Sitting on the tailgate of my truck, I fire up the new Optimus Gemini II dual-burner camp stove in order to make some coffee and oatmeal to start the day. With a scenic backdrop of snowcapped mountains piercing a pale blue sky, I twist the knobs on the slim silver stove to get the heat settings just right. Moments later, I’ve got oatmeal simmering in one pot while my coffee water boils in a mug next to it. The new Optimus stove, which fits perfectly into my truck-camping regimen, is considered compact. The stove has two burners, making it a…
Toronto sure looks like a rough place these days. Not even by Canadian standards, but ours. Even the U.S. Consulate isn’t safe, as we found out last month.Yeah, that gun control is going just swimmingly, isn’t it? However, I apparently need to give the Toronto cops their due. They made two arrests in the incident, which is good. It’s everything else they announced about the arrests that has me scratching my head.Toronto police announced the arrests Thursday of a 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy in the second shooting at the U.S. Consulate in five…
After a long day in the sun paddling the Missouri River, I hopped off the canoe, walked along the sandbar, and began to set up my tent. As I unfolded the poles, I began to hear the clinking and clanking of knives chopping vegetables and metal spoons hitting the side of a mixing bowl. Soon, the crackle and smoke of fire began to spread over the campsite, and I got my first inkling that something tasty for dinner was on the way. I walked over to the fire with my camp chair in hand, and took a seat to watch…
Violent crime is down across the country, and that’s a very good thing. Our homicide rate hitting record lows is something that we should all be celebrating, and we’re on pace to see it even lower this year. Again, a very good thing. However, the only acceptable number of homicides is zero, and that means there’s always work to be done. We need to be realistic, though, which is why gun control is still a non-starter.But maybe the answer is to not let dangerous people walk around on our city streets? I’m just putting that…
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has dropped its fight against a court-imposed ban on its policy of limiting what professors can publicly say and write. Tim Bakken, the school’s longest-serving law professor, brought the original suit, claiming the academy’s policy violates his constitutional right to freedom of speech. He challenged West Point’s policy implemented in early 2025 that barred faculty members from publishing papers, speaking at conferences, or even appearing on a podcast without first seeking approval from higher-ups in their department. The faculty speech rule appeared to be in response to President Donald Trump issuing an executive…
Is summer over yet? Doesn’t look like it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start gearing up for fall. After all, many kids and young adults are already heading back to school, and many of the daypacks featured this week are tailor-made to transition seamlessly from the classroom or workplace to the trail or bike path. So there’s plenty of fun stuff to peruse, especially the new offerings from beloved backpack brands like Gregory and Cotopaxi. But there are also some interesting alpine-specific packs from Berghaus and the “dry out your wet phone” options from a brand named (you guessed…
Iowa’s always been pretty decent when it comes to gun laws, but the state has made a couple of major improvements over the past few years. In 2021, the state’s permitless carry law kicked in, and the following year voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that declares firearm ownership a fundamental individual right and mandating that courts apply “strict scrutiny” to any future gun control legislation. Those advances could be in danger, though, unless Iowa gun owners turn out in force this November. While Democrat candidates like Christina Bohannan and Josh Turek don’t…
A veteran with mobility issues who served in Operation Desert Storm said he has lost more than $150,000 after a construction project went awry. Ed Smith, 73, of Kansas City, and his family claim they began building another home on their second lot last year. But the family alleged the contractors they hired to complete the project took the $157,000 and did not complete it after over a year. The money was reportedly was paid from Smith’s retirement funds. “In exchange for $157,000 of my dad’s complete retirement funds, we have a hole in our backyard in the wrong place,”…
Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More It can be tricky to find a reliable pair of hiking shorts — especially for women like me. In fact, I’ve been trying for years to find a pair of outdoor shorts with the right fit. I have bought, tried on, and returned so many pairs of women’s shorts on REI’s website that I wonder if I’m flagged in their system. My body isn’t proportional between my hips, waist, and butt, and women’s clothing sizes are wildly inconsistent across brands, making it close to impossible…
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe move through dozens of different environments every single day. Home → car → gas station → work → school → store → restaurant → home again. Each time we step into a new place or mix with new people, our risk profile quietly shifts. Most folks never notice. I do. You should notice too. All it takes is thirty seconds to update my head—my mindset and situational awareness—and I’m set to go. That habit keeps me calm and keeps me prepared. I always have a plan to get through the few seconds to…
If you live in a small space, storing preparedness essentials can be tough. One of the biggest challenges is storing water, which is also one of the most important items you need on hand. You need to have extra water for everyone in the family in case of power outages, boil water notices, broken water mains, hurricanes, or winter storms that freeze the pipes. The good news is, you can store a good amount of water in a condo with a bit of creativity. I’ve lived in various small spaces over the years and have been able to store water…
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWhen the mercury drops, keeping your body warm and functional isn’t just about comfort—it’s a necessary form of preparedness that everyone needs to address. Overexposure to cold goes beyond shivering; it can become dangerous if you aren’t equipped with the right knowledge and resources. The reality is that for the underprepared, cold injuries can occur quickly. Preventing and dealing with these injuries requires pairing layered clothing systems with actionable, effective know-how. This article provides simple, step-by-step actions to prevent cold injuries and handle first aid if things go sideways. Whether you’re prepping for daily…
Most disasters, attacks, and violent incidents rarely happen “out of the blue.” Usually, there are warning signs that something feels “off.” These signs may be small and easily dismissed, but you need to learn how to pick up on those clues before it’s too late. Here’s how to train yourself to recognize danger signs no matter where you are. TL;DR: Recognizing risks through situational awareness means noticing surroundings, spotting red flags in behavior or environment, and trusting your gut to act early, helping you stay safe in daily settings like malls or airports. [TOC] Quick Look at What You’ll Learn…
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe Fourth of July is the most American thing we do. This year, with the 250th anniversary of 1776, so, even more so. Cookouts. Fireworks. Flag clothes. It’s a good day that is a uniquely American day. It’s an American day when millions of keyed-up people, dressed in red, white and blue, spend the day drinking, gathered together in sweltering heat, cooking over open flames and playing with explosives. And then drive home. I’m not telling you that to scare you off your hot dogs. I’m telling you because that is the 4th of…
I feel bad for anyone depending on The Nation’s Elie Mystal to inform them about legal decisions. I realize that he’s got his own opinion on things, but you can’t be much of a legal analyst if you’re as willing to ignore cold, hard facts. That’s exactly what Mystal has done in his steaming hot take on the Wolford decision, which manages to misinform readers about the Court’s Bruen test and why Hawaii’s historical analogies failed to pass muster while also ignoring the state’s attempt to use a racist gun law to justify its modern restriction on…
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s top commander told The Associated Press on Friday that European allies have filled most of the holes created by a U.S. decision to cut back military contributions in times of crisis. U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich urged Europeans to make more equipment available after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other assets, to the continent. He also began weighing back up plans in case of an attack against Europe. The so-called NATO Force Model is the…
This article was originally published by Willow Tohi at Natural News. Iran’s use of cluster munition warheads successfully penetrated Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, striking targets in West Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Haifa. Israel’s War Ministry announced Iron Dome upgrades in June 2026 following “operational lessons learned” during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Iranian hypersonic missiles with decoy capabilities overwhelmed Israeli defenses using swarm and saturation tactics. Israel faces critical shortages of ballistic missile interceptors, with U.S. officials anticipating depletion as Iran exploits vulnerabilities. The Iron Beam laser system, delivered in December 2025, remains not yet operational, with at least…
The American Revolution is often remembered as a clean story of liberty, courage and founding ideals. Former U.S. Navy officer Ray Deptula sees something rougher, more violent and more useful for Americans today. Deptula, author of Can’t Find My Way Home, the second book in his two-book Those Damned Yankees series, said the Revolution was not simply a patriotic uprising told through famous names and polished speeches. It was also a brutal war fought in towns, farms and backcountry communities where political division could turn deadly. “The history does not ever focus on how horrible it was, how messy it…
One of the new proposals regarding gun buying and selling is that it’ll be possible for me to buy a gun from my wife’s uncle, who has a gun store that’s a bit of a drive away, without having to make that drive. We’re both in the same state, after all, and so no shipping of a gun across state lines will take place, but it can come to me just the same. It’s pretty rad, if you ask me, and while I’d also like to buy guns from friends in other states and have…
Base-building games have become incredibly popular over the last decade, with every year producing at least a couple of standout releases. Heck, Pokemon even jumped on the train by releasing Pokopia, a cozy base-builder and life sim. As good as that spin-off is proving to be, it is still too early to rank it among the all-time greatest fantasy base-builder games like Valheim and Enshrouded. Games in this subgenre are best when they are relaxed in pace, methodical, and have a variety of building pieces and systems for gamers to play around with. Whether players are on the hunt for…
The Supreme Court will finally hear a case involving a ban on so-called assault weapons. This is fantastic news, to say the least, and I’m still giddy about reading the case’s name in the Supreme Court’s orders as having been granted cert. They’ll hear it, and I think we all know how that one’s going to go.But while it’s good news for us, it’s better news for the people who have been knee-deep in these cases, and Women for Gun Rights is celebrating one of their own who played a key role in this one.As…
