The Springfield Armory SA-16A2 is not just another retro AR15 trying to cash in on nostalgia. It is a smooth, iron-sighted 5.56 NATO rifle that reminds you why the M16A2 still deserves respect, range time, and a spot on your bucket list. Why the Springfield Armory SA-16A2 Belongs on Your Bucket List You can call the M16A2 a lot of things: retro, nostalgic, out of date. When I think about the M16A2 I think of the U.S. military’s last battle rifle. A rifle that evolved from jungle combat. A rifle in High Power competition that can tag a target at…
The HK VP9CC brings the VP9 bloodline into a true micro-compact 9mm carry pistol, complete with German engineering, an ultra-low optic cut, and the kind of price tag that makes expectations very serious. After 800 trouble-free rounds, this little HK has plenty to brag about, even if a few sharp edges bite back. HK VP9CC Surprise Launch: The German Micro-Compact Finally Hits America The new structure and relationship between HK USA and HK Oberndorf have resulted in several new opportunities. One of those is the new HK VP9CC. For several years, the gun was visible to the European market, but…
Water shoes have one job: protect your feet without turning every river crossing, beach walk, or paddleboard session into a slip-and-slide. The best pairs grip slick rock, drain fast, dry quickly, and shield against sharp coral, hot sand, cold water, mosquitoes, and sun exposure. Over the past 12 months, lead tester Ryan Kempfer put five new water shoes through 30 paddling, rafting, beach, and river outings while continuing to test top performers from past seasons. A wildlife guide and lifelong outdoor enthusiast, he wore them on SUP and rafting missions on Wyoming’s Snake River and along riverbanks in Grand Teton…
The best women’s rain boots do much more than just keep water out. These boots provide the comfort, grip, and walkability needed to tackle the messiest parts of daily life. During our recent 12-month testing cycle, GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar evaluated nine pairs of women’s rain boots across 40 distinct outings. To push this footwear to the limit, we waded directly into rivers, streams, and creeks. We logged 150 miles from Alaska’s sloppy spring season and muddy trails in the Tetons to rainy travel days in Washington, D.C., and soggy birding routes in Nebraska. We crowned the XTRATUF Salmon Sisters…
From Bonnie and Clyde to Anwar al-Awlaki, this hard-edged piece asks a nasty modern question: when does deadly force stop being controversial and start feeling inevitable? Bonnie, Clyde, and the Old-School Case for Violent Justice On 23 May 1934, a group of lawmen led by Texas Ranger Frank Hamer machinegunned Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow to death on a rural road in Bienville Parish in rural Louisiana. Their villainous gang of cutthroats had murdered nine police officers and four civilians during the course of their well-publicized reign of terror. At the time of his death, Barrow had sixteen outstanding warrants.…
The best women’s water shoes need to do more than survive a splash. Whether crossing creeks, paddling lakes, or hiking to swimming holes, they must grip wet ground, protect your feet, drain quickly, and stay comfortable all day. Over the past year, our team — led by GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar — tested new models across wet hikes, river crossings, and SUP floats from Alaska to Yellowstone. We vetted them on slick docks, rocky creek beds, and hot trails to find which shoes truly perform in the real world. The Astral Brewer 3.0 earned best overall for its unmatched mix…
The best camping cots help you sleep comfortably, whether you’re car camping, overlanding, or backpacking. Our most recent field testing took testers Meghan LaHatte and Nick Belcaster around Colorado and across Washington, testing six of this year’s newest options on 16 separate camping excursions. Whether you’re after a deluxe padded option like our top pick, the REI Co-op Wonderland Comfort Cot, or need something a bit more spend-wise, like the Kelty Lowdown Cot, we’ve found the best options for everyone. All-told, we’ve likely slept on close to 50 camping cots in our days, and tested them all on comfort, setup…
“Police are the only ones who should have guns.”That’s one of the more extreme, but honest, positions we’ve heard from gun control advocates. They tell us that they don’t trust us to exercise good judgment or that we don’t have enough training, and that in any given time or place, the cops are the only ones who should be armed. Sometimes, the less extreme use of this phrase only applies to a particular set of circumstances, but deep down, most of them think it to some degree or another about everywhere. Or, maybe they don’t.…
Winchester is taking a fresh swing at buckshot with the launch of its new AutoBuck™ shotshell and this one’s built with semi-autos in mind. Chambered in 12 gauge, AutoBuck is designed to run reliably across a wide range of platforms, including semi-auto, pump, and break-action shotguns. That’s been a sticking point for some buckshot loads, especially in semi-autos, and Winchester is clearly aiming to solve that here. Instead of going the traditional #00 route, AutoBuck uses a #1 buckshot payload, packing 12 pellets into a 2¾-inch shell running at 1325 fps. The idea is simple: slightly smaller pellets mean more…
An alleged suicide note, handwritten by Jeffrey Epstein, was found by the late financier’s cellmate back in 2019. A federal judge has just released the note to the public. Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York in August 2019. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though it has continued to fuel public scrutiny and conspiracy theories because of his connections to wealthy and powerful political figures. White House Says Trump’s “Birthday Letter” To Jeffrey Epstein is “Fake News” The note was reportedly found in July 2019 by Epstein’s then-cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.…
From full-blown thru-hikes to fast weekend missions, we’ve clocked some serious miles with the best ultralight tents. Most recently, lead tester Nick Belcaster logged 35 days across six months on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington with a slate of four new shelters to determine our latest additions. Our top pick, the Durston X-Mid 1, is a do-it-all shelter to hike the PCT or AT. Beginners can go for a more spend-wise option like the Gossamer Gear The One. We even cover semi-freestanding options like the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2. We heavily consider a tent’s weight (double-checked with a kitchen scale), material, interior space, and…
I try to pay as little attention possible to “influencers” in general, but 20-year-old Braden Peters, better known as “Clavicular,” popped up on my news feed this week after landing himself in hot water for a gun-involved incident in Florida. Peters is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly opening fire on a dead alligator while livestreaming in the Florida Everglades back in March. There were reports at the time that Peters was under investigation for the incident, but according to the Miami New Times, charges weren’t formally filed until late April. BREAKING: Popular live streamer Clavicular is currently…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a shipping data company reported Thursday, as Tehran said it was reviewing the latest U.S. proposals for ending the war. The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic…
Garmin Forerunner 165: 20% Off at REI In a world full of ultra-complicated, ultra-expensive wearables, Garmin’s Forerunner 165 is a welcome change of pace. It’s simple to use, lightweight, delivers the stats you need, and doesn’t cost a fortune. REI is now offering an even better deal on this watch, with a 20% discount. Shop Garmin Mystery Ranch Bridger 55L Pack: 40% Off at Backcountry (Photo/Ian Graber-Stiehl) Backcountry is offering a major discount on one of stalwart brand Mystery Ranch’s most popular packs. The Bridger 55L is the perfect size for an extended weekend trip, and has plenty of pockets…
There are a lot of attempts to demonize Glock and other striker-fired handguns. Connecticut just passed a bill banning them in the state, all because the company built a gun that a third party figured out how to turn into a machine pistol. The device that does it is banned under federal law and is classified as a machine gun itself, but that doesn’t seem to matter to anyone on the anti-gun side of things. Also banned is for kids buying guns.I don’t mean young adults, either, but actual juveniles, yet a gaggle of them…
Many people want or need life insurance, including military spouses. It’s easy to forget that spouses might need life insurance just as much as service members, and sometimes spouses need even more. Let’s first review the primary reasons that a person should have life insurance. A person should be covered by life insurance if either the loss of their income will negatively impact someone else; or their absence will cause an increase in costs. Both of these situations can apply to military spouses, just like anyone else. It’s important to remember that every situation is unique. Why a Military Spouse…
Israel’s strike on cities in Lebanon continue despite the ceasefire. Some of the more recent attacks have hit a commercial center in the southern part of the country and buildings in Beirut’s suburbs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he had personally approved a strike on Beirut, which he said targeted a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. According to two videos shared by Ruptly (a video agency subsidiary of RT) on Thursday, the damage is intense. One video showed damage in Bourj al-Barajneh in the Beirut area, where what looked like a market was hit. Several nearby buildings were…
A 44-year-old man has been convicted of manslaughter after a 2022 skiing collision at Flaine Resort in France. The incident resulted in the death of a 5-year-old girl who was part of a ski school lesson. The convicted skier was given a 12-month suspended term and ordered to pay €165,000 in damages to the family. This means the convicted skier will only serve time in prison if he commits another offense during the year-long suspension. “The child was in a queue behind the group and was about to make a right turn when she was very violently hit by a skier going at high speed…
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has released the text of more than a dozen proposed rules, after releasing the first tranche earlier this week. You can find the latest submissions to the Federal Register here. Among the drafts released today is the rule revising Non-Over-the-Counter Firearms Transaction Requirements. Based on the ATF’s summary of the proposed rule, there was a lot of speculation and excitement over the possibility that the ATF would be allowing in-state purchases of firearms to take place without having to visit an FFL to fill out the Form…
Steam users who pick up the hilariously titled “Speak to the Manager” Humble Bundle receive 8 varied management games, plus two DLCs, for just $12—when these games, collectively, are worth $236. It’s hard to find a better deal than that, especially when players are not just getting a solid collection of management and strategy games, but are also contributing to a good cause as well. However, they’ll want to act quickly—this bundle ends on May 8. Humble Bundle’s Speak to the Manager bundle includes 10 Steam keys (for 8 games and 2 DLC), which can be purchased for as little…
This article originally appeared on iRunFar. Cementing her dominance in the Arizona desert, Rachel Entrekin won the 2026 Cocodona 250 Mile in an overall course record time of 56:09:48. She became the first woman to win the race outright in its 5-year existence and claimed her third win in a row. Kilian Korth was second overall and the first man to finish, crossing the line in 57:28:36, the second-fastest time ever and a new men’s course record. The start of the 2026 Cocodona 250 Mile on Monday, May 4; (photo/Anastasia Wilde Photography/@_anastasiawilde) Starting at 5 a.m. local time on Monday,…
