The Coolest Pieces of Gear We Tested This Week

These Saga GTX boots continue the trend in making backpacking boots lighter and more flexible without the tedious break-in time. The high and soft collar lends great ankle support, giving the boot a comfy basketball high-top feel that makes trudging down a trail easier. To stabilize and add durability to the upper, Vasque mated a featherweight synthetic textile to a Nubuck leather band and TPU toe guard, heel guard, and yoke. Right out of the box we put it through its paces on a long and dusty trek up the dirt road to Black Bear Pass outside of Telluride, Co., where it sailed over slick rocks and knobby boulders with ease—and no blisters. A scramble to the top of Red Mountain No. 3’s 12,890 feet completed its mountain goat bona fides. — Adam Bible, Contributor

[$230; vasque.com]

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