Your Best Testing Ideas for an External Lab

When we test outdoor gear in the field, we make sure to use it as intended and, well, get outside. All year long, our teams are ready to bring you expert gear picks across a variety of categories. Whether you’re looking for featherweight rainshells, backpacking packs, climbing ropes, ski boots, e-bikes, or even yoga mats, one of these outside Gear teams have tested it.

But outdoors, we can’t control every environmental factor to ensure that all products experience the same pressure during use – if we could order torrential rain or summon powdery snow at will, we would do so. That’s where CU Denver’s Outside Lab comes in.

The laboratory evaluates product performance in controlled settings, meaning each product is given exactly the same punishment. These methods allow us to remove variables so that we can make accurate “apples to apples” comparisons and give you an objective description of the product’s characteristics. We also push gear to its literal breaking point – without harming the testers – so you can know with confidence how far your gear can be pushed when you’re in extreme conditions. It’s for science first, but honestly, it’s also a lot of fun.

To decide what (and how) we test in the lab, I collaborate with our gear editors, using real-world feedback from the field to design testing protocols for each category. At Outside Days 2026, we opened the lab doors for you, the reader, to find out what else we should torture-test. Below are some of the many excellent reader-sourced testing ideas generated during the three-day event, which sparked some fun conversations in the Outside Lab at the CU Denver tent, and how we’ll bring them to life.

UV exposure

From tents to sun shirts, UV protection is of paramount importance for anyone spending extended periods of time outdoors. Exposure not only damages our skin but also our gear, with ultraviolet light causing materials to become brittle and weak over time. In the outdoor lab, we can tackle testing from two different angles: UV aging and UPF protection over time.

UV aging: This measurement measures how well a material withstands exposure over time – more simply, it is the product’s sun life. First, we test the performance of the material when it is brand new, and then expose the material to artificial sunlight using a UV bulb (lights made to mimic the sun with a consistent output, like you find in terrariums). At scheduled time intervals, we remove the item and test it again until failure. Because the bulbs provide continuous UV output, we can test months of exposure in a short period of time, and accurately convert laboratory hours in the sun into “days.”

UPF protection over time: When we test UPF protective clothing, we are not looking at the strength of the fabric; Instead, we evaluate how much harmful UV penetrates. We use a special lightmeter to measure ultraviolet radiation directly above and directly below the fabric sample. We track the time until radiation peaks, so you know how many hours you can spend in direct sunlight with full UPF protection. We also test for product longevity, putting the garments through aggressive wear and wash cycles to assess how long before the beloved sun shirt loses its ability to protect against harmful rays.

Tracking and Running Poles

hiking poles-or running for those of you who are sadistic enough to run long runs in the hills – was another popular topic at Outside Days. That is, given the different material and construction options available, everyone wanted to know how durable different poles are.

To test the rods in the lab, we’ll break out our universal testing machine—aka the “Hulk”—to see how much weight these rods can support. We mimic real-world trail conditions by fully extending each pole and then increasing the load until it fails. In this test, “failure” means complete breakage, cracking, or permanent bending. Since you’ll rarely be pushing directly on the pole, we’ll test at a few different angles to get a well-rounded performance review.

dog harness

At Outdoors Days, we met lots of people who have four-legged best friends, and love the outdoors with them. Some of you asked us to evaluate the performance of the Adventure-Ready Daily Harness and Rescue Harness. As someone who regularly takes my protégé on all kinds of adventures, I loved this suggestion.