Years in This Expertise: 8 yrs in outdoor media, 4 years as GearJunkie’s Hunt Fish Editor (2018-2022)
Number Of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 500+ products, 8,300+ hours testing
Education & Certifications
Education: Bachelor’s of Sociology, Colorado State University
Years of Writing: 14+
Club or Association Memberships: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Board Director of Orion the Hunters Institute
Previous Publications: USA Today, MeatEater, Modern Huntsman, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Journal, Mens Journal, Outside Bozeman, TripThirty
A Word from Nicole
When I started writing for GearJunkie in 2018, it opened up a whole new universe of curiosities. A thrifty minimalist, gear was a means to an end rather than an obsession. To be frank, I was more of a gear skeptic than a gear junkie.
But as the site’s Hunt Fish Editor, testing brand after brand and item after item forced me to pare down to the gear that made the cut. And that’s really what I love to write about. When it comes to a review, a suggestion, a collection of gear, or simply the experience of using gear to get the job done, it better be damned useful and worth its weight in financial commitment.
I value gear differently than I did when I first began writing about it. Us gearheads get so wrapped in the idea of stuff, but it can also weigh us down.
Ultimately, I’m still a thrifty minimalist, but the gear I write about and the brands I talk about have a place in my gear closet because of that these days, rather than in spite of it. And I hope you hear that theme echo across this collection of many years of writing.
No longer are women relegated to buying from the men’s section. Women’s-specific hunting jackets are available en masse, and we’ve got recommendations.
First Lite’s latest film focuses on the minutiae, the moment-to-moment experiences, and the joie de vivre of hunting from Eduardo Garcia’s wise perspective.
Footwear is personal. Really personal. And digging into the question of hiking boots versus shoes lays bare worthy answers on both sides of the argument.
Upgrading your hunting season with the following gear will significantly better your experience outside. It’s the lull before big game season. And if you’re anything like…
Randy Newberg and GoHunt’s Brady Miller explore finding leftover hunting opportunities for anyone who didn’t cash in on draw application luck this year.
One of the most affable pointing breeds, the Hungarian Vizsla is a fabulous, versatile gun dog. Read on for more about this packable, companionable pointer.
