“We’re just a bunch of goons who know how to write reviews.” -Will Hinkson

Trek Tech began out as a weekly gear review column for Northern California’s Redding Record Searchlight newspaper, and has since grown into an expanding web presence that aims to inform about gear and encourage you to get out and Chug Life.  We’re made up of a core group of regular contributors and a team of testers from around the country. Our aim is show and tell all about the best and the brightest toys, tech, and trends in the outdoor industry; and if we have to play outside while we do it, we don’t mind taking one for the team.

If we’ve got more positive reviews than negative, it’s because we try to test gear that we’re interested in, not gear that we think we’ll hate. No one wants to haul a piece of junk out into the backcountry. We’ll discuss what we dug about the piece as well as what needs work.

If you’ve got any questions about a specific piece of gear, you want us to test something, or we’ve pissed you off, go ahead and shoot me an email at [email protected]. - Billy Brown, Editor

Billy Brown (aka Chug Knight, aka Billy-onaire, aka prisoner #1151248) - Founder, Editor, Instigator - has a hard time standing still. A few years ago he combined his passion for the active lifestyle with his love of toys and somehow made a job out of it as a journalist specializing in outdoor sports and adventure travel.  An avid runner, climber, crossfitter and snowboarder, he has tested gear around the world, from canyon running in Jordan to ice climbing in Chamonix. He writes for Outside Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal,  Wired, and Backpacker, as well as on websites like Gear Institute and ActiveJunky.com. Contact him at [email protected]

David Skinner (we call him Skinny) - Associate Editor (water quality guru, kayaker, outdoor adventurer, tough mudder-er) is a normal guy. With a real job, a wife & two kids, adventure has to come close to home. It’s a good thing he lives in Northern California where a short drive in any direction will land him near the water, a beach, or a mountaintop.  His passion for adventure comes from a growing up in the Trinity Alps, and a few trips to the other side of the world. With about 10 years of paddling behind him and mountains all around him, he’s ready to share a fun take on what makes this world a wonderful place to explore - one adventure at a time. Contact him at [email protected]

Katie Levy - (hiker, backpacker, occasional climber, CrossFit junkie) loves sharing her passion for playing outside with anyone willing to listen. Though currently based in Philadelphia, spending her formative years in Upstate New York and a two year stint in Alaska fostered a lifelong passion for the outdoors. After 13 years as a competitive swimmer, she followed that passion on backpacking trips in the Adirondacks, on sub-zero winter hikes in the Chugach Mountains, and up Mount Rainier. These days, if she’s not out on the trail, you’ll find working on her other passion, Adventure-Inspired, or getting her WOD on at CrossFit Love. Contact her at [email protected]

Milo Pierwola - (professional adventurer, world tour guide, motivational speaker, surfer, outdoor sports fanatic)

Toby Asplin - (adventurer, obstacle & trail racer, mountain biker, hunter, backpacker, paddler) enjoys numerous outdoor pursuits and uses a lot of gear … making him the perfect addition to our staff of writers. When he’s not outdoors,Toby can be found spending time with his wife and teenage son or running the two small businesses that he owns. Toby spent seven years in the U.S. Army, primarily working as a combat communications specialist, and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in journalism. He is also the author and publisher of The Union Creek Journal (available for Kindle and Nook), a fictional chronicle of a Midwestern family’s struggle to survive in the wake of a global economic collapse.

Wendy Hecker- (backpacker/alpinist, runner, mountain biker, climber, skier, photographer)

While all the other girls were shopping in malls and getting their nails done, Wendy was racing mountain bikes and trekking the North Cascades of Washington state with her family. She is working her way towards being a high school counselor and towards helping adolescents experience our amazing creation as she has experienced it. She also has a passion for living an ethical lifestyle, both socially and environmentally.

Gear Testers:

Will Hinkson (knives & travel gear),

Matt Moseley (trail running),

David Frandsen (backpacking, tech)

Joe Dodd (cycling, backpacking),

Jonathan Loewus-Deitch (ultrarunning),

Karen Loftus (You can follow Lofty on her global adventures @LAKarenLoftus)

Scot Groundwater (backpacking, cycling)