Ethan Caldwell

Taking sharp photos on the trail comes down to one piece of gear more than any other: your tripod. After logging over 200 miles of hiking trails with camera bags strapped to our backs, our team learned that the wrong support can turn a dream photography trip into an exhausting slog. The right one disappears … Read more

Sitting motionless in a tree stand at dawn when the wind chill hits single digits is when you find out fast whether your gear is up to the task. The right pair of insulated bibs is the difference between filling your tag and going home shivering by 9 AM. I have spent countless late-season mornings … Read more

Last winter, our team drilled 412 holes across six weekends on frozen Minnesota lakes to see which electric ice augers actually hold up when you push them hard. We hauled batteries in -18C wind chill, measured holes per charge with a clipboard, and logged every frustration when an auger quit mid-fish. The eight electric ice … Read more

Saltwater destroys gear. After spending a small fortune on lures, terminal tackle, pliers, and tools, the last thing you need is a storage bag that rusts shut or leaks after a single season on the water. That is exactly why finding the best tackle bags for saltwater matters more than most anglers realize when they … Read more

After 12 transatlantic flights and an embarrassing number of overhead-bin wrestling matches, our team learned the hard way that not every carry-on survives international travel. The right bag fits the strict 21.5 x 14 x 9 inch sizer at Lufthansa, rolls smoothly across Barcelona’s cobblestones, and still looks respectable when you land in Tokyo for … Read more

Packing for a 2-week trip used to mean choosing between a checked bag that would not quite fit everything or cramming a carry-on until the zipper screamed. Then I started testing expandable luggage on long trips. That extra 1.5 to 2 inches of expansion adds 15 to 25 percent more capacity, exactly what you need … Read more

There is something about that first crunch of soft, pillowy nugget ice in a hand-crafted cocktail that changes the entire drink. After three months of testing nugget ice makers in our home bar setup, we learned that not all pebble ice machines are built the same. Some produce perfect chewable ice in five minutes flat. … Read more

I have taken checked suitcases on flights across four continents, and I can tell you that international travel punishes luggage in ways domestic trips never do. Baggage handlers in some airports toss bags from waist height onto concrete floors. Cobblestone streets in Europe shred cheap wheels. Monsoon rain in Southeast Asia soaks through bargain-bin fabric … Read more

Traveling with kids is one of the most rewarding things our family does together, but it also means we have logged a lot of hours dragging suitcases through crowded airports. After three years of family trips ranging from quick weekend getaways to two-week international adventures, I have learned that the right luggage set can make … Read more

I remember the exact moment my first DSLR slipped off a regular backpack and cracked a filter. That was the day I started searching for camera backpacks for DSLR cameras that actually protect gear. After 90 days of testing 12 models across airports, mountain trails, and city streets, our team put together this guide. We … Read more