I've never been sure when the dog days of summer are, but where I live it's scorching. It sure feels like dog days. My dogs refuse to come out of the shade, does that count? Still, fall will come. Eventually. Right now we have some good deals on outdoor gear so you can stock up for those dreamy cool October weekends. The end of summer has always been the best time to buy hiking and climbing gear, and 2020 is no different, Covid-19 or not.
More of an indoors person? That's OK. There are a lot of deals on laptops, phones, robot vacuums—even a countertop garden setup. Everything you need to stay comfortably entertained in an air-conditioned bubble, including the headphone and cleaning supplies deals we rounded up earlier this week.
Outdoor enthusiasts, it's that time of year. Backcountry kicks off its annual end-of-summer sale this weekend with some good deals for those looking at using gear in 2021, or for those us who've been indoors waiting until the fall.
Alps Mountaineering Highlands 2 Two-Person Four-Season Tent for $245 ($105 off): This spacious two-person tent is good for any season. At 7 pounds, it's not the lightest, but split between two hikers it's doable and provides plenty of room for two, plus gear.
Gregory Stout 30L Backpack for $110 ($20 off): It's not a huge discount, but this pack is incredibly comfortable at any price. I own and love a slightly larger version that's my go-to pack for hiking, climbing, and traveling.
The North Face Borealis 28L Backpack for $53 ($36 off): This sale is only available for select colors. The backpack is aimed more at commuters and college students, but if you're looking for something that's versatile enough for a day hike and a commute, this fits the bill.
Deuter Speed Lite 12L pack for $51 ($9 off): I have a slightly larger Deuter day pack, and the suspension system is so comfortable, I regularly load it down with way more than the recommend weight and have yet to have a problem.
Women's Chaco Z/Cloud Sandal for $71+ (Up to $38 off: Chaco's Z/Cloud sandals are great for everyday wear, and they're considerably softer to walk in than traditional Chacos. The price varies by size and color. The men's Chaco Z/2 classic—which has a toe strap—are also on sale in specific color and size variants.
Timbuk2 Classic 9 Messenger Bag for $51+ (Up to $28 off): It's called the classic for a reason. There was a time when this seemed like the only shoulder bag you saw out and about, and for good reason. It's well-made, comfortable, and dare we say, handsome? The discount is only available for certain sizes and colors.
Black Diamond Climbing Gear (15 to 50 percent off): There's too much here to call out individually, but if you need some new Black Diamond cams, helmets, harnesses, carabiners, or any other climbing gear, it's all on sale.
Fear not indoor enthusiasts! There's plenty of stuff for you too, from phones to hard drives to cameras.
Samsung Galaxy 13.3-Inch 4K Chromebook for $800 ($200 off): Our favorite high-end Samsung Galaxy Chromebook (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is on sale. The 4K screen is incredibly sharp, and 8 gigabytes of RAM paired with an Intel Core i5 processor means you're unlikely to experience any slowdowns.
Apple Watch Series 3 for $169 ($30 off): You don't need the latest Apple Watch model to get excellent fitness monitoring or notifications from your messaging apps. The Series 3 model came out in 2017, but it's still a great buy, especially at this price. You can check our review (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for more details.
OnePlus 7 Pro for $500 ($200 off): This is a good deal on a premium Android phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). One odd detail: It's a Sprint-branded OnePlus, but it is unlocked, so you should be able to use it on Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T, but not Verizon. Also, note that it's back-ordered, but should ship in 7-10 days.
WD EasyStory 5-Terabyte Portable Hard Drive for $90 ($90 off): If you aren't regularly backing up your data, grab this drive and check out our guide to backing up your digital life.
Neato Robotics D4 Robot Vacuum for $330 ($200 off): Our favorite midrange robot vacuum, the Neato Robotics D4 (8/10 WIRED Recommends) gives Roomba a run for its money at a fraction of the price. Our only complaint is that battery life could be better. This deal is also available at Best Buy.
LG 55-Inch OLED CX Series 4K UHD HDR TV for $1,700 ($300 off): LG OLED TVs are fantastic, if pricey. You get rich blacks and excellent color contrast, perfect for film noir or darker scenes in shows like The Mandalorian. If you've got TV buying questions, be sure to check out our Best TVs guide.
Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 for $60 ($30 off): Polaroid's OneStep 2 (6/10 WIRED Review) has been replaced by the Polaroid Now (7/10 WIRED Review), but it's still a good buy, especially at this price. The film isn't the cheapest, and we've had a few bad batches, but it's still good old-school photo fun.
AeroGarden Goodful Harvest Slim Countertop Garden Kit for $80 ($110 off): If you don't have outdoor space but still want to start a garden, the AeroGarden is a great way to do it. WIRED writer Louryn Strampe has the slightly larger version of this and recommends it with one caveat—be prepared to deal with a lot of herbs.
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