Author: news

Living a stone’s throw from the Connecticut River, sandwiched between a raptor sanctuary and a state forest, I see a lot of different birds and animals. It’s gotten to the point where I spend a lot of time on iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID, figuring out just what I’m looking at. However, there’s no mistaking what a bald eagle looks like. There’s just the struggle to get a clear and prolonged view of them, as they are highly aware of anything in their surroundings. That said, I do know where my local Baldies live. And they’re most active in the…

The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall and Destinus, a Netherlands-based European defence technology company focused on scalable strike and interception systems, have agreed to establish a joint venture. The aim of the two partners is to set up the joint venture, to be named Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems, during the second half of 2026. It will manufacture, market, and deliver advanced missile systems. These will include cruise missiles and ballistic rocket artillery. Rheinmetall will hold a 51 percent stake, while Destinus will hold the remaining 49 percent. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.As part of the partnership, Rheinmetall and Destinus…

Public trails are resources for all. And maintaining our critical corridors to adventure is a team effort as well. It takes two. Having two (or more) parties will lighten the load for everything from field restoration to advocacy work. Trail-minded organizations across the country get it. They understand the need to find the right support. That’s why Athletic Brewing Company launched Two For The Trails. Its environmental grant program contributes up to $2 million annually to outdoor conservation projects across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. It helps fund a roster of nonprofits that actively expand outdoor access via trails…

Sencut is fixing to add a slipjoint to their catalog with an incoming model called the Braxx. The Braxx packs in a robust blade shape at a solid length for most day-to-day cutting chores. Modern slipjoint design can be just as various as that of locking folders – we’ve seen tantos, reverse tantos, trailing points, wharnies both standard and modified – heck, we’ve probably seen a non-locking karambit somewhere along the line. We live in an age where production knives are releasing so quickly in such profusion that all knife formats are benefitting in terms of sheer variety. That being…

Look out, runners: There are a couple of new sheriffs in town — and they’re here to fact-check your social media posts. The running world is now reckoning with the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU), an Instagram account that has become the de facto race police of the internet. Since debuting last year, the account has racked up nearly 40,000 followers. Its page is filled with posts — stylized to look like FBI case files — detailing how runners posted false or misleading race times. Often, the runners being investigated have large social media followings or even endorsements from…

The 800-mile Arizona Trail (AZT) is a premier thru-hike. It’s one of only 11 specially designated National Scenic Trails, and hundreds of people complete it every year. Now, however, it will be obstructed, and hikers will be unable to traverse its entire length. Recent border wall construction has blocked access to the final mile of the Arizona Trail (AZT). This is the most recent example in a long-running trend of efforts to increase border security and limit public lands access. What’s Happening Like all thru-hikes, the start and end of the AZT has dedicated termini. Typically, hikers will take the…

Back in the heart of the minimal shoe craze of the early 2010s, Boulder-based Lems made some waves in the market with really comfortable, foot-friendly minimal boots. I tested a pair, which my wife promptly stole and loved into oblivion over a few years. A decade later, a very modernized Lems Trail Blazer shoe hugged my foot as I scampered over trails in the Rocky Mountain foothills near Denver. I hadn’t seen a pair of Lems in years, but when the brand approached me about testing one of its bestselling hiking shoes, I was stoked. My enthusiasm for the Lems…

Redefining Rotary Wing Protection: Gentex Launches Next Generation Helmet Platform at AAAA 2026 At AAAA this week, Gentex Corporation will unveil its Next Generation Rotary Wing Helmet, a purpose-built solution engineered to elevate safety, adaptability, and mission performance for modern aircrew. Designed with a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), the helmet provides a scalable platform that supports both current and future helmet-mounted display (HMD) technologies, ensuring long-term operational relevance as mission requirements evolve. Built to meet the U.S. Army’s most stringent impact and protection standards, including 56/P (FNS/PD 96-18) and DOI specifications, the helmet delivers enhanced impact and debris resistance,…

Home gyms tend to run into the same problems. They take up too much space, they feel incomplete, or they just end up holding laundry. That’s the appeal of a machine like the Speediance Gym Monster 2. It promises a full gym in one compact setup, without the usual spread of racks, benches, dumbbells, and cable attachments that can take over a room while still leaving gaps in your training. I spent several months training with the Gym Monster 2 to see whether it could really deliver on that all-in-one home gym promise. I had really high hopes, to be…

Insulated ski pants aren’t often trying to reinvent the wheel. To that end, the Patagonia Insulated Powder Town Snow Pants aim to keep you warm, dry, and comfortable while lapping chairlift rides — and they do a dang good job.  After several days skiing in them at Aspen Mountain (Ajax), including one crisp day in the low 20s Fahrenheit, these pants proved to be as cozy as they are easy to move in. They’re also made with recycled materials and without intentionally added PFAS. This is increasingly important for skiers paying attention to the environmental side of outdoor gear. In short:…