by Chris Maxcer | Adventure
There are a few important reasons to use a net when fly fishing. The first reason is that most fly fishers catch-and-release the fish they catch. A good net is safer for the fish because it lets you land the fish before the fish gets too tired. If you wait until the fish is too exhausted to move, the build up of lactic acid in the fish can become lethal. For beginner fishers, a net also lets you handle the fish in the water without squeezing it, which also lets you more quickly and easily remove hooks. A rubbery net material helps keep the protective slime on a fish. Those are the benefits to the fish. To an angler, a net will help you successfully land more fish — and maybe even land the fish of a lifetime. Lots of winning with nets. To learn more, check out my guide to the best fly fishing nets at Man Makes...
by Chris Maxcer | Adventure
When I hunt, I like heading out into the woods with a great backpack. For starters, if you can carry your gear, including a first-aid kit and layers for bad weather, you can stay outside longer and go farther. That just makes the whole experience better. But what if you’re successful? How can you get the meat back to civilization? That’s where a load-hauling hunting backpack comes into play. My favorite hunting backpack for the kinds of hunting I do now is the Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45. It’s a roomy hunting daypack/overnighter that expands to let you haul an entire elk quarter — or more if you can physically handle it. To learn more, check out my full Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 review at Man Makes...
by Chris Maxcer | Adventure
There is no doubt that high-end optics are super cool — the trouble is, most people can’t afford them. Maven, a small optics company in Wyoming, however, is working to deliver high-quality optics at very affordable price points. To do it, Maven only sells direct to consumers, which cuts out middlemen, which lets them keep their prices down. This also has a side effect: You can’t find Maven binoculars, for example, in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. I was, however, able to put a review unit of Maven’s C.1 10×42 binoculars to work. The C.1 is Maven’s entry-level bino, which means it’s actually more of a midrange bino. So how was it? Surprisingly great. I’m a big fan. While the higher-end Maven B.1 binoculars are certainly a step up, it’s really hard to beat the price-to-value ratio of the Maven C-series line for most people. To learn more, ready my full review of the Maven C.1 Binoculars at Man Makes...
by Chris Maxcer | Adventure
When you’re a kid, one bike is perfect for most anything you can imagine. Once you’re an adult, something changes. I don’t know what that is. How it shakes out with bikes, though, is this: Once you ride enough, you figure out that not only are there a few a different kinds of bikes . . . there are many different kinds of bikes. Each bike has features and a geometry that’s designed to make certain kinds of riding faster, more efficient, and more fun. Trouble is, as much as you might like your mountain bike — which includes several different styles, like Trail, All Mountain, or Downhill — you’ll eventually realize that it’s not so great at pavement, gravel roads or any relatively tame trail. In fact, its big tires might even make it feel slow and cumbersome. Enter the gravel bike category, which is sort of like a relaxed road bike with bigger tires and a geometry that’s tuned for riding fast over mixed terrain, particularly gravel roads. Where a mountain biker might balk at a 30, 40 or 70 mile ride, it’s just another thrilling workout for a gravel bike enthusiast. To get Man Makes Fire a closer look at a popular gravel bike, REI teamed up with Cannondale to let us test out a Cannondale Topstone AL 150 gravel bike. What did I learn? Here’s a hint: I had no idea I’d like riding the Topstone AL 150 as much as I did. To learn more, check out my full Cannondale Topstone review at Man Makes...
by Chris Maxcer | Adventure
Patagonia has made worthy upgrades to its new ‘Swiftcurrent’ wader lineup this year, and the company’s very best wader, the Swiftcurrent Expedition Zip-Front Wader, is pretty fantastic. It’s rugged but breathable. The booties fit well and the included knee pads are awesome when you want to drop to one knee to release a fish or a nab a quick photo. Of course, there’s the zipper. Is it any good? It is. There is a risk, though: Once you try zip-front waders, you’ll always want zip-front waders. To learn more, check out my full Patagonia Swiftcurrent Expedition Zip-Front Waders Review at Man Makes...
