I’ve spent decades on alpine, Nordic, and backcountry skis, but a couple of years ago, when I first clicked into skate skis, I was a beginner all over again. Skate skiing felt twitchy, technical, and humbling, reminding me how hard it is to start something new. It also physically kicked my butt. I consider myself in good shape, but those first sessions left me breathless and sore in places I didn’t expect. When I began testing the Fischer Aeroguide Skate 85, I had only skate skied a handful of times. I wasn’t strong, efficient, or smooth. After using these skis…

New York City isn’t fond of guns. They don’t want anyone to have them, and it doesn’t matter what kind of gun we’re talking about here, either. They want them all gone; they just can’t make that happen. And, despite the animosity between the new mayor and the NYPD, the department itself tends to have a very high number of officers who favor gun control. They’re proud of finding guns that people aren’t expressly authorized to have, even if it’s clear they’re not a threat to anyone.For example, as Lee Williams points out, they’re absolutely…

Last week a three-judge panel on the D.C. Court of Appeals (which is the highest local court in the District) ruled the District of Columbia’s ban on ammunition magazines that can hold more than ten rounds violates the Second Amendment. These magazines are “arms”, the court concluded, and they are unquestionably in common use for lawful purposes, which means that they’re protected by the U.S. Constitution.  Now the District of Columbia is hoping to reverse that decision through an en banc review, and is asking the Court of Appeals to keep the ruling from taking…

As the Iran war intensifies, the United States ruling class, headed by Donald Trump, refuses to rule out a military draft. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that Trump “keeps his options on the table” when asked about the possibility of conscription. Why Military Conscription Is Worse Than Slavery The White House’s Rapid Response team denied plans for a draft, writing on X of Leavitt, “She didn’t say anything close to this. You just made it up.” Technically, she did not say that there were plans for a draft, but she did say that the ruling class won’t rule it…

There’s been a push lately to try and hold gun companies accountable not just for what they do, but for what third parties do. The hope among many anti-gunners is that they can leverage companies’ advertising, saying it encourages illegal behavior, and then try to hold them responsible for it. Among other things, of course.The truth is, though, that if all the gun control laws on the books work as advertised, it doesn’t really matter all that much what the ad copy says, right?Well, it’s likely to shift at least some marketing in the gun…

I stared into the bed of my pickup — loaded with two suitcases of clothes, essential outdoor gear, pet supplies, kitchen necessities, and a mountain bike — and saw a small open plot of real estate. I’d loaded up with everything I absolutely needed for a cross-country move and had room for one small luxury. Ordinarily, a background yard fire pit would be out of the question. In fact, it would be the first thing on the gear chopping block. But I sized up the PACKFIRE carrying case — a hard-sided backpack the size of a standard carry-on — and dropped it squarely into…

Private property owners generally have the right to prohibit firearms on the premises if they so choose, but that right could soon be curtailed in Tennessee, at least when it comes to landlords.  According to a recent report by Rental Housing Journal, only four states have laws on the books that regulate what landlords may or may not do when it comes to tenants and guns. Of the four, the Journal says that Tennessee is the only one that outright allows landlords to ban the possession of firearms, even for lawful gun owners. HB 469 and SB…

Mercedes-Benz is about to launch the luxury van space in the U.S. Overlanding and camper vans, especially built on the 4×4 and AWD Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platforms, are nothing new. But it’s tough to call even the best-equipped Sprinter luxurious unless you’re comparing it to a tent. The new Mercedes-Benz VLE looks to fill that gap with an electric van. Van & Style Don’t Quite Work Together (Photo/Mercedes-Benz) This van won’t win many points for exterior style. It’s clearly meant to be a van through and through, with the very square shape that demands. Benz has tried to make it more…

“Gun control works.”That’s the underlying message of everything that groups like Everytown, Giffords, or Brady push for. If it doesn’t work, why should anyone do it? Do they believe it works? Who knows. What we know is that they claim it does, and they can show plenty of studies to say that they’re right. We’ve talked about those studies before, of course, and why they’re complete BS. However, they keep saying it does, and to push for it, they like to trot out a lot of stories that show the supposed horrors of so-called gun…

Christian nationalism has been on full display, culminating with the murder of Charlie Kirk last year. Religious freedom groups are now receiving complaints that the Christian Nationalist ruling class has told soldiers that the war with Iran is “all part of God’s divine plan.” JD Vance Doubles Down On Christian Nationalism Psyop Continues: Christian Nationalism on the Rise Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are both important if we expect to have a free society. People cannot and should not be expected to live under religious seclusion, especially if they aren’t harming anyone else. However, U.S. military commanders have been…

In Southern California, a legal fight is brewing between environmentalists, Native Americans, and mining interests — and it’s all happening on one of America’s newest public land areas, Chuckwalla National Monument. The outcome of this lawsuit will touch at the core of the federal government’s ability to designate and preserve public lands. What Is Chuckwalla National Monument? This 740,000-acre area comprises five distinct land parcels near Palm Springs and Riverside, Calif., bordering Joshua Tree National Park. Located at the intersection of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, this mountainous region is home to many rare and endangered species, including the desert…

Want to carry a firearm in as many states as possible? As one firearms instructor is warning, be prepared to travel and shell out some money. Since the 2022 landmark NYSRPA v. Bruen decision, every jurisdiction in the United States was forced to issue carry permits or licenses on a “shall-issue” basis. Essentially the Supreme Court said: “The peasants shall be allowed to have their pitchforks.” But what does it take to have your pitchfork in every state of the Union? Depending on where you live is going to depend on how far you can get. Firearms instructor and YouTuber…