Henry

When you are three pitches up a frozen waterfall, pumped out of your mind, and trying to clip a bolt with gloves on, the last thing you want is a quickdraw that fights you. I learned this the hard way on a minus-15-degree morning in the Canadian Rockies, wrestling with sport draws that were too … Read more

When you are standing above 10,000 feet with snow reflecting sunlight from every direction, your eyes take a beating. I learned this the hard way on my first alpine climb in the Wasatch Range, squinting through regular sunglasses until my eyes burned for two days afterward. That experience sent me on a search for proper … Read more

When you are climbing above 5,000 meters, every gram on your rack matters. The difference between a 160-gram helmet and a 340-gram one might not sound like much at sea level, but after 12 hours of ascending through thin air with a 20-kilogram pack, you will feel every ounce. Finding the best ultralight high altitude … Read more

Nothing ends a winter camping trip faster than shivering through the night. I have spent over three years testing sleeping bag liners in temperatures from brisk fall evenings to biting single-digit nights, and I can tell you this: the right thermal liner makes the difference between a miserable night and a genuinely warm one. This … Read more

Cold feet can turn an incredible winter hike into a miserable slog. I have spent over three years testing different liner socks in freezing conditions, from single-digit mornings in the Rockies to multi-day snowshoe trips in the Cascades. The difference between a good day and a bad day often comes down to what sits between … Read more

Nothing ruins a polar expedition faster than frozen feet. I learned this the hard way during a week-long winter camping trip in northern Minnesota where temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit and my so-called “winter boots” turned into ice blocks by day three. That experience sent me down a rabbit hole of researching every … Read more

When you are standing at 5,000 meters and the wind chill drops to minus 30, your down jacket is the only thing between you and a really bad day. I have spent years testing insulated layers across alpine environments, and I can tell you firsthand that not all expedition jackets are created equal. The difference … Read more

When the temperature drops below -20 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind chill makes it feel like -60, your hands are the first thing to fail. I learned this the hard way during a winter camping trip in northern Minnesota where my supposedly “extreme cold” gloves left me unable to zip my own tent after just … Read more

Finding the right jacket for high-altitude climbing is one of the most important gear decisions you will make as a mountaineer. When temperatures drop well below freezing and the wind howls above 5,000 meters, your down expedition jacket becomes the difference between summiting safely and turning back. After testing and comparing 8 of the top … Read more

When I first set up my home gym in the garage, I made the mistake of dropping a 200-pound deadlift directly onto bare concrete. The crack in the floor was instant, and so was my regret. That was the day I learned why rubber gym flooring is not optional — it is essential. If you … Read more