Fly-fishing used to be a particularly stodgy affair. That was true also regarding the names of flies; they were either named after their inventor or given an unimaginative moniker based on what they imitated. Fortunately, that has all changed as new ...
Gear
2020 FRA Holiday Gift Guide: The Adventure Travel Wish List
Shopping for traveling adventure seekers is tough. So much gear marketed at globe-trotters is straight junk, like outlet adapters we’ll never need, passport wallets, or goofy hats and vests. And a good adventure, if anything, helps us pare down on ...
2020 FRA Holiday Gift Guide: The Hunting Wish List
When we’re not making coffee or printing T-shirts, you can bet the crew here at Black Rifle Coffee Company and Free Range American are out hunting. How into hunting is this team? The HR department gives away hunts for filling out internal work ...
2020 FRA Holiday Gift Guide: The Fishing Wish List
The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and for outdoors enthusiasts that means one thing: new gear. New gear to gift our buddies who fish and hunt. New gear to put in our own letters to Santa. This year, FRA decided to go big and asked three ...
Bushcraft Knives vs. Survival Knives
The terms “bushcraft knife” and “survival knife” probably go back to the 1980s. The first comes from a seminal book by the Canadian survival expert Mors Kochanski. Bushcraft was published in 1987 and is an instruction manual on how to live in the ...
OnX Hunt: Is This Hunting App Worth $100?
In the second week of my 2019 elk hunt I was playing the public land shuffle — bouncing around forest service and Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, roads trying to locate elk while avoiding other hunters. No stranger to this game, I had pre-plotted ...
How to Pick the Perfect Backcountry Campsite
The sun set to the north that day, at least as framed by the steep walls of the Chugach Mountains, casting a golden light over the valley. Up in the alpine, 4,000 feet above sea level, we watched the day end. It was a good campsite and one of the ...
MOLLE: The Modern Tactical Load Carrying System
The modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) platform has been an integral part of the standard-issue military backpacks since the early days of the Global War on Terror. Since then, first responders have also embraced elements of this ...
GEAR TEST: The Ultimate Bino Harness Shootout
With binoculars ranging in price from $300 to $500 for entry-level glass to more than $3,000 on the high end, it only makes sense to protect them. Not long ago, that meant a harness of a few elastic straps that held exposed binoculars close to the ...
Review: Garmin’s Instinct Tactical is Fit for the Wild
When people think of Garmin, they generally think of the first GPS unit they had for their vehicle. But Garmin’s global positioning system technology is used across a variety of industries, including aviation, marine, fitness, and outdoor recreation. ...
4 Off-Grid Water Sterilization Methods for the Backcountry
When it comes to going off the grid, whether it’s backpacking, hunting, or fishing, water is a basic need. One can survive for weeks without food but only days without water. Unfortunately, humans are not equipped to drink water from natural sources ...
Review: The Tyto 1.1 is a Knife Every Outdoorsman Should Own
Hunters across the United States head into the wilderness each autumn in search of various game. Aside from their weapon, the most important item that every should hunter carry is a good knife, which allows them to properly care for the meat after ...
Review: Stay Warm with Eberlestock’s -22 Degree Euro Down Sleeping Bag
Looking up through the spruce trees, I could see the stars, bright and sharp overhead. A cold breeze blew all night, and the day had been cold enough to half-freeze my water bottle while I hiked. But tucked into my sleeping bag in a bivouac camp, I ...
The Ultimate Outlayer System: Sitka Fanatic Jacket and Bib
While there’s a certain segment of the population who views the dropping temperatures and falling leaves as a sign for all things pumpkin spice and flannel, there’s a whole other segment who sees a purer purpose: the rut. In most areas of the United ...
Kifaru Slick Bag: A Zero-Degree Sleeping Bag Made for the Wilderness
The chief debate among people searching for a cold-weather sleeping bag is the choice between down and synthetic fill. As a rule, down fill is lighter and more compressible than synthetic fill. However, down clumps when it gets wet and loses much of ...
What I Learned After Living in Kifaru’s Supertarp for Two Weeks
When preparing to go elk hunting in Colorado this year, I knew I wanted a floorless shelter, and Kifaru International’s SuperTarp was on the top of my list. For two weeks, it would be my home. The SuperTarp is a three-season, floorless, lightweight ...
The Basics of Layering Clothing for Fall Hikes
Outdoors clothing needs to meet the conditions a hiker will face. How hot or cold is the climate? How intense is the planned activity? Is rain or snow in the forecast? What about changes in elevation? Outdoors people are often told to “dress in ...
Gear Review: The Garmin inReach Explorer+ and inReach Mini
We live in a time when near-infinite information and communication is literally at our fingertips. We can use cell phones to do everything from solving complex problems to organizing a night out with friends. So when our adventures, hobbies, or work ...
The Art and Craft of Picking the Perfect Campsite
Any hiker planning to spend a night outdoors needs to choose a good campsite. This may seem obvious to the experienced outdoorsman, but any pro knows that no one is above refreshing the basics. And let's face it, sometimes the options aren’t obvious. ...
Sandrin TCK 416 Makes a Sharp and Slim EDC Addition
Even before the millions of everyday carry (EDC) pocket dump photos started popping up on social media, knives have been a common everyday tool. Young boys receive their first knife as a rite of passage, and more women are becoming acclimated to ...
Keep Your Gun Running Smoothly with Real Avid Maintenance Tools
Be good to your firearm and it will return the favor. Whether you use firearms for self-defense or hunting, they need to be maintained. Some people enjoy keeping their guns in top shape and always make time for a good cleaning. For others, however, ...
Review: The New Zeta SL Jacket from Arc’teryx
Whether battling the rain in North Carolina or winter backpacking in Alaska, layers that are lightweight, portable, and versatile are an essential piece of gear for any outdoorsman. The new Arc’teryx Zeta SL jacket is a lightweight raincoat that ...
How Alexo Athletica is Redefining Concealed Carry Comfort and Fashion
Amy Robbins. AR. How fortunate those initials are for a woman trying to make her mark in the firearms community. Some of you may remember her from NRA-TV, where she appeared regularly on “NOIR,” a program hosted by Colion Noir. Others may be familiar ...
Don’t Let Lack of Gear Stop Your Outdoor Adventure
We started our hike at sea level, right beside Silver Bay in southeast Alaska. It was quite warm, and I was wearing a running shirt and light hiking pants. For footwear, I only had an old pair of Nikes. From the coast road we followed a game trail ...
The Quick Ascent of a World Champion Knife Thrower
The forest of mostly dead trees sits near the highway in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Syringes and broken bottles litter the landscape. On occasion, you might catch a vagrant cooking some food or a junkie getting his fix. You might also see master ...
My Favorite Hiking Boots: Lowa Renegades
Our campsite was next to a small alpine lake in the North Cascades, not far from the Canadian border. It was day five of a nine-day trek, and before making dinner I sat down on the shore and looked out over the lake. Even as I relaxed, I still had my ...
Can the Black Diamond Storm Headlamp Survive the Alaskan Outback?
The Alaskan summer sun set late in the day over the mountains. Even when it fell below the horizon, the sky was still not entirely dark; but in the boreal forest, where we had set up our camp, it was. Even as the others went to sleep, I was not ready ...
How to Extend the Life of Your Vehicle
I don't like spending money on costly vehicle repairs, and I'm sure you don't either. That's why you should tackle maintenance issues as soon as possible. Doing so will not only save you money but will extend the life of your vehicle as well. Here’s ...