1- BEST BACKPACKING PACK
Gregory Maven 65 $250
When it comes to fit, the
Maven 65 and its men’s
equivalent, the Paragon
68, glommed onto our back
immediately and stayed
put. Gregory accomplishes
this with its new FreeFloat
Hybrid suspension system,
which includes two mesh
panels attached to the hip
belt that allowed the pack
to move with us exception-
ally well, especially as we
were hiking quickly. The
back ventilation could be
better, but we’ll take a com-
fortable sweaty pack over
an unwieldy one any day. - BEST HIKING SOCK
Farm to Feet
Cascade Locks $23
We’ve t est ed more t ha n
20 hiking socks in the
past year and have yet
to find one to dethrone
the Cascade Locks. The
three-quarter crew fits
snugly, thanks to slight
compression and the plait-
ing—the sock’s soft merino
wool sandwiches stretchy
nylon yarns that grip and
f lex with your foot. Tar-
geted padding on the top of
the foot and under the heel
adds a nice cushion.
HIKING
Sturdy boots, comfortable
packs, and one classy mug.2TR
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