Mike Richard

Massachusetts

Freelance Writer at Hearst

Contributing Writer at The Manual

Founding Editor at vagabondish

Articles

I Hiked Hundreds of Miles With These Backpacks-Here’s How They Held Up

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Mike Richard |Ryan Brower

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."A GOOD HIKING backpack is just as important—if not more so—as a good pair of hiking boots (or any other hiking essential). Whether you're exploring the backcountry or just hiking on a local trail, your pack will be strapped to your back for an extended period of time. It needs to be reliable, comfortable, and durable and offer the right storage and organization options to suit your style of hiking.
Sandwich Grads To Step Off To Dad And Me In The Morning Show At Commencement

3 weeks ago | capenews.net | Mike Richard

“School’s out for summer,School’s out for-EVER!”While this tribal anthem courtesy of Alice Cooper may have been the proper sendoff a full half century ago, today’s students are a little more in tune to the modern music scene when it comes to their final graduation farewells. J.T. Binenda, co-host of the weekly show “Dad and Me in the Morning” on Sandwich Community Radio, has his finger on the pulse when it comes to the current music trends.
Lectric’s XP4 is the year’s best new folding electric bike under $1,000

1 month ago | themanual.com | Mike Richard

Lectric is among the most popular electric bike brands in the country, with more than 400,000 riders, and it’s indeed one of my personal favorites. Dollar for dollar, there’s arguably no better value model than its XP series of eBikes. This month, Lectric debuted the long-awaited XP4, the next iteration of the entry-level two-wheeler that improves upon its predecessor in every way.
Lightship’s all-electric AE.1 Cosmos travel trailer finally drops this summer

1 month ago | themanual.com | Mike Richard

The best RVs deliver a camping experience with most (or all) of the comforts of home — “roughing it” without getting too rough. But, there’s a new crop of next-generation models designed to take that to a whole new level, thanks to the wonders of modern battery and electric technology. Lightship is looking to be at the forefront of that revolution with the launch of its first all-electric production travel trailer, the limited-edition AE.1 Cosmos.
Lightship’s all-electric AE.1 Cosmos travel trailer finally drops this summer

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Mike Richard

17 hours agoUS, Los Angeles: Sylmar Man Crashes Into Parked RV After Being ShotLos Angeles, United States - May 11, 2025 05/11/2025 02:12 am GMT-0700 SYLMAR, LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Los Angeles firefighters and police responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash involving a KIA and a parked RV along Foothill Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers discovered one man trapped inside the KIA.
Jayco Crosstrail is a pared-down skeleton toy hauler for all your adventure gear

1 month ago | themanual.com | Mike Richard

The recent trend in the off-road RV market seems to be: More. More features, more living space, more technology, and, of course, more money. But some brands are starting to buck that trend — brands like Jayco Australia and its all-new Crosstrail toy hauler. At first glance, the Crosstrail is altogether different from what most Americans expect of a toy hauler. The typical enclosed design is replaced with something almost skeletal, and that’s exactly what many overlanders are looking for these days.
Jayco Crosstrail is a pared-down skeleton toy hauler for all your adventure gear

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Mike Richard

3 hours agoThe Hele Box solves a lot of problems for campers who sleep in their car I remember the first time I saw someone sleeping in their vehicle for fun. It was 1999. I was in Vail, and I hit a parking lot après party with a dude who was sleeping in his Ford Ranger pickup. He had built a plywood sleeping …
Razor-thin Mars Aeroblade claims to be the “world’s slimmest rooftop tent”

1 month ago | themanual.com | Mike Richard

Modern rooftop tents have revolutionized overlanding and car camping. But, their bulk and overall size have left many sedan and midsized SUV owners out of luck. Mars AG wants to remedy that with its all-new Aeroblade, the self-described “world’s slimmest rooftop tent.”Weighing just over 100 pounds, Mars Adventure Gear’s Aeroblade isn’t the lightest rooftop tent on the market (although it’s still considerably lighter than most typical RTTs).
Gr8tops’ JPOD converts your Jeep Wrangler into a “Personalized Overlanding Den”

1 month ago | themanual.com | Mike Richard

Jeep Wranglers and teardrop trailers have been staples of the overlanding scene long before there even was a modern overlanding scene. But South Carolina’s Gr8tops is the first company we’re aware of to combine the two into its one-of-a-kind JPOD conversion kit. The JPOD or “Jeep Personalized Overlanding Den” cleverly modifies a stock Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to accommodate what amounts to a teardrop travel trailer directly to the frame.
Gr8tops’ JPOD converts your Jeep Wrangler into a “Personalized Overlanding Den”

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Mike Richard

4 days agoRenogy 120 Watt ShadowFlux Solar Panel Review – Real World TestingIn this detailed review, Jason from Primal Outdoors puts the new Renogy 120W ShadowFlux solar panels to the test in real-world overlanding and off-grid conditions. From full sun to heavy shade and variable weather, see how the ShadowFlux technology stacks up against older panels and whether it's worth the upgrade for your van life or camping setup.