Author: Jack Bogart

There’s nothing quite like a warm meal after miles on the trail. Our seasoned testers, Chris Carter and Ian Aktinson, have multiple thru-hikes under their belts, and in the last year alone, took five of this year’s most promising stoves on 100+ miles of trail in Colorado and Washington to test their mettle. While there isn’t a single backpacking stove that’s best for everyone out there, we’ve organized this guide into categories to help you find the best stove for you. Our top pick, the SOTO WindMaster, is an all-around winner for most backpackers out there, while the spend-wise GSI…

The spring runoff gurgles downstream, as I settle in next to the river flowing listlessly by. Thanks to the recent warm temperatures, snow hundreds of miles away is melting and catching everything in its path as it flows down towards the ocean. The runoff river may look drinkable at first glance, but it still needs to be filtered. Luckily, I brought my Katadyn Explorer Pro water filter. I pump the water through the filter and into my water bottle. It looks crystal clear, and I take a big swig of the ice-cold filtered water that tastes as good as anything…

Saab Launches New Carl-Gustaf Anti-Tank Round Saab has launched its new anti-tank ammunition round for the Carl-Gustaf weapon during a live firing customer demonstration in May at Karlskoga, Sweden.  The new round, designated HEAT 758, has been designed to defeat heavy armoured vehicles equipped with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). Vehicles protected by ERA are increasingly more common on the battlefield. HEAT 758 features a tandem warhead; the initial charge neutralises the ERA installed on the outside of the armoured vehicle, allowing the main charge to then successfully penetrate the main armour. The main charge can defeat up to 700mm of…

From full-blown thru-hikes to fast weekend missions, we’ve clocked some serious miles with the best ultralight tents. Most recently, lead tester Nick Belcaster logged 35 days across six months on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington with a slate of four new shelters to determine our latest additions.  Our top pick, the Durston X-Mid 1, is a do-it-all shelter to hike the PCT or AT. Beginners can go for a more spend-wise option like the Gossamer Gear The One. We even cover semi-freestanding options like the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2. We heavily consider a tent’s weight (double-checked with a kitchen scale), material, interior space, and…

As we near the middle of 2026, it’s clear that Civivi wants to make fixed blades a focus for the back nine. It’s hard to know where to start, but we’ll begin with the High Grass, a smallish field knife with an ergonomic handle and a high-precision blade. This is a Matt Gentry design, the second to appear in the Civivi lineup. Gentry’s first contribution to the company’s catalog was the Gander, another outdoors user. We covered the Gander when it came out last summer, and made sure to bring the bad puns along for the ride, so we won’t…

Garmin Forerunner 165: 20% Off at REI In a world full of ultra-complicated, ultra-expensive wearables, Garmin’s Forerunner 165 is a welcome change of pace. It’s simple to use, lightweight, delivers the stats you need, and doesn’t cost a fortune. REI is now offering an even better deal on this watch, with a 20% discount. Shop Garmin Mystery Ranch Bridger 55L Pack: 40% Off at Backcountry (Photo/Ian Graber-Stiehl) Backcountry is offering a major discount on one of stalwart brand Mystery Ranch’s most popular packs. The Bridger 55L is the perfect size for an extended weekend trip, and has plenty of pockets…

This is a must read.  It is a little on the longer side, but it had me rolling. Russia was my favorite.  What is yours? You buy a German anvil. It contains 83 moving parts and requires winding twice a day. It’s forged from excellent steel, holds tolerances across all three striking faces to within three microns, includes a beautifully indexed horn-adjustment mechanism nobody asked for, and… — Daniel Franke (@dfranke) May 5, 2026 Read the full article here

Catch Up With Mystery Ranch at SOF Select Join MYSTERY RANCH at SOF Week’s SOF SELECT Show and explore our lineup of mission?ready packs. Whether you need an off?the?shelf pack or a custom?engineered solution, our Special Projects Service is ready to meet your load?carriage requirements. Stop by and meet the team. This entry was posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 18:00 and is filed under Advertiser, SOF Select. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Read the full…

A 44-year-old man has been convicted of manslaughter after a 2022 skiing collision at Flaine Resort in France. The incident resulted in the death of a 5-year-old girl who was part of a ski school lesson. The convicted skier was given a 12-month suspended term and ordered to pay €165,000 in damages to the family. This means the convicted skier will only serve time in prison if he commits another offense during the year-long suspension. “The child was in a queue behind the group and was about to make a right turn when she was very violently hit by a skier going at high speed…

Kirk Mayberry of KM Designs has returned with another piece for the Boker Plus lineup which, like the universe itself, is always expanding. The Corvus honors its noble name with sensible EDC proportions and a stylish monochrome style. Does the name of a knife inspire design, or does the way a knife looks bring it a name to match? The answer undoubtedly varies from knife to knife, and while we don’t know the specifics behind Mayberry’s Corvus design, the 2.76-inch wharncliffe blade looks pretty beak-like, doesn’t it? Regardless, it can do more than peck, with a straight edge that will…