After falling in love with mountains in New England, Ian traveled all over the country making ascents of everything from short roadside rock climbs to big walls to big peaks in the wilderness. Now he lives, plays, and guides in the Sierra Nevada, one of North America’s best mountain playgrounds. He rounds the year out with forays to Red Rocks, Moab, Washington’s Cascades, and Alaska. He likes ice cream, jackets with hoods, and well-earned rest days.
Author Profile
Credit: Dale Apgar
Ian McEleney
Review Editor
Showing 1-15 of 81 by Ian McEleney
Best Backpacking Stoves of 2022
We've been testing the best backpacking stoves for over a decade, and this current review has our 21 favorites. We...
Top Pick
MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Review
This fantastic stove can boil water when it's windy and simmer like a champ, giving you more opportunities to cook...
Best Snowshoes of 2022
Finding the best pair of snowshoes for your adventure from the ever-growing crop of choices can be worse than...
Top Pick
Crescent Moon Big Sky 32 Review
If your entire motivation for snowshoeing is getting into deep fresh powder, this is a great model to consider. A...
Best Mountaineering Boots of 2022
Trying to find the best mountaineering boot? We've got you covered. Our testers reviewed 10 of the top products on the...
Editors' Choice
Asolo Eiger XT GV Evo Review
This mountaineering boot is a tester favorite. It's really lightweight, can stand up to most weather, and climbs like...
Best Buy
La Sportiva Trango Tower Extreme GTX Review
What makes this boot a good value goes beyond price. It's light, so choose it for long routes or approaches. It's...
Top Pick
Arc'teryx Acrux AR Review
The Acrux AR climbs and hikes like a single boot, but features a removable liner. This is a game changer for winter...
Best Climbing Backpack of 2022
Looking for a climbing backpack for your multi-pitch adventures? We tested the top climbing packs to determine which...
Editors' Choice
The North Face Route Rocket Review
Streamlined and practical, this pack dispenses with unnecessary features. That means there are few options for...
Top Pick
Black Diamond Blitz 20 Review
This pack is born and bred for alpine climbing. While it's feature set works well for all kinds of long routes, it's...
How To Choose a Backpacking Stove
Buying the right backpacking stove can make your life in the backcountry more enjoyable. But not all stoves were made...
Editors' Choice
Soto Windmaster Review
This stove is light, easy to use, and features a great piezo igniter and generous pot supports. It's good at simmering...
Best Buy
BRS-3000T Review
This tiny stove impressed us for being ultracompact, ultralight, and performing decently in all our metrics. It does...
Top Pick
JetBoil MiniMo Review
This integrated canister stove is a boiling champ. When dehydrated meals are your backcountry reality, this model is a...
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