Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More “How long have you had this sleeping bag?” My wife’s query was innocent enough. But I should have seen where it was going. “Oh man, more than 20 years!” I beamed. I’d bought the Marmot Pinnacle back when I worked at Midwest Mountaineering in the mid-’90s. It was one of my first real gear purchases, scrounged together by scrimping, saving, and eating ramen noodles during college. It turned out to be a spectacular investment. I’d spent hundreds of nights in that bag. I was…
I woke up to one of the strongest wind gusts I’ve ever weathered in a tent. I looked at my watch: 2:43 a.m. Right when the forecast was predicting 50 mph gusts on the snowy 12,000-foot ridgeline, The North Face’s (TNF) Assault 2 AMK Tent ($1,850), and I were perched on. My headlamp had broken, and with it was my only hope for an escape until sunrise in the worst-case scenario. Lying there cold, alone, and in the dark, I hunkered down, hoping the sub–3-pound tent’s carbon fiber poles could hold on a few hours longer. It did. After hours of shaking and flexing,…
I remember when magazines like Esquire were about men’s style and the gentleman’s lifestyle. If you wanted to be the most well-dressed man in any room, you probably read it and its sister publication, GQ. They focused on what they focused on and they did it well for decades. But, like most publications these days, they seem to think they also need to cover politics to some degree, which I guess would be fine if they actually had anything intelligent to offer. Just like Vogue and its offshoots, though, they seem to find people who…
Iran has vowed to retaliate against the United States after it fired upon and seized a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. “Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, seeks, in his view, to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” said Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Ghalibaf led the Iranian delegation in the failed talks with Vice President J.D. Vance in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11th. Vance Fails In Iran: No Peace Deal According to state media, as reported by NBC News, the ministry called the Sunday night cargo…
Instructors at Vail Resorts are opting into a class-action lawsuit against the corporation, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Since it was filed, nearly 2,000 snow sports instructors have opted in, and if the judge extends the deadline at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, many more could join. The lawsuit, titled Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc., accuses the ski company of having failed to fairly compensate its instructors for “off-the-clock” job duties — including time traveling between employee parking lots, locker rooms, and worksites; time spent putting on gear and uniforms; and time in…
Despite the Ukrainian government putting rifles in the hands of some civilians in the early days of the country’s defense against Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s gun laws remain awfully restrictive. Those laws, however, didn’t prevent a mass shooting at a grocery store in Kyiv last Saturday, where a man killed seven shoppers and took several others hostage before he was shot and killed by police. In the wake of the attack, a growing number of Ukrainians are calling on the government to loosen the country’s tight gun controls and allow individuals to carry in self-defense. “If the…
For centuries, hunting blinds have been used to conceal hunters. Be it piling sticks, logs, and rocks together or using a modern-day pop-up blind, these things work. And we can assure you, they aren’t stopping anytime soon. We’ve been lucky enough to sit in our fair share of blinds and have taken away a few key ingredients in what makes a good blind. Our testers for this guide, Morgan Nowels and Josh Kirshner, are dedicated to chasing all manner of ungulates and birds throughout the year. Sometimes, that requires a blind. This year, our team spent over 20 days hunting…
If the Supreme Court was as zealous in overturning gun control laws as the anti-2A crowd claims it is, the justices would have granted cert to Schoenthal v. Raoul earlier this month so they could strike down the state of Illinois’ and the Chicago Transit Authority’s ban on concealed carry on public transportation. Instead, the Court denied cert and left the “gun-free zones” in place. Though plenty of violent offenders have disregarded those rules, it’s not often we see someone with a valid carry permit busted for having a gun on CTA property. My guess is…
The firearm industry is drawing a line in the sand over a new Maryland proposal that could ban a wide swath of commonly owned handguns. And a lawsuit may be coming next. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is vowing legal action if Gov. Wes Moore signs Senate Bill 334 and House Bill 557 into law, arguing the legislation would effectively ban some of the most popular striker-fired pistols in the country. At issue is how the bills define so-called “machine gun convertible pistols.” Under the proposed language, certain semiautomatic handguns (particularly those with a cruciform trigger bar design aka…
While sitting on the boat ramp at the end of an eventful day on the water, my snobby fly-fishing buddy turned to me and said, “Let me see that thing.” The “thing” he was referring to was the Shimano Compre Lite Spinning Rod in my hand. I handed it over and watched with a smirk as he guiltily flipped the bail on the reel and made a cast. A boy was about to turn into a man. The white rooster tail tied to the line shot across the river and landed on the opposite side with a plop. “Whoa, this…
Smith & Wesson expands the M&P lineup with the Metal HD and Competitor HD, two all-stainless, 5-inch pistols built for minimal muzzle rise. Both models use the same steel frame and barrel length, but they target different shooters. One leans towards duty and general use. The other focuses on competition. Both pistols share a forged stainless steel frame and a 5-inch stainless barrel with a 1:10 twist. The added weight pushes each gun to roughly two pounds unloaded. That mass helps keep the gun flat during recoil and speeds follow-up shots. Smith & Wesson also updated the grip texture, giving…
Military spouses understand “community” differently from most people. We build it, lose it and rebuild it faster than feels comfortable. When I think about how my military spouse community has changed over the past 20 years, I marvel at how much I have changed as well.Frequent moves, deployments and career disruptions can make lasting relationships feel just out of reach. And just when you find that community you have been waiting for, one of you will get orders.It’s important to remember that your friendships as a military spouse are often meant to be for a season. And it’s OK. We…
It’s a little too easy (at least for me) to dismiss alarming weather events. But there’s no denying that much of the country is about to get hit by a serious winter storm — and nothing reminds you of the importance of solid gear like a bone-chilling freeze. With several months of winter still ahead for many of us, it’s not a bad time to check out much of this week’s new gear. Comfy sleeping bags? Check. Down-filled mattresses? Check. Winter Olympics-style accessories? Got it. Cozy alpaca sweaters? Oh yeah, baby. Find all that and more in this week’s Emerging…
The National Firearms Act was sold to the American people not as gun control, but a tax. The idea was to tax the devices so they were less affordable, but that was because Congress had taxation authority under the Constitution, not the authority to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms. So, they got sneaky.Now, though, the tax on suppressors and short-barreled long guns is gone. However, while the registration effort was reportedly just a way to make sure people who had these devices paid the tax, the registration for these items remains…
This year’s SHOT show in Las Vegas is well underway, and as usual, companies are introducing new products. Here are a few of them… Smith & Wesson released a new folding pistol carbine in 5.7×28 What’s interesting about this, other than the 5.7 chambering, is that it includes a Gemtech Nebula 5.7 suppressor. This 9-ounce can should help squelch the 5.7’s blast. Image: reddit.com You can check out the new 5.7 FPC here, and the Gemtech suppressor here. As for prices, the FPC lists for $719 and the Gemtech for $549, but I haven’t seen a combo price yet. Stay…
REI: Up to 50% Off on Select Items From Fjällräven (Photo/Fjällräven) It’s rare to find Fjällräven on sale, but now’s your chance at REI. Get 30% off stylish wool sweaters and cozy flannels, and 50% off the brand’s iconic Kanken daypack. Hiking and cycling pants are also on sale. Shop Fjällräven Sale Backcountry: Up to 40% Off Ghost Whisperer Jacket (Photo/Elk Raven Photography) Mountain Hardwear’s Ghost Whisperer Jacket was our pick for best ultralight down jacket of 2025. It’s got an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, and for such a thin jacket, it stands up pretty well to rain and wind. And now…
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes took a swipe at the state’s self-defense laws as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents this week, suggesting that the lack of a duty to retreat in state statute could lead to gun owners opening fire on law enforcement under the belief that their life is in danger from violent criminals. The so-called ‘Stand Your Ground’ law “makes Arizona very, very different from almost every other state where this (ICE) buildup is happening,” the Democratic AG said in a wide-ranging interview on her potential response to a large ICE…
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s first year in office has triggered a sweeping clash over the direction of U.S. military power, turning what began as a leadership transition into one of the most closely watched Pentagon resets in decades.Hegseth, a former infantry officer and ex-Fox News co-host, took the reins and has pushed hard to overhaul personnel policy, command culture, and national security priorities. He has President Donald Trump’s trust but has also faced continued criticism from DoD outsiders including federal watchdogs and civil liberties groups.The White House has portrayed his first year as a reset for readiness and discipline.“Secretary…
Cold plunge and chiller combos often cost $3,000 or more, which is why durability should be a factor when considering one. Often, a chiller will go out, or the tub itself can crack or degrade over time, especially when exposed to the elements. A cracked tub can throw that $3,000 investment right out the window. Which is why, when I saw the sturdy and no-frills build of the Eternal Ice HD Pro Ice Bath + Chiller ($3,476), I thought it might be able to handle the great outdoors. The tub is made from 45mm linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), an extremely…
Dear Bearing Arms Reader,We are one year into the most successful presidential term in history. President Trump continues to prove his doubters wrong, posting victories many assumed were never possible. For the first time in 50 years, the U.S. achieved net migration in 2025, reversing Biden’s disastrous open border policies and sending more than 2.6 million illegal aliens home through deportations and self-departures. The Department of Homeland Security arrested more than 650,000 illegal aliens, including the worst of the worst – killers, rapists, gang members, and drug traffickers. Fentanyl trafficking at the Southern border has decreased by more than…
An Irish lawmaker is calling for new legislation aimed to better inspect U.S. aircraft at an airport that for many years has been used by the United States military.The international Shannon Airport in Ireland is not a permanent base for aircraft owned and operated by the United States and, more specifically, the U.S. Air Force. However, the airport has long served a strategic relevance for U.S. operations including refueling, a place for cargo planes and military troop carriers to dock, and has also acted as a stopover for service members traveling to war-torn nations in the Middle East like Afghanistan…
