I started this site in 2007 as a blog about cycling. To say that it’s changed since then is quite an understatement. Along the way, we added plenty of other outdoor activities, travel gear, photography, and even recreational shooting, which is one of my personal favorite sports as of this writing. It’s grown quite a bit during that time as well. Instead of just one hack offering his thoughts on gear, we had a handful of regular contributors and a dozen or so testers. They all had certain common interests – a passion for the outdoors, and enthusiasm for sharing that passion with others, either in person or online. None of them had actual jobs in the outdoors industry, hence the name of the site. But we did try to be self-appointed goodwill ambassadors of our favorite pursuits, as well as stewards of the environment.
About me:
Cycling was one of my first interests as a child. A huge part of that was just being outdoors and in motion. I was big into BMX in the 70’s, and rode my bike everywhere, from local tracks and jumps to the long trails winding through the SoCal mountains around our home. No surprise that when I graduated high school in the 80’s, I got a mountain bike as a graduation gift. From there I collected some road bikes and got into that for a few years. Interest in road cycling waned when I moved to Australia, but I always had a few MTBs in the garage. At 35, I took up BMX racing again, which I did for about a year. I’ve also spent time working the retail side of the industry in Australia, as well as importing gear and running an online store.
Now, I’m spending more time with my family exploring the outdoors (We’re located in Utah) on foot. And I’ve been combining that with another passion, photography. I’ve also taken an interest in custom firearms and competitive shooting, having been an enthusiast since that first trip to the range with my dad, about 40 years ago. So look for the same great articles we’ve been providing over the years, along with some new content sprinkled in here and there.
Former contributors
I owe a special thanks to the following contributors, without whom I probably would not have made it this far. Mark, former contributor and managing editor. Second only to my wife in being the backbone of this site for many years. Alex, AKA A1, Steak Sauce. He covered so much cycling gear. And now he’s got his own gig, going places, taking photos, writing stuff. Ryan, possibly the most enthusiastic contributor, and an all-around good guy. Alex (Dos) was fine with being the “2nd Alex”, but still a first-class contributor. Luis, Tamara, Carley, and Rob offered insight and more great content. I appreciate all of you, and your posts are still around, even if you’ve moved on.
Our environmental outlook has always been the same
This site shares products that make the outdoors more fun while placing special emphasis on those brands that are making a difference not just to their customers, but to their employees and Mother Nature – companies that see the bigger picture, and not just dollar signs. We like American companies not just out of national loyalty, but because domestic production drives local economies, can offer greater opportunity for quality control and innovation, and lowers the environmental impact of overseas manufacturing. Of course, we’ll gladly showcase any company from around the world that demonstrates the same values we care about. Because the goal of the site has never changed – bring innovative and enthusiastic companies and consumers together.