Fly Fishing Shoe: Five-Ten Water Tennie
Nothing is more ridiculous than switching shoes to go from the trail to water. Enter the Water Tennie—the king of multi-purpose water shoes. A comfy mesh and neoprene upper is blended with the super grippy Stealth Rubber soul, for a shoe that’s as comfortable in the water as on the trail. Stealth Rubber is grippy as hell, like a salamander clinging to a wet rock, and it’s quickly replacing the old school felt bottoms of fly-fishing shoes. On a number of trips, the Water Tennies went from fishing the banks to scrambling up mid-stream boulders with no issues whatsoever. $120; fiveten.com
United by Blue Wilderness Bottle
Every damn water bottle I carry around for more than a few weeks inevitably starts leaking. Not so with the United by Blue Wilderness bottle. The BPA-free bottle is made here in the States from recycled aluminum. The quarter-turn cap is easy to use and never leaks even a drip. Best of all, United by Blue pledges to remove one pound of trash for every product sold. $22.
TASC Traverse Plaid Shirt
Synthetic shirts stink and they’re made from petroleum. Bamboo is better. The all-natural fiber doesn’t smell and doesn’t contribute to fossil fueled destruction. The durable Traverse Plaid shirt is built for rugged wear, full sun protection, and protection from the harshest elements, yet it’s lightweight, breathable, and extremely comfy. $46. Tascperformance.com
Olympia RG850 Flashlight
This waterproof, impact resistant handheld flashlight features, including a strobe and SOS setting for emergency situations. It puts out a powerful beam of 850 lumens, enough to illuminate an entire camp area. The RG850 features a handy micro-USB charging port to recharge the battery. $90. olympiaproducts.com
Patagonia Long Haul Western Shirt
This looks like an office shirt, but it’s actually designed by ultra runners. It’s super breathable, thanks to well-placed vents, dries quickly and looks better than anything else in my gear closet. The kicker, though, is the use of Polygiene antimicrobial treatment, which inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria on the shirt. Less post-trail funk is a good thing. I also like to stash M&Ms in a front chest pocket. $89. patagonia.com
