Look for me inside Outside's Winter Buyer's Guide

Not me literally. But my byline appears twice in this year's Outside Magazine Winter Buyer's Guide, now available. I tested and wrote the winter packs review and wrote about K2's Rescue Shovel Plus, a snow thrower that will help you schlep an injured buddy out of the backcountry.

I personally tested the packs in the backcountry on Vancouver Island, the Coast Range and Canadian Rockies, heli-skiing, touring, bagging couloirs and riding the lifts. Plus I enlisted the help of friends and family, snowboarders, ice climbers and mountain guides across the west.

Shell game: jackets are my gig

My basement is filling up with dozens of jackets, the fodder for my contribution to Outside's Spring 2012 Buyer's Guide (http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/summer-buyers-guide). Like in 2010 I'm reviewing shells for the biannual buyers guide.

I ship shells across the west to avid outdoors friends, mountain guides, sea kayakers and on testing trips. Plus, I try and abuse every shell personally. It's hard work and I love it.

Decisions, decisions: Outside Magazine's Buyers Guide shells

Outside Magazine tapped my wet and mild locale to review spring and summer shells for their Summer 2011 Buyers Guide. I'm almost finished testing soft and hard shells (and some that land somewhere in between) and now its decision time. What shells will make it and what won't. Space is limited and the options are many. I try to find a balance of choices that range in price and features. But most companies make great stuff, so it gets pretty hard. For Gear of the Year I'm thinking of naming the...no way, you'll have to wait until the issue comes out in April.

Outside's Winter Buyer's Guide now live

When I wrote the post about my first article in Outside Buyer's Guide, a review of winter packs, the review was not live. It is now published online if you want to link right to it.