Author: news

U.S. Special Operations Command’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (U.S. SOCOM AT&L), alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, launched the 2026 SOCOM Ignite Program at MIT’s campus in late September, embarking on a yearlong journey for more than 100 cadets and faculty from over 20 colleges, universities and service academies. The SOCOM Ignite Program is an innovation-focused initiative aimed at addressing current and future challenges facing the warfighter, but it also serves as an opportunity to both further the education and ingenuity of future military leaders. The selected teams will have the opportunity to establish relationships with military…

One of the biggest barriers that people face when considering buying a cold plunge is the price. If you’re looking for a full-featured cold plunge tub with a chiller, you can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to over $10,000. Some of the plunges we’ve reviewed charge $2,500 or more just for the chiller.  Which is why the most common question I’m asked as GearJunkie’s resident “cold plunge guy” is if there’s an affordable cold plunge that’s any good. My answer is always the Polar Dive PRO Cold Plunge ($899). While I was skeptical at first, after a few months…

Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain: A phrase that rings true with most backcountry hunters. In other words, we want our gear to be as lightweight and compressible as possible without giving up too much functionality or comfort. The folks at SITKA Gear are very familiar with living out of a backpack, and in light of the beginning phrase, created the MicroDown Hooded Jacket. It’s micro in size, but macro in warmth — a perfect combo for a backpack hunter. In short: Hunters looking for a compressible lightweight insulation piece will be pleased with the MicroDown Jacket from SITKA.…

If you’re an armed citizen, tactical first aid is an essential skill that you can’t afford to ignore.The timeline that opened Greg Ellifritz’s Tactical First Aid course is something none of us will forget: the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting. Seventy people were shot. The first trained medical responders didn’t get to the injured for 27 minutes, because police had to clear the scene first. A person with a massive arterial bleed has only 4 to 5 minutes to live without intervention.In that moment, one reality became painfully clear: Bystanders were the only medics on scene, and their actions determined…

On Dec. 3, the Trump administration held a press conference announcing a shift in fuel economy regulations. However, if you were paying attention, Trump also basically said he’d like to see kei cars offered in the U.S. While he didn’t specifically call out the term “kei” (pronounced “kay”), he was clearly referring to them. Trump’s Small Car Announcement Trump, who recently visited Japan, said, “If you go to Japan where I just left, and if you go to South Korea, and Malaysia, and other countries, they have a very small car — sort of like the Beetle used to be…

In the U.S., over 16 million acres of public land are inaccessible because they’re locked up behind private parcels. This is an issue that affects hunters and anglers nationwide every year, and which GearJunkie has covered extensively. But just because hunters and anglers run into problems with inaccessible public land more often doesn’t mean that it only affects them. Hikers, backpackers, birders, and, as Griffin Post demonstrates in his new film, Inaccessible, backcountry skiers are all missing out. These spaces are our American birthright. And yet, because they’re behind private property lines, we have no way to enjoy them. Inaccessible…

Arc’teryx PRO Expands Access Built for the Mission & Elevating Access: Arc’teryx PRO Evolves Arc’teryx PRO remains committed to delivering uncompromising performance for those operating in the most demanding environments. Building on this foundation, and following investment in production capacity and close collaboration with vendor partners, we are proud to announce the evolution of our PRO line into two distinct collections: • Essentials Collection: Functional, versatile designs for durability and precision. No longer limited to just professional users, available to anyone through one of our trusted network of Arc’teryx PRO Dealers, beginning December 5th, 2025. • Mission Collection: Highly specialized…

This article originally appeared on The Inertia. It would be tough to find a ski resort on the planet where people without helmets outnumber those wearing them. It’s one of the single largest shifts in safety adopted by everyday skiers and snowboarders in the last 30 years. It’s not just a safety trend that the masses got on board with. However, in Italy, helmets are now actually required by law for everyone. As of Nov. 1, 2025, all skiers, snowboarders, and even tobogganers in Italy are required to wear CE-certified helmets (Conformité Européenne), which certifies that a product has met EU health and…

Milipol 25 – Wild Clothing Wild is a new brand from Finland. They are poised to release a cold water clothing system which uses some great materials combined with excellent design. This is the Taika TacDown insulated jacket. It’s intended to be worn from freezing down to single digits minus. Insulated with TACdown, it combines down with continuous filament materials, it offers all the natural advantages of down in the smallest profile. This is combined with Actibreath 37.5 Membrane and its activated carbon technology for moisture management and EMPEL DWR treatment which is PFAS free. Features: Detachable hood with 3-way…

The BOTE Kula 5 Magnepod isn’t your typical hard cooler. It’s a 5-gallon, round rotomolded tank that doubles as a camp seat, SUP companion, and day-trip sidekick. Built by a paddleboard brand known for its versatility, the Kula 5 feels like it was designed with a specific user in mind: folks who move between the water, the trail, and the tailgate. After several weeks of use in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley on rough 4×4 roads and post-hike hangouts at the trailhead, I realized one thing: the Kula 5 is a cooler that leans less on brute chilling power. Rather, its…