The best gas hedge trimmer for thick branches in is the Husqvarna 122HD60. Its 21.7cc two-stroke engine, 24-inch double-sided blade and anti-vibration dampeners handled the woody overgrowth that stalls most light-duty trimmers, and it holds a 4.5 rating across 303 owner reviews. We compared eight gas-powered hedge cutters against each other, starting at branches under … Read more
Towable tubes are the easiest tow-behind water sport there is. No lessons, no bindings, no balance drills, just an inflatable raft, a stretch of rope and a driver who knows how to hold a line. That low barrier to entry is exactly why the best towable tubes for boating keep selling year after year, and … Read more
The best soft top surfboards for beginners in is the Wavestorm 8ft Classic: 8 feet long, 86 liters of volume, 11.5 lb, with a 200 lb weight capacity and a leash, bolt-through fins and a traction pad in the box. It is the most reviewed board in this roundup and the one we would hand … Read more
There is a specific kind of quiet that settles over a kayaker at the end of a wet week on the water. Sleeping bag soaked through, spare fleece heavy with rain, phone dead because it spent an hour in the footwell. A dry bag is not a wet-cloth carrier. It is safety gear, and choosing … Read more
Most deer shots are not taken at 500 yards. The overwhelming majority land somewhere between 20 and 150 yards, often in thick timber, often with the light still grey and flat, and often at the moment a buck steps out with nowhere to go. That single fact decides most of what belongs on this list … Read more
The short answer: the Scotty #230 Powerlock is the best rod holder for boats overall, because the universal cradle locks a rod at almost any angle and the #241 side/deck mount fits either the top or the side of a gunwale. If your boat has no mounting points at all, the Amarine Made 4-pack rail … Read more
If you have drilled 30 holes in one afternoon and still cannot say what is holding fish below you, the problem is not your technique. It is that most of the gear sold under the banner of portable fish finders for ice fishing was designed for a kayak, not for a hole in a lake. … Read more
The best fishing cooler for offshore trips is the YETI Tundra Haul, because a loaded box you can roll down a dock instead of wrestle over a gunwale changes how you fish a two-day trip. If your boat is small and deck space is tight, the RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light is the smarter buy at … Read more
If you only buy one piece of fly fishing gear as a beginner, make it the reel. Everything else on a starter setup is easier to replace, and most beginners land trout by stripping line with their fingertips instead of cranking a reel anyway. That said, the difference between a reel that smooths a running … Read more
A reciprocating electric fillet knife is the fastest way through a full stringer of walleye: serrated blades oscillate at motor speed, so you guide the edge along the backbone instead of sawing with your arm. After cleaning a season’s worth of limits across dock, boat and home cleaning tables, the best electric fillet knives for … Read more