Favourite New Gear of 2025

Melting snow in the Fire Maple Petrel G2 Pot

Here's my favourite gear of the year roundup following another twelve months testing gear for The Great Outdoors, this blog, and my YouTube channel. Not all the items were new for this year, just tested by me for the first time. As always they don't necessarily replace ones from previous years or old favourites and they're in no particular order. Where reviews appear in TGO, YouTube or this blog I've given links. For other items, a few of which I haven't reviewed yet but most of which appeared in the print magazine but not online, the link is to the company page.

Fire Maple Petrel Ultralight G2 & Ramen 800ml Pots

In my 2024 gear review I praised heat exchanger pots from Fire Maple, including the 600ml Petrel G3 with slots in the base for stove pot supports. In 2025 Fire Maple launched two more Petrel pots, the 750ml G2 and the Ramen 800ml. Both of these are wider than the G3 and better for actual cooking rather than just boiling water and also better for melting snow. They do weigh a little more but I prefer them to the narrow G3 because of the shape.

Fire Maple Petrel Titanium Ultralight Stove

In 2025 Fire Maple also launched an ultralight remote canister stove under the Petrel name. I've not had this long but I have used it a couple of times and it's worked well, including on a freezing December night. Remote canister stoves are more stable and easier to protect from the wind than canister top stoves but they are generally quite a bit heavier. The Petrel is the first that weighs under 100 grams. I think I'll be using a great deal.

Rab Neutrino Pro 700 sleeping bag

I used this down bag a great deal over the winter of 2024/25 and once so far this winter. At 1130g it provides excellent warmth for weight. I've been warm in it at -9C. I find it very cosy and comfortable with features that work well. It's filled with 700g of 800 fill power down and lofts wonderfully.

Jottnar Fenrir down jacket

The Fenrir down jacket provides excellent warmth for the weight (500g) and has kept me warm on many freezing winter camps. It's stuffed with 850 fill power hydrophobic down with synthetic fill in the cuffs, collar and shoulders. The adjustable hood is snug and the hand pockets are warm and roomy.

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60

I used a previous version of this pack for a 500-walk on the GR5 Through The Alps back in 2018 and found it excellent. The 2025 Mariposa has an improved back system and is made of tougher material. It still has the same pocket arrangement and a removable back pad, both of which I like very much. I used it on several trips in 2025 including my longest one, four days in the autumn, and it performed well. It's lightweight at 1020g 

Rab Hypersphere 7.5 Down Mat

I did a comparative review of several sleeping mats for TGO last year and the Rab Hypersphere was by far the warmest and also extremely comfortable. It was warm sleeping on snow at -9C. Inside it has 190g of 800 fill power hydrophobic down and is 8cm thick when inflated. At 630g it's light for the warmth.

Ombraz Refugio Armless Sunglasses

These dark glasses were a revelation! Removing the rigid arms and replacing them with an adjustable cord makes an amazing difference. They stay in place without slipping down my nose and it's easy to slip them round my neck when not needed. I found them very comfortable and practical. A brilliant design! I like the big curved lens too. At 29g they're lightweight. They pack almost flat with no arms to get in the way or snap.

Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated Mat

This mat was my Best In Test in my TGO mats review last year. The rectangular shape and quilted rather than tubular pattern is very comfortable. It's light at 400g and compact when packed. For three-season use it's excellent.

Paramo Aspira 360 Smock

Paramo shell garments have been my favourites for cold weather for many decades due to the comfort and breathability. In recent years it's been the Aspira jacket. Before that I had an Aspira smock. Paramo has now brought this superb design back in a more environmentally friendly form with a recycled liner made from repurposed Páramo gear and textile waste. The smock has excellent pockets, a great hood, and good venting options. Last winter it coped with blizzards and extreme conditions. I expect it will this winter too.

Polar Grit X2 Pro Outdoor Watch

Over the years I've tried many GPS watches and generally found them a bit too fiddly to use much. The Grit x2 Pro is different. It has a big bright display and controls that make sense with no need to memorise sequences of presses (something I usually forget). I found the GPS fast and accurate and the hiking information useful and interesting.

MSR Hubba Hubba HD 1P

This latest version of the Hubba Hubba HD 1P tent isn't actually available yet. It comes out later this year. The basic design hasn't changed from the Hubba Hubba NX Solo that I reviewed for TGO in 2023. I liked it then and I like the new HD version even more as it's made from tougher materials, especially the groundsheet, and has better headroom, MSR having recognised that the latest airbeds are quite thick. It's an excellent three-season tent.

Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original Chair

I'd never taken a chair camping until last year. I must be getting old! (Well, I am). Once I'd tried the Hex 2.0 I decided it was worth the 565g weight, especially as it could also be used as a flat mat and even slept on if necessary. It rolls up to a reasonably small bundle and is comfortable and insulates from the ground. It won't go on every trip but I suspect it'll creep in to my load fairly often.

Alpkit Radiant Mat

This mat arrived too late for the 2025 TGO mat review. A review will appear later this year. It has a similar diamond pattern to the Big Agnes mentioned above and is similarly comfortable though much warmer. At 640g it's a winter mat. I've been warm sleeping on frozen ground at -5.5C and expect it to be fine in much colder temperatures. It folds up quite small.