Opedix Tights

When Opedix said it could protect knees during running and skiing with a pair of tights, we were skeptical. Ten miles later, we were impressed. Developed with the renowned Steadman Hawkins Research Foundation in Colorado, the tights left our knees feeling less battered post-run. If you have knee pain, or don’t and want to keep it that way, they’re worth a try. [$190; opedix.com]

Detail: thicker elastic fabric (in gray) keeps the knee joint aligned so it absorbs impact properly.

Inov-8 x-talon 212

Like oil and water or the Clippers and an NBA title, we didn’t think trail-runner stability and racing-flat lightness could coexist. Then we found the X-Talon. Thanks to an ultrathin upper that’s more like a meshy sleeve for your foot, each shoe weighs in at only 7.5 ounces — about half that of, say, Asics’s Gel Trail Sensor. Yet the cushioned midsole and beefy lugs still shielded our soles from rocks and roots on a tricky forest run. [$90; inov-8.com]

When dressing for winter adventures, layers are your friends, and we’ve assembled a trio for taking on nearly any clime. It starts with an icebreaker summit shirt ($150; icebreaker.com). Spun from supersoft New Zealand merino wool, it keeps out the chill, breathes well, and won’t stink (the sheep hair is naturally antimicrobial), so you can go straight from the slope to the ski lodge bar.

Keep heat in with the patagonia intermediary jacket ($225; patagonia.com), 60 percent of which is recycled polyester. To make it as functional as it is eco-friendly, Patagonia integrated Polartec Power Shield.

And when the weather gets ugly, pull on the rei shuksan shell ($289; rei.com). It’s made from eVent, a waterproof fabric that’s challenging the Gore-Texocracy by virtue of being more breathable. Although small manufacturers such as Westcomb have pushed eVent, REI is the first big one to jump on the bandwagon, delivering a well-designed shell at a great price.