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Michael Hodgson
Just ask and you shall receive an answer to your question by one of the most foremost experts on adventure sport gear in the industry.

Gear Guru

Recognized nationally for his poignant writing style, humor and knowledge of outdoor equipment, award-winning journalist and author Michael Hodgson is constantly "seeking out the wilder side of a mountain..." in search of a good story or a ridiculously tough place to test gear. Frankly, his friends are amazed that he can still walk.

Michael is the copublisher of SNEWS, a subscription-only newsletter serving the outdoor industry and is a founding partner in GearTrends® LLC www.GearTrends.com the premier information Web site for new products and trends in the outdoor, snow sport, fitness, paddling and bike markets.

One of his other Web sites -- www.adventurenetwork.com was recognized in 1999 as a USA Today Hot Site, a Featured Expert award winner and a Golden Web award winner.

Yet another site, www.totalfitnessnetwork.com , and operated in partnership with his wife, Therese Iknoian, was launched in early-1999.

Michael served as the gear editor for Men's Health magazine from 1997 to 1999 and during that time was also the on-air talent covering gear and trends for Outside's Radio Network's nationally syndicated weekly show. Michael also worked as an editor for Outdoor Retailer magazine from 1990 to 1999 where he was instrumental in launching that magazine's Web site as well as covering the business of running Web sites, etailing and the Internet before the terms even became fashionable. While with Outdoor Retailer, he helped create the Daily Exposure, the daily paper for Outdoor Retailer's two industry trade shows, where he served as editor for five years. Michael has also worked as a part-time editor for Planet Outdoors from June 2000 to November 2000 and a content editor for Fogdog Sports from 1999 to early 2000.

Prior to his life as a journalist / author, Michael worked as the General Manager of Western Mountaineering -- a specialty retail shop and manufacturer of down sleeping bags -- and as an assistant store manager for Adventure 16, a nationally respected specialty outdoor retail chain in Southern California. While at Adventure 16, Michael founded and directed Adventure 16's store-wide Wilderness Outings program where he also served as a guide.

Michael's articles have appeared in Outside, Backpacker, Men's Journal, Adventure Journal, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, The Christian Science Monitor and others. He has published 18 books on the outdoors which include the wildly popular No Shit There I Was series, the critically acclaimed Compass & Map Navigator, Facing The Extreme, and, most recently, Camping For Dummies.

Got a question for the Gear Guru himself? Send Michael a short e-mail question and he'll do his best to answer you with the facts you need to know as quickly as possible.

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