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…
Few stories hit people in the gut like a police officer shooting a family dog. When The Trace recently highlighted the fatal LAPD shooting of a golden Saint Bernard doodle named Jameson, the reaction was predictable: outrage, heartbreak, and renewed accusations that police are too quick to pull the trigger. It’s easy to understand why. According to The Trace’s reporting, animal welfare groups and the Department of Justice have estimated that police shoot roughly 10,000 dogs each year: about 25 to 30 every day. The outlet also cites studies suggesting dog shootings account for a surprisingly large percentage of officer-involved…
A Navy acquisition leader warned congressional members on Thursday that China is meeting the United States on nearly every maritime mark, raising the importance that shipbuilding continue on an upward trajectory. William F. Mahan, performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Navy (ASN) for research, development and acquisition, made the remarks Thursday to an audience of lawmakers and industry partners on Capitol Hill as part of the U.S. Navy League’s Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus breakfast. His main message was a simple one: modernization and restoration is integral to the U.S. maintaining its maritime industrial base. But that is just part…
This article was originally published by Garrison Vance at Natural News. A rescued U.S. Air Force pilot reported seeing a highly coordinated formation of Iranian drones shortly before his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran in April, according to sources familiar with his post-rescue debriefing. The account has sparked debate within the U.S. intelligence community over whether Iran possesses more advanced drone networking capabilities than previously assessed and whether the drone formation played a role in the shootdown during Operation Epic Fury, as reported by CNN and cited in an Antiwar.com article [1]. The pilot described multiple drones moving together as a single…
The Protection of Lawful Commerce of Arms Act was passed because the anti-gunners were being a nuisance by suing every manufacturer of firearms over whatever some third-party did with a gun they made, even if there was no evidence that the company did anything wrong. It was an ongoing problem that threatened to bankrupt the industry over nothing, so Congress stepped in and acted. For a while, that did the trick.Then the Sandy Hook shooting happened and anti-gunners decided to make it about the marketing of the gun. No one ever showed that the killer…
California’s latest gun law hasn’t even taken effect, and the U.S. Department of Justice is already threatening to sue over it. According to Washington Gun Law President William Kirk, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has sent a blunt letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta warning that if Assembly Bill 1127 (the law critics have dubbed California’s “Glock ban”) goes into effect on July 1, the federal government will file suit. The reason? The DOJ says the law violates the Second Amendment. America’s Most Popular Handgun Beginning July 1, California firearm dealers will no longer be able…
Here is a real estate secret that most people don’t know about. VA loans are one of the best house-hacking tools around! They allow eligible veterans and active-duty service members to buy a multi-unit property, live in it, rent out the other units, and turn it into an income-producing venture, with no money down. This house-hacking process can often cover your entire mortgage, and produce passive income, all while building equity in your property. Read on to see how you can buy a multi-unit property with a VA loan and build equity with very little investment. Can You Buy a…
Could nationwide concealed carry reciprocity finally be gaining momentum? President Donald Trump certainly gave gun owners reason for optimism this week. Speaking at a rally Tuesday at the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Trump was joined by NRA President Bill Bachenberg when the conversation turned to one of the biggest priorities in the gun-rights world: national right-to-carry legislation. According to reporting by American Rifleman, Bachenberg asked Trump whether he supports nationwide carry reciprocity. The crowd’s response came before Trump could finish the question. How do you feel about national right to carry?” Trump asked. The audience erupted in cheers.…
The VA home loan is one of the most valuable benefits available to service members, veterans and surviving spouses — and one of the least understood. Millions of eligible borrowers have never used it. Many who have used it made decisions that cost them thousands because nobody explained the details upfront. Here are 10 things that matter before you sign anything. 1. You Don’t Need a Down Payment, But That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Make One No down payment is required for Department of Veterans Affairs loans when you have full entitlement, and no private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required,…
Of all 50 states, Texas has one of the most distinct identities. From cowboys and western wear to rodeos, ranches, and pickup trucks, these are all things associated with the Lone Star State. Pickups are also important for auto manufacturers. In fact, one in six pickup trucks — about 17% — are sold in Texas. Being such a large market, Ram looks to Texas for inspiration and even offers Texas-only trims. I visited the Fort Worth area to get a first-hand look at how Texan culture influences the Ram brand and its trim levels. Ram Changed the Pickup Paradigm 30+…
Look, the shooting in Montreal was not a great moment in Canadian history. I get that, and I agree, and that’s even if we were to assume that the video that looks like a police officer killing someone just trying to get out of harm’s way doesn’t actually show that. Public active shooter situations like that are never a good thing, and they’re not a good look, especially in a country that has such extensive gun control laws. However, it’s unsurprising that the calls have been renewed. The mayor of Montreal clearly wants gun control,…
America’s 250th birthday is still days away. But Henry Repeating Arms is already in the celebrating mood. The Wisconsin gunmaker has begun shipping its new America’s 250th Anniversary Tribute Edition Collection, a trio of lever guns dressed up in plenty of red, white, and blue. If you’re a fan of lever actions and American history, these are hard to ignore. The collection includes two H001 .22 rifles—one full-size and one youth model—along with a beefy H010 chambered in .45-70 Government. Every rifle shares the same patriotic look, featuring a waving American flag in full-color Cerakote on a nickel-plated receiver, Fancy-grade…
The changes to Army fitness testing have been constant and confusing, even to soldiers, over the past decade. The first version of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) was renamed the Army Fitness Test (AFT), which all soldiers now take, but a new Army Combat Fitness Test has been developed, modeled after the Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT), for all combat MOSs. Now, the ACFT is the mandatory baseline fitness test for all combat arms military occupational specialties (MOS), while the Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT) is an elite, mission-specific functional fitness test required to enter the U.S. Army Ranger…
