Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, hiker, or backyard griller, the right gear can often make — or break — your outdoor experience. As we head into the hottest, sunniest months of the year, Amazon’s Prime Days sale is coming up fast later this month. It’s a great time to snag discounts on whatever boosts your stoke for getting outside, be it tech items like smartwatches and power banks or standbys like hiking boots and backpacking tents. Of course, many of us would prefer not to search through Amazon’s seemingly endless deals. So it’s a good thing your friendly neighborhood GearJunkies…

As a veteran, military service member, or eligible military spouse, your VA loan benefits are important for achieving your dream of homeownership. In today’s competitive housing market, you want to close as quickly as possible. If you have heard that VA loans have a reputation for being slow, don’t worry, that’s outdated thinking. In 2026, most VA loans are closing just as fast as conventional mortgages, and sometimes faster. This is key for service members on tight PCS or deployment timelines, where a quick closing can make the difference between winning a bid and losing that dream home. How Long…

For once, I wasn’t digging through three different pockets at the airport. My passport, phone, credit card, glasses, lip balm, earbuds, and a snack were all exactly where I needed them, and I had the Arc’teryx Mantis 1 Waist Pack ($40) to thank. This tiny 1.5L pack is too small for layers, water bottles, or anything bulky, but that’s precisely the point. It’s built for the small items that usually disappear into pants pockets or the bottomless abyss of a larger backpack. I tested the Mantis 1 over 6 months on roughly 30 outings spanning airport travel, daily errands, and…

About a year ago, I wrote about Japan and how they’re having a problem with bears in some of its cities. The answer was, naturally, to allow people to shoot the bears before they could hurt anyone. An insurance company even started offering insurance to cover damage caused by stray bullets. Considering how densely packed Japanese cities can be, it was a good idea. However, it seems that the problem hasn’t gone away.Why? Because some people are more than a little nervous about pulling the trigger in a crowded city street.Japan is known for having some…

Area 51 is back in the public consciousness following a swarm of earthquakes near the classified Nevada military site, stirring more speculation about secret testing, UFOs, and whatever else civilians imagine happens behind the facility’s gates. Reports citing U.S. Geological Survey data identified more than a dozen quakes were recorded near the base in late April, with the strongest measured at magnitude 4.4. There is no public evidence tying the earthquakes to weapons testing, alien technology or any other covert program. But Area 51 does not need much help getting people to look toward the desert. The renewed attention comes…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe path to 2026 isn’t a distant road—we’re already on it. The flashpoints discussed in this article aren’t future hypotheticals; they’re present-day realities gaining momentum. As we head into a critical election year, the rhetoric will intensify, and efforts to control the narrative will accelerate, feeding directly into these emerging risks. Understanding how these seven risks are developing from current events allows you to get ahead of them. This is about us preppers taking the initiative. It’s about practical awareness of the challenges we face right now and some steps to consider for your…

When I was growing up in rural Texas, it wasn’t a question of whether you would eventually collide with a deer while driving. It was more like an inevitability. That’s evidently true for many Americans, who experience between 1 and 2 million crashes with large animals every year. But unlike my colleagues in Colorado and Montana, I’ve only had deer to worry about. They have to worry about an animal 10 times heavier: the moose. These 6-foot-tall giants can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and will absolutely destroy a vehicle in a head-on collision. They pose an even greater threat…

The Second Amendment remains the only right that basically ends at the border of the state where you live. Once you cross the state line, it’s up to politicians in the other 49 states (as well as U.S. territories and the District of Columbia) to decide if they’ll recognize your right to carry.  President Donald Trump, however, wants to change that, as he made clear on Tuesday at a speech in Pennsylvania. JUST IN: President Trump reveals his administration is working on NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRYThis would be an absolutely HUGE step towards bringing back the…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested for damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the iconic Washington, D.C. site increasingly becomes a flashpoint over the president’s $14-million-plus rehabilitation project gone awry. In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a “350 foot gash” in the paint as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix the botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next week. Trump said another seven people were cited for damaging the pool. “It was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had…

Many preppers keep ready-to-eat foods, such as canned goods, protein bars, and dried fruits, for emergencies. But at some point, you will want a hot meal, especially if the emergency lasts more than a day or two. Without an electric stove or microwave, your options may feel limited to eating the same instant foods day after day. But there are ways to safely cook food without electricity, even in a small space. The key is knowing what you can cook, either indoors or outdoors. During several hurricanes in Houston, many families opted to use their barbecue grills outside, particularly to…

Being a fishing-crazed maniac with an absolute plethora of both fresh and saltwater equipment, keeping my gear locker organized has always been an uphill battle. Add in the challenge of packing for a weekend trip or even a quick afternoon outing, and my carefully curated storage endeavors often unravel, devolving into everything simply being thrown into the back of my Subaru. Plano’s GoNow Boxes have changed the way I keep all my fishing gear stored and ready to rock. For the first time in my life, I actually know where all my fishy odds and ends are safely stashed. Now…

New York has a lot of gun control laws on the books. They’ve created even more since the Bruen decision, which strikes me as more than a little ironic considering the text of that decision. Even before then, though, they had an issue with gun trafficking. See, no matter how much you try to restrict guns, some people will figure out a way to provide firearms to those who really, really want them. All you do with restrictions is make sure the only people getting them are people who do not view the law as…