The photo above is a picture of me while I was traveling around the Southwest. Among hoarding gear, my recreational hobbies include photography and hanging out in precarious places. After all, what is the point in having nice gear if you don’t ever put it to use? I prefer to hit the trails in the off-season as hiking and camping season has only gotten more hectic in recent years (thanks to social media). However, that doesn’t mean you can’t ditch the crowd and enjoy the wilderness during the spring and summer. Wake up early enough and you won’t find a soul in sight. Another reason for waking up dreadfully early is so I can hike out to practice shooting blue hour and golden hour during sunrise. I suppose those night missions in the military have prepared me well.

Those boots in the photo are my Merrell Moab 2 and they treat me well even after putting them through some heavy use. More about them in a future review.

Loadout Room readers, feel free to submit photos of your adventures or your gear being put to use.

All photos courtesy of Matt Jin