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Canoe bow on Crooked Lake beneath autumn maples in Sylvania Wilderness

For people who would rather be outside

Wild10

Less guesswork. More adventure.

Real people, useful gear advice and places worth exploring. A home for the preparation—and the stories—that make a good trip.

Plan your next adventure Find the right gear

Crooked Lake, Sylvania Wilderness · Lee Willaert / USFS · Public domain

The reason we're here

More time outside.
Less time figuring it out.

Choosing a tent, planning a canoe route, figuring out what to pack: the preparation can become a trip of its own. Wild10 brings the useful parts together so you can get back to the adventure.

Founded by Ethan Davis, Wild10 is for people who camp, travel, paddle, hunt, fish and backpack—not just people who do it for a living. A weekend at the lake belongs here as much as the big trip you've been dreaming about.

Our mission: make outdoor decisions clearer, preparation more practical and adventures easier to organize.

Find your next destination Build your outdoor skills

People, not just bylines

Meet Ethan & Tom

Meet our contributors

Different adventures, a shared interest in the gear and places that make them possible. These are the people behind the field notes.

Ethan Davis

Founder & Contributor

Ethan is a lifelong outdoorsman who has had adventures across the globe. He lives in Iowa, but his adventures most often take him to Wisconsin and Michigan. He camps, backpacks, canoes, kayaks, and bow hunts (bare bow) for turkey, and he loves the extreme outdoors. A gearhead and an Eagle Scout, he believes being prepared starts with making sure you have the right gear for the trip. He writes first-person field notes: gear he bought with his own money, trips that went wrong, and what he would do differently.

Read Ethan's stories

Tom Hunter

Gear Reviewer & Contributor

Tom's thirst for adventure started in Boy Scouts and has only grown wilder. These days you'll find him chasing his kids through deep powder, ripping dirt bikes, chasing big fish in Alaska, or camping under a blanket of stars — from snow to sea.

Read Tom's stories
Writers, editors & their work

From inspiration to a real plan

Find your next starting point.

Open the trip planner

Use it, respect it, fund it

Hunting, fishing & conservation

Hunting and fishing aren't side topics here — they're part of the same outdoor life as paddling and backpacking. Wild10 treats them the way it treats every pursuit: honest preparation, real regulations and a working respect for the resource that makes it all possible.

Hunting, done right

Fair chase, legal seasons, a clean harvest and good use of what you bring home. Our hunting guides cover the species, states and gear that do the job — with ethics built in, not bolted on.

Better days on the water

Where the fish hold, what they're eating and how to fish a new lake without wasting a day. We teach species, habitat, timing and lures from zero experience, and favor harvest choices that keep fisheries healthy.

Conservation pays the way

Hunting and fishing license sales, plus excise taxes on gear through programs like Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson, help fund state fish and wildlife agencies and the habitat they manage. Buying a license is one of the most direct ways an outdoorsperson funds the resource. Mind the seasons and bag limits, clean boats and gear to stop invasive hitchhikers, and leave the place better than you found it.

Read the hunting guides Find your state Explore the fishing guides Plan your lures

Regulations, seasons and bag limits change. Always confirm current rules with your state or provincial wildlife agency before you go.

The spark that stays with you

The wild called.
We started planning.

The survival series Alone put a match to an old instinct: the pull of cold water, quiet country and being prepared for what comes next. Wild10 brings that inspiration back to adventures regular people can actually plan.

You don't need seventy days in the wilderness. A good weekend, a canoe trip or your first night under a tarp is a fine place to start.

Explore Outdoor TV Follow Ash Dykes' expeditions Meet Mountain Men

Behind the best 10

How we research & rank

A Top 10 is a useful shortlist, not a promise that one product works for everyone. We distinguish what someone has used from what the available research supports, and keep the practical differences in view.

  1. 01

    Start with the job

    We look at the activity, conditions and practical need. Published specifications, trusted sources and documented real-world use inform the shortlist.

  2. 02

    Separate testing from research

    Hands-on reviews should explain actual use and observations. A researched recommendation isn't a field test; we don't invent testing, scores or experience to fill the gap.

  3. 03

    Explain the tradeoffs

    Rankings consider suitability, specifications, practical value and available evidence. We explain who a pick suits, its limitations and the alternatives—not just why it made the list.

  4. 04

    Keep the evidence visible

    Sources and limitations matter. Affiliate commissions don't determine recommendations, sponsored content is labeled, and significant factual corrections are noted on the affected page.

Explore the Top 10s Read our editorial standards

Before heading out, confirm current permits, closures, weather and regulations with the relevant local authority. A guide supports your preparation; it doesn't replace current local advice.

Respect the wild

Protect the land, respect wildlife and follow local rules. Leave room for the next person to be amazed.

Adventure is personal

A quiet fishing camp, a family road trip or a hard ridge walk. There is no single right way to get outside.

Practical, not pretentious

Honest tradeoffs and sound preparation matter more than bold claims. Take safety seriously and yourself a little less so.

Affiliate disclosure Questions or a correction? Contact us

Wild10 film

Why we keep going back

Cold water, a good camp and a little distance from the everyday. The feeling that keeps the next trip on your mind.

Three backpackers on a rainy trail — illustrative Wild10 scene

Illustrative Wild10 scene

Bring your experience

You don't need to be a wilderness guide.

Camp, travel, canoe, hunt, fish or backpack? Share what you've learned, the gear you use and your own photographs. Keep your voice; edit and approve your work.

Become a contributor

Free to join. Gear testers should already be creating content and sharing reviews. Approval and free gear aren't guaranteed; active contributors are considered when review opportunities arise.

Meet our contributors

Keep it all together

Meet us at Basecamp.

Your trips, favorite gear, packing lists, recipes and saved guides—organized in one free account.

Create your free Basecamp account
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