Our hard working review team get through a mountain of kit every year. While a lot of modern product is very good, and we rarely get sent an absolute dud, some items do still stand out from the crowd. These are the things we'll choose to go on using long after the review is done. After much deliberation, from amongst the many items of new gear tried and tested over the last 12 months, we've managed to boil it down to a selection of favourites.
So here it is, our Gear of the Year 2022.
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Waterproofs Price: £250 What we love: A lightweight jacket that provides a heavyweight level of waterproofing, and impressive breathability |
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Softshell Mountain Equipment Aerofoil Jacket Price: £100 What we love: Highly breathable and cut well for full movement, this lightweight top is equally good for climbing, running and hiking |
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Synthetic Insulation Montane Fireball Lite Hooded Jacket Price: £190 What we love: It's supremely comfortable, has a fantastic cut, and can be worn for virtually anything |
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Fleece Price: £160 What we love: Warmer and more weather-resistant than your average midlayer, this is the humble fleece taken to a higher level |
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Winter Hardware Price: £89.99 What we love: Solid build, nice handling, and not too heavy - a really competent all-round mountaineering axe at a very competitive price |
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Bouldering Gear Price: Drifter £260 / Big Squishy £390 What we love: Absolutely bombproof, with a minimalist design that integrates a few really smart features - particularly where carrying extra pads is concerned |
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Running Shoes Price: £140 What we love: Robust and supportive, but not a brick on your feet, this is a fuss-free running shoe that's also equally at home hillwalking, scrambling, or approaching a mountain crag |
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Approach Shoes Price: £135 What we love: Combines comfort and support with an amazing level of friction on both dry and wet rock. Very stylish and fashionable too |
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Climbing Shoes Price: £130 What we love: An absolute delight to climb in, perfectly blending performance with comfort and sensitivity |
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Mountain Boots La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX Price: £295 What we love: Excellent balance of technical performance to comfort, and durability to weight - a fantastic boot for low grade winter objectives |
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Camping Price: £350 What we love: Spacious as these things go, and a reliable refuge in iffy weather. It's no budget buy, but should offer years of bivvying fun |
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Rucksacks Price: £58 What we love: A child-sized rucksack with the balanced fit and functional features you'd normally only find on an adult mountain pack - a big hit with the junior test team |
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Technology Price: £34.99 - £59.99 What we love: A no-nonsense torch, with a nice clarity of light and more brightness than its lumen output might suggest. It's also made from hemp and recycled plastic; no, really |
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Best Eco-Friendly Product Price: £200 What we love: It's 100% recycled, and fully recyclable at the end of its life too, creating something close to a closed production loop. It's also a spiffing shell at this price! |
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Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC 
The Spine Jacket succeeds in ticking a whole lot of different boxes: it's lightweight, breathable and supremely waterproof (even in the worst of weathers). Usually it's possible to get two of these, but infrequently is it possible to tick all three, because - more often than not - if you're after something as waterproof as this, you'll need something a little heavier; however, this is where the Gore-Tex Active membrane comes in, because it's this that helps set the Spine apart.
Running is one of the greatest tests of any waterproof jacket, because the high energy output, coupled with the amount of perspiration it results in, means that - more often than not - you get wet from the inside out. I was really impressed with how the Spine Jacket, and its Gore-Tex Active membrane, dealt with this and it fundamentally changed the way I used it. Where previously, I'd proactively avoid putting on a waterproof jacket until I had to, I'd often put the Spine on much, much sooner (in the case of the Cheviot Goat in December I wore it from beginning to end, without removing it once, despite the fact it never consistently rained).
The fact it achieves this whilst being light, and that it also has a great cut, makes the Spine my go-to choice not just for running, but also for walking and indeed any time I want a truly effective waterproof just in case.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH 
Is it a windproof top with attitude, or a softshell stripped down to ultralight essentials? However you choose to define the Aerofoil, it's an easy thing to get along with. While it's not new for 2022 I spent a lot of time in one while working on a windproofs group test, and it's telling that I still use it routinely even though the gear review cycle has now moved on.
This isn't the lightest top/jacket in its class, but at just 120g in size L it's light and packable enough for most uses. While I'm not a fan of the hood, the Aerofoil does the key basics spot on, being highly breathable, cut for full movement, and with a pocket that doubles as a stuff sack. Since it's just as handy for climbing and scrambling as it is for running and hiking, I struggle to think of a day in the warmer half of the year when I wouldn't want it with me.
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC
Throughout 2022 I'm not sure there's anything I've worn more than the Fireball Lite Hooded Jacket. It's been my trusty staple for seemingly everything, whether that's hillwalking, scrambling, climbing or (now that it's winter) running.
Due to a blend of its comfort, cut and breathability it's an extremely versatile jacket, capable of being used throughout a wide variety of seasons, in a wide variety of ways. In spring and summer, it can be used as an outer layer to keep the chill off, and in autumn and winter it happily functions as part of an effective layering system. Being so breathable means that you don't get overly sweaty in it, but the fact it does also offer some protection - and comfort - gives you a perfect sense of equilibrium whilst using it.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
Though hardly the most exciting thing since sliced bread, the humble midlayer fleece is one of the more useful and versatile categories of clothing. With their re-jigged Shroud (which really shares nothing more than the name with the previous version) Mountain Equipment have made something with almost softshell-like levels of weather resistance, while retaining the no-fuss feel of a fleece.
Since getting one to test last winter, this has been the first midlayer I think about whenever the temperature drops. Densely-knit on the outside to keep out a bit of weather, and luxuriously fluffy on the inside to keep in plenty of warmth, it offers just the right balance of snugness and breathability, making it spot on for active mountain use in the colder seasons. While it's not perfect - I'd like a bit more arm articulation, for instance - it's fair to say that 2022's Shroud is my favourite ever midlayer.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
I love a good axe, and for all-round winter mountaineering the Spire Tech is my current pick of the bunch. It's nothing fancy, but then it really doesn't need to be. What you want is solid reliability, and a nice feel in the hand - and if it doesn't weigh a ton too then you're onto a winner. The Spire Tech competently covers everything from Munro-ing, through to grade I snow gullies or classic grade II ridges. Light enough for ski touring, mountaineering on big peaks, or Alpine hut-to-hut journeys, it's still got enough heft to penetrate hard ice, and to inspire a bit of confidence.
While DMM do a number of more technical models, the Spire Tech fits a very definite niche. And for an axe in its all-round category, the price is highly competitive too. I reviewed it last winter, but it certainly won't be gathering dust this season.
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC
While I haven't yet managed to write a full-blown review, I wanted to include these mats because after several months of use I've really liked them. With the more modestly sized Drifter, and the appropriately named 'Big Squishy', Flashed have developed two classics, which are simple, easy to use, and absolutley bombproof.
Probably the neatest thing about these pads, aside from the fact they feel indestructible, is the way that the strap system works, to allow you to add other pads to the back. It's a really simple and effective system, which is so simple and effective that it makes me wonder why more brands haven't done it. They're comfortable to carry, even more comfortable to fall on, and (just to say it one last time) feel like they're built to last.
I promise I'll get the review written up next year, but if anyone has any questions in the meanwhile fire them across in the thread.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
Though it's not a new model, and we've reviewed it in previous years, the Spin Ultra impressed us yet again in 2022's trail shoe group test.
Supportive enough for backpacking on rough ground, and to offer a degree of scrambling performance, yet still sufficiently light and breathable for comfortable running, the Spin Ultra is a fantastic all-rounder - in fact, outside of winter conditions or very wet weather, it's pretty much all the shoe I really need for practically everything I do.
While the less said about the colour scheme the better (it shouts for itself after all), this is a favourite shoe for at least two members of the test team, and we hope there are no plans to change it in 2023!
Reviewed by Alan James - Rockfax 
The Gecko is a light and flexible approach shoe that performs amazingly well when you get on the rock. It is highly recommended for those looking for a comfortable shoe that works for cragging and scrambling, but one that's also fashionable enough for more urban use.
This is a firm favourite from Scarpa and, considering their record of robust approach shoes, that is quite a high bar. It may not last forever, but then you're paying a decent mid-range price, not a fortune.
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC
I've reviewed some great climbing shoes this year, with personal favourites including the Tenaya Indalo, La Sportiva TC Pro and Boreal Crux. Each has been very different, but each have had their merits, and in many ways choosing one is a difficult exercise; however, here we are, and since I'm picking only one it'd be hard not to choose the Scarpa Instinct S.
Construction-wise the Instinct S feels like a significant step up for Scarpa, which is saying something given how high their standard already is. Its cousins, the Instinct VS and VSR are both best-sellers, and brilliant shoes in their own right, but both are (in my opinion) eclipsed by the Instinct S in terms of its performance and sensitivity. It's an absolutely delightful shoe to climb in and even now, whilst sat behind my desk thinking about it, I get excited about the thought of using them - and that's not something you can say about many climbing shoes!
The caveat to this recommendation is that slippers are unashamedly specialist. Unlike lace-ups and velcro shoes, there's no adjustment, so if it doesn't fit - it really doesn't fit (and there's no getting away from that). As such, you'll only feel about them as I do if they fit you well.
Reviewed by John McKenna - Rockfax 
Combining modern materials and innovative design, La Sportiva's striking Aequilibrium is our top pick in the mountain boot category. Whether you are planning a summer alpine trip or have your eyes on some classic Scottish ridges this winter, the Aequilibrium ST GTX will serve you well. The boot packs in a good amount of technical performance, with its beefy sole, whilst remaining comfortable out of the box.
A good balance is also struck between weight and durability, with clever use of hardwearing materials in more damage-prone areas. These boots have been a joy to wear in the winter hills and leave you feeling light and less fatigued after long and demanding days.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
A roomy hooped bivvy bag that's reassuringly robust in less than perfect weather, yet comes in at a weight that won't trouble most users, Rab's revamped Ridge Raider is ideal for a minimalist tent-free set-up, whether you're backpacking, bikepacking, or escaping for a night high in the hills.
Yes it costs more than many tents, and offers a much more coffin-like class of accommodation for your money; but if it's a hooped bivvy you're after - and I for one definitely have space for them in my life - then it's a solid choice. It's the best bivvy I've used, hands down.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
Rucksacks for kids tend to be more cheerful than technical, but Deuter's Climber is a rare (in my experience, perhaps unique) exception - a child-sized model with the sort of balanced fit and functional feature set usually only found on adult climbing packs.
If your family ambitions extend to full hill days in all seasons, scrambles, or even via ferrata, it'd be hard to beat the Climber. Comfortable, durable, and well designed, it's well worth the investment if you're after something more capable than the standard kids' fare. It's been a big hit with our junior test team, and since there's good hand-me-down potential, the price looks like top value too.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
A lot of torches today are needlessly complex, and this can be a major pain when you're out in the cold, dark and foul weather failing to use them. With just two main settings, Silva's Terra Scout is commendably simple. Despite its modest output in lumens - the three models in the range go from 300lm to just 350lm - it's brighter than you'd assume, and has a lovely clarity of light with a useful mix of flood and spot. More interesting than all this, the Terra Scout is made from hemp and recycled plastics. Yes you read that right. Our full review will be out in the New Year.
Reviewed by Dan Bailey UKH
The Rab Arc Eco Jacket not only treads relatively light on your wallet (as far as quality shells go), but minimises its impact on the panet too. Its 3-layer Pertex Shield Revolve fabric is made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester. Because all three layers - the face fabric, membrane and backer - are made from a single type of material, the impact of its production is minimised, say Rab, and the fabric can potentially be recycled again at the end of its life to give you something like a closed loop (not easy to do with a traditoinal composite waterproof/breathable fabric). It would be great to see all outdoor brands aiming for this sort of standard.
Of course being low-impact would be a bit pointless if it made a product crap in the process, but here Rab have pulled off a bit of a blinder, with a cut and feature set that make the Arc Eco Jacket a versatile shell that's very much at home in the mountains. It's a smashing price for such a good jacket, too.
gear of the year
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