Autumn is one wonderful time to go outside. The leaves change color in Vermont and the strong summer temperatures extend (only slightly) to west Texas. In almost every area of the United States it’s nice to do a tent or take a hike in the fall. Make sure your bed is comfortable and that your feet are well cared for when you go out on the trails.
Some of our favorite retailers, including REI and Backcountry, hold Labor Day sales to help keep you warm, dry, and well-fed as mercury and leaves begin to fall. If you need some ideas on what to get, don’t forget to check out our shopping guides on the best camping gear, the best tents and the best camping stoves.
Special offer for team readers: get one One-year subscription to WIRED for $ 5 ($ 25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you wish). Subscriptions help us fund the work we do every day.
Clothing offers
REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket 2.0
Photography: REIThe goose down overcomes synthetic heat insulation per ounce and also climbs smaller. If it weren’t so expensive. The REI home branded jacket is a steal even at retail price, and is now on sale. The female version arrives here for the same price.
Merino wool won’t feel itchy or coarse on the forehead like synthetic wool, and SmartWool’s lightweight fabric is still warm enough to hike in the snow in the winter. This is my hat I choose whenever it’s cold, from the city to the mountains.
Even on a day trip in most climates, it’s a good idea to grab a rain jacket. Soaking can cause hypothermia even in temperate conditions. The Rainier is our favorite economical rain jacket and fits well in your left pocket. Check out the male version here.
WrightSock CoolMesh II quarter socks
Photography: REIEach WrightSock has two layers and the inner layer slides against the outside to lighten the blisters. Synthetic fabric is thinner and less bulky. There are also other versions and lengths. I love WrightSocks and I use CoolMesh II for mountain climbing.
Wool socks remove moisture and do not smell. On cold weather excursions, I always wear a third pair of sleeping socks and as a backup of the other two pairs, and they are always thick wool Darn Toughs. The male version is also on sale.
Buffs are useful for everything from keeping your hair tied back to your back, keeping your nose and mouth blowing, and covering your neck and chest on sunny days. This one is light enough not to overheat and has the UPF 50 rating. It is also on sale at Backcountry. Check out more of our favorite sunscreen here.
Camping and hiking offers
BearVault BV450
Photography: REIIn my guide, I got the best classic notes from the best reusable water bottles. I’ve been using it for almost four years and apart from very light scratches on the powder coated finish, it’s still as good as new.
If you’re in bear country, you need to cook outside your tent, seal food in a bear-resistant container, and throw it away, far away from you. This stores approximately enough food for four days. It is also on sale at Backcountry.
If you’re backpacking, the Grayl is easy to use and means you won’t have to pack a separate filter and water bottle. It takes less than a minute to filter out 99.999% of viruses, bacteria and common protozoan cysts from water as well as sediments.
Not everyone wants to throw water in a package of dehydrated food all weekend. If you’re really ready to cook, you’ll probably need a frying pan. This aluminum pan is coated with ceramic to obtain a non-stick surface other than Teflon. At 7 ounces, you can do this camping or transport it in your package for multi-night excursions.
Synthetic sleeping bags dry more easily than goose down ones. This one has an optimistic 30-degree Fahrenheit rating; is also for sale at REI. You probably also need a sleeping pad. The excellent Therm-a-Rest Z Lite SOL is on sale for $ 34, which is a $ 12 discount.
REI chairs are tougher than most brands of camping chairs I’ve sat on. This is called a lawn chair, but is portable enough for camping trips, beach trips, queuing, and fireworks watching.
You can set it up inside your vehicle or in a large tent. This queen size air mattress set has a 40 degree Fahrenheit capacity and includes a hand pump, sheets and an insulated top duvet to keep you and / or a partner warm during cold nights.
Bring the lighting to the front to keep your hands free to set up a tent in the dark or pack your bags for a pre-dawn outing. This one is water resistant, rated IPX8, which supports submersion in water and runs on three replaceable AAA batteries.
Eagle Creek is treated with a water-repellent polyvinyl coating to withstand rain showers when it comes out. This one also has shoulder straps in the backpack, in case you get tired of grabbing it.
Stanley dump coffee set
Photography: REIThe real beauty of camping by car instead of backpacks is that you can bring a proper coffee without sweating the weight. Tell him to stick the instant coffee, and instead bring the best whole grains to get a real cup of coffee. Grab a Hario Skerton Pro manual coffee grinder ($ 47) while you’re there.
Offers for climbing, cycling and skiing
Portland Design Works Full Metal City Bike Windshield
Photography: REIWhen someone asks for a harness recommendation that is good for indoor climbing or outdoor sports routes, I point them to the solution. It is well padded and comfortable in long hangs. In addition, Black Diamond is known for its build quality. The male version is on sale for the same price.
These are ideal climbing shoes for beginners because the toe is not too aggressive or low. Many experienced climbers also like this shape of shoe in particular for routes that require a lot of lubrication or surface contact between the sole and the sloping rock.
Upgrade cheap plastic fenders to these sturdy aluminum ones. Installation takes some time, but coverage is extensive. You don’t have to worry about the tires going up the road water and painting wet streaks from the back up and down your back, or the faces of the people driving behind you.
Smith I / O ChromaPop Ski Goggles
Photography: REISmith’s ChromaPop lens technology makes colors appear when you need a good contrast to see, such as low-light or fog skiing or mountain climbing. Fog also has fewer problems with more ventilated bubble-shaped glasses like these.
Retail pages
Do you want to pursue Labor Day sales yourself? We have completed our favorite retailers.
Bigger cable stories