About me
I’ll never claim to be an expert at anything. “Expert” implies I have nothing to learn, which implies I’m not listening, and, as a journalist, I listen and learn every chance I get. As a 26-year-old adrenaline junkie, I’m willing to try anything as long as someone’s willing to show me the ropes. I love to mountain bike, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, hike and backpack. I recently took up climbing – something I’d love to do more of – and I want to learn how to whitewater kayak and ice climb. Most of the time I’m with my wife Laura, who, fortunately for me, loves (most of) those activities too.
When it comes to reviewing gear, I review gear that I would buy if I were in the market. Most of the products you see on my site are not necessarily the most expensive, don’t always have the latest and greatest technology, and may not be the best. But most of them are feature-rich products at a reasonable cost - whether or not they’re worth the money, I set out to determine. If I like most of the gear I review, it’s because I actually research much of it before requesting a sample. And don’t worry. I’ll never accept favors from a company in exchange for writing a positive review. I tell it like I see it, and it’s in the best interest of the company to appreciate an honest review.
I try to stay even keeled when first taking something out of the package. Whether it’s a new tent, an HD helmet camera, a tried-and-true jacket or anything else, I do my best to put it through the paces in real-life situations. I absolutely love testing gear that proves any preconceived notions wrong (whether in a positive or negative way), and I look at things from a user’s point of view to try to help you make buying decisions.
My work has appeared in Mountain Bike and SKI magazines, All-Terrain Vehicle and Supertrax magazines, Minnesota Off Road and Minnesota Snowmobiling, The Spectrum & Daily News, and the Boulder County Business Report.
Feel free to drop me a line at explore-it [at] live.com or find me on Twitter @explore_it.
