nick lefort
208 articles

Nick LeFort

Title: Contributing Writer
Email: ragged@rmkw.net
Location: Middletown, Connecticut, USA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlefortrv/

Expertise

  • Topics of Expertise: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Knives and Tools, Knifemaking, Mechanical Engineering, Product Development, Marketing Strategy, Roof Racks and Accessories, Off-Roading, Overlanding, Being a dad
  • Years of Expertise: 25+

Education and Certifications

  • Education: Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing, Minors in Native American Studies and American History
  • Years of Writing: 25
  • Certifications: SolidWorks Certified Mechanical Design Professional, Cicerone Certified Beer Server
  • Clubs or Association Memberships: Overland Bound, Member #2183
  • Awards or Recognitions: Being a father to two of the most amazing people on the planet
  • Previous Publications: Gear Institute

A Word From Nick LeFort

I am a contributing writer for GearJunkie and make guest appearances in a handful of other outdoor and craft beer publications. I am also the author of my own blog, The Tribe of Flannel, and part-owner of Ragged Mountain Knife Works.

I have been writing for over 30 years but spent 10 years writing professionally about knives and tools, off-roading, overlanding, and outdoor living. Prior to GearJunkie, I was the Director of Knife and Tool Testing for Gear Institute.

Based in Connecticut, I am an avid wanderer and love spending as much time as possible in the outdoors with my two daughters. That includes doing my best to find all the best muddy ruts throughout New England to see if I can ever get my 4th Gen 4Runner stuck. So far, so good.

In 2017, I helped open a brewery in Connecticut and am an avid supporter of local breweries and helping them market themselves successfully in a real bear of a market.


CRKT Q Frame Lock knife open on rock showing full length blade and handle shape

Victorinox Synergy X Alox multitool closed on a wooden table

The GiantMouse Iona Sailor pocket knife placed on a rock with a blurred lakeside background

The Kizer Rook knife placed across a metal cup filled with water and pine needles

The rolling sharpener and angle block are placed among several knives on a wooden table

The CRKT folding knife placed on snow next to a ferro rod and cord

The Case XR Barlow Knife opened and laid flat on a snow-dusted wooden surface

The tanto-style blade resting across a split tree stump outdoors

microtech msi outdoor

Spyderco Mule Team MagnaMax knife

knafs yuti on a wooden table

Rear view of a person wearing the Mountainsmith Mayhem backpack in a snowy field

The Reiff blade hangs from a cracked, weathered tree trunk in the woods

Man and woman walk through field at night in colorful jackets

The Best Multitools of 2026

Best Thermoses Stanley Classic

The Lander 5 knife balanced on dry branches with the blade open

The BEEF knife on a freshly cut tree trunk outdoors

The Big Idea Design USA Signal is stuck into a tree trunk showing fresh wood chips around the bite marks

Two folding knives from the Buck Knives Range Series lying side by side on weathered wood, showing different handle textures and blade steels

The Gerber LST Ultra stabbed into the top of a red apple on a wooden table, standing upright with grasses in the background

A man cuts wood while wearing work pants.

The Best Binoculars of 2026

Handheld GPS Devices

Pacific Adventure Works Hideaway Sidekick

The MSR Switch boils water inside a car setup with blankets and gear packed for camping

Knife lodged in a tree trunk with sunlight filtering through the forest

The knife blade is embedded in a weathered tree trunk during outdoor testing

the best power banks 2023

Wet Woxna Ljusnan 10” Folding Saw blade with visible water droplets and “Made in Sweden” marking