I tested these alarms across 90 days of trail use, including solo day hikes in the Cascades, a 5-day group backpacking trip in the Sierras, and early-morning runs near grizzly country in Montana. After pulling the pin on each one at least 50 feet from my tent, I can tell you exactly which ones scare […]

I still remember the day my friend's Garmin PLB saved his life on a solo kayaking trip off the coast of Maine. He capsized in 52°F water, his phone died from cold, and his personal locator beacon pinged a NOAA satellite within four minutes. The Coast Guard pulled him out before hypothermia set in. That […]

Nothing beats spreading out a blanket on a sunny afternoon with cheese, crackers, and a chilled bottle of something refreshing. Finding the best picnic baskets for outdoors means matching your gear to how you actually use it, whether that's a romantic park date, a family beach trip, or a hike-and-eat adventure on the trail. Our […]

I have spent more weekends than I can count with a rod in my hand on California, Florida, and North Carolina piers, and I can tell you the rod you choose makes or breaks the trip. Pier fishing is one of the most accessible ways to catch saltwater fish, but it is also unforgiving on […]

I learned the hard way that pike leaders are non-negotiable. On my first solo pike trip, I watched a 38-inch fish chew through 30-pound braid in less than a second. That single bite-off cost me a $28 swimbait and taught me that no main line, no matter the test rating, can survive a northern pike's […]

I learned about urushiol the hard way, dragging my dog through a patch of poison ivy on a trail in the Sierras. Three days later, my arms were a constellation of blisters, and I had spent more than $80 on calamine lotion, hydrocortisone creams, and oatmeal baths that did almost nothing. That was the summer […]

I spend most weekends on the water with a camera in one hand and a paddle in the other, and I have lost count of how many times a polarizing filter saved a kayak shoot. When you are sitting a few inches above the surface, every ripple bounces glare straight into your lens, and without […]

Ask any seasoned angler what gear they never leave the dock without, and polarized fishing sunglasses will be near the top of the list. I have spent the last several seasons testing dozens of pairs on lakes, rivers, and open saltwater, and the difference between the right lenses and a cheap gas-station pair is night […]

Getting caught in a downpour at camp with nothing but a flimsy rain jacket is a miserable experience I would not wish on anyone. After years of testing rain gear on trails from the Appalachian foothills to the wet coast of Washington, our team kept coming back to one piece of gear that does triple […]

I spent the last 90 days testing 12 different pool floats for adults in my backyard pool, my sister's lake house, and even the local community pool. After logging more than 200 hours of floating, reading, and dozing, I can confidently say the best pool floats for adults in are more than just air-filled tubes. […]