The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
A journey that began in Northern Michigan (Part 1) just as snow started to blanket our home. Ended 850 miles away at Reeb Ranch among the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. The next couple of days were spent in our Tepui rooftop tent while we navigated Overland Expo East. This annual culmination of displays, vehicles and people […]
The Thermarest Saros is one of Thermarest’s newer model sleeping bags. Built to sustain someone down to temperatures of 20 degrees, it is a good all season bag, with the quality Thermarest has always been known for. It has some awesome features, and all of that combined with Thermarest’s state of the art eraLoft synthetic […]
Quality, Tough, a Lesson in Craftsmanship You deserve the most durable and functional backpack for your next journey. Vanquest is the company you should choose to supply that backpack, IFAK, day-pack, messenger bag, organizer, or whatever bag you can dream up. They are tough, durable, quality, and a lesson in craftsmanship. This particular bag, the […]
When we’re Overland camping, the days don’t end just because the sun sets. In fact, some of the best times occur when only the stars and moon are out. Whether it’s accessing a remote location after sunset or drinking with friends around a fire, having the best lighting is a key component. Since 2008, Australia […]
At the end of the warmer season, I finally have time to post my camping gear reviews. Unlike some other sites, we actually field test the gear for a length of time to get the complete picture. Does it stand up through repeated use? Is “product x” the best design it could be? Is it […]
Flashback to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2017. Two guys from the Loadout Room walk into a massive convention center in Salt Lake City for the first time. Once we pick up our credentials, Scott and I shuffle into the overwhelming mass of vendors, manufacturers, buyers and the like. One of our first memorable experiences is […]
Plenty of you reading this have served in the US Armed Forces and are all too familiar with the old MRE’s (meal, ready to eat). Plenty more have run into them during disaster operations or when someone pulls one out of a bag when out camping. The content of these sealed pouches has changed quite a bit […]
The Stargaze Recliner is a chair I originally covered at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. It took a while to get a media sample but it finally happened. This past summer, our family packed up the trusty Tundra and explored our state of Michigan. When space isn’t a big issue, we like to pack a few […]
Update: Approximately four weeks after publication of this article, the H16 Wave started to malfunction and became inoperable. I reached out to Olight to discuss the issues and they told me that they had not seen this type of issue before. Olight requested I return the light so they could look at the issue – […]
“Since the dawn of humankind, blankets have been the most basic tool for comfort and security. Seriously, even before fire. Why then, over centuries of textile innovation, have relatively few updates been made to one of the most essential things on Earth? Rumpl aims to change that”. ~gorumpl.com ~Necessity is the mother of invention. After […]
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