Author Profile
Alex Mercer
Alex Mercer
Review Editor
Alex Mercer is a Review Editor at ActiveGearDen with over a decade of experience testing outdoor gear across every category on this site. He has logged thousands of trail miles and tests gear in conditions ranging from desert heat to alpine winter.
Every product Alex reviews is purchased at full retail price. No free samples from manufacturers. No sponsored content. Ever.
How Alex tests gear
Gear gets tested by using it in the conditions it was designed for. Hiking boots get logged miles on real trails. Rain jackets get worn in actual rain. Running shoes accumulate real weekly mileage before a word gets written.
Minimum testing periods: 6–12 weeks for footwear, 2–3 seasons for outerwear, 3–5 field trips for camp and paddle gear. No review is published after a single use.
Categories covered
- Footwear — hiking boots, running shoes, trail runners, water shoes
- Apparel — rain jackets, base layers, down jackets, hiking pants, sun hats
- Camp — backpacking tents, stoves, chairs, pocket knives
- Snow — ski jackets, winter boots
- Paddle — inflatable kayaks, life jackets & PFDs, fishing rods
- Fitness — home gym equipment
- Travel — travel backpacks, hiking backpacks, polarized sunglasses
- Climb — climbing shoes