The REI ADV 2.2 is a value-priced and capable gravel bike that can handle any adventure with a few modifications.
Written by Ian Graber-Stiehl
Ian Graber-Stiehl
Ian Graber-Stiehl has been a science writer for the past 8 years, covering issues and topics in conservation, ecology, climate change, and public health, before he joined the GearJunkie team. He’s written for over a dozen outlets, including Scientific American, Popular Science, Nature, Gizmodo, and Men’s Journal.
Before his writing career, Graber-Stiehl dabbled as a TV critic, culture commentator, travel, and food writer for outlets such as NPR, Slate, and Vulture. Outside of being a writer, Ian is a lifelong outdoorsman.
As bikepacker, backpacker, bushcrafter, archer, hunter, angler (trout and bass), forager, canoer, professional blade sharpener, and all-around Black hiking redneck hipster, Ian says he straddles that strange, cultural divide between the REI Co-op and the Cabela’s camp. He has a passion for the outdoors and is a self-described “gear obsessive,” always keeping a finger on the pulse that is the outdoor industry. He currently calls Illinois and the Midwest home, but spends at least 60 days afield annually.
Title: Contributing Writer
Location: Elgin, IL
Portfolio: https://muckrack.com/ian-graber-stiehl
Expertise
- Topics of Expertise: Hiking, Backpacking, Bikepacking, Bushcraft, Knives, Survival, Archery, Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Canoeing
- Years in This Expertise: 15+
- Number of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 100+ products, 1,000+ hours
Experience & Certifications
- Years of Writing: 10+
- Certifications: EMT-B, United States Army Intelligence Training
- Previous Publications: Scientific American, Popular Science, Nature, and Men’s Journal
A Word From Ian Graber-Stiehl
I got into bushcraft at around 7 years of age watching Survivorman. By the time I was 9, I had gotten my first hatchet. I would make lean-tos along old logging access roads in Louisiana longleaf pine forests. In high school, I got into foraging and bass fishing.
When I joined the Army, I got into camping, hiking, and mountain biking. After my exit, I got into bikepacking (before I ever knew the name for it) and backpacking. As of today, I am a backpacker, bikepacker, bushcrafter, angler (spinning and baitcasting, with some fly fishing and bowfishing experience), archer, forager, canoer, and hammock devotee.
I am also a former amateur bladesmith of 2 years and have been a professional sharpener of knives, swords, axes, chainsaws, and more for nearly 10 years. I have also gone through EMT-B training, and intend to work on a Wildland Firefighter crew.
I’m a gear obsessive. I spent at least 60 days afield annually, and have hiked everywhere from Sedona to the Ozarks, in Missouri, Lousiana, and Illinois.
