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Testing the Spy Ace EC vs. Smith I/O ChromaPop Goggles
A couple months ago, at the winter Outdoor Retailer trade show, we awarded Spy’s Ace EC with Gear of the Show for its innovative lens technology. Light conditions can change dramatically during a day...
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Testing the Best Whiskey Tumblers
Yes, a fancy tumbler specifically purposed for booze in your camp kitchen kit seems superfluous. I get it. I’ve consumed the vast majority of whiskey on river and camping trips directly from the...
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Battle of the Ski Jackets: Budget vs. High End
There’s no way around it: Skiing is expensive. Even if you eschew lift tickets and stick to the backcountry, you’ll likely spend several thousand dollars for all your gear, and that’s before factoring...
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How to Properly Dry Your Gear
Spring has always been my favorite time of year. As the days get longer, adventures get more ambitious. It’s also the time of year known for sketchy weather, leaving you prone to getting wet in the...
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Testing the Best Comfortable Camp Chairs
Nothing quite beats having a place to rest your butt at camp. And I’m talking about more than just a rotting stump you found trailside. From the ultra pared-down to the high-end luxuries I'd consider...
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Pro Tips for Packing Your Camp Kitchen
Being able to make gourmet meals when cooking in the outdoors really isn’t that hard with a little planning, imagination, and the right tools. I picked the brains of three rafting-company owners, whose...
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The Gear AT Hikers Can't Trek Without
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail have some of the most dialed kits on the planet. After all, if you’re lugging gear 2,200 miles for a couple months, you want to make sure you have everything you need...
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How to Rid Your Gear of Funky Smells
Spring. Flowers are blooming, snow turns to the elusive corn skiers covet, and mountain biking is back. It’s also the stinkiest time of year, thanks to the mix of mildew-producing rain and how much you...
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How to Dress for a Rainy Adventure
Rain is no excuse to stop you from going outside and getting after it. But while wet weather doesn't have to change what you do, it will certainly change what you wear and how you gear up. Here’s a...
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Why I Still Love the Original NRS Bill's Drybag
A couple years after starting NRS in his garage in 1972, Bill Parks started building the first versions of the company’s now-ubiquitous Bill’s drybag. At the time, river runners were using military...
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Gear to Get Your S.O. Hooked on Hiking
So you love hiking and camping. Your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t, but you really want them to. It takes some tact to introduce your S.O. to your favorite outdoor pastime. Do it right and you’ll be...
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Tested: The Best Versatile Midlayers
Spring has me jonesing to get outside in warm weather again. But don’t let the balmy temperatures dictate your gear choices—spring days can swing from sunny and gorgeous one minute to cold and...
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An Ode to Camp Chef's Rainier Camp Stove
During my time dirtbagging around the country, I earned my Ph.D. in the art of making a gourmet meal outside, using little more than good ingredients, minimal gear, and a dash of ambience. Throughout...
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How to Tell When to Retire That Rain Shell
I tend to get sentimental about my gear. I’ll hold on to a pack or a pair of skis for as long as I can, patching up minor damage to get as much life out of a piece of equipment as possible. But...
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Don't Underestimate the Humble $12 Tarp
I got my start in the outdoor writing world as an annoyingly eager intern at the now-defunct Paddler Magazine (may it rest in peace) a little over ten years ago. The mag was based out of Kirkland,...
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Battle of the Daypacks: JanSport vs. Osprey
We’ve been trained to think that when it comes to a product’s price tag, more expensive automatically equates to better. And while that is often the case (see my head-to-head test between a $600 ski...
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We (and Drake) Love Dr. Bronner's
I’m far from the only one who can wax poetic about the magic of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap ($18). (According to Complex, Drake can’t do without the stuff either.) This cooling, luxurious,...
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The Astral Brewer Water Shoe Is the Best There Ever Was
A water shoe is a tough thing to get right. It has to do so many things—stay grippy and chafe-free when wet, dry quickly, look reasonably cool—that it’s rare to find a really good pair. But after five...
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The People’s Photographer
Growing up in Arroyo Grande, a small town on California’s Central Coast, Chris Burkard didn't travel much and didn't have a passport. He spent his childhood absorbing the epic scenery in the foothills...
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A Guide to Making Your Hiking Boots Last Forever
To repair or get rid of? That’s the question that inevitably comes up after your hiking boots have seen seasons of use. To get a definitive answer to that question, I reached out to Matt Menely, who...
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