The end of winter can be terrible. Snowmelt causes mud, which greedily clings to dogs, bikes, shoes, and tires, creating a mess in your car and house. At the same time, warming air temperatures cause wind, which blows dust into your eyes and makes the days feel colder than they should be. To help mitigate the spring suck, I鈥檝e assembled a whole list of gear that makes this season a bit more tolerable.
Orvis Grid Recycled Water Trapper Mat ($170)

I have young kids and two rascally dogs, so the only way I keep my house even remotely clean during spring is to forcefully insist that everyone wipe their muddy, wet feet on as they come in the front door. The tough fibers always knock the dirt off, and even after a year of hard use, there isn鈥檛 any fraying. A waterproof construction has kept snow from seeping through and ruining my wood floors, and its rubber backing ensures the mat doesn鈥檛 slip. I like that you can choose from nine different colors. Bonus points to Orvis for building the mat out of recycled materials.
WeatherTec Floor Mats ($60 and Up)

If you track mud on the normal fabric floor mats that come stocked on most cars, you have to wait for that mud to dry, then bang it off, then rinse the mats, and then wait for the mats to dry鈥攁ll a total pain in the ass. That鈥檚 why I invested in plastic floor mats from . Even if these are caked in mud, it rinses right off with a quick hose spray, and the mats dry in a matter of minutes. WeatherTec makes perfectly measured models for most newer cars. If you鈥檙e like me and drive an older car (I have a 2002 Tacoma), you can get the , which isn鈥檛 quite as nice but still gets the job done.
Buff EcoStretch ($20)

Temperatures are all over the place come spring. It鈥檚 unnaturally hot one day, then some version of winter returns the next. That鈥檚 why I always wear , whether I鈥檓 skiing, running, hiking, or just out watching my kids play soccer. When it gets chilly, I pull it up over my ears and around the bottom of my chin and wear it under my trucker hat. When the weather heats up, I slide it back down around my neck. I go for the regular, non-merino version, because I鈥檝e found the material retains it stretch longer and doesn鈥檛 wear out quite as quickly.
Julbo Fury Reactiv 0-3 Sunglasses ($220)

Large-lens sunglasses seem like overkill, until they鈥檙e not. Try riding your bike into the wind on a dusty day with regular sunglasses and you鈥檒l quickly understand the benefit of shades that shield your entire field of vision and keep debris from flying in. The is my go-to pair in this style, because the lens darkness changes depending on the brightness of the sun. I can wear these to run when it鈥檚 cloudy and they鈥檙e not too dark, and I can also wear them on a bluebird backcountry ski day and end the afternoon without eye fatigue.
Ruffwear Dirtbag Seat Cover ($90)

My 20-year-old Toyota has leather seats that are already beat-up and wash off pretty easily. Still, there are times during spring when my dogs get so muddy at the dog park that I want an extra layer of protection. is quick to install (just a couple minutes), and the waterproof fabric never leaks, even when the dogs are sopping wet. After a big adventure, I take it out, shake off the mud, and let it dry in the sun, which is usually enough to keep it spick-and-span. It鈥檚 also machine washable if you think it merits a deep clean.
Soap in Seconds ($19)

I鈥檓 new to but am now obsessed. It鈥檚 the perfect way to wash my hands after loading muddy dogs into the car or trying to clean my mountain bike. If you鈥檙e not familiar, Soap in Seconds is like hand sanitizer, but does a better job of removing any grime from my fingers and isn鈥檛 full of hand-drying alcohol.
Snow Brush ($10)

I have in all my cars at all times, and I mostly use them to brush off snow. But they鈥檙e also great for scraping mud from my kids鈥 shoes and brushing dry grass and mud off my dogs. If used gently, the brush will also clean muck off a bike before it鈥檚 sprayed down.
Free Fly Men鈥檚 Breeze Jacket ($128)

Traditional old-school windbreakers are great for spring gusts, but the nylon doesn鈥檛 breathe well and lacks stretch. Built with 14 percent spandex, changes that: it鈥檚 stretchy, comfy, and never inhibits my movement. Made from a more air-permeable polyester, it cuts the chill of a cold wind but doesn鈥檛 cause me to immediately overheat when I鈥檓 huffing up the trail or commuting on my bike.
Astorflex Bitflex Boots ($215)

Chelsea boots are having a style moment, but they鈥檙e also a great utilitarian option for spring because the ankle-high build is ideal for walking through rain showers or down muddy trails. They wash off easily, and all the abuse adds a nice patina to the exterior. I鈥檝e tested many different pairs but love 聽for two main reasons: the environmentally friendly, aged Italian leather has a zero-day break-in period, and the rubber soles don鈥檛 track mud but still provide plenty of grip.