Gear Reviews

Overview: Ever since watching Brad Brook's fantastic film " Hunting The Last Wild Places I The Frank" I've wanted a hot tipi for my backcountry hunting trips. After a miserable Colorado elk hunt (at least from a weather standpoint) spent in a small backpacking tent with my two boys in 2023, I finally pulled the trigger on getting one for a 2025 return trip to the same place. The ability to have a shelter that provided warmth, a place to dry out, and ample space for boots

A comprehensive review of Poncho Outdoors' extensive line of performance shirts

A thorough review of Winston's Air 2 Max Saltwater Fly Rod

Overview: I'm a sucker for handcrafted knives and tools. Sure, there's something practical about a synthetic handle on an axe, or knife,...

Overview: While I spend a lot of time out-of-doors in inclement weather and sub-freezing temps, my tolerance for the cold just isn't what...

Overview: Having recently completed my fourth DIY "Western" big game hunt, I've come to realize two things. First, the importance...

Overview: I was due for an optics upgrade on my western hunting outfit – a HOWA .308. I wanted quality glass but didn't want to break the...

Overview : The Whiskey Leatherworks Traveling Mixologist Kit classes up any outdoor occasion. The campaign-style waxed canvas (available...

Overview: When it comes to carrying gear while fly fishing, I've tried it all: vests, chest packs, hip packs, and sling packs. Regular...

Overview: The new Orvis Helios 4 rods launched with significant acclaim over the past few months, and all these accolades made Allen and...

Overview: Among my friends and family it's no secret that I love Poncho brand shirts. At last count I had eleven of them hanging in my...

Overview: In the scheme of things I fish a good number of days each year (never as many as I would like, but probably more than many),...

Overview: I've been a backpacker for nearly 30 years – hiking trails across the country from New Hampshire's Mount Washington to Oregon's...

Overview: A common error among bird hunters is neglecting their feet. It’s easy to overemphasize the sexier aspects of the sport, like...

Overview: The bull crested the ridge at just over 1,100 yards in a drainage to the north and moving in our direction, two cows following...

Overview: For many upland hunters and waterfowlers, a quality day afield isn’t defined by the sum-total of birds in the bag. On the...

Overview: I remember my first backpacking stove purchased in the early 90's. The one that required the pump, pump, pumping of the fuel...

Overview: I had been searching for a new travel bag for a while but wasn't really sure which route I wanted to go. Rollerbag? Duffle?...

Overview: Maybe I'm just lazy... If you recall my previous review of the Riversmith 4-Banger River Quiver (if you don't, you can find it...

Overview: Specific situations call for specialized gear. To wit, small streams choked with encroaching vegetation require a different...

Overview: I’ve called myself a bird hunter for decades, but if I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that turkeys rank right up there...

Overview: I've been a Costa customer for a number of years, dating way back to my first pair of Caballitos, and I've always been...

Overview: In 1899, from his shop in Gladstone, Michigan, Webster Marble developed what went on to become one of the most iconic hunting...

Overview: Eating on the trail, for me, is one of the greatest luxuries and at the same time one of the greatest headaches about...

Overview: Anyone that has spent time fishing with me knows I prefer articulated streamers, chewed up mice, and big foam terrestrials over...

Overview: I’m a chronic procrastinator when it comes to replacing fly lines. Call me cheap, stubborn, or just plain lazy, there’s no...

Overview: Durable gear has always appealed to sportsmen – especially if that equipment conveys some history. Take Grandpa’s battered old...

Overview: I hate breaking down my fly rods when heading out on a fishing trip or even more so when I'm simply moving from spot to spot,...

Overview: “The flames sawed in the wind and the embers paled and deepened and paled and deepened like the bloodbeat of some living thing...

Overview: In my first year hunting "Out West" with Kyle, I used my familiar Osprey backpack to carry gear; the one that had seen trips in...

Overview: Someone recently asked what my most versatile piece of clothing was. It didn't take me long to answer - my Vapor Snorkel Hoody...

Overview: For me, having a reliable source of power in the backcountry is critical. Not only do I require it to charge my phone (which...

Overview: Teddy Roosevelt once said: "No man who, for his good fortune, has at times in his life endured toil and hardship, ever fails to...

Overview: Even in this modern day and age, weather forecasts often amount to an educated guess, and anglers seldom have the luxury of...

Overview: I'm a bit of a dichotomy when it comes to gear. On the one hand I embrace the latest technologies, tools and materials for...

If ever a product were made for a person, the Blackfoot Duffle was made for my buddy, Jon Osborn. An avid upland hunter, fly angler, pipe...

Overview: If you spend any amount of time outdoors, it's likely that I don't need to sell you on the benefits of Merino wool. Sure,...

Overview: I've always wanted a camp axe. Something I could use around the cabin, on camping trips, and even keep in the truck "just in...

Overview: I was introduced to the Snowbee brand by my friend, Brian "Koz"Kozminski. Snowbee is a UK Company that was founded in 1978 and...

Overview: While I have backpacked all over the country and beyond and spent many years chasing Michigan whitetail deer, I have never combined my passions for hiking and hunting into a true DIY backcountry public-land hunt for big game until this year. So, while I had gear for both, I didn't necessarily have all the right gear for the combination of the two. I knew boots were going to be a critical piece of kit, so I spent a long time researching the options before I went. I n

Overview: I was heading out for my first big game hunt in Montana; a trip with my son in the works for nearly two years. Simply put, I...

As difficult as it would be to top Jon Osborn's last gear review, he's back again in typical Ozzy fashion (think beautiful prose, not...

Overview: From backpacking in the Rockies, Sawtooths, Sierras, Whites and Winds to chasing pike through Canada's backcountry and even a...

Overview: If you fly fish often, you are likely familiar with the Waterworks-Lamson brand for their innovative fly reels - in fact you've...

Overview: I spend as much time as possible in the outdoors - hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting and I am notoriously hard on gear. For...

Photo by Lance Nelson My buddy, Jon Osborn, knows a thing or two about needing to rely on his gear - personally and professionally -...

Overview: I hate spending money on clothes, so those items I do purchase need to play a lot of roles. The utility player. Every team...

Overview: I like to fish. A lot. While I have primarily been a "wade" fisherman besides those times I could bum floats from buddies, I...

Overview: When I saw it in the 2019 Orvis gift catalog, I knew it had to be mine. Being an outdoorsman drawn to products with history,...

Overview: Since my early college days I have backpacked all over the country; up and down California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New...