I’ll never forget the morning I watched a black bear roll a friend’s BearVault halfway down a talus slope in the Sierra. The canister survived — barely. That moment convinced me that picking the right bear canister for backpacking isn’t just about keeping your ramen safe; it’s about keeping bears wild, your trip on schedule, … Read more
After sleeping hundreds of nights across the Appalachian Trail, jungles of Costa Rica, and weekend car-camp trips in the Adirondacks, we know the difference between a hammock that keeps the bugs out and one that lets them feast through the mesh. This guide on the best camping hammocks with mosquito nets in covers seven hammocks … Read more
After thousands of trail miles and a stack of chairs that survived everything from alpine granite to soft river sand, I can tell you the best ultralight portable camping chairs for are not the ones with the loudest marketing. They are the ones that disappear in your pack, snap together in under a minute, and … Read more
When the lights flicker off mid-cooking session or the trailhead fades into dusk, a good lantern turns panic into calm. I have spent the last several months testing the best lanterns for power outages and camping, running them through backyard blackouts, three-night family camping trips, and one memorable ice storm that knocked out our street … Read more
If you have ever squeezed a tire by hand and called it “good enough,” you already know why a bike pump with a pressure gauge belongs in every cyclist’s garage. Under-inflated tires feel sluggish and puncture easily, while over-inflated tires lose traction and ride like wooden wagon wheels. I have been riding and wrenching on … Read more
I spent six months testing bivy sacks on the trail, in alpine basins, and during rainy shoulder-season trips across the Pacific Northwest. The short version: the best bivy sacks for ultralight backpacking in are not all created equal, and the right pick depends on whether you cowboy camp under the stars, race on a bikepacking … Read more
If you travel even occasionally, you’ve probably had that moment in a hotel bathroom in Lima, Delhi, or Nairobi: you turn on the tap, watch it run clear, and wonder whether you really want to drink it. The best water purifier bottles for travel solve that exact problem. They turn hotel taps, hostel sinks, airport … Read more
I started wearing a paracord bracelet years ago on a Boy Scout trip, and I’ll admit — I thought the compass on it was mostly decoration. Then one foggy morning on a Colorado ridge, that tiny liquid-filled dial pointed me back to the trail when the GPS on my phone died at 6%. It wasn’t … Read more
After spending six weeks testing seven of the most popular personal water filters in creeks, lakes, and snowmelt sources across the Sierra Nevada, I can tell you that picking the right one changes everything about how you travel outdoors. The best personal water filters for are not just about pore size or weight on a … Read more