John Ellings
Title: Editor-in-Chief (Former)
Location: Wenatchee, WA
I wouldn't say it was my plan all along, but the work connects a lot of things I love: creating and building something great, geeking out on outdoor gear, and adventuring in my Pacific Northwest backyard and around the world.
I met Switchback founder, David Wilkinson, while I was working at REI and part way through my MBA program in 2014. The opportunity to rethink outdoor gear testing, photography, and long-form content was too good to pass up!
Last Updated: February 28, 2023
Adidas has really leaned into their Terrex outdoor collection of late, with a rapidly growing line of mountain-ready apparel and footwear. The Terrex Free Hiker 2 lands in a popular new segment of hiking shoes: It’s not a full-on boot, but you get over...
Last Updated: April 21, 2025
A good night’s sleep on a backpacking trip used to be a rarity, but today’s sleeping pads are much improved over their predecessors. Comfort is better than ever with advanced baffling and cell designs, weight and packed size continue to drop, and you...
Last Updated: April 23, 2025
Thoughts of camping chairs may conjure up images of $10 specials out front a big-box retailer, but let’s reorient ourselves to a slightly higher standard. We expect a proper car camping chair to not only fold up for easy transport, but to be...
Last Updated: May 21, 2021
Updated for 2021, REI made a number of changes to their core Traverse line. Now offered in two capacities (32 and 60L), they’ve simplified the design to target the typical weekend backpacker. However, after testing the latest Traverse 60 on a...
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