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The Lowdown:
This year found us testing everything from portable refrigerators to sustainable camping gear to innovative EDC. With 2024 now behind us, here are the best outdoor products of the year.
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
The products selected in this list help form Man of Many’s Top 100 Products of 2024. The comprehensive guide details the very best in Tech, Fashion, Automotive, Home & Living, Watches, Drinks and Outdoors, as chosen by our expert team of reviewers and editors.
It’s no secret that Aussies love the outdoors and Man of Many’s staff is no exception. Whether it be hiking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, lounging, swimming, or surfing, we take every opportunity to head outside for any and all kinds of thrilling activity. Being dedicated to product releases, we often bring the latest tech and gear along for the experience. This year found us testing everything from portable refrigerators to sustainable camping gear to innovative EDC and then bringing you the coverage one article at a time. With 2024 now behind us, here are 10 of our personal favourites.
Best Outdoor Products at a Glance
Highlights from our list include the following:
- Best overall product: Ti-ONE EDC Tool
- For the adventurer: Mustang Survival Atlas 190 DLX Pro Sensor Life Jacket
- For camping: Bluetti SwapSolar Portable Fridge
- For value for money: NEMO Equipment Endless Promise Collection
Now that we’ve looked at our favourites, let’s check out the complete list.
Hoka Tor Summit Hiking Boot
Hoka One One is another athletic footwear brand that’s not afraid to step outside of its wheelhouse. The classic footwear brand first did so back in 2015 with the inaugural release of Tor Summit, a low-cut hiker of considerable comfort and durability. Now the much-loved hiking boot is back and better than ever, touting heavy cushioning, leather uppers, zig-zag stitching, rubber mud guards, and stylish retro design. Like the soon-to-be-mentioned Nike Cygnal, this one will appeal to urban dwellers as much as it will to outdoor enthusiasts. No matter where you rock these boots, expect them to last.
WESN Bard Titanium Pen
Here we have another Kickstarter launch that soared well past its funding goal on the promise of superlative functionality. Equal parts modern and minimal, the WESN Bard Titanium Pen is so durable by design that it comes backed by a lifetime warranty.
Deliveries start in January of next year, but that’s not going to stop us from putting this one on our list of 2024’s best releases. We’re clearly not alone in our excitement, hence the astronomical $207,587 in crowdfunding raised on a goal of just $15,000. Do we sound old geeking out over a writing instrument? So be it!
Arc’teryx FW24 Grottoflage Collection
Outdoor legend Arc’teryx is on a roll at the moment, and the release of the FW24 Grottoflage Collection in November was a testament to the brand’s evolution. The first printed design in its freeride lineup, the 2024 range was a self-referencing masterstroke, with designers reimagining elements of the Arc’teryx logo to create a unique camouflage finish. It was the perfect blend of outdoor apparel and modern fashion, drawing interest from both thrill-seekers and style-savants alike.
Standout pieces included the Sentinel Jacket and Sabre Pant, which were crafted using the brand’s signature multi-environment-proof material blend. Of course, from a technical perspective, everything here works fluidly with Arc’teryx more than happy to plug its use case through a collaboration with Atomic. Together, the two brands launched a limited-edition ski, the Atomic Maverick 115 CTI Arc’teryx Edition, which was designed with input from freeride athlete Craig Murray. As far as outdoor garb goes, Arc’teryx remains king of the mountain.
Mustang Survival Atlas 190 DLX Pro Sensor Life Jacket
It might look like a standard life jacket at first glance, but Mustang Survival’s Atlas 190 DLX comes loaded with so many innovative touch-ups that it redefines its respective domain. Chief amongst them is an updated bladder design that inflates to cover the wearer and helps redirect currents as you’re floating in the water.
Additional features include a 3D headrest for optimal head support, an airway-improving spray barrier, aluminium hardware, a detachable leg strap, and low-profile tether points. An integrated spray hood and emergency light come available on the DLX model (not the standard Atlas 190 Pro Sensor) and take the performance factor to even greater heights. Stay safe out there, folks.
NEMO Equipment Endless Promise Collection
What better way to show your love for the outdoors than to buy from companies that go the extra mile in terms of sustainable practices? NEMO Equipment is one such company, complete with a mission statement of “zero wasted materials, zero carbon footprint, and fully recyclable.” The brand’s Endless Promise collection brings that mission statement to life by way of sleeping bags and backpacks made almost entirely of polyester, a 100 per cent recyclable material. Combine that with technical features and stylish designs and you get ethical construction plus top-notch quality and comfort. This is the way.
Wndr Alpine Shepherd
Let’s keep the sustainable theme going and not just for the sake of our list. Next up is Wndr’s Alpine Shepherd snowboard, named by Time Magazine as one of the year’s best inventions. Whereas traditional snowboards use petroleum-based polyethylene, this one eschews the plastic material in favour of microalgae (an oil generated through fermentation). Not only is it eco-friendly, but microalgae reportedly helps improve damping by reducing vibrations.
Should this product perform as intended and gain a wide following, its use of biomaterials can be applied to other industries. Company co-founder Xan Marshland elucidated on this point, saying, “What’s really cool about winter sports is that it’s an amazing proof point for materials innovation. In the mountains, materials matter.” Meanwhile, it’s also just a great-looking snowboard. We like to call that a win/win/win.
Bluetti SwapSolar Portable Fridge
Have you ever watched one of those “off-the-grid” YouTube videos and wondered how this person can live off-the-grid and produce all this content at the same time? Modern energy brand Bluetti helps fill in some of the blanks with its full spectrum of outdoor power solutions, many of which incorporate solar options.
The SwapSolar Portable Fridge is one of the latest triumphs, and also the industry’s first LiFePO4 battery-powered portable refrigerator. It features a multi-cooler refrigerator and an AC180T solar generator that can be used independently as a backup energy source. The best part? No cords, baby! “Your upcoming road trips have just been optimised,” to quote our fuller coverage.
Nike Cygnal Hiking Boot
When you see the name “Nike,” you might picture a running track or basketball court, but the brand proves no less formidable outside of athletics with the mighty Cygnal. Awash in waterproof leather with metal eyelets, thick padding, rugged rubber outsoles, and foam midsoles, the versatile boot is ready for hiking trails and city streets alike. Its timeless aesthetic imparts a retro vibe but make no mistake: this one is all-new and fantastic. Get it in the respective colourway of Desert Ore, Black, or University Gold/Navy.
Exodus Capax Camper
The open road awaits and this 21-foot-long trailer is heeding the call. An absolute behemoth in more ways than one, it offers luxurious amenities along with modular features like a collapsible roof. With the use of TransCore panel walls and double-pane windows comes improved thermal control, among other things. There are also tons of nifty storage options, which isn’t to mention the solar panels, media centre, and other goodies. Hitch it to your vehicle and head into the wilderness for some serious glamping. Forget van life—give us camper life!
Ti-ONE EDC Tool
We love quality EDC, and this one puts six unique tools in one sturdy, lightweight place. Forged from either titanium or stainless steel, it functions as a multi-purpose screwdriver, cutting knife, craft knife, window breaker, ruler, and eternity pen. It debuted on Kickstarter back in September and racked up over $100,000 in crowdfunding on an initial goal of just $1,000.
At the heart of the Ti-ONE is a streamlined design and a large port that can secure different heads via magnet. The frame is expandable and there’s also an additional side port for screwdriver heads. More than a functional product, this is a pocket-sized life hack with all kinds of uses. Take that, Swiss Army Knife! Just kidding—we love you too, Swiss Army Knife.
Why You Should Trust Our List
To arrive at this list of products, the Man of Many team went through hours and rigorous testing, implementation and analysis before culling it down to the very best. Over the last 12 months, we’ve worked on curated products that push boundaries and pioneer new fronts, across the automotive, fashion, lifestyle and technology verticals. Sure, we love getting the latest piece of kit in our hands, but being able to point out the benefits and shortfalls objectively is at the heart of what we do.
As a result, our list of the best outdoor products for this year is primarily comprised of those that we tested in-house and use extensively first-hand. While there are a few exceptions to the rule (mostly due to scarcity and availability) we made note of the cultural significance of the product and its importance to the niche.
More Man of Many 100 Stories
Want to know what else made the Man of Many 100 list? Check out all of our coverage for this year, including developments in cars, fashion, tech, and alcohol.
