About Brooke

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, which means I was handed a pair of waterproof boots before I could read. The outdoors isn't a hobby for me -- it's the default setting.

After years of buying gear that looked great on a product page and then disintegrated on a wet trail, I got picky. I started testing everything before recommending it. Not in a parking lot. Actually out there -- muddy, cold, over mileage, in conditions the manufacturer probably didn't intend.

Aspen's Outpost exists because good gear information is hard to find. Most of what's out there is either a press release dressed up as a review or a ranking list that changes based on who paid for the top slot. That's not what I do here.

I pick what I'd actually put in my pack or recommend to a friend who asked. If I link to it, I've either used it myself or I wouldn't hand it to someone I like. Some of those links are affiliate links -- I earn a small commission if you buy. That doesn't change what I recommend.

If you want the deeper cuts -- seasonal gear roundups, trail-by-trail comparisons, the stuff I wouldn't bother writing up for a general audience -- that's what Insiders is for.