Technical Hiking Gear for the Struggle Against Nature

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Even with months of burning leg days in the gym and an epicly grizzled beard fit for Sir Ranulph Fiennes attached to your cheeks, there’s one thing that can turn any ascent to a lofty pinnacle into a death race – shoddy gear.

Whether it’s a weekend hike to the top of Snowdon or that life-changing attempt on Everest, packing and wearing the best is key to hiking success. Everything from base layers to jackets, boots to trousers should be carefully considered. Never have the haunting words of your secondary school PE teacher been more relevant than here – “fail to prepare, and prepare to fail. Also, fifty more laps of the pitch for chatting back.”

Thankfully, there’s more mountain-beating tech crammed into outerwear essentials than ever before. From Bergans of Norway’s triple layer feather-light jacket to the boots that adapt to your very own foot from Arc’teryx, there’s no shortage of features to level the odds against the elements. What’s more, with no compromises being made in the style department, you’ll look damn good doing it, too.

Here’s our pick of the finest technical hiking gear on the market right now, so take a look, exercise that credit card and plan your mission to the top of the world right away.