degree limit, if you insert a liner, you should be comfortable if the temperature gets down to about 20 degrees.

My favorite tip for warming up a sleeping bag quickly: boil some water, pour it in a sturdy plastic bottle like a Nalgene, and stick it inside the foot of your bag for about 15 minutes before climbing in.

Water Filters and Cooking Utensils

Almost all water-filtration methods malfunction at below-freezing temperatures. Standard hollow-tube filters, like a Sawyer Squeeze, won鈥檛 work if they freeze. Pump filters, like my ($85), utilize glass-fiber elements that are able to withstand freezing temperatures better but are still at risk of cracking. Ultraviolet purifiers have issues with batteries malfunctioning in the cold. Chemical-purification tabs will work鈥攂ut a lot slower than other methods. Regardless of your choice, your best bet is to stash your filter in a waterproof or plastic bag and keep it close to your body鈥攊n a down jacket pocket, or wrapped in your sleeping bag鈥攁nd sleep with it at night. You should also bring some sort of insulated vessel to prevent your water from freezing. If you have a CamelBak or similar bladder system, you can buy an insulated and pouch for it.

You鈥檒l also need to keep your propane-isobutane gas canisters warm, as they can depressurize and produce a weak flame when the mercury dips below freezing. On the other hand, , while requiring more maintenance, are designed to work in even the most extreme temperatures. So if it鈥檚 going to be below freezing for multiple days at a time, you could invest in a pricier liquid-gas setup like from MSR ($170), which takes both liquid and normal gas canisters. But if the temperature is expected to stay above freezing, gas canisters should work, as long as you stow your canisters in your sleeping bag or a down jacket.

Emergency Supplies

Winter adds extra layers of backcountry safety concerns: snow can hide trail markers, lower temperatures lead to an increased risk of hypothermia, and unexpected storms can both trap you and impede rescue efforts. In cold-climate situations, the survival for how long someone can live in a wilderness setting鈥攖hree days without water, three hours without shelter, three weeks without food鈥攁re shortened to ones: one hour without shelter, a day without water, and a week without food.

For that reason, a few pieces of emergency equipment are critical to pack. If you鈥檙e going on a solo adventure, a personal locator beacon or satellite communicator, like ($350) or ($280), is particularly important. I also always carry an SOL ($17)鈥攁 good idea even on long winter day hikes鈥攁nd a lightweight shovel, which can be used to build a windbreak, clear a spot for a tent or a fire, or dig out of snow.

You also need a weatherproof way to start a fire. SOL sells ($15) and ($28) that include a manual striker (note that lighters also don鈥檛 perform well below 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and tinder, but you can create your own with a separate , , and .

Finally, carry more food than you think you鈥檒l require. Your body burns additional calories in the cold from . As a rule, I鈥檒l pack a full extra day鈥檚 worth of food that I can ration if needed, as well as high-calorie snacks like peanut butter or nuts. I also double the servings that I鈥檒l eat at mealtimes.

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Photographer Kari Medig knows snow. His hometown of Nelson, British Columbia, gets more than 450 inches of the white stuff every year. So Lesotho, a small highland country nestled entirely within the borders of South Africa (average annual snowfall: about four inches), seemed an unlikely destination for a ski trip. With climate change making for drier winters in the region, the only flurries Medig expected to see were those coming from the snowmaking equipment at , a six-run resort in the Maluti Mountains. Initially intending to capture the contrast of a single strip of white in an otherwise arid landscape, Medig was forced to recalibrate when he woke up the day after arriving in August of last year to the biggest powder dump the area had seen since 2016. 鈥淚 had to push open my door,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t had snowed a foot and a half.鈥�

Instead, Medig turned his lens on the local ski culture鈥攕uch as it is. Many people on the mountain with him that day had never seen snow before, let alone squeezed into a pair of ski boots. Throughout its 21-year history, Afriski鈥檚 single T-bar lift has served mostly South Africans and international tourists seeking out the novelty of skiing so far south on the continent. But in recent winters, especially after the resort began offering discount passes during the pandemic, that has been changing. Previously, the locals 鈥渨ere barely buying into the snow idea,鈥� says tour operator Stephan Morake, who lives in the capital city of Maseru. Morake notes that heavy snowfall was usually considered a disaster by the pastoral mountain population and the government, since it can kill livestock and trap people. Now, he says, area residents are beginning to embrace ski and snowboard culture, though it may take a while to catch on. As one 23-year-old first-timer put it to Medig that day, 鈥淭his is unlike anything I have done before.鈥�

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What do you do if you want to clean your puffy jacket, but you don鈥檛 have the machinery or materials to do so at home? Turns out, it鈥檚 pretty simple. In this episode of The Gear Shed,听in an attempt to restore a much loved and oft-abused down jacket to its former glory, we put a dirtbag method to the test鈥攁nd were impressed. Follow along to see what you need.

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Since the time of my birth in the sunny climes of Southern California, I have suffered from what I call Chronic Cold Person Syndrome. Unfortunately, adult me also suffers from a love of winter and shoulder-season outdoor activities. Needless to say, the two do not blend well, and despite owning mountaineering-grade backpacking gear鈥攊ncluding a ($400) and a sleeping pad (starting at $219)鈥攆or years I planned on frigid, sleepless nights every time I ventured into the backcountry when temps were low.

The problem is almost never my upper body鈥攖he Rab jacket atop multiple base and midlayers takes care of that鈥攂ut my legs are a different story. Despite there being numerous options for layering your torso, bottom-half insulation traditionally involves just putting thermal on top of thermal. While my Selk鈥檅ag wearable sleeping bag is my go-to choice for car camping, its bulk and weight make it less than ideal for multi-day tent-based trips.

Despite popular belief, good . Though they provide some additional warmth, even heavyweight fabrics are primarily meant for moisture management鈥攂y absorbing and wicking sweat away from your body, they prevent you from getting cold. They do little in static situations, like sleeping, where you鈥檙e not actively generating excess body heat. Instead, top-tier insulation such as down jackets work by trapping a layer of air against your body, forming a warm, gaseous cocoon.

After years of freezing my lower half, I finally discovered that there are in fact puffy jackets for legs. What a revelation! One particular pair, ($250), answered my frigid plea with the perfect combination of warmth and functionality.

The pants are the love child of two of the brand鈥檚 other offerings: its Pant ($250) and ($275). Rather than traditional horizontal baffles, the Stretchdown Pant features offset pockets of goose feathers contained within a single piece of stretchy fabric to let you move around more easily. Plus, it has fewer seams and no lines of thread that could shed warmth and down. At 9.6 ounces, the pants weigh less and pack down smaller than the heavy additional base layers I was lugging around (I stuff the pants into a sack I stole from a puffy jacket).

Slipping into the Stretchdown Pant听as the temperatures started to dip at camp was as comfortable as putting on my favorite pair of decade-old high school basketball sweatpants, but way warmer. They are far less restrictive than tight base layers, allowing some much-needed room for my legs. And jeez, are they warm. For the first time in memory, I slept soundly through subfreezing nights and even had to open up the footbox on my quilt at one point because I was roasting. While there is debate over whether to sleep in your down layers, there was no way I was taking these suckers off.

My biggest question about the Stretchdown Pant was durability. I鈥檓 a gear company鈥檚 worst nightmare: I鈥檓 tough on my stuff and I鈥檓 extremely clumsy. I鈥檝e torn holes in many a down jacket, so I figured the pants weren鈥檛 long for this world. But even after getting caught on tree branches and scratched by dog claws, the nylon-elastane combo shows no sign of wear. And I crouched down to build fires and knelt on the rocky ground without tearing a seam. They even survived an early-morning summit rock scramble with a shocking amount of maneuverability and breathability. My wool gloves, on the other hand, did not.

Beyond the backcountry, the Stretchdown Pant has served as my perfect apr猫s slip-on, my around-the-house loungewear when trying to save on heating costs, and even my running-errands-when-it鈥檚-freaking-cold-out bottoms. With their combination of toughness and adaptability, and their ability to keep me warm on chilly nights, I can confidently say they solved my Chronic Cold Person Syndrome.

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Most outdoor enthusiasts have heard of Leave No Trace, the ubiquitous guidelines for minimizing environmental impact on the trail. Now, a group of adventure activists is seeking to achieve that same level of awareness about justice and inclusion by training a new generation of recreators.

Launching in January 2022, The Outdoorist Oath is a community and educational tool designed by some household names in outdoor advocacy: multidisciplinary creator Gabaccia Moreno will oversee the organization as executive director, alongside cofounders Wyn Wiley (known also for their drag persona, Pattie Gonia); Jos茅 Gonz谩lez, founder of Latino Outdoors; and Teresa Baker, who created the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge.

The Oath is no simple list of directives. Rather, it will create a space to unite various outdoor movements and empower individuals to become allies for the planet, inclusion, and adventure. Unlike other initiatives that focus on providing guidance for institutions and companies, the Oath invites everyone鈥攆rom casual hikers to CEOs鈥攖o participate. 鈥淭he idea behind the Oath is that individual outdoorists have the power and privilege to shape the future,鈥� Wiley said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檝e realized as an outdoor community is that we need to solve these issues ourselves.鈥�

The cornerstone of the Oath is a free, two-hour workshop taught by the cofounders, where participants will unlearn problematic ideas ingrained in our culture (like racism, discrimination, and more), identify potential solutions, and learn how to implement them in their daily lives. 鈥淧articipants will learn the current trail map of our outdoor space and then develop their own unique action compass to navigate that landscape and create a path toward inclusion,鈥� Wiley said.

On top of building a sense of community and fostering broader concepts, such as our shared humanity and stake in this planet, the workshop will address practical realities, like how to react when encountering bias on the trail. Once participants complete the workshop, they will be invited to sign the Oath鈥攁 pledge to make the outdoors a safe space for all鈥攁nd have their names publicly displayed on the organization鈥檚 website. The first virtual workshop will be held on February 7.

In addition to workshops for individuals held throughout the year, organizations and businesses can hire the Oath to bring the training to their companies. 鈥淭he idea is to empower educators to teach the workshop themselves,鈥� Wiley said. 鈥淲e want this to be part of outdoor classroom curriculums everywhere: at universities, as well as through programs like NOLS, Outward Bound, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.鈥� Brands can also support the Oath by donating, sponsoring a workshop, and amplifying the message through their own platforms. 鈥淭he industry already holds the database of people who love nature and adventuring,鈥� Moreno said. 鈥淭here will be plenty of opportunities for brands to get behind the Oath and bring its message to employees and customers.鈥�

The primary focus of the Oath, however, is to empower the individual鈥攊t approaches large-scale industry change as an ecosystem with each person having a specific role to play. 鈥淭he system [of normalized oppression] is designed to make you feel powerless and not have hope, because that allows the system to continue,鈥� Gonz谩lez said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have that agency, what we鈥檙e really saying is just let it continue.鈥� The Oath will launch with some 40 outdoor industry insiders鈥攕uch as Tommy Caldwell and Ron Griswell鈥攁s founding members. But Wiley stresses that the Oath is not only aimed at seasoned outdoor advocates, but also at anyone interested in creating inclusive outdoor spaces who may be afraid to take the first step. 鈥淪o many people want to take action but are walking on eggshells because they鈥檙e afraid of messing up,鈥� Wiley said. 鈥淲e really want to create a space where people can accept where they are and recognize that we can all do better and work toward that, and failure can be a part of the process.鈥�

Another key is collaboration. In addition to signing the Oath, workshop attendees will gain access to a supportive online community (in the form of a Facebook group) for continued learning and organizing collective action events. This will create a single container to unite previously siloed outdoor movements鈥攖hose advocating for environmental action with others fighting for queer people, BIPOC, and other underrepresented groups in the outdoors鈥攁nd encourage these disparate advocacy groups to work together to create a more inclusive future. 鈥淭he potential for us to do amazing things is there, just as much if not more than our potential to do bad things,鈥� Gonz谩lez said. 鈥淲e can build a better reality鈥攁nd have fun doing it.鈥�

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Whether by plane, train, or automobile, we鈥檙e all eager to make up for lost travel time in a vaccinated world this winter. This gear will go as far as you do.听

Nixon The Hauler 35L Backpack ($130)

At 35 liters, the Hauler is the ideal size for carrying on a plane as a personal item. It fits under your seat but allows room to squeeze in extra layers, and has a separate shoe compartment so you can reserve precious checked-bag space for your boots. But the highlight is the 270-degree zipper, which lets you get into the very bottom of your pack without digging. The four external carry straps (they鈥檙e for a skateboard, but one tester used them for a snowboard and a ski jacket), removable hipbelt, and comfy back panel make this pack functional for hiking or uphilling once you reach your destination.

Bose QuietComfort Earphones ($279)

We鈥檝e raved about Bose鈥檚 noise-canceling headphones for travel before, but until now have failed to find a more portable version. These earphones blew us away with their sound quality and intuitive controls for raising and lowering volume, adjusting noise-canceling levels, and skipping through songs. Our favorite features: the automatic pause when you remove one earbud, and the way they stay put during exercise and under a ski helmet.听

Matador Laptop Base Layer Case ($60)

Base layers are a key part of any active winter wardrobe, and they should be a staple in your tech kit, too. Matador鈥檚 ripstop-nylon computer case is lightweight and waterproof (thanks to an inner drybag liner), with just enough padding to keep a laptop safe from dings and scratches on a bumpy ride without adding extra bulk. Roll the top down for full protection, or Velcro it shut for quick access in less rugged conditions.

Hitch Water Bottle ($69)

A to-go cup nests in the bottom of this vessel, with its top snugly in place on the water bottle鈥檚 lid; 颅un-nest, fill, stack, lock them together, and you can carry two drinks in one hand. Both vacuum-insulated containers come with no-spill covers that keep both beverages at ideal temperatures for several hours.

Fj盲llr盲ven Visby 3 in 1 Jacket ($550)

Technical enough for snow and sleet but stylish enough to wear around town, and ideal for changing winter conditions, the听Visby 3 in 1 combines a waterproof, PU- and DWR-coated recycled polyester shell with a removable insulated midlayer jacket. Wear them together when it鈥檚 cold, or separate them when you need less protection or less insulation. We also love the deep pockets and the flattering cut that tapers slightly at the waist, more reminiscent of a peacoat than a parka. (women鈥檚 XXS鈥揦L / men鈥檚 XS-XXL)

Dakine Split Roller 110L Luggage ($240)

Wheeled haulers are great for swallowing gear, but they come with some drawbacks: most lack organization, are difficult to store, and tip over when standing up. Not the Split Roller, which has a clamshell opening with a divided interior that makes partitioning layers easy. We also love the interior neoprene stretch panel, which accommodates bulky gear and even the most egregious of overpackers. A听collapsible bottom brace, which provides stability even when the bag is stuffed to the brim and folds down for easier storage.

Dovetail Workwear Allyson Trucker Jacket ($139)

Combine the style of a jean jacket, the functionality of a chore coat, and the coziness of your favorite flannel, and you get the Allyson. Six deep, secure buttoned and zippered pockets eliminate the need to carry a purse for small items. On a recent trip, one tester was able to fit in a phone, sunglasses, wallet, e-reader, headphones, and boarding documents without looking lumpy. Meanwhile, a super-soft cotton flannel lining makes this jacket far warmer than it appears, almost like wearing two layers in one. A plant-based stain- and water-repellent coating held up to both a drizzly day and spilled airport coffee. (women鈥檚 XS鈥�3XL)

Kodiak Kindersley Boots ($170)

The waterproof Kindersley has 200-gram PrimaLoft synthetic insulation to keep toes dry after hours in the snow. But don鈥檛 be fooled by the technical elements. Unlike your snow boots, the Kindersleys are easy to dress up, what with their classy dark-brown leather, sharp-looking metal rivets, striped red laces, and pebbled outsoles. A cozy suede tongue and springy footbed constructed from a plant-based foam make for comfortable apr猫s beer tours after a day on the slopes.

Duer All Weather Performance Denim Jeans ($199)

To test Duer鈥檚 claim of 鈥渁ny time, any place, any weather,鈥� we wore these pants hiking, biking, and sledding in snow, wind, and rain. The soft cotton-polyester-spandex blend was stretchy enough to preserve range of motion in all of those activities. Meanwhile, the wind- and waterproof inner membrane kept us surprisingly warm and dry. And, unlike other technical pants, these can be dressed up for dinner. (women鈥檚 24鈥�34 / men鈥檚 28鈥�38)

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On September 8, VF announced it had sold Eagle Creek to Travis Campbell, a long-time VF executive who was most recently the corporation’s president of emerging brands. Campbell plans to build the brand back from its new headquarters in his hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Read more about the acquisition on our sister site, the .

The travel gear industry lost a heavy hitter yesterday, as听Eagle Creek that it will shut down operations by the end of this year. Its parent company, VF Corporation, the Colorado-based conglomerate that owns other big outdoor names like the North Face and Altra,听offered scant details about the factors that led to the brand鈥檚 demise, simply saying that keeping the label running 鈥渘o longer makes strategic or financial sense.鈥� As a frequent traveler and owner of many Eagle Creek-stamped bags, I鈥檓 left to mourn the 100-liter-sized gap in high-quality, rugged travel gear.

During its almost 50听years in business, Eagle Creek,听which was started by Steve and Nona Barker in San Jacinto, California, in听1975,听became renowned in the rough-riding adventure travel community for the durability and innovative design of its luggage, backpacks, and accessories. During my time as a travel editor and gear reviewer, I鈥檝e tested more than half a dozen Eagle Creek offerings, including the bombproof Cargo Hauler duffel, the versatile carry-on, and the smart backpack. I was always impressed by the thoughtful design details: unlike some other travel brands, whose products include bells and whistles that offer little practical value, it鈥檚 clear that the minds behind Eagle Creek鈥檚 creations are travelers themselves and that they thought hard about what would actually work听best on the road. For example, the Wayfinder鈥檚 hidden tech pocket has a cord pass-through between the shoulder strap and laptop compartment for charging your phone on the go from a powerbank. I鈥檝e edited plenty of writers who swear by the brand鈥檚 hardiness, including one whose luggage has held up for over a decade. The brand鈥檚 Caldera International Carry-On, an update of the Switchback, even nabbed one of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚听coveted Gear of the Year awards.

Away from my desk and out on the road, I鈥檇 often find myself inventing items in my head that I wished existed (such as a wheeled carry-on with backpack straps and a zip-out personal item), only to find that Eagle Creek . My favorite example of this phenomenon is the packing cube. Long plagued by my two arch nemeses鈥攐verpacking and a lack of organization鈥擨 dreamt of a cube that didn鈥檛 take up precious bag space, could compress items down to half their size, and showed what was inside. Eagle Creek, of course, made this听too.

No other product in my years of testing and globetrotting has changed the way I traveled as much as this packing cube. At around two ounces each, the Pack-Its punch well above their weight when it comes to functionality鈥擨 wish I had them when I was living out of a backpack in Asia and Australia听for more than three years. The compression zippers allowed me to squeeze a week鈥檚 worth of clothes into a suitcase normally meant for a few days, saving me more than a few checked bag fees. Their stand-out feature, though, is so obvious I can鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 not standard everywhere: they鈥檙e translucent, so I can know what鈥檚 in the听cube without opening it. That, combined with the variety of sizes and styles that allows me to organize clothing by day or use, has saved me countless minutes of unpacking and repacking as I move from place to place. Practically speaking, this meant that while my mom rushed to squeeze everything back into her suitcase as we hopped hotels in Italy, I was enjoying my third espresso down in the caf茅. Hearing the news about Eagle Creek鈥檚 downfall had me wondering how many Pack-Its I could buy in bulk before they disappear forever.

Long before they perfected the packing cube, Eagle Creek started out making custom backpacks. In 2007, the company was acquired by VF Corporation,听with the goal of turning humble beginnings into a . It鈥檚 unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic鈥檚 decimation of the global travel industry had a hand in the brand鈥檚 sudden disintegration. While some jobs will be eliminated, VF Corporation says many Eagle Creek staffers will be shifted to sister brands like Jansport and Eastpak.

I, for one, will be sad to see Eagle Creek鈥檚 logo disappear from shelves; it鈥檚 one of the few luggage companies that virtually guaranteed a one-time purchase. The brand鈥檚 鈥淣o Matter What鈥� warranty鈥攚hich included replacement or repair of many products, regardless of the cause of failure鈥攚as one of the few left in the business after L.L. Bean and REI announced that they were ending similar return programs听in recent years. It鈥檚 not clear if or how VF Corporation will honor that warranty now (the company did not respond to a request for comment). Regardless, I hope that Eagle Creek鈥檚 staff will carry on the spirit of the brand鈥檚 simple-yet-significant innovations and buy-it-for-life quality at听other labels in the industry.

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