Independent reviews
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Outdoor Watches
A rugged, button-operated GPS watch with solar charging, multi-day GPS battery life, and course navigation for hikers who would rather keep their phone in the pack.
Outdoor Watches
A practical comparison of the Garmin Instinct Solar and the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar, covering battery life, training tools, on-watch maps, durability, and the $400 price gap.
Smartwatches
A practical comparison of two solar adventure watches: battery life, ruggedness, training tools, maps, and the $400 gap between them.
Handheld GPS
A practical look at the Garmin Montana 750i, covering the large transflective touchscreen, inReach messaging, preloaded maps, the camera, battery behaviour, and the trade-offs worth weighing before buying.
Outdoor Navigation
Garmin Trails adds a paid trail browser to Garmin Connect and Garmin Explore. Here is what works, what is missing, and when the free route is the better buy.
Camping Tents
A fast-pitching pop-up tent that stayed largely dry through wind-driven rain, with one small leak at a door zipper worth knowing about before you buy.
Backpacking Gear
Five backpacking items under $50, each chosen because it solved a real problem on the trail, from a low camp chair to a leak-free water bag.
Camping Chairs
A trekking pole backpacking chair that delivers genuine comfort and adjustable recline, but adds no real weight saving and raises durability questions.
Outdoor Gear
Seven ultralight pieces tested on glacier ice in the Canadian Rockies, from an R value 8.5 sleeping pad to a two-person DCF tent.
Camping Stoves
A close look at the Go Out Springill Force alcohol stove, covering its telescoping legs, gasifier pipes, boil-test performance, build quality, and who should consider it.
Apple Watch Apps
A practical look at Goose Maps, an Apple Watch app that stores open street map areas directly on the watch for offline hiking, riding, and city navigation.
Camping Tarps
A lightweight 9 ft 6 in by 6 ft 8 in tarp that packs down small and pitches fast, with strong guy lines and a weak set of stakes. Best treated as personal cover for one or two people rather than a roof over a tent.
Camera Batteries
A close look at the GoPro Enduro battery, including how it behaves in deep sub-zero cold compared with the standard GoPro battery.
Action Cameras
A practical look at the GoPro Hero 10 for backpacking and outdoor vlogging, covering image quality, audio, stabilization, durability, and who it suits.
Camping Stoves
A small alcohol stove that ships from Australia, nests inside a 350ml titanium mug with its windshield, and costs around £22, but its volatile burn limits where it can be used.
Camping Stoves
A practical look at the Goshawk stove, a lightweight wood gasifier with an electric fan, plus its real fuel options, cooking behaviour, and the safety points worth checking before you buy.
Trekking Poles
A long-term look at the Gossamer Gear LT5 Trekking Poles, covering ultralight weight, twist locks, EVA foam grips, repairability, and what happens when one snaps.
Backpacks
A close look at the Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60, an ultralight 60 litre backpacking pack with tough nylon construction, a simple pocket layout, and a few trade-offs worth knowing before you buy.
Backpacking Gear
A side-by-side look at the 60-litre Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 and the 48-litre Osprey Exos 48, covering weight, pockets, carry comfort, materials, and price.
Backpacks
A close look at the Gossamer Gear Mirage 40, a sub-20 oz framed ultralight backpack built from Graphlite V52 fabric, with strong trail comfort and clear durability and versatility limits.
Ultralight Backpacks
An early look at the Gossamer Gear Mirage 40, a 19.4 oz framed pack built from welded V52 graphite fabric, covering what works, what to check, and who it suits.
Backpacks
A 38-liter frameless backpack that carries comfortably around 20 pounds, with a 25-pound ceiling, durable ripstop fabrics, and a removable minimal hip belt.
Backpacks
A frameless ultralight pack that carries comfortably at 20 lb, with well-shaped shoulder straps, usable shoulder strap pockets, and honest trade-offs to weigh first.
Backpacking Tents
A practical look at the Gossamer Gear The One, a single-wall trekking pole shelter that comes in around 29 ounces and sets up consistently fast.
Ultralight Tents
A practical look at the Gossamer Gear The Two, an ultralight single-wall shelter with two doors, factory-taped seams and a packed weight under 900 g.
Ultralight Hiking Apparel
A practical look at the GPacks Explorer Alpha, a 180 GSM Polartec Alpha Direct hoodie built for active hiking, and the trade-offs that come with the fabric.
GPS Devices
Six GPS devices recorded the same climb up the South Kaibab Trail, from Skeleton Point to the canyon rim. Here is how their tracks and distance totals compared.
Backpacking Gear
A field-tested look at eight pieces of winter backpacking gear used on a deep-snow Grand Canyon traverse, with honest strengths, trade-offs, and buying notes.
Military Surplus Backpacks
A close look at the Granite Gear Chief Patrol Pack, a 90 liter military surplus rucksack with a flexible frame sheet, adjustable torso fit, and extensive internal and external compression.
Water Filters
The GRAYL GeoPress purifies viruses, chemicals, and heavy metals in a single press. Here is where it earns its price, and where its weight, capacity, and cartridge life get in the way.