When you are lost, injured, or separated from your group on a remote trail, your voice will not carry far enough to reach help. That is exactly why finding the best whistles for hiking safety is one of the most important gear decisions you can make for the backcountry. A quality emergency whistle can cut […]

After my third night of staring at a tent ceiling while raccoons staged a heist on the bear canisters, I gave up on "sleeping through it." I tested 12 portable white noise machines for camping across four trips: two in Yosemite, one in the Olympic backcountry, and a long weekend at a crowded state park. […]

I've spent the last decade running commercial and private whitewater trips on rivers from the Gauley to the Grand Canyon, and I can tell you this: choosing the right whitewater raft is the single most important decision you'll make before pushing off the eddy. After personally testing 23 different boats over 18 months and cross-referencing […]

I've spent the last six months swimming 3-4 times a week with eight different waterproof watches strapped to my wrist, logging over 200 pool sessions and a dozen open water swims in the Atlantic. My goal was simple: find the best waterproof watches for swimming that actually hold up to chlorine, salt water, and the […]

Finding the best waxed cotton jackets means sorting through decades of heritage brands, modern revivals, and budget contenders that all promise the same thing: weatherproof durability that looks better with age. I have spent the last several months pulling together eight of the most talked-about waxed canvas jackets on the market, reading through thousands of […]

Nothing kills the joy of a multi-day camping trip faster than feeling grimy after day two. When I started taking longer backcountry trips, I quickly learned that finding the best wet wipes for camping is not a luxury but a genuine quality-of-life upgrade on the trail. Over the past several months, our team tested 8 […]

I've spent the last eight winters pulling on freezing neoprene booties before dawn surfs in Cornwall and chilly paddle sessions off the Welsh coast. Nothing ends a session faster than cold feet, and nothing ruins board feel like bulky, ill-fitting rubber socks. Our team at PaddleRoundThePier has tested 8 of the best wetsuit boots available […]

Drying your wetsuit wrong can destroy it in a single season. I learned that the hard way after stretching the shoulders on a $300 fullsuit using a cheap plastic hanger from the closet. That is why finding the best wetsuit hangers matters if you want your neoprene to last. Our team tested eight of the […]

I've spent the last decade running Class III and IV rivers across the Pacific Northwest, and the single piece of gear that's saved my feet more times than I can count is a solid pair of whitewater booties. After my first swim through Lava Falls on the Grand Canyon without proper neoprene booties, I learned […]

Finding the best whitewater paddle boards means looking past marketing claims and focusing on what actually survives rocky riverbeds, technical drops, and fast-moving current. I have spent the last three seasons running everything from gentle Class I floats to punchy Class IV rapids, testing boards from every major brand that builds whitewater-specific SUPs. What I […]