About Our Writers

This is a list of our current writers. Leesa, of course is the “Lady with the Iron Fist” that keeps us all in line.

Leesa J.
Arnie P.
Brian T.
Chris R
Coy S.
Danielle D.
Dave D.
Dave W.
Hollis E.
Jenn K.
Rich K.
Kaleb R.

Leesa J.

I’m a mom, teacher and an all around outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy hiking, primitive camping, cooking outdoors, geocaching, backpacking, looking for different wild plants, and whatever else gets me outside and moving (and away from housework, lol).

I’ve noticed lately that there is quite a bit of information on the internet related to different outdoor activities, but much seems focused on the ‘ultra-serious’ participant. I wanted to create something for people like me – serious about going out and having an enjoyable time! I don’t cut the handle off my toothbrush to save an ounce, or kayak or canoe for weeks at a time. I get out as often as possible, year round. I do it to enjoy the time with my friends and family, get some exercise, and clear my head of the day to day stuff that seems to fill it up.

So – here we are… brand new site, and a brand new adventure for me. I’m hoping to include information from YOU – places to go, things to do, what you cook/eat, what gear you use, geocaching tips, etc.

Email me at leesa@4alloutdoors.org if you’d like to submit something, or leave a comment. I am always willing to consider suggestions for making the site more useful.

Thanks,
Leesa
leesaj@4alloutdoors.org
Reviews by Leesa

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Arnie P.

Arnie

My name is Arnie and I am 72 years old. My love for the outdoors started when I was a just over 2 years old. I wandered out of sight to a local lake over a mile away. My dog came with me and we were together when we were discovered. I hiked and camped with the Boy Scouts. In 1958, as a college freshman, I went on 2 backpacking trips to Mt Washington. I am still hiking and backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At this time, my experience has been hiking in the USA and Canada, in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida, and Colorado, and the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. I am outdoors almost daily year around. Other outdoor activities include snowshoeing, cross country skiing, car camping, and bicycling. My goal on all my adventures is safety and comfort and most of all fun, for myself and my hiking companions.

During last winter I snowshoed 7 times, with one trip lasting 9 hours. This past summer I was on 6 backpacking trips. Two of them in pursuit of 4000 foot mountains and the remaining four along the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail.

If you have need to contact me, I can be reached at arniep@4alloutdoors.org

Reviews by Arnie P.

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Brian T.

I like to do just about anything outdoors. I grew up in East Texas but have lived on the Central Coast of California, and now live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Seems when I live by the ocean, I miss the mountains, and when I live in the mountains I miss the ocean. My favorite activities are hunting, fishing, and hiking. I don’t try to log the miles, but instead log the experience and am constantly trying to lighten my gear load. My family camps too but they like to use the pop up camper, a 1983 model Lil’ Viking that I have somewhat restored. When I go camping by myself I try to use my hammock as the ground just hurts now. I like the ideas of reuse and recycle, and am always tinkering with things. I am a generator of refinement, an accumulator of wisdom, a dispenser of metaphysical energy, a father, husband, officer, rational anarchist, hiker, camper, hunter, fisher, softball player, adventurer, freelance writer, gear tester, armchair explorer, hammock hanger, aerial imagery specialist, short distance backpacker, misguided gardener, power point artist, mountain biker.

Brian T
BrianT@4alloutdoors.org
Reviews by Brian T

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Coy S.

Coy Boy out touring on my recumbent

Hello, my name is Coy Starnes, better know as Coy Boy. I have been an avid outdoorsman for as long as I can remember, and my mom tells me stories of me getting out and getting lost in the woods even before that… I live in northeast Alabama where I spend most of my free time out hiking. I work at a waterplant as an operator to pay the bills. I also enjoy caving, canoeing and kayaking, hunting and fishing, and just enjoying being out in nature. I started biking 3 years ago which led to a recumbent a year later. After never going over 30 miles on my regular bike I find the seat on my recumbent comfortable enough for riding all day and have riden over 50 miles on several ocasions and a couple of overnight trips, the longest being 107 miles in 2 days. But enough about my recumbent.

I am 47 (in 2009), married and have 2 children, ages 21 and 23. When they were growing up I enjoyed camping with them and my wife. I took both kids on a few short overnight backpacking trips but went with my son on several longer multi-day backpacking trips. Now that they are grown I hike solo most of the time but do hike with frineds occasionally. I tend to pack light and usually sleep in a hammock.

I have owned a canoe of some type for the past 30 years but just recently bought a kayak which I am still learning to paddle. So far I have paddled on a local lake (Lake Guntersville) and a few local creeks and rivers but nothing with over class II rapids.

I became involved with 4AllOutdoors becaues I am a certified gear junkie and I enjoy sharing what I discover when using said gear. I will always do my best to present the gear I am testing in an intertaining way but keeping in mind that you the reader will want to know how it works if considering the gear. If there is ever any question about the gear or a trip location you read about in on of my reviews feel free to email me at starnescr@yahoo.com or ask questions on the 4AllOutdoor forum.

Coy Boy
Reviews by Coy Boy

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Danielle D.

I’m 22 Years old and am working on a bachelor’s degree at Weber State University in Ogden Utah. I was born and raised here in beautiful Utah and have spent a lot of my time enjoying the outdoors in any way possible. I have grown up boating, wakeboarding, camping, hiking, hunting, canoeing, horseback riding, and just loving the world around me. After my high school soccer days were over I needed to find some consistent form of exercise. That’s when I found my love for running. I have now run the St. George marathon and many half marathons, 10k and 5k runs. I have many more planned in the near future and someday hope to break into triathlons. The last year and a half at Weber have really sparked many new loves in my life, including snowshoeing, X-C skiing, backpacking, rappelling, kayaking, rock-climbing and many more. I am very active, outgoing, and love to have a good time. My hope for being a part of 4alloutdoors is that I will be able to find the best products out there to not only improve my experience in the outdoors, but help others get out and explore easier. I absolutely love being on the go and in tune with my surroundings. My goal is to get as many people as I can out there with me.

Danielle
Reviews by Danielle

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Dave D.

Hey everyone, I’m Dave D’Abate. Currently 23, I first got into the whole outdoor scene after having the opportunity to go on a trek at Philmont when I was 16. I have since obtained my Eagle rank from the Boy Scouts of America and started working at Philmont in 2007. Of the past three years, I have spent nine months of it in a tent working as a Ranger and more recently, a Ranger Trainer; Ranger being Philmont’s title for their backpacking guides.

In 2008, I completed a Leave No Trace Master Educator course and have since gone around teaching LNT workshops around the country. In the spring of ’09 I taught a hiking and backpacking workshop in Virginia Beach, VA through the Department of Parks and Recreation for their Outdoor Beach Women event, which was aimed at getting women back into the outdoors and living an active lifestyle. This past fall I moved west to Utah to pursue a degree in Outdoor Education with a minor in Recreation. I am currently certified as a Wilderness First Responder and will eventually be working toward a Wilderness EMT certification.

I spend most of my time balancing between work, school, and climbing mountains. My one vice in life is music, apart from being outside. Whether it’s classic rock, alternative, or everything else, it’s probably on my iPod. Over the past couple of years I’ve found myself traveling across much of the country in pursuit of the great outdoors.

There is just so much great gear out there that it’s really hard to find a single source for reliable information covering the broad range of outdoor activities. Magazines are great but only publish once a month. My goal with 4AllOutdoors is to provide current reviews on cutting-edge gear and the stories about what transpires during those review sessions. This is the start of a great adventure for all of us. I hope to catch you on the trails someday. I would like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes by a Mr. Henry David Thoreau;

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

-Dave
Reviews by Dave D.

Contact: dave.dabate@gmail.com

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Dave W.

Dec 2009

Dave, Stacey, Susan, & Grace

Hi,

My name is Dave Wilkes. I am 43 and live in central Washington State with my wife and two girls (Grace 8 & Susan 12). I have always loved the outdoors. I grew up in Hawaii (Hilo) where I spent most of my time exploring the land and water. Soon after moving to Yakima Washington (1994?) my brother introduced me to backpacking. I love outdoor activities especially anything having to do with water and/or mountains. I occasionally fish but only as an excuse to be in nature. I ski and have recently switched to snowboarding which I don’t get to do very often but really enjoy. My work has allowed me to attend snow survival training a number of times, and I like to practice the skills on my own when the opportunity arrives (while the other families are making snowmen, we build snow shelters!). I have recently gotten back into snowshoeing and really enjoy it, we also purchased a canoe this summer and I found my kids are naturals in it. I am an engineer by trade and consider myself a ‘jack of all trades’. I love technology and gadgets, but also appreciate simplicity (constant juggling of incompatible priorities). In addition to the above, I enjoy Geocaching with my family, building and launching model rockets, brewing beer, and I am willing to try just about anything twice.

I love sharing my passions with others, and believe in the idea that “the best form of advertisement is a happy customer with a big mouth, while the worst is an unhappy customer with a big mouth”. Being part of 4alloutdoors.org allows me to review products and share their pros & cons in a totally unbiased manner (I am not connected or obligated to any manufacturer or supplier of the products I review). As such I intend to present the information about a product that is in my opinion most valuable, as if I were discussing it with a loved one; no spin or hype, just my first hand experiences and resulting opinion of the item.

Feel free to submit questions and comments to my reviews. I encourage discussion, whether you agree or disagree is not important, I try to remain open to new ideas and views. So let’s hear what you have to say. I only ask that you do so in a manner that respects ALL contributors to 4alloutdoors.org.

-Dave (the turtle)
Reviews by Dave W.

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Hollis E.

Hollis in the mountains

Hollis is a certifiable mountain addict. Born and raised in the Adirondacks of New York, his travels have taken him around the USA and Canada, to Scotland and Spain, through France and back to his home town.

When he isn’t writing about the outdoors, Hollis can be found hiking, backpacking, climbing rock or ice or plastic, or messing about in boats. He’s been fascinated by fire since an early age, and has far too many backpacking stoves for any one person.

In his other life, he runs a telephone crisis hotline, teaches suicide intervention and disaster mental health, and serves on several state and national boards. He’s also a singer, stage actor, and accomplished Scottish bagpipe and flute player. Performance credits include winning a British Championship for bagpipe music, leading the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland on several international tours, playing alongside the Chieftains and Carlos Nunez on several sellout concerts, and playing on their best-selling live concert DVD.

Hollis used to race sailboats, as the wall of dusty silver trophies attests. He’s also a licensed pilot and enjoys flying over beautiful wilderness. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and serves as Outings Chair for the Adirondack Mountain Club in his area.

When it’s late at night and all is quiet, Hollis studies for his MS in Instructional Design and Technology: he’s learning to build effective training programs and learning experiences for adults. He’s also beginning to practice tai chi chuan.

Mostly, though, he just loves being outdoors.
Hollis
Click to read articles and reviews by Hollis

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Jenn K.

Jenn is exploring what California has to offer in the outdoors.

Jenn moved to Southern California in February of 2008. Prior to her move she lived in Utah for 11 years and could name a slew of trails in the Wasatch Mountains. Moving to California took some adjustment. First off there is no snow at her new address. She can see it from her home on the mountain tops. But, it just seems so far away. Plus it is not the same as the bottomless Utah powder.

Jenn had to find some outside activities close to her home in California and this is what she came up with: rollerblading on the beach path, walking at the beach, mountain biking with the Trail Angels (women’s biking group), road biking, and hiking. Now if Jenn wants to drive about 1 hour to 2 hours she can be backpacking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and rock climbing. If she wants to she can go snowboarding in the morning and watch the sun set at the beach. Not too bad.

Jenn has been hiking since 1997 and backpacking since 2004. She uses a double-wall tent for a shelter and tries to pack as light as possible. There are just some things she can not give up in the backcountry.

Since moving to California Jenn is mountain biking more than ever. She knows many of the local mountain biking trails and even mountain bikes at night. In April 2011 she completed the Counting Coup mountain bike race; 42 miles and over 8,000 feet of climbing.

Jenn works at a local hospital in the physical rehabilitation department. She is a docent at Irvine Ranch Conservancy/OC Parks and a Trail Assistant Volunteer at Crystal Cove (California State Park).

Jenn
Reviews by Jenn K.

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Rich K.

I’m from a small town in the upper northeast corner of Ohio, named Madison. I ride my bicycles [I have four road bikes], at least 2500 miles a year and I have twice completed the RAGBRAI,  a 470 mile long bike ride across Iowa. I also ride almost every day during decent weather.

I am fortunate to live on the Grand River and am an avid canoeist. I take several canoe camping trips each year and each spring I organize a weekend canoe trip for about 50 couples. I’m also known for my excellent campfire coffee too.

Rich
Reviews by Rich K.

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Kaleb R.

My name is Kaleb Ross.  I am 22 and currently living in Greenville, SC, at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. I grew up in this beautiful part of the country and from an early age, was camping, hiking and even mountain biking a little bit.  When I can find the time, backpacking is my true outdoor love, but it doesn’t get much better than day hiking with my wife and golden retriever.

I truly enjoy introducing others to the great outdoors in hope of them enjoying the beauty and majesty that being outside has to offer.  My favorite playground is Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina, and I try to get up there every chance that I get.  I enjoy hitting the trail well prepared, but with as little weight as possible.  I view it as a challenge to continually shave the ounces off, while enjoying myself more and more while I am out.  I like reviewing and testing gear because it so often has a direct impact on my experience on the trail.  I want to explore the gear that makes your time outside the best that it can possibly be.

Kaleb
Reviews by Kaleb

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