Tactical packs are designed for more demanding situations and require heavy-duty materials. They also need to be comfortable, as they may be worn for longer periods of time while carrying heavier gear. Unlike many other backpack categories, tactical backpacks need to offer utility for a wide variety of activities, including long hikes, military deployment, traveling, and even your daily commute....

　　It’s early on a Tuesday morning in mid-March, and Isabella Calidonna is ready to run. She’s got a hydration pack wrapped around her back and a smile on her face while standing next to the Baroque Four Rivers Fountain in the heart of Rome, Italy. This centerpiece of the famed Navona Piazza, she tells me, is among more than 2,000...

　　Since 1890, French knifemaker Opinel has been crafting affordable, reliable, folding knives that are easily recognized by their distinctive wooden handles. Opinels simple construction enabled the company to keep its prices low, and thus buoyed the brands sustained popularity among the outdoor crowd over the last 135 years. 　　However, the one thing Opinel is not known for is change. 　　While...

　　On July 21, Emily Keddie became the first athlete to finish the Oregon Volcanic Skyline Trail, setting the routes fastest known time (FKT). The 420-mile trail involves summiting 15 of Oregons tallest volcanoes and scaling 69,000 vertical feet. 　　Keddie, 39, completed the route with a support team in 12 days, 17 hours, and 12 minutes. 　　Keddie is a Psych PhD...

　　While many outdoor brands pay lip service to inclusivity, its still difficult for many disabled hikers to find the gear they need. Osprey is trying to change that with the Talon Oxygen, a daypack specifically designed to assist people in carrying supplemental oxygen. 　　People with hypoxia, a condition where the bodys tissues dont get adequate oxygen, often use supplemental oxygen...

　　There’s a reason stargazers love the Perseids. The meteor shower can spark up to 100 shooting stars per hour at peak during prime viewing years, with numerous sightings of eye-popping fireballs—the name for especially vivid and colorful meteors that can reach the same luminosity as Venus. 　　The Perseids, which peak in August, do come with a slight hitch: the 86-percent...

　　Bikepacking might be the perfect adventure. Ride bikes, sleep outside. It’s like bike touring, only dirtier since you’re camping and carrying all your gear on your bike, as opposed to staying in lodges and relying on your credit card for sustenance. I’ve been bikepacking for almost 20 years now, and continue to be entranced by its charm. Pedaling into the...

　　My Flylow Super D Ski Gloves are so comfortable that I wish I could wear them year-round.Theyve also been a surprising conversation starter on the ski lift. Riders want to know the brands origin story and the quality of its gloves. My verdict: These are not the warmest or most streamlined ski gloves in my quiver, but theyre among the...

　　Spring has come and gone, and summer is blasting its heat, pushing fish deeper. I wanted to catch the big bass, but didn’t have a great setup for big lures (like swimbaits and deep-diving crankbaits) until a few months ago. 　　KastKing offered to send the Megatron 200 baitcasting reel to test this spring and summer. I’ve taken it to several...

　　It was just after sunrise on a cold February morning in Colorados backcountry. Three others and I put on our skins and prepared to cross the wilderness boundary, starting our climb. I was testing the Flylow Mens Stash ski bibs, and we were on a videography mission. 　　I had high hopes for conditions, though we had already encountered trouble with...

　　When you’re skiing hard all season, you need a ski jacket that can roll with the conditions, through deep midwinter powder days and sunny spring laps. The Mountain Hardwear Women’s Boundary Ridge GORE-TEX womens ski jacket was designed with exactly that kind of versatility in mind. 　　Built with a tough three-layer GORE-TEX shell, it’s made to handle the worst weather...

　　An archery release aid is a personal thing. You’ve gotta find the right one for you, not your friend.Ive personally tested many archery release aids through the years, whether it’s at the archery range or crawling on hands and knees through the desert after a cagey buck. 　　The right release aid can mean the difference between eating tag soup or...