After losing more coyotes than I’d like to admit under moonlight and brush, I finally picked up a thermal scope. The first night I took coyotes at 380 yards in total darkness, I was hooked. That was three seasons and a lot of testing ago. Our team spent four months running 10 thermal scopes through … Read more
There is nothing worse than lifting your binoculars to spot a distant elk, a rare warbler, or a buoy marker, only to find the lenses completely fogged over. I have been there, standing in a damp creek bottom at dawn, watching condensation ruin what should have been a perfect viewing moment. That experience is exactly … Read more
A bare metal van loses heat fast, and the metal skin also gives warm interior air a cold place to turn into condensation. The best van insulation kits for winter slow that heat loss, help tame road noise, and give you a more manageable starting point for a heater. My winter-first shortlist separates materials by … Read more
When I head out for a multi-mile trail day, I don’t want a brick hanging off my neck. That’s exactly why I went looking for the best compact binoculars for hiking this year. Our team spent the last three months testing 18 different models across steep climbs, coastal bluffs, and dense forest paths, and eight … Read more
Distance is the input that every long shot depends on. Once a target is beyond roughly 500 yards, an error in the range can turn a correct elevation solution into a miss, even when the rifle, ammunition, and shooter are otherwise ready. The best rangefinders for long range shooting do more than display a large … Read more
I remember my first shot at 700 yards. I ranged the target, dialed what I thought was the right correction, and watched my bullet land six inches low. That was the day I started reading everything I could about rangefinders with ballistic calculators. Eighteen months and dozens of range sessions later, our team has logged … Read more
When you are sitting on a frozen lake at dawn with the wind howling outside your shelter, the difference between a great day of ice fishing and a miserable one comes down to one thing: warmth. I have spent countless winter mornings testing different propane heaters for ice fishing shelters, and I can tell you … Read more
I lost my group on a backcountry ride last February. My phone died at -18F within ninety minutes, and I spent three hours following old ski tracks until I found the trailhead. That night I bought a dedicated snowmobile GPS. Two winters and roughly 4,000 trail miles later, our team has tested enough units to … Read more
Nothing kills a powder day faster than a dead battery. After 30 below zero starts, frozen terminals, and three seasons of deep-snow riding across Montana, Wyoming, and Quebec, our team learned one thing: the best AGM snowmobile batteries make the difference between a clean first-pull start and a long walk back to the truck. AGM … Read more
A wide mouth food thermos is the simple answer when a microwave is not part of the day. A good one keeps soup, pasta, chili, oatmeal, or leftovers contained and enjoyable between the time you pack lunch and the time you can actually eat it. For this guide to the best wide mouth food thermoses … Read more