Review: Turtlebox – Excellent Gift for the Audiophile on the Go - Crank It Up!
I like music, whether indoors on my old stereo rack system or outdoors with speakers featuring portable Bluetooth technology. I even have...
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REVIEWS
Got Gear, Guns & More?
Like checking out new products designed to make our experiences safer, more comfortable or successful? For years, I've reviewed the best new sporting rifles and shotguns, clothing, accessories, tools and more designed for outdoors enthusiasts. Here's what we're looking at now, plus some field tests.
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Ken Perrotte
Jun 23
Rapid Fishing Solutions - Affordable, Useful 'Why Didn't I Invent That?' Products - Getting a Grip in Niagara Falls
Rapid Fishing Solutions. Why didn’t I invent that? A question I’ve asked myself many times over the years when fishing, hunting, doing...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 31, 2023
Stuff that Works - Stay Warm & Dry from Maine to Manitoba - Lacrosse, Nomad, Sitka and Serius
Preface: Over the years, when I’d make a social media posting about some piece of gear or an outdoors tool that had proven reliable,...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 11, 2023
Custom Waterfowl and Turkey Calls an Investment in Both Hunting and Keepsake Collectibles
Individually crafted calls, signed by the maker, offer hand-tuned performance Buying turkey or waterfowl calls can be daunting for novice...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 3, 2023
Jim Shockey's Gripping Debut Novel 'Call Me Hunter' an Enigmatic Plunge into Hidden World
Book Review: 'Call Me Hunter' an 'abstract thriller that like cubism, distorts reality.' Shockey shares insights into the book's...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 21, 2023
Turbo Trusser Delivers on Promise of Juicy, Tasty Chicken - Easy Prep, Cooking and Cleanup
Home cooks or anyone else who doesn’t want to fool around with using twine and other techniques to tie to together big chickens or...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 4, 2023
Buck Knives Factory Tour Shows How Iconic Knife Manufacturer Gets an Edge on the Competition
Sparks flew in the Idaho panhandle as three greenhorn bladesmiths, including me, attempted to create a razor edge to a Buck Knives Model...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 5, 2023
Alleviating Foot Pain - KURU Atom Trail Shoes
The Damage Done I vividly remember the day I damaged my left foot. It was several years ago. I was prepping for a fall moose hunt in...
Ken Perrotte
Dec 3, 2022
Squint No More! Costa & Wiley X Prescription Sunglasses for All Occasions - Plus Make Own Bifocals
To see or not to see? That, is the question. Actually, the more accurate statement might be, “To squint or not to squint…” After some 20...
Ken Perrotte
Oct 3, 2022
Book Details Harrowing, Disturbing, Fantastical Hallucinations of Delirious COVID-19 Survivor
Taking a Wild Trip – Several, Actually – While in a Medical Coma “Pamela helped me get on my feet, and one of the drivers got out to help...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 23, 2022
Alaska Man Overcomes PTSD to Design ICAST Winning Cooler with Table & Vacuum Sealer - Best in Show!
I've got to admit that my eyes were getting a little moist as Alaskan Brian MacKinnon shared his story with me -- the anguish and...
Ken Perrotte
Mar 25, 2022
Newfoundland Moose Hunting Gear – Go-To Clothing and Hearing Protection Options
A couple of trips hunting "The Rock” – Newfoundland, Canada – provided profound experiences related to hunting clothing successes and...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 18, 2021
Tetra Hearing's Multi-Program Protection & Amplification Devices a Hit with Hunters
Protecting your hearing is a worthy investment. Whether you’re at the range shooting or hunting, being able to simultaneously hear normal...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 18, 2021
'Next-Level Bass Fishing' a Well-Written Book that Goes Into Angler Psychology as well as Technique
Enlightened bass anglers will likely enjoy a new book by Joe Kinnison titled “Next-Level Bass Fishing.” Printed by Skyhorse Publishing,...
Ken Perrotte
Nov 13, 2021
A Benelli LUPO, Steiner Predator 4 Scope and Hornady 200-Grain ELD-X Ammo a Sweet Trio
When three shooters can pick up a previously unfamiliar firearm and, except for minimal diopter tweaks to focus eyes to the scope’s...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 30, 2021
Soft Lure Wins 2021 ICAST Best of Show; Pure Fishing Dominates Competition This Year
A soft lure won Best of Show honors at last week’s ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) show in Orlando,...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 22, 2021
'Hunting With Beanpole' a Chuckle-a-Minute Read; Jim Mize's Latest Award-Winning Book
Jim Mize, an award-winning South Carolina author who tends to come off as the reserved, quiet type, has a funny bone the size of a...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 21, 2021
Preparing for a South African Safari Involves Planning and Gearing Up - Here's the Lowdown
Post-COVID-19 Travel Hurdles, Gear Choices, Practice & Perspectives Note, much of this content in this ultimate safari preparation guide...
Ken Perrotte
Mar 6, 2021
New Weatherby 18i Shotgun - Tested in Virginia Waterfowl Hunts: Marsh, Mud, Snow & Sleet
Note: This review also appeared The Hunting Wire of March 1, 2021 There is something special about being in a duck blind during the...
Ken Perrotte
Feb 18, 2021
Geurink's 'In the Land of the Bear' is Compelling Read Covering 25 Years of Adventures in Siberia
Hopping aboard an airplane for Siberia during the waning days of the Cold War with the former Soviet Union might not have fit everyone’s...
Ken Perrotte
Jan 12, 2021
Preparation is Key for any Survival Scenario -- Having a Plan and Emergency Supplies is Essential
While September is officially declared “National Preparedness Month,” the entirety of 2020 might well have been declared “Prepare. Stock...
Ken Perrotte
Jul 16, 2020
'Winners Announced in 'Virtual' ICAST New Product Showcase - Few Surprises
'Virtual' ICAST a Good Effort, But Let's Not Let It Become Part of a 'New Normal' The COVID-19 coronavirus has done nearly immeasurable...
Ken Perrotte
Jun 17, 2020
Retailers Share Their Views on the Hottest Archery Gear Trends for the Fall of 2020
Three archery retailers share what they are seeing and stocking, and how they try to meet customer needs.
Ken Perrotte
May 8, 2020
Fillet is the Way for Many Anglers Processing Fish; We Test 4 Different Models - Who Wins?
Note: This is a review we did a few years ago for Military Times. The knives haven't changed appreciably and a couple new ones are now on...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 30, 2020
'America's Favorite Flies' -- Creative, Beautiful, Keepsake Any Fly Fisherman Would Love to Own
Book Review - America's Favorite Flies
Ken Perrotte
Apr 30, 2020
Tales from the Hills & Hollers of West Virginia Spun by a Modern Day Mountain Man - Chris Ellis
"Once we arrived at his garden, I was set free to run and chase grasshoppers or frogs done near the pond while he got his chores done in...
Ken Perrotte
Apr 28, 2020
Jolly's Book 'Memories of Spring' Chronicles the Good, the Bad & the Crazy about Turkey Hunting
I don't know if it's good or bad luck to publish a book just as America was a month away from "lockdown" as a means of slowing the...
By Ken Perrotte
Nov 21, 2019
Newfoundland Moose Hunt Affords Ample Opportunity to Test Guns & Gear
A rainy, late September Newfoundland moose hunt this year offered challenging conditions and ample opportunities to try out some new...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 21, 2019
ICAST 2019 - Some 'Wow' New Gear Offerings and a Look at the Novel and Niche
Note: A portion of this blog appeared in my newspaper column in the July 26, 2019 edition of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Click...
By Ken Perrotte
Mar 3, 2019
Hunt Test: Bergara Rifle and Zeiss Optics in Africa & Kansas - a Keeper Kudu & a Ken Uh-Oh
It's interesting to introduce experienced hunters and shooters to a new, unfamiliar rifle and, after they inspect it, ask, "So what do...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 7, 2019
Bergara Highlander Winning Early Praise; New Hunting Rifle is Versatile & Accurate
My favorite of the new hunting rifles seen at SHOT Show 2019 is the Bergara Highlander, a U.S.-made rifle in the company's Premier Series...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 7, 2019
GPO USA Scopes and Binoculars Swinging for Fences in Terms of Quality and Warranty
GPO USA, a new Virginia-based company just concluded its second year of business. They're so new that you wouldn't find them on the main...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 7, 2019
Mossberg's First Handgun in 100-Plus Years is a Nice, Affordable, Subcompact in 9mm
Mossberg is well known for its array of durable, affordable shotguns and an impressive lineup of similarly functional and affordable...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 5, 2019
New Guns, New Gear and Sundance Head Singing at Happy Hour -- SHOT Show 2019
Enjoy a little picking and singing by Sundance Head, country music artist and 2016 winner of The Voice, performing a couple songs from...
By Ken Perrotte
Oct 9, 2018
Capture the Moment: FLIR Thermal Image and Video Preserves Hunting Adventures
There was a time when “shot in the dark” was a metaphor for something apt to be wildly inaccurate. Today, with a FLIR ThermoSight® Pro...
By Ken Perrotte
Aug 1, 2018
FLIR's Newest Handheld Thermals a Boon for Home and Personal Safety, Boating & More
Several outdoors and gun writers - including yours truly - visited the famed Gun Site Academy near Prescott, Arizona, last spring where...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 22, 2018
ICAST 2018's New Product Entries: mind-blowing electronics, cool lures, hi-tech rods
The 2018 International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, show at the Orange County Convention Center in...
By Ken Perrotte
May 29, 2018
Ruger's New AR-556-MPR Is Loaded; With Premium Features That Is - See Review & Link
I traveled to the Gunsite Academy, near Prescott, Arizona, a couple months ago where I joined other gun and hunting writers in trying out...
By Ken Perrotte
Mar 31, 2018
My Gear Round-Up from the 2018 SHOT Show - New Products Worth Checking Out!
Besides all of the new rifles, shotguns and tactical gear on display at the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades (SHOT) Show in...
By Ken Perrotte
Mar 31, 2018
Each a Story: 'American Hero Series' Knives Designed by Distinguished Combat Vets
While attending this year's National Shooting Sports Foundation's SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Fred Feightner of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery told...
By Ken Perrotte
Mar 9, 2018
MyTopo Maps Great Tool for Hunt Clubs
A large-scale printed map is an asset for hunt clubs and other groups traversing or managing large properties. The Pine Hill Hunt Club in...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 16, 2018
Wide Array of New Rifles Debut at SHOT Show 2018 - Here's a Roundup - Take a Look
Long-range precision rifles, big bore (and repeating) air rifles and creative rimfires are among the high points of the 2018 sporting...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 31, 2017
Military Times Fishing Gear Guide: Boats
OCEAN KAYAK MALIBU PEDAL This ocean-going kayak brand of Old Town Canoes borrows from the hugely-successful Old Town Predator PDL fishing...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 31, 2017
Military Times Fishing Gear Guide: Lures
LUNKERHUNT PROP SERIES* Lunkerhunt regularly comes up with creative, lifelike lures. Company reps tell me they’re striking deals to have...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 31, 2017
Military Times Fishing Gear Guide: Reels and combos
LEW’S MACH CRUSH SPEED SPOOL SLP BAITCAST COMBO Lew’s continues its winning ways with this combo featuring an SLP, or Super Low Profile,...
By Ken Perrotte
Jul 31, 2017
Military Times Fishing Gear Guide: Accessories
WILDERNESS SYSTEMS CATCH COOLER Dozens of new kayak fishing accessories are debuting, with new storage options abundant. Wilderness’ new...
By Ken Perrotte
May 4, 2017
Military Times 2017 New Gear Guide: Firearm accessories, blinds and decoys
Planning a hunt? Need some help? Check out some of the best new items for sportsmen showcased at this year's Shooting, Hunting and...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 27, 2017
Shotgun specs: 9 new models for 2017
The number of new shotguns this year doesn't begin to rival the number of new rifle introductions, but some noteworthy and newsworthy...
By Ken Perrotte
Feb 4, 2017
Military Times 2017 sporting rifle guide
A trip to Las Vegas in January for the 39th Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show – better known as SHOT Show – gave us an opportunity...
By Ken Perrotte
Dec 7, 2016
Fight the frost: From boots to bags, great gear for your next cold-weather adventure
A couple outdoor expeditions afforded the opportunity to field test some superb products under a variety of weather conditions and a...
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