Engineers have long grappled with a fundamental challenge: creating materials that are both strong and tough enough to resist deformation and prevent fractures. These two properties typically exist in opposition, as materials that excel in one area often fail in the other.

Nature, however, has elegantly solved this trade-off in biological materials like bone, teeth, and nacre, which strategically combine soft and hard components in multi-layered architectures. These blueprints have inspired scientists to develop artificial soft–hard composites—from advanced dual-phase steels to specialized gels and reinforced rubbers—that demonstrate performance exceeding that of their individual components.

While artificial soft–hard composites have shown impressive performance in laboratory tests and real-world applications, the fundamental mechanisms behind their enhanced properties remain largely unclear. The inherent complexity of these materials, encompassing nonlinear behaviors, intricate internal structures, and multi-scale interactions, has made it difficult to isolate the essential design principles.

Specifically, scientists have struggled to understand how these materials transition from brittle-to-ductile (BTD) fracture behavior, and what the minimum requirements are for constituent components to achieve this toughening effect.

In this vein, a research team including Dr. Fucheng Tian and Professor Jian Ping Gong from the Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Japan, as well as Specially Appointed Professor Katsuhiko Sato from the Program of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Toyama, Japan, recently undertook a study to tackle this complex problem.

In their pioneering work published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers introduce a minimal three-dimensional soft–hard composite (SH-com) framework. By eliminating complicated nonlinear effects and intricate network structures, their model enabled them to focus on the core underlying principles governing the toughening effect.

The SH-com model uses randomly distributed linear-elastic soft and hard elements, each characterized by its elastic stiffness and the energy required for failure. Despite its simplicity, this model successfully reproduced several hallmark behaviors of tough composite materials, including mechanical hysteresis (the Mullins effect), sacrificial bond-driven toughening, and the critical BTD transition fracture behavior. Through systematic testing of different compositions, the team discovered that the BTD transition occurs when the soft and hard phases reach a specific mechanical equilibrium.

Moreover, they found that optimal toughening occurs at a specific ratio of soft to hard components, governed by a universal scaling relationship linked to the differences in fracture toughness between components. When an optimal composition is achieved, the composite can exceed the toughness of its individual constituents.

“Though the SH-com model is anchored in the fundamental linear-elastic regime, the outcomes exhibit compelling consistency with the experimental findings from nonlinear soft–hard composite materials. This consistency emphasizes the fundamental principles underlying the toughening mechanisms in general soft–hard composite materials,” remarks Dr. Fucheng.

Based on these insights, the team developed a “toughening phase diagram,” which serves as a practical guide illustrating the optimal combinations of stiffness and toughness between components to achieve superior material performance. Notably, the simplicity and universality of their model suggest that these principles can be applied broadly.

“Our study reveals the fundamental toughening mechanisms of SH-com systems, offering insights for designing tougher materials,” conclude the authors. “In fields such as regenerative medicine, the development of tough gels is required, and we expect our study to contribute to those efforts.”

From the development of more resilient components for aerospace and automotive applications to advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering and medical devices, this research provides a powerful theoretical foundation for engineering materials that are both strong and tough.

Data visualization has emerged as a powerful tool for enabling data-driven decision-making across diverse domains, including business, medicine, and scientific research. However, no comprehensive analysis has previously addressed the types of decision-making problems supported by data visualization or how its role has evolved.

Researchers have conducted a systematic review of significant data visualization research over the past 16 years, classifying and analyzing the studies within a multidimensional decision-making framework. They determined that data visualization primarily facilitates decision-making at the organizational and community levels. Their study is published as part of the 2025 IEEE 18th Pacific Visualization Conference (PacificVis).

Although earlier efforts primarily addressed “evaluative” decision-making, recent trends indicate increasing support for a broader range of decision-making types, including “constructive” and “cognitive dominance” decision-making. Moreover, the structure of decision-making problems addressed by data visualization has expanded from “largely structured problems” to “semi-structured problems.”

The findings indicate that data visualization increasingly supports advanced decision-making by experts in fields such as business and public policy, particularly concerning semi-structured problems.

The findings of this study clarify the current scope of decision-making support provided by data visualization and offer insights to guide the development of new visualization techniques. They also highlight the need for further research into visualization methods capable of supporting individual-level decision-making and unstructured problems.

Isn’t it amazing how fast summer goes by? The kids are back in school, and it’s time for the annual REI Labor Day Sale. This year’s event kicks off today, August 22, and ends on Labor Day, September 2. Many items are up to 30 percent off, and REI Co-op members save 20 percent on any REI Outlet item. To get the member discount, add the promo code LABORDAY2025 at checkout.

We’ve rounded up the best deals on all our favorite tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, cookware, outdoor apparel, and more. Many of the best REI deals are on the company’s house brand gear, but we’ve also pulled in deals from competing sales at Backcountry, Public Lands, and cottage industry retailers.

Updated Thursday, August 28: We’ve added new end of summer deals on Sea to Summit sleeping pads, MSR water filters, Zenbivy sleeping bags, a few new tents, a whole section of bikepacking deals, plenty of puffer jackets for winter, and more.

WIRED Featured Deals

Deals on Tents

REI tents are some of the best deals around, even more so during sales. If you’d like to learn more, see our guide to the best backpacking tents and best car camping tents.

REI’s Base Camp tent is WIRED’s favorite car camping tent. It’s extremely well designed and proved plenty weatherproof in our testing. The traditional dome tent design, with two crossed poles and two side poles, holds up well in wind, and the tent floor is high-quality 150-denier (150D) polyester. There’s loads of storage pockets, double doors, great vents, and huge windows, making it comfortable even in summer heat.

The Wonderland 6 is REI’s replacement for the Kingdom 6 and looks to be, for the most part, very similar. We haven’t tested this one, but my almost 20-year-old Kingdom 6 is still going strong. For the most part, it’s made of the very same ripstop nylon used in the Wonderland. With plenty of mesh, this will have better ventilation than the Base Camp above, but the rainfly doesn’t come as low and the hoop design isn’t quite a strong. For summer camping, though, this is a great option.

The REI Half Dome 2 is the best budget two-person backpacking tent. We’ve toted it on many a backpacking trip and found it to be plenty sturdy, quick to set up, and capable of fitting two people and their gear. It even comes with a footprint (which I never bother with, but it’s nice to have it if you have to deal with prickers or pointy rocks). I really like the color options this year too, which blend in with its surroundings rather than stand out.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is our top pick for freestanding ultralight tents. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent that’s lightweight, easy to set up, and roomy enough to be liveable in the backcountry. The “awning” design (with trekking poles or sticks) is a nice extra and the mix of 15D nylon, and 20D ripstop, while to feels fragile, as held up well over time.

I’ve only spent two nights in this tent, but so far it’s my favorite solo freestanding tent. I like the generous amount of mesh at the top, which provides some nice ventilation on warm summer nights and is perfect for falling asleep under the stars when the weather permits. The Osmo fabric continues to live up to the hype, with much less water absorption than nylon tents in rainy weather, and there’s a good amount of room for storing all your stuff. The bikepacking friendly version, with shorter pole segments that fit better on a bike, is also on sale for $390 ($130 off).

Bikepacking is my favorite way to travel these days, and while you don’t have to have any special gear, bikepacking tents, with shorter pole sections, are easier to pack in panniers. They’re also nice when traveling by kayak or motorcycle, and they work just fine for backpacking too. The Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Bikepack tent is otherwise a clone of regular Telos 2-person tent. At 4lbs 9oz for the 2-person version it’s light enough and the floor area of 28.2 square feet is roomy enough for 2 with gear.

Deals on Day-Hiking Packs and Backpacks

Be sure to read through our guide to day-hiking packs. While we haven’t published our guide to ultralight backpacks yet, several of our picks are on sale right now and noted below.

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

I just started testing this pack this summer as part of an upcoming ultralight backpack guide. It’s very comfortable, carrying a 25-pound load without issue. I haven’t lived out of it for more than a night yet, but so far I like it, and it’s very reasonably priced. Interestingly, there’s a comment on REI saying that you’re better off going with the Flash 55 and just removing the top lid to save some weight. That’ll save you some cash right now, as the Flash 55 is also on sale for $139 ($50 off).

Nemo’s Resolve is a great pack that incorporates a low-waste footprint into the design. It uses solution-dyed fabrics, and eschews straps and buckles in favor of bungees and pull-tabs. This does make adjusting it fussier, but once you’re used to it and have the fit dialed in, it’s not an issue. The Resolve is a comfortable pack. While technically frameless, it feels like it has some structure. and it sits nice and high on your back. At 1 pound, 15 ounces, it’s also pretty light.

The Osprey Talon is perhaps the most tried-and-true day-hiking pack on the market, and for good reason. It’s light and comfortable, and the 33L capacity can swallow a ton of gear and haul it well. This 33L iteration weighs just 2 pounds, 12.5 ounces and sports 100D high-tenacity nylon that’s been coated with a non-PFAS DWR. Annoyingly, there’s no rain cover, but that omission aside, it’s a superb daypack.

Topo Designs makes some of our favorite bags, from the Mountain Cross, which Gear editor Jeremy White says is “best bag in the world”, to the Global Briefcase, which is on our list of the Best Messenger Bags. Neither of these bags, sadly, are currently in the 60 percent markdowns but many others are!

Sleeping Bag Deals

Whether you need a cheap car camping bag, or something more robust for fall and spring trips, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to read our best sleeping bags guide for even more options.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

REI’s Magma line of down gear are some of the best deals around. The Magma 15 sleeping bag has long been an affordable bag that’s perfect for shoulder season trips when the temp potentially swing lower than you’re expecting (the comfort rating is 21 F). There’s three lengths and three widths, making it easy to get something that’s perfect for your body, and the 850-fill-power goose down (bluesign-approved) packs down nice and small. If you don’t need the shoulder season coverage the Magma 30 is also on sale for $262 ($87 off), and makes a great summer sleeping bag.

I’ve just started testing this as a budget option for ultralight quilts. So far, I’ve been impressed. Like the sleeping bag version above, this is 95 percent of what you get from far more expensive bags. It’s light (20.3 ounces for the medium), packs down small, includes straps to keep it on your sleeping pad, can be completely unzipped and used like a comforter, or snapped up in a proper footbox on colder nights.

The Boost is a hybrid bag that would work for backpacking, but it can also be adjusted to a semi-retangular shape to make it more comfortable for car camping. There are arm holes, which makes reading in it a bit easier, and you can reach out to open or close the “WarmZip” center zipper, which cinches down the Boost to make it more like a traditional mummy bag.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The “mummy” design of mummy bags is about optimizing for warmth, not comfort. But let’s face it, most of us are not sleeping in situations where our survival is at stake. Therm-a-Rest has addressed this with what it calls W.A.R.M. fit, which stands for “with additional room for multiple” positions. Indeed, this bag is very roomy for a mummy design. I was able to draw my legs up when side-sleeping and spread out considerably more than with most bags. If you toss and turn through the nights and don’t want a quilt-style bag, this would be my top pick.

The Siesta is our favorite sleeping bag for car camping. You really shouldn’t need to spend a lot of money on a sleeping bag for car camping. Should your best efforts to cocoon warmth around you fail, there is, after all, a car to retreat to. That’s why we love the REI Siesta Hooded 20—it’s plenty warm and affordable. The Siesta’s rectangular cut makes it a roomier, more comfortable bag, and the 20-degree rating makes it enough for three-season trips, and unlike most rectangular bags, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on those cold nights. We also like that you can zip two Siestas together.

The Zenbivy Bed (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is hands-down the most comfortable backcountry sleeping experience I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t be my top pick for extreme situations, but so long as your expected temperatures fit in Zenbivy’s range (the comfort rating is 35 degrees Fahrenheit), it doesn’t get more comfortable than this. The Zenbivy isn’t just a sleeping bag. It’s a sheet, hood, and quilt-style bag that can be combined in various ways.

Deals on Sleeping Pads

Good sleep in the backcountry can be frustratingly elusive, but one good place to start is with a quality sleeping pad. Whether you’re looking for the an ultralight, ultraminimal packing pad or a plush 4-inch-thick car-camping behemoth, there’s deals on both right now.

Courtesy of Nemo

This is our favorite all-around backpacking sleeping pad. The Tensor All-Season hits all the sweet spots. It weighs an acceptably light 18.2 ounces, provides a good 3 inches of padding, and has an R rating of 5.4. That works out to the best padding and R rating for the weight. It’s also mercifully quiet—none of that annoying crunching noise every time you roll over.

If you’re gearing up for a winter trip, this is a good deal on a great winter sleeping pad. The Tensor Extreme Conditions has the highest R value of any pad we’ve tested, yet somehow manages to pack down to about the size of a Nalgene water bottle and weighs just 21 ounces (587 g). It’s one thing to claim an R value in lab tests though—a subzero night on the snow in a Wisconsin winter was the real test. This pad performed extremely well. Paired with a Z-Rest (see below) and a –10F sleeping bag, it kept me toasty down to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Photograph: Thermarest

The Z-Lite Sol weighs next to nothing (10 ounces for the small), folds up small enough to lash to the outside of any pack, and can double as a chair, extra padding on cold nights, table, you name it. I am too old and too soft to be the sort of ultra-minimalist who gets by with just a Z-Lite for sleeping, but I still have one around on almost every backpacking trip I take.

Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT is a 4-inch thick ultralight sleeping pad—the ever-popular Therm-a-rest X-Lite is only 3—making it the best ultralight option for side sleepers. I also like the baffle design better than the Therm-a-rest as well, and it seems to be a little more durable. Note that this is an REI Outlet deal; the XT has been replaced by a newer model.

The big fat camping pad that started the trend of big fat camping pads, the Megamat is a revelation. Trust me, you have no idea how comfortable tent camping can be until you sleep on a Megamat (or a MondoKing, see below). The 4-inch-thick Exped MegaMat is soft and surprisingly firm thanks to the closed-cell foam inside it, which relieves pressure and feels about as close to the mattress in your bedroom as you’re going to get in the woods.

When I sold my Jeep I had to give up my overlanding dreams and return to being a mere camper, but this Megamat, which cuts in to fit around the wheel wells of an SUV, has brought some of those overlanding dreams back to life. I throw this in the back of my wife’s Rav4, and while it’s not a perfect fit (check Exped to see which vehicles are supported), it’s close enough that I can get a good night’s sleep in the car.

If you get a Megamat, get this pump to go with it. I love this pump not so much for the inflating (though that is nice too, it speeds things up), but for the deflating. You can get all the air out and the mattress back in its stuff sack in no time with this thing. It’s well worth the money, especially on sale.

Deals on Stoves and Camp Gear

We’ve filtered through all the camping gear deals to highlight our favorite camp stoves, water filters, and more.

Photograph: Coleman

REI sales are the time to grab this upgrade stove. Sure, the basic version below gets the job done, but the cast iron burners of the Cascade are so much nicer and more durable. The griddle plate is also handy, perfect for cranking out pancakes. My only gripe is that I wish there were an option to get two griddles, as I find the grill not nearly as useful.

Walk around any campground in America and you’ll likely see dozens of these, for good reason. They’re easy to use, last a long time, and aren’t all that expensive. The 10,000-BTU burners are plenty to cook on just about any pan you have (I use cast iron pans on mine), and the electronic ignition means you don’t have to keep track of a lighter.

The MSR PocketRocket 2 is our top pick isopro backpacking stove for most people. It’s lightweight (2.6 ounces) but has wide enough arms to support just about any one- or two-person pot. It’s simple to use, even while wearing gloves, and it’s efficient—at sea level (OK, technically 947 feet), it boiled 1 liter of water in 3 minutes, 47 seconds. You can even get it to simmer, though the flame radius is small, so fancier cooking isn’t easy. See our next pick if that’s your goal.

If you want to cook in the backcountry, like legitimately cook with ingredients, not rehydrating food, the best stove I’ve tested is the Firebox Nano with the gas burner and diffusion plate. The Firebox Nano is a twig stove, so you have that option as well (I am fortunate to live somewhere I can use this feature), but with summer burn bans in many places, it’s really the gas burner and diffusion plate that are the centerpiece here. Together, they spread out the flame enough that cooking on a 10-inch pan is pretty much like cooking on my stove at home. This is a nearly miraculous achievement for a stove setup this small and light (8 ounces).

This is a backpacking must-have for me. It turns cleanup from a tedious chore to a couple of seconds’ work. I’ve even perfected cleaning burnt pans with it: Boil water in the pan to loosen the burnt bits and scrape them out. It’s not a massive savings, but you might as well grab one while it’s a couple bucks cheaper.

The word “ultralight” means different things to different people, and this pot may or may not qualify for you, but if you’re cooking for a group, this 3-liter pot is about as light as it gets. This is my go-to pot for family backpacking trips. The hard-anodized aluminum is sturdy and provides good heat transfer. The ceramic nonstick coating makes for easy cleanup (especially paired with the GSI scraper below). You can also nest the 2L version ($51) inside this one for more cooking options on the trail. If you want to go nuts with it, I haven’t tried it, but you can theoretically also nest the 1.3L version ($45) inside the 2L.

Photograph: Scott-Gilbertson

The MSR Gravity Aitoflow filter is a must-have for backpacking with a group. All you have to do with this filter is scoop up 10 liters of water in the dirty water bag, attach the hose, connect your water bottle, and sit back and relax. The filter is good enough to keep you safe from all the usual protozoa and bacteria, and the flow rate is a solid 1.5 liters per minute when the filter is clean.

The MSR Guardian is our pick for trips with sketchy water sources because it filters down to 0.02 microns, which will remove even viruses. It is heavy at 22 oz. (617 g), and may be overkill for trips in the US, but it’s a great option for overseas. I really like that it’s designed to be self-cleaning, which makes field maintenance incredibly easy, and that it screws right onto a Nalgene bottle. Also, because it’s a pump filter it’s very fast, you can crank out a couple of liters in hardly any time at all. The gravity fed version is also on sale for $232 ($78 off).

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

If you want to bring a chair backpacking, this is the one to get. It’s just about the lightest on the market at 18 ounces, and it packs down nice and small. Nemo also solved the main problem with all pole chairs: The included base pad keeps it from sinking in soft ground.

The thing to keep in mind when you shop REI brand gear is the company’s basic proposition: you get 90 percent of the designer item, for 70 percent of the price. It’s a strategy that works quite well and has generated some really great, affordable gear. This chair is a good example of that. It’s not as nice as the Nemo above, but it’s still comfortable (it does wobble a little, side to side when you move) and nearly half the price.

This camp chair is the coziest way to hang out around the fire. It is somewhat huge, heavy, and awkward to fold up and carry, but so long as you have room for it in your vehicle, there’s no better way to relax under the stars with your loved ones.

I’ve noticed that, when trying to lighten their load with a smaller, lighterweight backpack, people then struggle to fit all their gear. The answer for sleeping bags and clothing is this compression stuff sack, which smashes anything soft down to about half the size of the same item in a regular stuff sack. This works well with sleeping bags and clothing, especially puffer jackets, but also fleece and merino wool.

Deals on Outdoor Apparel

Looking for Labor Day deals on new rain gear or hiking clothes? We’ve got you covered with guides to the best merino wool t-shirts and clothing, best rain jackets, and best puffer jackets.

Photograph: Patagonia

Patagonia’s Nano Puff series has been a hit since it launched years ago. If you want a technical midlayer that you can also wear around town, this is the jacket to get. The fill is synthetic, but it’s impressively warm and manages to stuff down almost like a down jacket.

Mammut’s 800-fill-power down Broad Peak IN hoodie stuffs down remarkably small (into its own pocket), weighs little for the warmth it provides, making it a good all-around puffer. The fill weight is 4 ounces, which I think is the perfect amount of down those active winter days with temps in the 20- to 30-degree range. It’s also light enough (13.5oz) to bring for cool evenings and mornings during shoulder season trips.

When the weather gets down well below freezing, and the wind makes your cheeks burn, this is the jacket I turn to. With a base layer at the bottom, wool sweater over that, then this jacket, I was toasty warm walking in the early morning chill of winter (usually –10 Fahrenheit in January). If you’re familiar with Rab (which is a much bigger brand in Europe), this replaces the Axion Pro. The shell is lightweight (20D) Pertex ripstop nylon that’s nicely windproof and water-resistant.

Courtesy of REI

The best budget rain jacket you can buy, REI’s Rainier Jacket is impressively waterproof and reasonably long-lasting for $70. The durable water repellent (DWR) is PFAS-free, but still pretty good. You also get taped seams and an adjustable hood, two nice features you generally don’t find in jackets this cheap.

Arc’teryx’s Beta AR rain jacket is one of the burliest rain jackets I’ve tested. The Beta AR uses 40D fabric for most of the face, with reinforced 80D patches in high wear areas, all of it with Gore-Tex Pro 3L membrane. It’s been the only Gore-Tex jacket I’ve tested that hasn’t wetted out yet, and the pit zips provide excellent ventilation. At 1 lb. 0.3 oz. it’s not the lightest jacket out there, but you’d be hard pressed to find anything else this durable at this weight.

REI’s Sahara Shade Hoodie offers UPF 50+ fabric (a polyester and spandex blend) to protect you from that high-altitude sun (or any sun). It’s soft and stretchy, so you have a good range of movement, and there are thumbholes in the sleeves to keep them from riding up and exposing your arms. The three-panel hood has a drawstring you can use the cinch it down and keep your neck covered as well.

Photograph: Darn Tough; Getty Images

You can’t go wrong with a pair of Darn Tough merino wool socks. There’s a bunch of styles and colors to choose from, but remember to go with more merino than not if you’re hoping to get several days out of them. Anything over 30 percent nylon starts to smell quickly in my testing.

The awesome wool shirt from Fjällräven is about as northwoods as it gets. It’s also nice and warm and soft, at least on the inside; my kids do not like the outside.

Paddleboard and Kayak Deals

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

This is my favorite paddleboard for lazy days at the lake. The LowRider Aero is large and stable, making it great for beginners. It’s surprisingly nimble and easy to steer too, with very good tracking ability. I also love the two-in-one kayak/SUP hybrid design, which means you can turn it into a full fishing rig with Bote’s various add-ons.

Oru’s foldable kayaks are genius—all the boat, none of the size. The Lake is light, reasonably fast, and the cheapest way to get into the world of folding kayaks. As with all Oru’s offerings, the Lake folds origami-style into a roughly 30-inch square that’s just 15 inches deep—small enough to fit in a car trunk or hall closet.

Deals on Bikepacking Gear

If you’ve got backpacking gear, and a bike, you can go bikepacking. All you need is a way to strap your backpacking gear to your bike. Below are some deals on our favorite racks and panniers to help you get started bikepacking.

Courtesy of REI

This nearly universal rack is easy to get on and off thanks to the quick release system. Thanks to testing bike I probably move racks more than most people, but it’s still nice to have a rack that’s easy to take off when you don’t need it. I clips into M5 or M6 mounts, but you can add a Ortlieb Thru-Axle M6 Connector (also on sale) to mount it directly to the thru axle if you don’t have any other ways to attach it.

These waterproof panniers pair well with the Quick-Rack above, though they are small enough to mount on your forks if you aren’t doing anything too technical. These have a combined capacity of 29L though they are on the shallow side at about 13-inches deep (that’s where bikepacking tents with shorter pole section come in handy. These are rated IP64 which makes them dustproof and waterproof against splash water. If you want something bigger, and completely waterproof, Ortlieb’s justly popular 20L Back Roller Panniers are also on sale for $150 ($50 off) for a pair.

I’ll be honest, I’d love to have a pair of Tailfin’s 5L fork packs, but they’re out of my budget so I get by with these Ortlieb fork packs. They’re slightly bigger than the Tailfin bags, and haul my gear just as capably, so I don’t know why I want anything else. They’re waterproof, lightweight, and swallow an impressive amount of gear and food for a 5.8L bag.