On a recent trip to Costa Rica, my wife and I had the opportunity to get out and hike in the jungle a bit. With several water sources on our adventure, we felt it was the perfect opportunity to test the new LifeStraw Steel. Back in 2016, Rick tested and reviewed the original LifeStraw personal […]
Camping Gear
A quick look at the Nordic Pocket Saw
This year I had the opportunity to attend the European IWA conference, which is the European version of our SHOT Show. One of the companies there that caught my eye when walking the isles was Nordic Pocket Saw. I’ve heard of it but seen very little of this product. We decided to stop and talk to […]
The Phone Skope – Modern Digiscoping
One of the more interesting freebies at SHOT Show 2018 was the Phone Skope cases and adapters. Prospective firearms writers received an email promising a free Phone Skope with their name on it if they filled out an RSVP form. I filled mine out because I like free stuff, even though I don’t digiscope often. […]
New 2018 Jetboil Flash | Boiling water in 100 seconds!
Wether I’m backpacking, kayak camping or truck camping, my first order of business in the morning is making coffee. I have a Black Rifle Coffee t-shirt that reads, “But first, coffee”. And that about sums up my priorities in the morning. At home, my options are easy, Keurig or Espresso Machine. In the woods or […]
Original Candle Lantern | Lighting the Night
As I write this Winter is barely in the history books and Spring is charging in full-steam. Camping season has begun and it’s time to gear up! UCO (Utility, Comfort, Originality) has been creating innovative camping and survival gear near Seattle, WA since 1971. Lately I’ve been taking a look at UCO’s Original Candle Lantern […]
Petzl TACTIKKA CORE Headlamp
Separating this headlamp from the already prolific Ultra-compact Tactikka line is the new CORE rechargeable battery pack. Packing enough juice to emit up to 350 lumens, the new headlamp has a clear leg-up on the competition. Petzl has been a major innovator since Ferdinand Petzlln (Petzl) discovered the world of caving at the age of 17. In the […]
MSR Pocket Rocket Camp Stove
It’s not often that we take a second look at gear that we have previously reviewed at The Load Out Room, but today’s review does just that. We are going to take a quick look at a highly portable stove that has a large following despite its diminutive size, the Pocket Rocket by MSR. The […]
Yeti LoadOut 5 Gallon Bucket | Contractor approved
I first laid eyes on this new item from Yeti at Outdoor Retailer in July. Although 5 gallon buckets have been around for awhile, I had to take a closer look at the Yeti LoadOut 5 Gallon Bucket. Typical Yeti over engineering was evident as soon as I picked it up. Made from injection molded […]
Fleece Puffy Blanket | by Rumpl
Never one to sit on their ass, Rumpl continues to innovate and improve their products. After a quick visit to the Rumpl booth at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, I knew they were on to something with their products. So I got my hands on one of their premier items, the Down Puffy Blanket. A perfect […]
GSI Microdualist | Ultralight Integrated Cooking Solution
So you are off on a few days’ hike/trek or even a field exercise with the military. Every cubic inch in your rucksack must be meticulously packed. Not to mention every gram you add will make the shoulder straps dig deeper into your shoulders. Yet you still need to live off that ruck for a […]