Best of Gear Advisor: Trail Running

March 13, 2015

by Billy Brown
Best of Gear Advisor: Trail Running

At Active Junky, we’re gold miners. We sift through the latest gear like it was 1849, but instead of swirling water over dirt and rocks, we carefully examine products to pull the bona fide from the bogus – so that you don’t have to. The culmination of months and months of product testing, this comprehensive Gear Advisor list of trail running shoes, accessories, hydration packs, and apparel meets Active Junky’s gold standard. So here you go: gear that withstood the rigors of ruthless tests and the criticism of equally ruthless testers.

Best of Shoes

Wheels are to the car what shoes are to the runner. You might have the best engine money can buy, but without wheels, that fine automobile is stuck on cinderblocks. Shoes are the point of contact, square one, undoubtedly the most important piece of gear for any runner.

Under Armour UA Grit Off-Road

Under Armour UA Grit Off-Road Starting at: $61.12

From the second that our testers put on UnderArmour’s Grit Off Road shoes, the “Best Of” title was theirs to lose. A lush insole, highly responsive midsole, and wide, comfortable toebox made for the perfect blend of speed and comfort.

La Sportiva Bushido

La Sportiva Bushido

One look at La Sportiva’s Bushido trail runners, and you know they’re tough. The bolstered toecap protected toes when our testers booted rocks on the trail, and the reinforced upper vented hot air and drained water without compromising sturdiness.

Dynafit Pantera GTX 

Dynafit Pantera GTX

Dynafit’s Pantera shoes are speed demons. We logged our best times in these shoes as a result of the reactive midsole, as well as the confidence that came with the protective and tacky rubber tread.

Best of Accessories

“Accessories” is such a wide-open category that we had a hard time singling out what we wanted to cover, but once we narrowed it down to a few impressive pieces, picking the cream of the crop was no problem. Here are our favorite running accessories. 

Oakley Chainlink w/ Fire Iridium Lens

Oakley Chainlink

Oakley’s Chainlink w/ Fire Iridium look as at home behind the wheel as they do sprinting through singletrack. The gold-colored Fire Iridium lenses added some pop to the understated frame design, but the way the Chainlink stayed locked onto our faces during sweaty, bumpy runs was what truly won our vote.

Garmin Fenix 2 

Garmin Fenix 2

Garmin’s Fenix 2’s list of features could (and does) fill a book, but the highlight of this wrist-mounted navigation system is that it’s so simple to use, you can track your runs without a glance at the manual.

Jaybird Blubuds X

Jaybird Bluebuds X

Jaybird’s Blubuds X wireless headphones let us listen to music cord-free for 8-hours per charge, and the silicone “wings” on the buds kept the headphones from falling out while we ran.

Best of Hydration

There aren’t any water fountains in the wild. Unless you’re willing to risk drinking from the creeks you run across, you’re going to need to haul water during a run. Hydration is a must, and after years of submitting to sub par gear, some runners have accepted the idea that so to is suffering. These hydration solutions will shake pre-conceived notions that long-distance hydration is tantamount to water torture.

UltraSpire Ribos

UltraSpire Ribos

A welcome alternative to traditional hydration reservoir packs, Ultraspire’s Ribos pack carries two 26-ounce water bottles in holsters on your lower back, offering a lower center of gravity as and reduced sloshing.

Salomon S-Lab Advanced Skin Hydro 12 Set 

Salomon S-Lab Advanced Skin Hydro 12 Set

Salomon’s S-Lab Advanced Skin Hydro 12 Set is our top choice for long hauls in the mountains. In addition to a conventional reservoir, the technical pack tucks away two Hydraflask soft bottles on the shoulder straps, and offers six storage pockets that are all accessible on the go.

Gregory Women’s Pace 3 Hydration Pack

Gregory Women’s Pace 3 Hydration Pack

Gregory Women’s Pace 3 Pack won the admiration of fierce lady testers with its women’s-specific fit and adjustable strap system. The pack made it through miles on the trail without bouncing, and it was tough enough to survive a Tough Mudder Race without falling to pieces.

Best of Tops

It sounds easy to get a running shirt right – just make it breathe well and dry quickly. However, some companies haven’t got the memo. Superior materials and improved features set these tops ahead of the pack, and the runners who wear them in a comparable first-place position.

Super Natural SS Tee

Super Natural SS Tee Starting at: $23.87

Super.Natural’s Base Tee 140 blew us away with their merino wool/synthetic fiber blend. It was as soft as cotton, but it dried faster and breathed better. Odor protection pushed it to the top of the list – one tester ran for six days straight without excess stink.

Pearl iZumi Fly Jacket

Pearl iZumi Fly Jacket Starting at: $81.13

Pearl iZumi Fly Jacket blocked wind and light rain, and the Barrier fabric vented excess heat and internal moisture well, but the open armpit vents (no zippers) and the mitts sewn into the sleeves gave it an edge over the competition.

The North Face Better Than Naked Tee

The North Face Better Than Naked Tee $46.96 - $47.71

In the realm of pure synthetic tops, it’s hard to beat The North Face’s Better than Naked shirt. The soft polyester shirt sports a stripe of venting up the back of the shirt that spread to shoulder-width, making it the best warm-weather t-shirt that we tested.

Best Of Bottoms

Bottoms are crucial to the trail-runner. They protect us from overgrown brambles, chaffing, and everything in between. Upgrade your running kit with these failsafe options.

Arc’teryx Soleus Shorts

Arc'teryx Soleus Short - Men's $83.66 - $85.00

We loved Arc’teryx’s Soleus Shorts for their comfortable brief liner and open, airy feel, but their storage options pushed them to the top of our list as the best shorts. The three back mesh pockets were spacious enough to haul energy gels and a lightweight jacket, and the zippered hip pocket kept our car keys safe. No pack? No worries.

Adidas Adistar ¾ Women’s Tights

Adidas Adistar 3/4 Women's Tights

Compression tights usually have a somewhat restrictive feel to them, but Adidas Adistar 3/4 Tights rode a fine line between support and comfort that earned the nod for best tights. Our tester felt support on her quads during long runs and workouts, but noted that they were soft enough that she would forget she was wearing them. 

Salomon Park 2-in-1 Shorts

Salomon Park 2-in-1 Shorts

A super-soft boxer brief liner and 8-inch inseam made Salomon’s Park 2-in-1 Shorts a great fit for just about any activity, from trail running and cross training to hiking and rock climbing. These shorts are our pick for best do-it-all shorts.

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