Author: news

The Otis reaction rod for AR-15 barrel installation is a heavy-duty piece of gear.If you plan on swapping an AR barrel, you’re going to want a reaction rod, and the Otis PRO+ A15 UpLock is one of the best.I still remember the early days of installing an AR-15 barrel. Trying to clamp everything without crushing anything was a major undertaking. That problem was solved long ago, but Otis, as expected, has some improvements.The Pro+ A15 UpLock is something you need if you plan on installing or replacing a barrel. It’s a reaction rod, a simple bar to hold the barrel…

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. —   Twelve LEAP Scholars recently took a star turn during Southern Star 2025 in Chile, enhancing communication and understanding among U.S. forces, six participating nations, and 10 observers throughout the complex multinational exercise. “Southern Star 2025 was a two-week multinational special operations exercise hosted by Chile and co-led by U.S. Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH),” said Senior Master Sgt. Pedro Estrada, a flight chief with the Operations Branch, 502 Communications Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. “It involved over 2,700 personnel from six participating countries and 10 observers. The exercise simulated a UN-authorized…

The YETI Roadie 24 is one of those upgrades that actually matters. The brand didn’t change much because there wasn’t much needed to make it better. But by adding a drain plug and swapping the old handle for a shoulder strap, YETI made its already excellent mid-size cooler noticeably better in day-to-day use. You’ll often see this updated Roadie 24 referred to as the “Roadie 24 2.0,” even though that’s not its official name. No matter what you call it, I tested the new Roadie 24 for 6 weeks during the fall in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. In testing, daytime…

HUNT VALLEY, Md., Dec. 2, 2025 – Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, and its subsidiary Howe & Howe, announced today a sale of the RIPSAW® M3 robotic ground vehicle to the government of Sweden, the product’s first European customer. The M3 is part of Textron Systems’ RIPSAW family of vehicles, designed as a rugged and reliable robotic ground vehicle that leverages a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) to simplify integration of new payloads, controllers and autonomy suites. Building on its reputation as a global leader in uncrewed, robotic and autonomous vehicles for land, air and sea, Textron…

It’s that time of year again: When strange ski collaborations get dropped, like the latest The North Face collaboration with chic Kim Kardashian brand SKIMS or a grungy Arc’teryx ski capsule designed alongside Atomic Skis. Did we mention a new brand making ski mitten covers with prints of ski resort maps? Yeah, that’s in here, too. That’s not all, though. We’ve also got an electric café racer in a vintage design, a new book about one of the “last wild rivers in the West,” and another bright fleece collection from Cotopaxi. Find it all in Emerging Gear. Ski Map Mittens…

Boris Langenstein is the type of skier who pioneers lines on 8,000m peaks. His June descent of Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face is a perfect example of the kinds of objectives this ski mountaineering folk hero pursues. His old-school alpinist demeanor contrasts with his fast-and-loose skiing style. I couldn’t help feeling a little starstruck chasing him around a powder-plastered Chamonix for a few days last winter.  On his feet were a mean-looking pair of skis: Volkl’s new (secret-at-the-time) V-Werks Rise 99s. This pair of black carbon knives has subtle branding and an irregular core shape. What Langenstein did with them struck…

The Hoonigan Gymkhana formula is often imitated, but rarely so well. Chinese car company HYPTEC, owned by the GAC Group, is showing off its latest supercar, the HYPTEC SSR, in an extreme drift video called Up Drift. Just as in the Gymkhana video series, a specific location and vehicle are featured in the video. For Up Drift, the location is Guangzhou, China, a port city northwest of Hong Kong, with a massive population of around 19 million people. It sprawls along the Pearl River, which is highly featured in the video. The car featured is the HYPTEC SSR, which is…

The latest Buck Stealth Run model has managed to sneak past our defenses. The 12th model in this ongoing series of limited edition special pieces is something that Buck calls the 117 Mini, a snazzed up variant of one of Buck’s classic fixed blades. The longer a knife sticks around, the more gnarled and complicated becomes its family tree. The standard 117 is also known as the “Mini 119” because, although it is in no way a small knife, it’s about 2 inches shorter than the 119 Special, Buck’s flagship fixed blade and, in that way, a companion piece to…

Kentucky may be known for its horse racing and bourbon tasting, but the state has plenty of natural beauty to offer as well. Red River Gorge (RRG), approximately an hour from Lexington, is a fantastic spot for fall and spring outdoor adventures. It’s beautiful, quiet, and family-friendly. Pack the car and bring the kids to RRG to camp, climb, hike, and enjoy Kentucky’s lush natural landscape. Here are some of our favorite trails, activities, and eats to help you make the most of your time. What Makes RRG Special The “Red,” in general, refers to a large natural area in…

US Army Awards Mossberg Contract for Additional 590A1 Pump-Action Shotguns O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is proud to announce that it has been awarded a contract for approximately $11.6 million dollars to supply the U.S. Army with additional Mossberg® 590A1™ pump-action shotguns. First adopted by multiple branches of the U.S. Military in 1987, the Mossberg 590® proved its reliability and durability by successfully completing the rigorous MIL-SPEC 3443E testing protocol. Following its adoption, the U.S. Military requested a purpose-built variant capable of withstanding sustained, high-volume use in the most demanding environments. That requirement led directly to the development of the…