I've been chasing walleye and panfish through the ice for more than 15 winters, and the single tool that has saved me from walking onto thin ice more than once is the humble spud bar. The best ice fishing spuds are not glamorous, but they are the most important piece of safety gear you can […]

Two seasons ago, I watched a buddy's flip-over shelter cartwheel across a Midwest lake in 35 mph gusts. The four "anchor points" his shack came with never had a chance. That afternoon cost him a shelter, two rods, and a heater. After testing eight different ice shelter anchor systems across two winters on lakes from […]

I spent six weekends testing ten inflatable pool loungers in three different pools and a backyard lake to find the best inflatable pool loungers for . My family ranged from a 110-pound teenager to my 240-pound brother-in-law, and we logged every flip, leak, sticky vinyl moment, and afternoon nap that ended in a sunburn. This […]

After 60 days testing the best insulated boot liners in standing water, on tree stands, and in subzero freezers, our team narrowed eight strong options down to a single recommendation for each major use case. Insulated boot liners are removable inner socks or booties that drop into your pac boot, hunting boot, or work boot […]

When the summer heat kicks in, nothing beats stepping into your own backyard and plunging into a cool pool. I spent six weeks testing inflatable pools for backyards with my family across three different yards — a small urban patio, a mid-sized suburban lot, and a sprawling country lawn — and the difference between a […]

I have spent the last three summers testing inflatable solar lanterns on trips ranging from backyard cookouts to week-long kayak expeditions in the Boundary Waters, and I can tell you that the category has matured into something genuinely useful. An inflatable solar lantern is a collapsible, lightweight LED lantern powered by a built-in solar panel […]

After spending three months comparing ten of the top commercial grade inflatable water slides on the market right now, I can tell you which ones actually hold up to repeated events and which ones are just residential units dressed up with a "commercial" label. Our team tested 21ft dual-lane setups, 26ft double-lane beasts, and 15-18ft […]

Looking for the best instant cameras for outdoor trips in ? After three months of trail testing - from a foggy Lake District weekend to a Cornwall beach camp and a multi-day backpacking loop - our team landed on eight models that earn their weight in a pack. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 wins our […]

An insulated food carrier is a portable soft-sided container with thermal insulation that keeps food hot or cold for hours at a time. For camping, the best ones combine closed-cell foam insulation, welded leakproof seams, and food-safe liners so you can pack lunches, hot rehydrated meals, groceries, or drinks for the trail. I tested twelve […]

When I'm three miles up a trail in the Sierras or stuck in a 6 a.m. hotel shuttle, the only coffee that matters is the one I just brewed myself. After testing the best insulated french press travel mugs for across camp stoves, RV galleys, and morning commutes, I've learned that not every french press […]