We take a look at popular outdoor retailers’ best-selling camping and hiking gear of the year
In general, I don’t tend to spend much money on clothing and non-photography related gadgets. I am comfortable enough loafing around in jeans and a t-shirt. On top of that, I hate shopping with a vengeance. If I really focus, I can avoid shopping malls for most of the year, succumbing only in the lead up to Christmas.
That said, outdoor stores are a different kettle of fish. I can while away hours wandering the aisles, leafing through maps and checking out the latest lightweight gadgets.
Outdoor stores are calmer and the staff are usually cut from the same cloth as I: active gear junkies who enjoy travelling. Outdoor stores are also the only type of outlet where I throw caution to the wind when it comes to money; I will happily overspend. In fact, all my favourite belongings were bought in an outdoor store.
Best-selling camping and hiking gear
With a new year and changing seasons come new sales and new lines. Knowing what to buy now is often best informed by what has sold well in the past. As such, we take a look at popular outdoor retailers’ best-selling camping and hiking gear from the last 12 months.
Marmot Never Summer Sleeping Bag Ellis Brigham’s best-selling winter sleeping bag is Marmot’s Never Summer. Suitable for high-altitude winter mountaineering, it is down filled, four-season, water resistant and treated to counter cold and wet conditions. |
Salomon X Alp Jacket Salomon’s most popular alpine waterproof jacket from last year is this extremely versatile and lightweight “engineered stretch fabric” outer. |
Salomon X Alp Down Hoodie Designed for use in high-altitude mountains, this down jacket from Salomon combines the unmatched warmth of down with strategically placed wicking “PrimaLoft” in areas where moisture and sweat collect. |
Salomon Ranger Softshell Jacket In the UK, this softshell from Salomon proved extremely popular with coastal and winter hillwalkers. The jacket is lightweight, comfortable against skin, sheds water and deflects the wind. |
Men’s Columbia Silver Ridge Plaid Short Sleeve Shirt This classic outdoorsman shirt protects from the sun as well as actively breathing and transmitting moisture away from the skin for cool-wearing comfort. |
Women’s Camp Henry Short Sleeve Shirt The equally popular women’s equivalent scores big points for comfort lovers in this breezy button down shirt which is great for keeping cool. |
Columbia Men’s Silver Ridge Convertible Pant These durable quick-wicking pants feature built-in sun protection and ample storage, and make an excellent choice for active days in warmer weather. |
Columbia Women’s Saturday Trail Pants These straight-leg pants with ‘Omni-Shield’ water and stain repellent fabric also feature roll-up legs that quickly convert from full-length pants to capri. |
Salomon Wayfarer Pant Ideal hiking trousers for technical hiking and climbing. The double weave fabric, close fit and stretch ripstop reinforcement have made these excellent three-season hiking trousers popular. |
Black Diamond Men’s Mercury Mitt This fully waterproof mitt can take you from harsh winter epics to summer mountaineering with ease. They have removable insulated split-finger liners to adapt quickly to changing conditions throughout the year. |
Mountain Equipment Men’s Couloir Gore-Tex Gloves Mountain Equipment’s hard-wearing favourites are these dextrous waterproof Couloir gloves which will keep your hands warm and dry for all mountain sports. |
Icebreaker Merino Liner Gloves These classic mid-weight merino liner gloves will fit under mountaineering gloves and keep hands warm during cold weather activity. |
Mountain Equipment Powerstretch Balaclava This is a close fitting balaclava for sub-zero conditions that works with everything from winter hikes to icy ascents. |
Grivel G12 New Matic Crampon Ellis Brigham’s best-selling crampons are Grivel’s 12-point crampon designed for general mountaineering and moderate ice routes. |
Salomon Trail 10L Backpack This super minimalist, balanced and efficient hydration pack for trail runners has proved popular on both sides of the Atlantic. |
Osprey Men’s Atmos 65 AG Backpack This is the most popular multi-day backpack at Backcountry.com. The Atmos AG 65 features an anti-gravity suspension system, a continuous panel of lightweight mesh from the top of the back to the hips and an adjustable harness system. |
Osprey Men’s Raptor 10 Hydration Pack An excellent hydration system that features a three-litre reservoir that conforms to your back even when full, resulting in a stable and comfortable fit. |
Osprey Packs Poco Child Carrier Not much use to us, but the Poco Plus is the best-selling child carrier with built-in sun shade and lots of pocket space for essential gear. |
Big Agnes Tumble 2 Person mtnGLO Tent The best-selling tent on REI.com features built-in lighting, a streamlined design and a super-simple setup. |
Marmot Limelight 3 Person Tent This Marmot tent is the best-selling tent at Backcountry.com. It has ample space and an easy-access super-sized double door. It also comes with a handy gearloft. |
Tentsile Tree Tent Hammock with Rainfly and Removable Roof Half hammock, half tent, this roomy arboreal dwelling can be positioned between three sturdy trees. It provides 80 square feet of sleeping space and 100 square feet of protection from the sun and rain. |
Eagles Nest Outfitters – DoubleNest Hammock Lightweight and space saving, this hammock is ideal for ultralight backpackers. It can safely support a maximum capacity of 180kg (400lb). |
Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Hiking Boot The Newton Ridge was Amazon’s most popular hiking boot for both men and women last year. A mix of leather and synthetic materials make for a highly waterproof boot. |
Merrell Moab 2 Waterproof Hiking Shoe Likewise, Merrell provided Amazon’s most popular walking shoe for both men and women last year, made from a high-performance mix of suede leather and mesh. |
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter An easy to use water filter. The LifeStraw removes a minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne parasites. Each straw filters 1,000 litres of water. |
Sawyer Products SP128 Mini Water Filtration System Another excellent water filter system. The Sawyer is more expensive than the LifeStraw but can filter much more water: up to 450,000 litres! |
YETI Rambler 30oz Stainless Steel Tumbler This stainless steel flask claims to retain hot and cold beverage temperatures for twice as long as other flasks and thermals. |
Camelbak Chute Water Bottle The ever-popular Chute water bottle has a larger mouth for fast water flow. Its invisible vent valve protects against leakage and its hinged mouthpiece is drip free. |
Hausbell 7W Ultra Bright Mini LED Flashlight Tactical Flashlight A super-bright 300 lumens output with three settings (bright/dim/strobe) to suit all uses. It also features a skid-proof design and is water resistant. |
LE Headlamp LED, 4 Modes Headlight Batteries are included! The beam distance is 7m (20ft) on the brightest setting and the illuminating area is wide enough for running or trail walking. |
Etekcity Portable Outdoor LED Camping Lantern Lightweight, durable and powerful, the Etekcity camping lantern uses 30 low powered LED bulbs to provide 360 degrees of luminous light. 4-pack available. |
Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System An innovative and fuel-efficient camping stove. Unlike classic stoves, this self-contained unit eliminates the issues of an open burner and takes the guesswork out of a quick meal. |
Camping Cookware Mess Kit This is the best-selling camping and hiking product in Amazon’s campfire cookware department and is overwhelmingly the best reviewed. The 10-piece mess kit comes with everything you could possibly need and collapses into a small bundle for storage. |
Coleman Cooler Quad Portable Camping Chair With over 4,000 reviews, this is by far the most popular camping chair on Amazon. The cooler built into the armrest holds up to four cans and provides easy access to a cold drink when the one in your mesh cup holder is empty! |
Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp Mattress Large One of the most popular and affordable sleeping pads across several outdoor retailers. The pad is self inflating and comes with a stuff sack. |
Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife This will never go out of fashion! Compact enough to fit in your pocket or hook to your key fob, the 2¼” Classic SD is the premier Swiss Army Knife; functional, versatile and always there when you need it. |
DeftGet First Aid Kit DeftGet’s 163-piece waterproof and portable medical emergency kit is the best-selling on Amazon. |
HotHands Hand Warmers HotHands warmers are single use air-activated heat packs that keep extremities warm during low temperatures. You may wish to opt for the Zippo Re-usable hand warmer instead. |