Dan's love of the outdoors and curiosity about the processes that shape landscapes drive him to spend his time in the wilderness. As a scientist who studies rivers, Dan's research takes him pretty much anywhere water flows, from torrents running through deep slot canyons in the Spanish Pyrenees to wide, wood-filled floodplains in the Olympic Mountains of Washington. Growing up in the Washington Cascades, Dan was raised learning to safely traverse mountainous landscapes. After earning a PhD in Geosciences from Colorado State University, Dan moved back home to Washington to continue his research on how rivers work and how we can manage them sustainably. When his work doesn't push him into the mountains or down rivers, he spends time canyoneering, climbing, biking, skiing, and packrafting.
Author Profile
Dan Scott
Dan Scott
Review Editor
Showing 1-15 of 26 by Dan Scott
Best Daypacks of 2022
Sizing up the daypack market and choosing what is best for you, your needs, and your budget is tough. Here we've done the dirty work for you, putting over a dozen packs through rigorous...
Best Water Shoes of 2022
After combing through 60 of the best water shoes on the market, we purchased and rigorously tested the top 7 to find the best.
Best Buy
NRS Kicker Remix
While they don't work great on land, this shoe is a solid low-profile bootie for paddling. Great traction and warmth are along for the ride here, and our
Editors' Choice
Astral TR1 Junction
With a super comfortable and adjustable design and an excellent balance of proprioception and foot protection, Astral has made a well-rounded, high performing water shoe.
Top Pick
Astral Loyak
With a snug, sock-like fit and superb traction on wet rock, all at a bargain price, the Astral Loyaks won us over for affordable and good-looking performance.
How to Choose Water Shoes
Water sports are tough on feet and footwear. We provide the key information you need to understand water shoes and pick a pair that work great for you.
Top Pick
NRS Paddle Wetshoe
Our clear favorite for days spent in a boat, this high-top bootie performs well on the water. For all things paddling, this is a fantastic choice
Merrell Choprock Shandal
With a strange combination of features, these shoes didn't perform particularly well in most wet environments. Scoring low in our matrix
Editors' Choice
Osprey Talon 22
Lightweight, comfortable, and with a ton of functional features, this continues to be one of our all-around favorite daypacks
NRS Vibe
A great kayaking shoe that also performs well on land, but doesn't quite match other competitors in terms of warmth or traction.
Salomon Crossamphibian Swift 2
While they run well and are very comfortable, these shoes don't provide the stability and traction necessary for scrambling over wet rocks or clambering around on a raft.
Astral Hiyak
This cross between a bootie and a shoe is a durable, sticky, kayaking-oriented water shoe. It is a great compromise between
REI Co-op Ruckpack 18
This pack transitions seamlessly from office to trail, and has an array of handy features.
Osprey Archeon 25
With an unfortunate blend of urban and mountain features, this pack is both too heavy for most hiking uses and not well featured enough for most urban uses.
Best Buy
Adidas Terrex Summer.RDY Voyager Speed
With an excellent outsole, this is a light and airy shoe with good protection and traction. At a bargain price, it earns our Best Buy award.
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