I still remember the first time I lowered a heavier partner on a multi-pitch route without gloves. By the time my ATC hit the ground, my palm had a friction burn that took two weeks to heal. That was the day I started taking belay gloves seriously. Our team has been testing climbing gloves for […]

When you are standing on a 40-degree snow slope with nothing but air below you, the ice axe in your hand is the most important piece of gear you own. I have spent the last three winters testing mountaineering axes across the Scottish Cairngorms, the French Alps, and the Colorado Rockies, putting each one through […]

I still remember the first time I pumped out a WI4 lead on a brittle Cascade waterfall with a mismatched rack. Two borrowed screws, one I bought new, and one old enough that the teeth barely bit. That day taught me that the best ice screws are not luxury gear. They are the difference between […]

Finding the right mountaineering harnesses can mean the difference between a smooth glacier crossing and a miserable slog at 4,000 meters. I have spent the last several seasons testing climbing harnesses across ice climbs, ski mountaineering objectives, and multi-day alpine routes to figure out which models actually deliver when the temperature drops and the rack […]

I learned the hard way that glacier travel without the right kit is a gamble you don't want to take. Three years ago I watched a partner punch through a snow bridge on the Coleman Glacier in Washington, and the only reason we got him out in under 20 minutes was a properly assembled crevasse […]

When you are hanging 500 feet up a big wall, the last thing you want to question is your gear. Finding the best ascenders for climbing means choosing devices that grip reliably, slide smoothly, and survive years of abuse on rock, ice, and mud. Our team has spent the better part of testing eight of […]

I still remember the burn. Three pitches up a sandstone tower in Utah, I dropped into my rappel and let the rope feed fast through my bare hand. By the 100-foot mark my palm felt like someone had held a lit match against it. That was the day I started taking rappelling gloves seriously. After […]

I've spent over 200 hours in tree stands across Ohio, Iowa, and public land in Pennsylvania, and I can tell you firsthand that the right hunting tree stand changes everything. After testing the best tree stands for hunting this season, our team narrowed it down to 8 models that genuinely earn a spot in your […]

Nothing ruins a 30-second exposure faster than jabbing the shutter button and feeling the tripod vibrate beneath your hand. I learned that the hard way shooting star trails in the Utah desert back in — an entire night of frames, ruined by micro-tremors I could not see but the sensor captured perfectly. That experience sent […]

I have spent the last eight deer seasons hunting public land across three states, and I can tell you from firsthand experience: your tree stand is only as good as your climb up to it. After slipping off a slick steel step at 4:30 a.m. on a frosty November morning, I learned the hard way […]