John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged gear · everything

thedyrt.com

From Newbie to Seasoned Pro: Essential Hiking Tips for Beginners and Expert Adventurers

This is a SCARPA-sponsored guide covering hiking fundamentals across skill levels, from choosing beginner-friendly trails to advanced wilderness skills like river crossings and fire-starting. It weaves in tiered footwear recommendations throughout, notably the Rush line for casual hikers and Kailash/Zodiac boots for fourteener-level terrain, while spotlighting the new Moraine shoe's built-in RECCO reflector that lets search-and-rescue teams locate wearers in emergencies. Worth keeping mainly for the practical checklist items—hydration strategy, weather timing, clothing fabric advice, and first aid basics—alongside that RECCO safety tech detail.

Permalink hikinggearsafetynavigation

www.insidehook.com

The 100 Best American-Made Products

InsideHook curates a list of 100 American-made products across gear, style, home, kitchen, and grooming categories, taking a generous approach to what qualifies as "made in America" by including items where substantial American manufacturing and ingenuity are involved, even if some international components are necessary. Rather than focusing on strict FTC compliance, the editors emphasize celebrating the specific craftspeople and small manufacturers behind these goods—from cast iron skillets hand-signed by blacksmiths to vertically integrated woolen mills—arguing that what makes these products worth buying is not patriotic labeling but their genuine quality and the dedication of American makers.

Permalink gearrecommendationsunited stateskitchen

tyr.com

TYR Sport

This is a promotional storefront page, not an article — a seasonal sale listing footwear like the CXT-3 Trainers, L-2 Lifter, and TECKNIT 2 Trainers with discounts up to 70% off. There's no real argument or reporting here, just product marketing copy, so it was likely saved as a shopping reminder rather than for its content.

Permalink gearfootwearrunningfitness

Gear Patrol

Food & Wine

Travel + Leisure

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: 100% Merino Wool T-Shirt Men - Base Layer Top Undershirt with Hiking Socks (Small, Black Ink) : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

This is a product listing page rather than an article — a shopping search result for men's 100% merino wool t-shirts and base layers from brands like Merino.tech, Merino Summit, and WooLogic. It was likely saved as a shortlist for comparing merino tee options (odor resistance, weight, fit) rather than for any editorial content, so worth revisiting when actually ready to buy rather than for insight.

Permalink hikinggearamazonclothing

Gear Patrol

Fleet Feet

hylo athletics IMPACT 2

The hylo IMPACT 2 is a unisex daily trainer pitched as a do-it-all shoe for easy miles, workouts and long runs, built around HyperBolt bio-based foam that claims 60% energy return at a 34mm stack while weighing only 9.17oz. It's notable for pairing that performance with sustainability credentials—vegan, recyclable, F1-inspired natural rubber outsole—making it a rare case of an eco-conscious shoe competing directly on weight and responsiveness rather than just ethics. Worth keeping as a candidate for a lightweight, guilt-free everyday trainer, with a sizing note that it runs true to men's sizing so women should size down 1.5.

Permalink gearfootwearrunning

gearjunkie.com

Sprinter vs. Transit vs. ProMaster: There Is Only One Right Choice for My DIY Campervan Build

A veteran van-lifer with four builds and over 100,000 miles argues the Sprinter-vs-Transit-vs-ProMaster debate isn't really about specs or interior refinement—it's about parts and service availability in remote areas, where Ford's shared DNA with the F-150 wins decisively over Mercedes's niche dealer network and Ram's rebadged-Fiat parts problem. He also makes the case for boring, practical choices within the Ford lineup itself: cargo over passenger trim, naturally aspirated over turbo EcoBoost, and RWD over AWD, all in service of minimizing failure points when you're hours from cell service. Worth keeping for the concrete anecdotes (dealer phone calls, roadside breakdowns) that back up the "fixability beats prestige" thesis for anyone actually planning a build.

Permalink gearmaintenancervvan life

www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com

www.apartmenttherapy.com

remarkable.com

reMarkable Paper Pure

Product marketing page for the reMarkable Paper Pure, a distraction-free E Ink writing tablet pitched as an antidote to notification-heavy screens: no buzzes or pop-ups, a matte glass surface mimicking real paper, up to three weeks of battery life, and repairable, partly recycled hardware. It leans on a cited internal study claiming handwriting on the device reduces stress and boosts focus versus working on a PC, and positions the optional "Connect" subscription as the bridge for syncing notes to AI-assisted tools on a laptop. Worth keeping as a reference for the device's actual feature set and claims before a purchase decision.

Permalink productivitytechnologygeare-ink

fosiaudio.com

Fosi Audio Merak CD Player

This is a product listing for an all-in-one desktop CD transport built around the SC6137D/CS43131/TPA6120 chipset combo, pairing a precision servo mechanism with an integrated DAC and headphone amp. Worth keeping for the spec sheet: it rips CDs to USB or plays USB drives directly, outputs via headphone jack, line, and optical, and posts respectable measured numbers (121–124dB SNR, sub-0.002% THD+N). Useful as a reference if shopping for a compact CD-to-digital/headphone-amp combo unit rather than a pure transport.

Permalink gearaudioelectronics

www.wired.com

This Is Why You Should Try Ultralight Backpacking (2025)

A personal, practical case for ultralight backpacking that traces the movement's roots to Mark Jenkins' 1994 "Less is More," then lays out a working definition (10-pound base weight or less), the "Big Three" gear priorities (pack, sleep system, shelter), and a needs-versus-wants framework for cutting stuff. It argues ultralight is less about gear obsession than a mindset shift—eating separately from camp, cowboy camping, trying quilts—that ultimately makes the whole backcountry experience less burdensome and more enjoyable.

Permalink hikingcampinggeartags

www.costco.com

stag2.wired.com

What Is Down Fill Power (2026): Fill Weight, Synthetics

Down fill power measures the loft—cubic inches of volume—produced by one ounce of down, indicating quality rather than quantity; higher fill power means larger down clusters that trap more air and retain more body heat. However, fill power alone doesn't determine warmth; you must also consider fill weight (the amount of down used), baffle construction (which keeps down in place), and the space available for down to expand, since a high fill power jacket with minimal fill will be no warmer than a lower fill power jacket with more down. Understanding the combination of fill power and fill weight gives you a meaningful way to compare different down products for warmth-to-weight ratio, especially when shopping for sleeping bags where these differences become significant.

Permalink geartagsbackpackingsleeping bags

newatlas.com

Air-beam canopy completes all-inflatable amphibious day camp

Bote, an inflatable watercraft company, has launched the Hangout Shade series—lightweight, packable inflatable canopies with UPF 50 protection that set up in under five minutes and work either standalone on land or attached to Bote's floating Hangout Dock platforms. The two sizes (Shade 7 at $669 and Shade 10 at $799) represent the company's expansion beyond paddleboards and kayaks into a broader Hangout Suite of inflatable lounging and gathering gear designed for recreational use on and off the water.

Permalink summercampinggearbeaches

www.esquire.com

The Most Popular Fitness Gear Worth Trying in 2026

# Fitness Trackers This guide reviews the Whoop 5.0, Apple Watch Series 11, Pixel Watch 4, and Oura Ring as the top fitness trackers across different needs—the Whoop offers versatile placement and week-long battery life without a screen, the Apple Watch provides seamless iPhone integration and accurate workout detection, the Pixel Watch gives Android users comparable features with a superior display, and the Oura Ring prioritizes sleep tracking and an excellent app interface while sacrificing workout detection accuracy. The guide also covers specialized wearables like the Core 2 (which measures heat strain for endurance athletes), plus home gym equipment including the NordicTrack 1750 treadmill, Tonal 2 wall-mounted gym, Peloton bike, Hydrow rowing machine, and Garmin smart scale, alongside recovery devices from Theragun, Hyperice, and Higherdose that use percussion, compression, and thermal therapy.

Permalink technologygearfitnessrecovery