The 2026 Men’s Health Outdoor Awards

A renewed take on Teva’s OG hiking sandal, the XLT3 boasts an extra five millimeters of foam to make it even more comfy for all-day pursuits. Even with less shoe, you still get a serious lug pattern and secure straps for any terrain (it held up well in Zion National Park during testing), making it ideal for the beach, the backcountry, and everything in between.

With a deft combination of understated, street-friendly style and rugged off-road chops, the MTN45 is one travel shoe to rule them all. It’s built to be just as comfortable exploring city streets and urban trails as it is in more challenging backcountry environs, thanks to a cushy EnduroFoam Plus midsole and an ultra-sticky Vibram outsole.

Weighing just 11.5 ounces, these fixed-length folding trekking poles are perfect for casual walks or serious adventures. And you also get the quality and durability of a DAC aluminum alloy from a reputable brand. Bonus: The collapsible, travel-friendly design means they also pack down to a carry-on-ready 13.7 inches in length.

Hoka brings its signature “max comfort” design to the trail-ready Mafate Hike Boot. The running-inspired hiker is light on the foot (at just over 1.5 pounds for the pair!), with a rugged but featherweight Matryx mesh upper that breathes easy while offering plenty of ankle support for more technical backcountry trails (like the 10-plus-mile hike we did in Patagonia in these). Plus, the one-piece Vibram Megagrip outsole keeps you surefooted on any terrain.

One of Arc’teryx’s fastest trail shoes yet, the Sylan 2 is built for speed, with a rockered midsole featuring a new supercritical foam for maximum forward movement. A carbon plate provides extra propulsion while reducing foot fatigue, but we have found these to be plenty stable on any off-road surface.

The next-gen Ultrafly takes everything we loved about Nike’s original “trail racer” to a new level. The upgraded foam is softer, more durable, and more responsive, while a new full-length carbon fiber plate allows for more give on the trail while providing the same durability and underfoot protection. The Vibram Megagrip outsole with traction lugs is purpose-built to keep your feet planted, even on the nastiest terrain.

Like-seamless construction and perfect stretch already make Gordini’s foray into hiking socks a win. Add in the all-day comfort, bolstered arch support, and breathable, moisture-wicking Merino (we’re talking tested dry after 12 hours), and you’ve got some of the best hiking socks we’ve ever worn.

Not all daypacks are created equal. Gregory’s new-for-2026 Arrio 24 excels in light walks or full-day treks thanks to featherweight construction, an off-the-back mesh panel, and a shoulder harness. The slightly extended size and internal hydration sleeve make it even more versatile, capable of carrying only what you need without the bulk.

For a trail shoe that can go from the street to offroad, the new Agility Peak 6 is a big winner. It’s got plenty of tread and support for the trails with a Vibram Megagrip outsole and a rock plate. But with a lightweight design (just 10 ounces per shoe) and a FloatPro foam midsole, it’s plenty comfy for all-day wear without missing a beat. Bonus: It’s vegan-friendly too.

Part ultra-minimalist daypack, part hydration pack, Nathan’s aptly named QuickStart is a day hike (or speed hike) champ. It boasts mesh paneling to keep it light and breezy, a 1.5-liter bladder with push-pull bite valve, and plenty of extra pockets and elastic systems to stash your essentials on the trail.

Built for serious performance, these sunglasses boast a sporty wraparound design that provides ultimate coverage. With a lightweight nylon frame, adjustable rubber grips on the temples, and Vuarnet’s signature mineral glass lenses (with or without a prescription), you get optical perfection with buy-it-for-life durability.

Mountain Hardwear leans hard into the ultralight trend this year with the absurdly light Alakazam. The 45-liter capacity is room enough for both gear-heavy day hikes and overnights, while the sub-two-pound construction means it feels like wearing nothing at all. It’s all thanks to the bleeding-edge ALUULA shell fabric, which is not only light but extremely durable. (A 60-liter option is also available)

The Kestrel LT is Osprey’s reimagining of the classic rucksack design. This is the one pack to buy if you’re going to buy just one. It’s rugged, breathable, and lightweight with a 45-liter capacity that’s more than enough for most hikers on all but the longest multiday treks. Plus, the price point hits the midrange sweetspot, ensuring it’s affordable enough for most.

The all-new Katabatic RT GTX offers the fast, light design of a rigid trail runner with the ruggedness and durability of a mid-height hiking boot. It’s somehow both and neither. The next-gen design is the first to blend Solarcore and GoreTex Invisifit technologies, ensuring feet stay dry and warm in all but the nastiest conditions. Oboz’s clever Quicklace system and large tongue loop make for easy donning/doffing, even when wearing gloves.

The PackFlask+ adds 750 milliliters of filtered water to the front of any pack, with a mesh pouch that makes for easy, hands-free hydration with the included flask. The blended synthetic construction maximizes durability while keeping the weight to just four ounces empty, so you won’t even notice it’s there when your water’s gone.

If you’re looking to go ultralight with your bag, look no further than this Spoon silhouette option from Nemo; it’s generously sized to allow for comfortably shifting sleeping positions. Providing that and 15- or 30-degree-rated warmth is rare for a bag that weighs less than three pounds.

This new minimalist stove from Jetboil redefines how easy (and packable) a hot meal or a cup of coffee can be. The easy-on/off lid is designed for cooking, and when you need more capacity, the burner can still accommodate larger third-party cookware. A built-in turn-and-click igniter works with Jetboil’s proprietary regulator for the most precise heat control of any backcountry stove we’ve tested.

Breakthroughs in the cooler space don’t happen often, so Coleman’s newest line is certainly worthy of the word innovative. Hard coolers are notoriously difficult to store (and travel with), but the 35-, 45-, and 55-quart options in the all-new Snap ’N Go line all collapse to a third of their size, while we found they still keep your bacon and beers cold up to 50 hours.

Eliminating the need for a tent and a sleeping pad, the Spectre is both in one (plus a hammock!). Easy to set up, it provides lie-flat comfort for a good night’s sleep in a true ultralight package. Plus, Haven’s catalog of accessories—pillows, lights, insulated pad covers, and more—allows you to kit it out for legit four-season camping in the backcountry.

When you need to source safe water in any backcountry situation, this modular filter system from industry leader LifeStraw is an easy go-to. The multipurpose design lets it work as a drinking straw, a 650-milliliter collapsible squeeze bottle, or a three-liter gravity system, with a hose to filter water wherever you go.

With just two DAC Featherlight NFL poles, this ultralight tent from Mountain Hardwear is super easy to pack, set up, and break down. Weighing less than four pounds packed, it still provides plenty of space for two people and all their gear—all easily accessible via two doors with dry-entry vestibules and dual sliders.

A camp pillow that’s both ultralight and actually comfortable is a unicorn. The Aeros combines brushed recycled fabric with an 11-centimeter height that makes it feel good against the skin while eliminating the dreaded “neck crick” common with most camp pillows. Cleverly designed, it weighs just two ounces and packs down to about the size of an egg, making it perfect for speed hikers.

When you’re obsessive about pack size and weight, every cubic inch and ounce matter. The updated ComplEAT fork combines a traditional spork shape with a built-in silicone scraper to get every last morsel out of your cookware. Plus, it folds in half and weighs less than 0.6 ounces to satisfy even the most fanatical ultralight hikers.

This three-piece collection is a near-perfect cook set for two, featuring a collapsible kettle and two cups that all nest inside one another, measuring just two inches high by six inches around. We’ve found that with a total weight of less than 11 ounces, it’s perfectly sized for any backcountry camping setup.

Helinox basically invented the collapsible camp chair, and this latest iteration is its best yet. Proprietary GhostGrid mesh and a DAC aluminum frame keep it insanely light at just over a pound, all while supporting up to 265 pounds. A new X-strap connects all four legs for maximum rigidity and support, particularly in soft or sandy terrain.

Exped’s all-new Ultra 6.5 is designed to be the go-to mat for ultralight backcountry activities in any season. It packs down to just a bit larger than a standard water bottle and weighs less than a pound (for the medium size). Fully inflated, it’s surprisingly roomy and comfortable, with a 6.5 R-value to keep you insulated in even the coldest winter climes.

Not the first sleeping bag to provide ultimate temperature regulation and versatility with a flap-and-snap system, but the Marmot Wraptor is the first to offer lighter-weight construction at under four pounds. It’s both a sleeping bag and a camp quilt—and neither.

Leave it to Yeti to take its legendary rugged outdoor chair and rethink it with a frame that packs down to 37 by 3.6 inches. No, it’s not an ultralight chair (though it is Yeti’s lightest), but it’s about as sturdy and comfy a packable chair as you could ever want for your car camping adventures. We found it’s how Yeti does a chair in the most minimal way possible.

The Widesky offers everything we love about Thule’s already great rooftop tents, including a sleek design, ultra-durable construction, and a dead-simple install process. But this all-new model adds a clever mattress that converts futon-style into a legit camp couch. The entire tent also pitches in less than 30 seconds, one of the fastest setup times of any RTT we’ve ever tested.

Part duffel, part tote, all versatility. This latest offering from Rux adds another option to the company’s fantastic outdoor storage catalog. It ditches the typical zippers in favor of a quick and easy roll-top closure that makes setup and breakdown at camp lightning fast while the bag still utilizes the Rux ecosystem for maximum internal organization.

Camp chairs are great, but camp loungers are even better. The Xuno offers all the features of your favorite lounge chair, including a cushy design and integrated head- and footrests. Plus, it’s extra breathable to help keep you cool on hot and sticky summer days.

For the family that needs a little more room at the campsite, the Westward 6 offers a generous floor plan with a 77-inch peak height and an oversize vestibule/porch area. We also love that it pitches and breaks down easier than most other larger tents we’ve tested.

Nite Ize brings true hands-free illumination to your campsite with the simple Radiant Flex lamp. The magnetic base attaches instantly to car exteriors, metal coolers, and other camp gear, while the gooseneck design allows you to position the light exactly where you need it.

Oyster’s fantastic iceless cooler gets even better for 2026. The upgraded Tempo Pro model adds a built-in, lid-mounted display to check real-time internal and external temperatures. It’s a deceptively simple feature that helps your cold goods stay cold longer without needing to open the cooler to check the temp periodically.

Goal Zero gives its middle-of-the-range Yeti 1500 a serious upgrade. The sixth-generation model is more powerful, charges up to 10 times faster, and now features IPX4 weather resistance for better off-grid durability. Plus, the battery is built to last significantly longer, up to 4,000 battery cycles.

The Basecamp 24″ hits the sweet spot size-wise, making it the perfect firepit for home and away. It’s portable enough for impromptu camping trips, but wide enough to seat four around. And it still boasts the same bulletproof smokeless design we’ve come to love from every Solo Stove.

The largest soft-sided cooler in Dometic’s new Recon lineup is perfectly sized for daylong trips to the beach and weekend adventures in the woods. It’s lightweight, leak resistant, and plenty rugged. A zipper-free design makes for easy access, and the proprietary FrostCore insulation keeps up to 35 cans cold for days.

This multifunction, compact headlamp offers a rechargeable 1,000 lumens for any task. The ultra-versatile design allows you to wear it as a headlamp or on your hat with the hat clip, hold it like a light, or stick it to a surface with the magnetic base.

Nestout brings its own brand of understated minimalism to your campsite with the Gear Case. It’s lightweight, yet plenty rugged to survive outdoor abuse, making it perfect for digital nomads, travelers, photographers, and weekend front-country camp warriors.

Like many of Gerber’s multitools, the new Stakeout Drive is everything you need and nothing you don’t. It’s 10 of the most essential tools—pliers, a plain-edge blade, scissors, a flip bit driver—in one. A built-in carabiner makes it easy to clip to your belt or pack so you’re always ready.

Setting a new standard for GPS adventure watches, the Coros Nomad offers dual-frequency GPS with ultrafast touchscreen navigation. The adventure journal allows you to document your treks and not just track them. And power for 22 days of daily use and 50 hours with GPS is plenty for you to go way off-grid.

Garmin elevates its industry-standard InReach yet again with a long list of must-have features. It’s infinitely easier to use with a crisp, color touchscreen for real texting and photo/voice messaging. Plus, the latest version boasts up to 350 hours of battery life with 10-minute tracking.

Don’t let the cute, colorful design fool you. The flagship binoculars in Nocs’s Field Issue line boasts legit 10×42 optics with crystal-clear glass, perfect for birdwatching, hunting, or scoping out your next summit track even in low-light situations. Bonus: They’re 100 percent waterproof.

Vids or it didn’t happen. The DJI Osmo 360 is the one action camera to pack when you only want to pack one. The one-inch 360-degree sensor offers native 8K recording and up to 120fps in 4K, allowing you to capture every second of your outdoor adventures from every angle simultaneously.

What it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in big, booming sound. It’s smaller than a toaster, but still packs a 4.5-inch speaker, wireless stereo pairing, and a seriously powerful amp. Plus, it’s IP67-rated for maximum water, dust, and shock protection in the outdoors.

For long pursuits, these lightweight shorts feature The North Face’s Flashdry fabric and Lightrange tech for staying dry, odor-free, and protected from the sun. The internal brief liner is comfier than most (even when it’s hot out), and power-mesh pockets offer secure storage for your essentials.

For when you need a tough shirt for tough fun, Proof’s newest tee features a micro-grid structure that promotes airflow and dumps heat like a champ. It also offers Proof’s iconic anti-odor effectiveness for maximum re-wearability—for outdoor adventurers who like to pack light. We wore this one three days in a row on warm summer alpine hikes in Norway and never stunk ourselves out.

Patagonia’s featherlight mid-layer features 20 grams of FullRange recycled polyester insulation, making this pullover an über-packable option that’s guaranteed to keep you cool, calm, and collected even when the going gets hot.

Highly breathable, lightweight, and offering plenty of stretch, these hybrid shorts from Outdoor Research will suffice for just about any warm-weather hiking you can imagine. The UPF 30 fabric keeps your thighs protected, and Bluesign-approved materials mean you can feel good about wearing them, too.

You don’t need to go “full sun hat” to get proper sun protection. This little number from Mountain Hardwear packs up super small, is easy to adjust with a cord, offers UPF 50 protection, and dries in an instant. Plus, the lightweight, stretch fabric is comfy enough for all-day wear. This has been our go-to when the sun is beaming.

Built for mountaineering and extreme outdoor enthusiasts, this lightweight fleece has one of the best warmth-to-weight ratios of any we tested this year. It’s quick-drying to keep you comfy even in wet weather, and the helmet compatibility ensures it fits well whether you’re skiing or peak bagging. On alpine hikes, it was our favorite layer for keeping us from having to constantly shed and put back on.

Light weight and UPF protection are critical on warm, sunny days, and REI’s Flash Shade Hoodie delivers both. Performance grid fabric maximizes breathability and dries fast, keeping you not only cool but dry. Thumbholes on the sleeves ensure a snug fit.

Few things ruin an outdoor escape like bitey bugs. The Wilder Pant (like everything in this collection from Royal Robbins) features built-in Mosquito Protection Technology to keep skeeters at bay without harsh insect repellents.

The Beta AR Jacket is still the industry-standard hard-shell, but Arc’teryx sought to make it even better. The latest iteration adds Gore-Tex Pro ePE, which offers the same wet-weather protection but without the nasty PFAS (“forever”) chemicals found in lesser waterproof jackets.

Not all windbreakers are created equal. The Tek Approach Jacket combines bulletproof wind-blocking fabric with a DWR finish for solid water repellency when the weather takes an unexpected turn. Bonus: It’s made with plenty of eco-friendly recycled materials too.

For those hard-to-judge days when you’re faced with three (or even four) seasons in a single outing, there’s Marmot’s PrimaLoft Evolve Aerothermal Hoody. It’s lightweight and packable but with just-right high-loft fleece insulation, making it the perfect “just in case” layer we’ve found.

These boxer briefs are the ideal first layer whether you’re going hard at the gym or in the backcountry. The design combines all the best features of soft Merino wool with TENCEL Lyocell fibers for maximum breathability, moisture wicking, and odor resistance, making this the best underwear we’ve tested this year.

When the going gets seriously wet, you need proper waterproof pants. The Whistler Peak Pants not only keep the rain off you, but they’re also breathable and abrasion resistant, with built-in boot guards. Zippered ankles make for easy donning/doffing, and a leg pocket provides a dash of bonus storage space.

When every ounce matters, the Deploy Down 0.5 Pullover Hoody delivers. It’s the world’s lightest down hoodie at just 148 grams, making it the ideal insulating layer for fastpackers and ultralight enthusiasts who take their pack weight very seriously.