Modern navigation systems assume satellites will always be available. TERN, an Austin-based technology company, believes that assumption is becoming increasingly dangerous. In an interview, TERN co-founders Brett Harrison and Shaun Moore described how the company developed its Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS™), a navigation platform designed to continue functioning even when GPS, cellular service, and connectivity fail. The technology recently expanded into off-road navigation, allowing vehicles to maintain turn-by-turn guidance in remote terrain and GPS-denied environments. The expansion, which TERN formally announced on May 12, 2026, brings continuous positioning and waypoint-based routing to trails, unpaved roads, and other off-road environments…
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From steep crag trails to slabby scrambles, the best approach shoes blend hiking comfort with sticky rubber. We also look for climbing precision and enough durability for repeated abuse on rock. For this update, GearJunkie editor Chris Kassar and lead tester Ryan Kempfer tested five new approach shoes over a three-month cycle. From the Tetons to Moab, we logged rocky approaches, desert scrambles, crag days, and mixed trail miles to see how each shoe handled grip, fit, stiffness, support, and durability. After further testing, we awarded our top spot to the La Sportiva TX4 EVO for its unmatched mix of…
The Belgian troopship SS Léopoldville had already begun sinking into the English Channel after a German torpedo struck. Gerald Howard went down with it. The 23-year-old rifleman was dragged beneath the freezing water alongside hundreds of fellow soldiers, narrowly escaping the same fate. Somehow, he made it back to the surface. “I stayed on that ship until it went under,” Howard recalled decades later. “It pulled me down, and when I came back up, I spotted a life raft. They told me, ‘You can’t get on.’ I said, ‘Like hell I can’t.’” Howard regained consciousness around midnight in a hospital…
The sun’s blazing overhead, you’ve got miles to go, and there’s not much shade in sight. The best sun hats protect your head, face, ears, and neck from harsh UV while staying breathable, secure, and comfortable enough to wear all day. For this update, GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar tested four new sun hats over nine months while sweating through trail runs, scrambling exposed routes above the tree line, paddleboarding, and logging long days out photographing wildlife. While none of the new contenders unseated our current favorites, the process reinforced the strength of our existing selection. This guide has been shaped…
Sgt. Ross F. Gray carried a satchel charge through a minefield while under heavy Japanese fire. The explosive weighed 24 pounds and left no room for a rifle. He went in unarmed anyway. Behind him, three Marines provided cover. Ahead, a fortified Japanese bunker anchored one end of a network of gun emplacements that had stopped his platoon cold on Feb. 21, 1945, two days into the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history. Gray had already mapped a route through the field on foot, under fire, without triggering a single mine. Now he was going back in to finish what…
As my colleague Tom Knighton mentioned in a previous post, the New Hampshire Senate debated a campus carry bill today. HB 1793 was actually approved by the chamber, but not before it was amended and considerably weakened. In fact, as adopted the legislation won’t allow any student or visitor to carry on a higher ed campus, even after it takes effect. lnstead, the Senate voted to create a committee to “study the feasibility of allowing guns on campuses of public institutions of higher education,” while also adopting language that “notwithstanding any provision of law to…
Ruger is officially done calling Connecticut home. According to reporting from Hartford Business Journal, Sturm, Ruger & Co. quietly moved its corporate headquarters from Connecticut to Mayodan, North Carolina at the start of 2026, marking the end of an era for one of America’s most recognizable gunmakers. The move apparently flew under the radar for months. Ruger didn’t make a huge public announcement about it, but sharp-eyed industry watchers noticed recent company press releases started carrying a North Carolina dateline instead of Connecticut. That was the clue. A company spokesperson confirmed the relocation became official on Jan. 1. Ruger still…
HALIFAX, N.C. (AP) — With 165 grains of black powder in the barrel, a .75-caliber Brown Bess flintlock musket like the ones the redcoats carried in 1776 can hurl a lead ball at a velocity of around 1,000 feet (305 meters) per second. Imagine what that can do to a human body. Now, imagine that it’s almost completely exempt from gun regulations. How can that be? Well, under federal and most state laws, many antique or replica guns aren’t technically considered firearms. In most places, even convicted felons can own them. “I suspect the average judge would be surprised to…
Delaware gun owners are already subject to bans on so-called assault weapons and large capacity magazines as well as a number of “sensitive places” where lawful carry is banned, like public transportation and many government buildings. Now the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature is eyeing up new restrictions on the state’s gun sellers. FFLs in the state are currently required to obtain a “deadly weapons dealer” license, but under SB 300 that license would be replaced by a state license to sell or transfer firearms that would apply to anyone selling 10 or more firearms per year.…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months, the Pentagon said Friday, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s threat as he clashes with the German leader over the U.S. war with Iran. Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from the NATO ally earlier this week after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the “decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in…
A reliable down puffy is the undisputed MVP of cold-weather layering. The best women’s down jackets balance insulation, mobility, and packability for everything from sunrise ski tours to everyday wear. Thankfully, today’s top designs are even lighter and better tailored. Editor and backcountry expert Chris Kassar put 10 women’s down jackets to the test over the last eight months. She logged 200 miles across the Tetons, Colorado Rockies, and Alaska, from ski tours to backpacking trips and rock climbs. To that end, the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody remains our top overall pick thanks to its dependable warmth, durable construction, and…
From frozen Teton trailheads to windblown Colorado fourteeners, the best down jackets prove themselves as year-round essentials. Because mountain weather is notoriously fickle, your puffy needs to be light enough for a daypack, warm enough for sub-freezing mornings, and tough enough to handle shifting forecasts. Over the past 10 months, two experts tested 10 products: GearJunkie Senior Editor Chris Kassar and lead tester Ryan Kempfer. The duo logged 100 days and 600 miles skiing the Tetons, hiking Alaska, bagging fourteeners, and braving frigid Yellowstone conditions to confirm how these jackets deliver. In the last five years, eight experts have tested…
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Picture this: You are driving home from work, or maybe you are sitting in the living room with your family on a humid spring afternoon. The sky suddenly takes on a strange, bruised green color. The wind stops, and an eerie silence settles in. Then, the distant wail of a warning siren cuts through the quiet. When a tornado is imminent, there is no room for guesswork. You do not have time to scroll through your phone for advice or to debate where to hide. It is hard to know what to do when chaos hits your neighborhood. Panic is…
Synthetic insulated jackets provide reliable warmth when the weather turns sour. Unlike down — which loses its loft and insulating power when soaked — synthetic jackets trap heat even in a downpour and breathe efficiently during high output. Over the past nine months, GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar and lead tester Ryan Kempfer put 15 synthetic jackets through the wringer. They logged 60 days and 350 miles hiking, skiing, biking, and climbing in Jackson, Wyoming, to find the best options. Throughout the past four years, five testers have worn nearly 50 different jackets to narrow the field. We crowned the Arc’teryx…
I grew up as the skinny kid in class. I was of average height, but as thin as a rail. Because of that, and being a little odd in general, I was the target of a lot of picking on, humiliation, and more than a few acts of violence. I tried to hold my own, but size matters when physical violence occurs, so there was only so much I could do. Which is why I feel like I can speak about why gun rights are important to women, who are smaller, physically weaker, and slower…
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Watch full video on YouTube
Watch full video on YouTube
Watch full video on YouTube
