The Best Gear to Take to the Moon

As we noted in our base layers guide, Oros weaves aerogel—a lightweight material with low thermal conductivity that is used to keep astronauts and deep sea divers warm—into a material called Solarcore. The Discovery Vest has Solarcore panels in the front and back, and roomy pockets where you can shove your space-chilled hands. At 1.1 pounds, the vest isn't nearly as light or compressible as down or fleece, but that will be less of an issue once you're in zero-g. Plus, it's water-resistant, which helps ward off those floating water balls you're playing with.

Phoozy's Apollo XL phone case uses the same chromium insulation that astronauts have in their boots and gloves to keep your phone from overheating and protect it from the cold. It's also water-resistant and will float if you drop it in the drink. It's compatible with most big phones, from the iPhone XS Max to the Samsung Galaxy series. You might have some trouble getting a signal up there, but you can still use your phone to play Monument Valley and take pictures of wildfires and hurricanes down on Earth.

Laundry facilities in space are limited, and astronauts have to exercise every day to keep their muscles from atrophying. While most of us can survive a few days in the same underwear, you can significantly up your comfort with a pair of merino wool briefs. Merino wool is naturally antibacterial, as well quick-drying and temperature-regulating—they'll keep your junk warm when it's cold, and cool when you're working. This Smartwool pair also has flatlock seams to prevent chafing while you're moonwalking.

The fine-grained, powdery dust that sits on the surface of the moon is apparently so smelly, clingy, and annoying that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin slept in their helmets and gloves in the lunar module, rather than risk breathing it in. While the command, service, and lunar modules have air filtration systems, a few microfiber cloths would help cut down on the moondust you track inside. Wipe your feet!

Two major problems that astronauts face in space are boredom and food fatigue—you can only work for so many hours in a 24-hour span, and the menu tends to be limited. Peanut M&M baseball solves both of these problems. Use your space pen as a bat and while away the hours hunting down those delicious, calorie-laden M&Ms when they fly out of sight. Shout-out to my high school physics teacher, Mr. Gardner, for the tip.

Astronauts have the same sleeping problems as you, plus a few more. They can't rely on common circadian rhythm markers, like a regular sunrise and sunset. And they may be stuffed in a sleeping bag that's strapped to the wall, while suffering from motion sickness. Melatonin and caffeine are two relatively gentle ways to help astronauts regulate their sleep cycles, along with properly timed exercise and scheduled sleep/wake times.

Oyo Fitness uses the same Spiraflex technology that NASA developed to help astronauts combat muscle and bone atrophy in zero gravity. Rather than using bulky weights or springs, Spiraflex molds synthetic polymers called elastomers into shapes that store mechanical resistance when pressure is applied. Spiraflex machines are also lightweight and affordable, and they don't conduct electricity like steel springs do.

Of course, any lunar mission will provide recording equip­ment. But for personal use, we recommend the GoPro Hero7. Excellent image stabilization will smooth out footage in a bumpy launch situation. It also works great for time-lapse videos, using a feature that GoPro calls TimeWarp—perfect for capturing the 10 sunrises an hour. GoPro also has the best range of accessories and mounts for hands-free recording, to capture all the excitement as you race to repair the carbon dioxide removal system.

Command module pilot Michael Collins, the third member of the Apollo 11 mission, was issued a pair of sunglasses as part of his personal kit. They weren't Roka aviators—Roka wasn't founded until 2011—but most aviators are kindred spirits in style and badittude. Roka makes gear for triathletes, and they're known for their high-performance, hydrophilic Geko technology—the sweatier you get, the more the glasses stick to your face. These will block solar rays, no matter how much you perspire during liftoff.