I learned the hard way why the best emergency car kits for road trips matter. On a 900-mile drive from Denver to Moab last spring, my alternator died somewhere in the Utah desert at 2 a.m. I had a flashlight, half a tank of gas, and zero supplies. A good samaritan eventually stopped, but I […]

I've been running trails in the Mojave and Rockies for over a decade, and I've patched more flats than I can count. Two summers ago, on a remote stretch of the Paiute ATV Trail, I watched a buddy's sidewall fold open on a sharp lava rock, and his truck sat dead for four hours until […]

I have spent more weekends than I can count bouncing down forest service roads in my 4Runner with a 45-quart fridge sliding around in the back. After two cracked handles and one terrifying moment when a cooler almost took out my dog, I finally invested in a proper fridge slide. Our team has now tested […]

I've been running dual battery systems in overland rigs for the past 8 years, and I can tell you from experience that the best dual battery systems for overlanding are the difference between waking up to a cold fridge and a dead starter battery on a remote trail. On our last 23-day expedition across the […]

I spent the last three weekends installing, removing, and hauling gear with eight different truck camper shells across three test trucks. I've slept in a wet tent and a dry one, watched condensation fog the windows, and loaded 750 lb of rooftop cargo over rough gravel. If you're shopping for the best truck camper shells […]

I've spent the last three summers testing dock lines across the Pacific Northwest and the Florida Keys, and the difference between a quality nylon line and a bargain-bin import shows up the first time a 25-knot squall rolls through your marina. After running 47 test tie-ups on pontoons, bass boats, and a 32-foot center console, […]

I have lost count of how many boat covers I have watched fail in the first season. Cheap polyester that shreds at the bow, buckles snapping at 55 mph on the interstate, and covers that trap moisture until the seats grow a fur coat of mildew. After spending 90 days testing 8 marine-grade covers on […]

After spending 90 days on the water testing eight different bimini tops across pontoon boats, bass boats, and a center console fishing rig, I learned one thing fast: not every bimini top is built the same. The best bimini tops for boats combine a solution-dyed canvas with a strong aluminum or stainless steel frame, hardware […]

I spent 45 days testing 8 of the best boat seats for fishing across bass boats, jon boats, and pontoons in freshwater lakes and brackish bays. After logging 120+ hours on the water, swapping seats between boats, and counting how many times my back screamed for mercy, I can tell you which fishing boat chair […]

I spent the last three weekends rigging out a 19-foot aluminum bass boat with my brother, swapping pedestals between three seats until we found combinations that actually felt right after eight hours on the water. That kind of hands-on testing is what shaped this list of the best pedestal seats for boats in - because […]