Author: Jack Bogart

President Donald Trump signed H.J. Res. 140 into law Monday, officially ending the 20-year federal mining withdrawal on 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest land near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The White House confirmed the signing on April 27. The resolution disapproves Public Land Order 7917, the 2023 Bureau of Land Management order that withdrew National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis counties from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years. That means the Biden-era land protection is now overturned. It also means the fight over mining near one of the country’s most visited wilderness…

The best hiking shoes are light, efficient, protective, and keep your feet cool on trails. You’ll give up a bit of ankle support with a shoe versus a boot, but many find the increased comfort and performance are worth the trade-off. This guide combines the perspectives of prolific thru-hiker Chris Carter, consummate woodsman Nick LeFort, and trail runner, hiker, and hunter Sean McCoy. Between them, they’ve spent thousands of miles testing hiking shoes from the eastern forest of Appalachia to granite peaks in California. For this guide, the team has tested 30 pairs of hiking shoes over the past 6…

GA-ASI Congratulates VMU-3 for Being Named USMC UAV Squadron of the Year SAN DIEGO – 27 April 2026 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), supplier of the MQ-9A Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Marines Corps (USMC), congratulates VMU-3 for being named the USMC’s UAV Squadron of the Year by the Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA). The 2026 “John I. Hudson Award” recognizes VMU-3’s operational effectiveness in using the MQ-9A platform within the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and the MAGTF Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) program. USMC’s UAV Squadron VMU-3, located at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii,…

After months of waiting, the T-bar was spinning at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. It had been an unseasonably dry December and January. Finally, the snow was stacked up enough to open the infamous High Lift, a surface lift serving double-black extreme terrain. After riding groomed runs and park laps all season, I was yearning to get off-piste and back into my favorite cliff bands. At the top of the lift, I strapped into a 160 W Jones Howler, with Jones Mercury FASE bindings, the perfect board in my quiver for big mountain freestyle riding. I strapped in and rode the…

Photo credit: iStock user GregorBister.There are things that criminals know that you don’t, but here are some lessons that will help really keep you safe.I recently attended the Crime and Criminals seminar presented by John Hearne of Two Pillars Training, an annual update he delivers through Citizen Safety Academy. It reinforced something most armed citizens intuitively sense but rarely see laid out this clearly: Much of what we believe about crime in America is either incomplete, misleading or simply wrong.Hearne holds a master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in research methods, a public safety career stretching back to…

A new model from Civivi is noteworthy for any aspiring butterfly knife maestros out there. The Dracolisk is a balisong model that the company is rolling out exclusively in edgeless, practice-friendly versions. Balisongs, maybe more than any other sub-genre in the knife market, are a world unto themselves. Not only are there enthusiasts who like to carry butterfly knives everyday, but there are many interested solely in flipping and related tricks it is possible to do with the format’s unique two-handle construction. But regardless of where a particular bali-head falls on that spectrum, there is always the looming necessity of…

Mistral Inc., with its Autonomous Systems partner, FUSE (formerly Flying Production), a subsidiary of Elbit Systems C4I & Cyber, to deliver a backpack-portable, rapidly deployable VTOL platform designed for multi-mission company-level operations BETHESDA, Md., April 27, 2026 — Mistral Inc.has been awarded a $20,039,666 firm-fixed-price contract by the U.S. Army for the procurement of the Thor System and payloads for the Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Product Office. The award was issued by Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2027. Under the award (W58RGZ-26-G-0026), Mistral will deliver THOR UAS systems and various mission…

I’ve spent too many mornings frustrated with a soaking wet blind bag after wading across the marsh. This morning was different. As I slid the Divebomb Waterproof Zip Backpack off my shoulders and unzipped it, I was happy to see (and feel) my shells and camera gear were dry. While waterproof blind bags have been around for a while, I’ve never been a fan of the traditional roll-top dry bags. They waste a lot of space and never feel comfortable while on my back. After several months of using the Divebomb Waterproof Zip Backpack in the dove field and duck blind, I…

Houston, TX – Roni Corporaton, the leading designer and manufacturer of the renown Micro-Roni, PDW-style pistol-to-carbine conversion kits and other firearms accessories, has established U.S. based operations and manufacturing in Houston, TX. The strategic move is to better serve their expanding U.S. market with a commitment to American manufacturing, faster delivery, and stronger customer support. Producing on U.S. soil allows Roni to provide faster lead times to meet the growing demand for their Roni conversion kits and other products while contributing to domestic industry and innovation. Part of the U.S. operations expansion includes working with leading industry wholesalers such as Sports…

Peak summer tourist season is quickly approaching for the National Park Service (NPS), and it still doesn’t have an official leader. On Monday, April 27, the Trump Administration announced it had withdrawn Scott Socha’s nomination as Director of the NPS. The change follows backlash surrounding Socha’s past business dealings. What Happened The Context On Feb. 11, Trump announced Socha as his nominee to head the National Park Service. This position requires confirmation by the Senate. For nearly 3 decades, Socha worked as an executive for Delaware North, a hospitality company that operates hotels, dining, and other visitor services in national…