Michael Reynolds

I have spent the last three summers chasing sun across the Sierra, the Cascades, and the Long Trail with a stack of folding panels strapped to my pack, watching them cook in the noon sun and die in the afternoon clouds. After testing 10 of the most popular portable solar chargers for hiking in , … Read more

After 8 months of field testing across the Sierras, Rockies, and Pacific Northwest, our team logged more than 4,200 miles with 10 of the most popular backpacking water filters on trails. We filled bottles from glacial runoff, silty desert springs, and shallow alpine puddles to see which ones actually keep up when the water gets … Read more

Choosing the best backpacking cookware sets for is the difference between a hot meal at 8,000 feet and a sad cold soak. I have spent the last decade hiking sections of the PCT, the JMT, and the Wind Rivers, and I have boiled water in everything from a folded soda can to a Snow Peak … Read more

After a 14-mile day on the John Muir Trail, the only thing standing between me and a perfect camp night is a hot dinner that weighs less than my tent. I have been testing freeze dried backpacking meals on the trail since 2018, and I have eaten my way through more than 80 brands across … Read more

After 11 years of field-testing reservoirs across deserts, alpine ridges, and multi-day backcountry routes, our team can say one thing with confidence: the best hydration bladders for hiking are the ones you forget are on your back. A great bladder lets you sip water every 10 minutes without breaking stride, keeps the water tasting clean … Read more

Looking for the best insulated water bottles that actually keep ice frozen through a 90-degree afternoon? Our team spent the past three months testing 10 top contenders side by side, from a budget 32-ounce bottle to a premium 40-ounce tumbler, and we logged results across cold retention, hot retention, leak tests, drop tests, and everyday … Read more

A backpack cooler is a soft- or hard-sided insulated cooler built into a backpack harness with shoulder straps, designed to carry food and drinks hands-free on day hikes, beach trips, or short backcountry outings. After 60 days of testing across desert trails, river banks, and humid forests, our team narrowed down the 8 best coolers … Read more

I remember the first time my dad came back from a hike with shaking hands – not from exhaustion, but from the relief of having two sticks under his grip the whole way. That was the day he stopped insisting he didn’t need trekking poles. If you’re shopping for the best trekking poles for seniors, … Read more

Choosing the best hiking daypacks for is one of those small decisions that quietly shapes every trail experience. A great pack disappears on your back, hands you a snack when you want it, and shrugs off a surprise cloudburst. A bad one leaves you with bruised shoulders, a soaked jacket, and a hike you wish … Read more

Our team spent the past six months testing 10 of the best rain jackets for hiking across the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, and the humid mid-Atlantic. We logged more than 240 trail miles in everything from April drizzle to summer thunderstorms, packing and unpacking each shell dozens of times. The result is a focused … Read more