The Splurgey Gear Outside Editors Have on Their Wish List

Published December 2, 2025 03:25AM

At Outside, we know there are some things you just can’t put a price tag on. A blazing summer sunset after a day of gray showers. The ecstasy of summiting your first 14er. The feeling of gathering around a campfire with your best pals, roasting s’mores and recapping the day’s adventures.

And as outdoors experts and self-proclaimed gear geeks, we also know what makes something truly worth your hard-earned dollars—what features take a touring shell from average to amazing, or what design flourishes elevate a limited-edition pair of hiking boots from merely functional to a work of art. On most days, our gear reviews highlight a wide range of items, from budget-friendly to premium, and overall, we strive to feature gear that we truly recommend at a reasonable price point for the product.

But sometimes, it’s just fun to go off the rails a bit. That’s what this list is for. We polled our editors and contributors to ask what gear they’ve been drooling over recently that’s so luxe, even Gwyneth Paltrow would be impressed. Here’s our ultimate gear wish list, if money were no object.

A $695 ski suit is already a pretty extravagant splurge, in my book. But here’s the secret: I would rarely use this for actual skiing. I live in Chicago, where my access to mountains requires a cross-country flight at minimum. Instead, I would parade this fancy onesie around downtown, strutting the salt-covered streets and bravely plowing through snow drifts in Lincoln Park during long, meandering walks with my winter-loving dog. Polar Vortex? Back off, loser—I’m not scared.

Cecilie Bahnsen is a Danish designer blending Scandinavian minimalism and French couture in collaborations with outdoor brands like Asics and The North Face. I’ve been obsessed with her Gore-Tex boots for TNF—feminine in form, yet grounded in tough, masculine tones. This pair features a Vibram rubber sole, a bonded jersey lining, and a ripstop upper, and is manufactured in Vietnam. For someone like me who lives in a city close to nature, these wouldn’t only be fashionable but functional, too.

I really, really like sleeping on planes. Not that it’s good sleep or even enjoyable sleep, but sleeping in transit is, for me, better than pretty much any other option: better than reading, better than watching a movie, better than raw-dogging a flight (ugh). I used to fall (and stay) asleep almost immediately on any flight, but my last couple of air travel stints have been a struggle. The “ambient” sounds of my fellow passengers and meal service are too loud to get by without aid, but my in-ear noise-canceling earbuds literally hurt more than help. I’m hoping that a pair of high-quality, comfortable over-the-ear headphones will solve this issue for me, and these from Bose are supposed to be the best. Please, just let me get back to snoozing on flights with my hood over my face and my Apple Music Spa Sounds playlist.

Ski touring shells are sexy, but they live in your backpack 80 percent of the time and only come out on the down or during the few times you tour in a blizzard. Raide was honest with itself about these stats, so their first jacket is designed to pack into its own pocket and comes in at a scant 13 ounces. But lightweight wasn’t enough, so Raide also created the TourTech, with a burly and reinforced face fabric that’s much more durable than what you’ll find on other lightweight shells. It’s built to put up with tree branches, ski edges, rocks, and icy snow.

Like all Raide products, the TourTech’s feature set was painstakingly thought out and features everything you need and nothing you don’t. There are front pockets big enough to hold your skins but no hand gaiters, and it has a three-layer, 30k/30k waterproof/breathable build but no powder skirt, which most skiers just rip out anyway. At $600, the jacket sits near the top of the ski shell pyramid, but it comes with a pass pocket so it can easily double as your inbound jacket as well.

The Ibex is a sturdy truck bed rack, with a static weight of 300 pounds, so it can handle any rooftop tent that an overlander wants to throw at it. But this isn’t just a truck bed rack. The Ibex is a modular ecosystem, with the ability to be configured in two different heights, and the option to add solid panels ($2,009) to the sides, front and back, and roof. Having removable panels means you can have a buttoned up shell for camping, or an exposed bed for doing traditional truck stuff like hauling lumber or gravel. And the customization doesn’t stop with the panels. There are T-channels on every horizontal bar, so you can add accessories like bike and boat racks, Molle panels, grab handles…whatever floats your boat.

I’d love an Arbor Swoon Snowboard or Jones Dream Weaver 2.0 snowboard. They’re both beautiful, all-mountain boards. I currently alternate between a 25-year-old Burton Supermodel that’s way too big for me at 158 cm (I didn’t know it was too big when I bought it in Tahoe all those years ago), and a 148 WNDR Alpine Splitboard. I’d love one of these gorgeous inbounds, all-mountain boards to chase my teenage son through the trees.

I’ve never known anyone who received or gave a vehicle for Chirstmas, but if TV commercials are to be believed, it can be done. If I were to choose an extravagant gift, a new Toyota Tacoma would be it. I’ve got a 2009 model that’s still running strong, but my wife got a new car this year and I was amazed how much automotive technology has improved in 16 years, not to mention how nice it is to have everything shiny, tight, and at peak performance, not hanging on after nearly 200,000 miles. I don’t need all the bells and whistles; I’m happy with the 4-wheel drive, extended cab base model, plus a few optional tech toys like blind spot monitor and parking assist, and a rack for my canoe—which brings the price to a nice round 40K. That’s plenty, but if it is as good as my old one, I won’t need another for a couple of decades.

I’ve been dying to get silk-lined or satin-lined headwear for winter to protect my hair. For people with curly hair, like myself, friction from traditional wool or acrylic hats can cause frizz and breakage. My hair is type 3C, which is coily and very fine. Silk or satin helps retain moisture, allowing my strands to glide against the fabric, unlike cotton, which tugs on them. I already sleep on satin pillowcases, but I’d love to add a beanie that’s lined with silky fabric to keep my hair soft and my head warm. The Winter Essentials set includes a cable knit beanie, a cuffed beanie, and a headband. All are made of cashmere wool and lined with 100% mulberry silk, which is regarded as the highest quality of silk in the world, from edge to edge. I like the two beanie options, and the headband would work great on days when I want to wear my hair in a puff but keep my edges and ears toasty. The only thing is: I can’t totally justify spending over $300 for beanies. So, whoever wants to get them for me (Mom! Dad!), I’d be delighted!

Dear Santa, I swear I’ve been a good husband, father, and all-around guy this year, which is why I deserve to receive the gift at the top of my wishlist: the Arc’teryx Sabre SV ski jacket. Yes, I admit that I have a somewhat unhealthy fixation with top-of-the-line ski apparel—every year I lust after the latest and greatest coat. I blame this on my 35 years of skiing: I still remember when jackets were puffy, cumbersome, and heavy garments that restricted your movement and never really hit the correct balance between breathability and warmth. The Sabre SV is like a flying car when compared to the jackets I grew up with in the nineties. It’s made from ultra-durable GORE-Tex Pro ePE, a magical membrane that will vent your body heat out, yet won’t allow cold and damp air in. I desperately want to try the new-for-2025 freeride-specific fit, with a shorter cut and an articulated pattern. And the array of pockets for phones, snacks, and gear is clutch. Yes, I realize that at $900 it is akin to a Mortgage payment. But some gifts are worth it.

I turn 40 in 2026, and naturally, I’m embracing it with vigorous denial about any decline in athletic ability. To embrace my next decade, I have big plans to do hard things, including a few mountain bike races (my first). The Yeti ASR 40th Anniversary limited edition mountain bike is a dream build with an even dreamier paint job that’s designed to be the perfect tool for XC and endurance races, not to mention the symbolism of the anniversary edition for me personally. It’s light, snappy, fast, and looks so good that no one will notice the suffering on your face hours into pedaling. I know the bike doesn’t make the rider, but if money was no option, I’d be all-in on this version of the ASR to carry me through the miles ahead.

As a resident of Denver and avid snowboarder, I constantly dream of being able to stay in the mountains and avoid I-70 as much as possible, especially on winter weekends. While vans are nice, they never made much sense for my wife and me. In an attempt to solve that problem, and more easily reach some areas previously less accessible to us, we bought our first truck earlier this year with the goal of getting a slide-in truck bed camper. Because we primarily plan to use the camper during the winter months, we have focused our search on hard-sided campers rather than pop-top models, and the Kimbo Camper 6 series has been the apple of my eye. Its unique design and fully loaded feature set, hand-built to your custom order, provide everything we need and much more while remaining lightweight to keep the tires spinning. Many interior options remain modular, allowing you to adapt easily as your needs change. I daydream longingly about the traffic-free mornings after a full night’s sleep—no more 4:00 AM departures—each time I read the Kimbo brochure and scroll through their website.

Outside Editors Share the Splurgey Gear That’s at the Top of Their Wish Lists

Halfdays Murphy Ski Suit

Cecilie Bahnsen x TNF Boots

Bose QuietComfort Headphones

Raide TourTech Shell Jacket

Kuat Ibex Truck Rack

Jones Snowboards Dream Weaver 2.0 Snowboard

Arbor Swoon Rocker Snowboard

2025 Toyota Tacoma SR

Onyx Winter Essentials Mulberry Silk Beanie Set

Arc’teryx Sabre SV Jacket

Yeti ASR 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Carbon Wheel Mountain Bike

Kimbo Camper 6 Series, Custom Built and Fully Loaded