Do you have a plan for your tires this winter? If not what is wrong with you?! That's the takeaway from a lot of outdoor media articles you'll see published around this time of year. The truth around what kind of tires you need to get to your outdoor winter adventures is much simpler. Today on the show Justin and Colin explore various tire options while comparing all-season tires to dedicated winter tires. They also share personal anecdotes and insights from their own experiences in snowy...

We are back with a brand new edition of: Overrated?! Underrated?! Or Properly Rated?! Four-wheel drive, satellite messaging and electric coolers take center stage in this episode of Gear and Beer, where our gear expert and Cicerone, Justin Housman, determines FOR ALL TIME whether these items are overrated, underrated, or properly rated! Today on the show Colin manages the big board of brands and tees Justin up to makes his final rulings all while sipping on delicious beers. Hurricane Helene...

Today on the show we welcome our new women's Gear & Beer correspondents Emily Holland and Angie Marie from Wild Poppy Creative and the Shiny Objects Podcast to discuss two innovative women's outdoor apparel brands, BRANWYN and Seniq. The conversation dives into the challenges of finding functional, stylish clothing that caters specifically to women's needs in outdoor activities. Emily and Angie share their experiences testing various products from BRANWYN, who specializes in merino...

Live from Missoula, MT... it's GEAR & BEER! Today Colin & Justin dive offer their highlights of the Outdoor Media Summit 'gear speed dating' event. The duo share their top 5 favorite items for the event, including products from Old Town, Passenger, Patagonia, Nemo, and Lowa. And after bribing the guy at the hotel bar, they were able to pair all of this gear with a couple of Big Sky IPA's from Big Sky Brewing. Because even if they sky didn't look at that much larger outside the hotel...

In your mind, build your perfect outdoor kit. You have packs, outer layers, base layers, footwear socks... but do you have your towel?! Today on Gear & Beer Colin and Justin welcome founder Zack Helminiak to talk about the Original Towel from Nomadix. They hit on the history of the brand as well as the versatility and functionality of Nomadix towels, which are designed to meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts across various activities, from yoga to camping. And around here you can't...

It's time to craft the perfect surf kit for just about everyone. Today on Gear & Beer Colin and Justin start the show by talking about how surfboards have evolved to include the venerable foamie! Allowing for more fun and alternative surfing styles to enter the surf conversation. Then they turn their eye to their new favorite piece of gear: Passenger's Waves Recycled Sherpa Lined Changing Robe. And look folks, Passenger just straight up gets it. Because not only did they send sweet...

What are the most important items that you have in your backpacking kit? Today on Gear & Beer we're going to hear about the top 5 items in all-star author and backpacker Shawnté Salabert's pack. Shawnté has already spent over 50 nights backpacking this year, while also writing two new books to go with her PCT Guidebook and entry in Campfire Stories: Volume II. And today she joins Colin & Justin to talk about her top 5 favorite backpacking items including some that you probably have...

Today we tap into Justin’s knowledge and expertise as a professional gear reviewer and leverage his years of experience in adventure and in journalism to play a little game called Overrated, Underrated Or Properly Rated? During the episode Colin throws three items at Justin who has to decide if that item is over, under or properly rated. And there is a lot at stake here because Justin's decision is definitive! What are the items? You'll have to listen to find out but just know that there can...

Get ready to wiggle your toes and feel the ground beneath you: barefoot shoes are back! Nearly 15 years after the wave of barefoot running shoes peaked and crashed, barefoot shoes are starting to comeback in new iterations. Friend of the pod Erica Zazo, recently covered the category and reviewed multiple styles of barefoot shoes for CNN and she's back on the show today to tell us about her favorites. And since going barefoot is the perfect way to hang out in Hawaii, Gear & Beer Cicerone...

A common interest among the human powered outdoor crowd: Fly Fishing! Getting into a new activity can be intimidating especially when you want to try fly fishing but you've been watching A River Runs Through It for your entire life and you think you need go full Brad Pitt in order to make it happen. Today on Gear & Beer we're here to help! Justin was the stereotypical fly fishing newbie back in the day: a generally outdoorsy person who wanted to give fly fishing a try. So today he...

Sleeping in your car used to be a dirtbag necessity and time honored tradition. But these days sleeping in your car usually means thousands of dollars spent on a vehicle or creating a bulky wood platform that's a pain to move around and takes up all your space. Enter the Hideaway from Pacific Adventure Works! A modular and adjustable sleeping platform perfect for wherever you want to put it. It's the gear we're talking about on this episode of Gear & Beer as Colin & Justin are...

You ever go looking for a GU gel or Stinger waffle before your hike, run or ride and then realize that you're actually out of all of your sports nutrition? Today's guest on Gear & Beer wants to make sure that never happens to you again! Today on G&B the founder of Fuel Goods, Laura Jorgensen, sits down with Colin & Producer Dave to talk about her new brand that she describes as Chewy for people who play outside. And with this conversation about edible gear, the following beer...

Today on Gear & Beer: Chicago based outdoor journalist Erica Zazo wants us to get loud and rowdy as she reviews the Turtlebox Gen 2 Bluetooth Speaker! Erica recently reviewed the Gen 2 for GearJunkie and today she's hanging out with Colin & Justin to tell them why this particular bluetooth speaker is an amazing addition to any outdoor kit. This speaker survived 30 days of being submerged in a cooler, being covered in dirt and sand and it still sounds amazing; all while holding a...

What's a training staple of every rock climber who wants to get stronger and also avoid the dreaded pulley injury? Hangboards and Fingerboards of course. And who is the person you want to talk to about these crucial pieces of gear? Power Company Climbing's Kris Hampton! Today Kris joins Colin to talk about about why Tension Climbing and Fingers Of Fury are making some of the best hang and finger boards out there. And while they chat, Kris insisted that stout training requires a stout beer...

Today Gear & Beer is here to take away your arms! The arms of your sunglasses that is because today we're talking about Ombraz, the armless shades that are shaking up the sunglasses world. Ombraz co-founder Nikolai Paloni joins Colin, Justin and Producer Dave to talk about the brand and weigh in on Colin & Justin's likes, dislikes and questions about the company he founded. This weeks beer pairing? Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale. Because when you're trying to change up a...

Today Gear & Beer is here to help you make good decisions! No doubt you've heard a lot about how our outdoor gear and apparel contain PFAS aka Forever Chemicals. But what do you need to know about PFAS when shopping for new gear and what should you do about the gear you already own that may contain PFAS? Meg Carney (The Outdoor Minimalist) is here to help! Meg recently produced and hosted a 10 part podcast on the topic of PFAS and as a writer, gear reviewer and outdoor enthusiast she is...

What do you get when the outdoor's foremost authority on outdoor stuff cracks open a brew? You get GearJunkie on Gear & Beer! Today Sean McCoy from GearJunkie.com joins Colin to run down the top 5 products he and the GJ team saw at the Outdoor Market Alliance Media Show last week (Colin was also there). The two talk about new stuff from: Therm-a-restOspreyVasqueMountain HardwearThule And they start it all off by pairing this gear with an ice cold Coors Banquet. Because after all, this...

When it comes to multi-tools Justin & Colin have so many questions. Who made the original multi-tool? If you want to be outdoorsy do you need to own a multi-tool? What is the best job for a multi-tool? Today we dig into the entire multi-tool category. And because all multi-tools have a lot going on, we needed a beer that also has a lot going. So the boys crack open a couple of absolutely delightful Smuttynose Pineapple Orange Coconut Sours. Because that's what you get here on Gear...

Chances are that if you do any camping whatsoever you have a lantern. But do you have an OG fuel burning Coleman Lantern? Justin does and today he is going to break down why you should too. And what is the perfect pairing for the classic lantern? How about a classic craft beer like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Because nothing is better than sitting outside on a pleasant evening enjoying the warm light of a timeless lantern while sipping an ice cold Sierra Nevada. Summer is here and so is the...

Today's pairing that matters most? Topo Athletic's Pursuit 2 and two, count 'em, two wheat ales. Which two? Well that would be Sam Adams Summer Ale and Golden Road's Mango Cart! After Colin's experience testing the Obōz Katabatic Wind Low he felt compelled to bring some trail runners back to the fore because it has come time for him to find a replacement for his beloved Altra Lone Peaks. Then Gear & Beer's official Cicerone (aka Justin) told Colin to go find a summer wheat ale so we...

Today's pairing that matters the most? Rad Power Bikes & Lost Coast Brewery's Downtown Brown! Lately Justin has been tooling around on a Rad Power Bikes Expand 5 Plus and he and Colin go deep on the environmental impact of the e-bike category. Then our in house Cicerone (aka Justin) pairs the perfect post activity beverage to go with the perfect commuter bike on the market: Lost Coast Brewery's Downtown Brown. Because that's what you get here on Gear & Beer... the pairings that matter...

We're back with the pairings that matter most... GEAR & BEER! Most hiking shoes are just overbuilt sneakers and leave you wanting either a pair of trail runners or an actual pair of leather boots. But what if you could truly blend those two worlds into an athletic looking shoe that is well made and built specifically for hiking? Well then you'd have the Obōz Katabatic Wind Low. And if you have the Obōz Katabatic Wind Low's and you also have us hosts of Gear & Beer one of whom only...

Today it's the pairings that matter most... GEAR & BEER! What kind of shorts do you wear when you go mountain biking? Straight spandex bibs? Jorts? Whatever you have lying around? Today Justin and Colin talk about their mountain biking preferences while reviewing two outdoor brand entries in the cycling apparel space. The Rab Cinder Crank Shorts and the Outdoor Research Freewheel Ride Shorts. Then our in house Cicerone (aka Justin) pairs the perfect post activity beverage to go with these...

This episode originally ran on THE ROCK FIGHT. Hence the different music and what not. Enjoy! We wrap up our four weeks of 10 Barrel beers by pairing their 9.6 ABV monster IPA, Juicy Drama, with Justin & Colin's favorite piece of camping gear. For Justin that's the REI Half Dome 2 tent and NEMO's Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair while Colin talks about his Mountainsmith Celestial 2 tent (aka the Morrison). Because that's what you get here on Gear & Beer... the pairings that matter...