I review a lot of feathery-light outdoor kit in my job. It鈥檚 great for moving fast but isn鈥檛 super durable. To find out what鈥檚 on the other end of the spectrum, I called a list of people鈥攆rom ski patrollers to firefighters to and trail builders鈥攚ho thrash their gear on a regular basis. Here are their most durable picks.
CLC Work Gear Riveted Easy-Swivel Cap Knee Pads ($29)
Justin Bobb, a ski patroller at Taos Ski Valley in northern New Mexico, spends a lot of time kneeling while tending to skiers on the hill, so he always wears , which help with insulation. He also wears them in case he hits a rock鈥擝obb has seen several skiers shatter their kneecaps. 鈥淚t definitely helps with a psychological sense of well-being,鈥 he says. Several outdoor companies鈥攊ncluding Black Diamond and Arc鈥檛eryx鈥攎ake knee pads, but Bobb bought his at a hardware store eight years ago and says they鈥檝e worked just fine for skiing in winter and caving in summer.
Minus33 Zion Men鈥檚 Lightweight Wool Boxer ($33)
Nathan Lewis, a former wildland firefighter with the Pleasant Valley Hotshots and Prineville Hotshots out of Oregon, went commando during his first six seasons. But one day, he was cutting a burning snag that heated the zipper of his pants and鈥鈥檒l spare you the details. Needless to say, Lewis wore underwear from then on. His pair of choice were from Minus33. He liked the cut, they provided one more barrier against the heat, and they鈥檙e made from merino wool that won鈥檛 melt when it gets hot, unlike synthetic boxers, which are a big no-no on fire lines.
Dickies Original 874 Work Pants ($30)
Charlie Ebbers, currently a fellow at 国产吃瓜黑料, spends his summers as a maintenance worker on the trail crew in Glacier National Park. He鈥檚 constantly clearing jungle-like brush and working through variable weather that can swing from clear and hot to snowing in a few hours. To protect his legs, Ebbers relies on . He鈥檚 gone through only four pairs in seven seasons, unlike some competing brands that wear out in months. Ebbers also likes this style because they鈥檙e 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton, so they dry faster when things get wet. The pants are not exceptionally warm, which is a good thing in summer. When the weather turns cold, Ebbers wears a base layer underneath.
Loki Mountain Hoodie Extreme ($150)
Cole Humphrey is a forester and wildlife technician for the Michigan California Timber Company in Yreka, California. He鈥檚 worked out in the forest in the same Loki Mountain Hoodie (now called the ) for the past eight years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a relatively good rain jacket, good windbreaker, and I love the built-in mittens and the face shield. When I鈥檓 driving around on a four-wheeler, it gets really windy, and it鈥檚 nice to hide in there,鈥 Humphrey says. He melted two holes into the shoulder of the synthetic jacket while maintaining a burn pile this fall, but he鈥檚 still used it all winter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just good, durable, workwear,鈥 he says.
Danner Mountain Light II Boots ($380)
Walt Wagner owns , a New Mexico鈥揵ased shop that builds high-performance overland vehicles. He also teaches off-road driving and vehicle-recovery classes to overland drivers. While instructing (which he does everywhere from North Carolina to Arkansas to Utah), Wagner鈥檚 usually wearing these . They have a thick, one-piece leather upper that won鈥檛 tear as he鈥檚 climbing over rocks or through thorny trees and bushes. He also likes the aggressive Vibram sole that makes short work of kitty-litter rocks and slippery mud. When things get cold, Wagner likes being able to loosen the boots all the way to the toe so he can slip on a thick wool sock.