Looking for the goods that can survive a summer of hard use and maybe even make your life better and elevate your life outside? Meet the gear that EO’s fun-hogging contributors love to love to death

Twice each year we hand out these coveted Peak Gear Awards to the very best stuff we put to the test in the field. How do we determine the winners? Simple. We asked our top contributors—who, we are proud to admit, spend far more time camping, hiking, backpacking, biking, climbing and paddling than they do “working”—to name the best gear they used over the past year. What gear can’t you live without? Which gear changed your life?

At only 22 pounds, the Rival Playa is one of the lightest SUP boards ever made by Hala Gear. Suitable for beginners and experts alike, this board is designed for all-around conditions, and single-day or overnight tours across lakes, mangroves, island lagoons, rivers, and along sandbars.

Use It: Pack up the Rival in its backpack (included) and hike it up to Gilpin Lake for some paddling and a picnic.

Article published by 5280 Magazine.