Gear Shed: Thanksgiving Selects

Move over pumpkin spice, check these gear selections from ML staff and partners to liven up your Thanksgiving and the rest of October.

Beyond Alpha Aura Jacket

The Alpha Aura Jacket is made with Polartec Alpha Direct, perfect for high-intensity outdoor activities such as hiking, mountaineering and ski-touring. The highly compressible insulation is up to 50% lighter and more packable than the average fleece. The breathable, lofted-knit fleece fabric allows longer wear through a wider range of activities and environments. www.beyondclothing.com Note: Beyond is planning to ship to Canadian shoppers by December 2023.

Columbia Facet 75 Alpha OutDry Shoe

The new Facet 75 Alpha OutDry (available for women and men) is incredibly lightweight and supportive. This mid-cut hiker powers up your footfalls thanks to its trail-running DNA (i.e., a thick helping of featherlight, responsive midsole foam for enhanced heel-toe transition). Plus it’s breathable when you’re working hard—and unlike some breathable footwear, it’s also highly protective, with outer “armour” panels (that feel a bit like Kevlar) intersecting the mesh upper to protect you on the toughest trails, plus a generous toecap. www.columbiasportswear.ca

Danner Jag Loft

Whether you’re chilling after a long day of shredding, or fetching firewood from the backyard, the versatile Jag Loft (available for women and men) offers premium warmth and comfort indoors or out. A suede and textile upper is insulated for a slipper-like feel. The collapsible heel lets you step into them easily when you’re in a rush or your hands are full. A lightweight EVA midsole provides cushioned comfort, and the grippy outsole helps you keep your footing on frozen ground. www.global.danner.com

Dometic HUB 2 Redux

Featuring innovative design and functionality, the HUB 2 REDUX ensures fast shelter whenever you need it. An all-new lightweight polyester—woven with recycled plastic bottle yarn—is high-performance and extremely reliable. The HUB 2 utilizes smart weight-saving features and patented AIR Frame technology, forming a compact pack size perfect for carrying on your back or throwing in the trunk of your car, ready for your next adventure. Weighs under 9 KG. Includes removable, toggle-in groundsheet, also made of recycled plastic. Buy Dometic products in Canada at Rack Attack.

LaCrosse Alpha Evolution

The Alpha Evolution boasts tactical-level features designed to enhance your performance across the board. Nothing was spared nothing in the making of this ultra-premium boot. With advanced elements like Vibram XS TREK outsole—a non-marking, technical rubber compound that delivers optimal traction on wet surfaces in addition to responsiveness on unpredictable terrain—the Alpha Evolution provides superior capability and comfort for discerning hunters and outdoorists. www.lacrossefootwear.com

Related content:

Ortovox Swisswool Piz Badus Jacket

Here’s a lightweight jacket you’ll want to wear every day this fall and winter. The outer layer of the Swisswool Piz Badus Jacket (available for men and women) is made of quilted, breathable and wind-resistant Tec Stretch material, while a lightweight Swisswool lining keeps you warm and comfy without restricting movement. The performance fit with ergonomic sleeve shape and side inserts made of elastic Merino fleece ensures an ideal fit for every situation, while the pre-adjusted hood offers additional protection. www.ortovox.com

PAKA Performance 3/4 Crew Socks

PAKA’s Performance 3/4 Crew Socks highlight their latest innovations with alpaca fiber. This amazing natural material, born in the Andes, is a performance powerhouse: it’s odor-resistant, moisture-wicking and thermoregulating. Alpaca’s low moisture retention rate of 8% (typical wool is 18%) helps to keep feet dry and comfortable for the long haul. The Performance 3/4 Crew Sock incorporates an ultrafine alpaca yarn diameter for a soft, non-itchy and highly durable multisport sock, with a padded heel and ankle. www.pakaapparel.com

Patagonia Kids‘ Down Sweater Vest

With an updated, versatile fit, the Kids’ Down Sweater Vest is a cold-weather standby that never goes out of style. And if you needed more reasons to buy one, they’re here: the vest boasts a NetPlus 100% postconsumer recycled nylon ripstop shell made from recycled fishing nets to help reduce ocean plastic pollution; it’s insulated with compressible 600-fill-power 100% recycled down; and it features a PFC-free DWR finish (durable water repellent coating that does not contain perfluorinated chemicals). www.patagonia.ca

The North Face Circaloft Jacket

Circaloft is TNF’s new lightweight, highly packable, synthetic insulation line. The Women’s Circaloft Jacket has an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, fully recycled body fabrics and the ability to stow in its right-hand pocket (or external stuffsack). As one of TNF’s Circular Design styles, solid color options are made with sustainably conscious materials and recyclable upon return. www.thenorthface.com

ZEAL Cloudfall Goggle

The new Cloudfall is ZEAL’s first spherical lens goggle to combine two of the brand’s groundbreaking technologies. The Rail Lock System (RLS) boasts a rimless frame design for unsurpassed peripheral vision and a dual sliding rail system that guides, slides and locks your lens easily and securely. (I.e., you can change the lens in about five seconds.) And, taking a page from the physics behind structures like air traffic control towers, Observation Deck Technology (ODT) is the first goggle system that replicates the eagle’s view of the mountains, to help you see every inch of the line below you, with 20% more field of vision than a traditional goggle. www.zealoptics.com

You might also like:

Check the ML Podcast!