I have spent the last three backpacking seasons rotating through pouches on the Pacific Crest and Long Trail sections, logging every dinner in a small notebook. After more than 60 freeze dried and dehydrated meals eaten at altitude, in rain, and after 20-mile days, I learned that the best freeze dried meals for backpacking are […]

I have been carrying some form of hatchet into the backcountry for over a decade, and the debate around the best backpacking hatchets has only gotten louder since ultralight culture went mainstream. Our team spent the last three months hauling eight different models across the Sierra Nevada, the Adirondacks, and the Cohutta Wilderness, weighing every […]

When I loaded my first thru-hiking pack with a Trangia Spirit Burner and 8 ounces of denatured alcohol, I shaved nearly a pound off my cook kit and never looked back. Over the past six years our team has tested more than 30 alcohol stoves across the Sierra, the Rockies, and the Pacific Crest Trail […]

I have spent more weekends than I can count on remote trails where cell service disappeared after the first mile and the nearest road was a full day's hike away. On one of those trips, a sudden storm rolled in and I had to build an emergency shelter using nothing but a space blanket, some […]

I lost count of how many times I came home from a kayak trip with soaked gear before I started actually trusting "waterproof" labels. After three seasons of abuse-testing ten duffels across the Pacific Northwest, river runs in the Cascades, and motorcycle tours down Highway 101, I can tell you which waterproof duffel bags actually […]

I've spent the last three months testing the best waterproof backpacks on the market, running them through spray-down drills, accidental kayak rollovers, and one memorable Costa Rica beach trip where my phone bag got buried in sand for 20 minutes. The short version: not every pack that claims "waterproof" actually keeps your gear dry, and […]

Last summer I watched my Border Collie, Scout, try to chase a marmot up a 12,000-foot ridge carrying nothing but his collar. After two hours of scrambling over scree, his energy tanked and mine doubled. That weekend changed how I think about hiking with dogs. The right dog backpack for hiking doesn't just carry their […]

I've spent the last three months testing weighted vests for rucking on trails, sidewalks, and stair climbs to find the best weighted vests for rucking that actually deliver on comfort and durability. After rucking over 120 miles with 8 different vests loaded between 10 and 45 pounds, I can tell you which ones bounce, which […]

I have packed for over 200 nights on the trail, and I can tell you the difference between a frustrating trip and an organized one usually comes down to a few ounces of fabric. The best stuff sacks for backpacking keep your sleeping bag dry, your clothes sorted, and your food safe from critters and […]

Getting caught in a downpour with a soaked sleeping bag is one of the most miserable experiences on the trail. I learned this the hard way during a three-day trip in the Cascades where my so-called waterproof rain cover failed within an hour. That's when I started testing the best waterproof pack liners I could […]