Senior Editor

Nick Belcaster

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Expertise

Topics of Expertise: Backpacking, climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding, camping, fly fishing
Years in This Expertise: 15+
Number Of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 500+ products, 2,000+ hours

Experience:

Hailing from the hemlocks and hanging mosses of Washington State, Senior Editor Nick Belcaster is an adventure journalist following threads of stories across the West.

Cruelly stolen from the alpine swales of rural Wisconsin at a young age, Belcaster made do ascending the snows and granite of the North Cascades while completing a journalism degree. A long stint on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 codified a life bent on sleeping on minor slopes and picking devil’s club out of his shoes.

After his stretch of trail life, he worked for the American Alpine Institute as first an equipment specialist, then manager, where he outfitted hundreds of climbers for expeditions into the Alaska Range, Andean Cordilleras, and further ranges.

In between these forays into the wilderness, Belcaster contributed freelance articles to national outdoors publications, as well as working regularly as staff writer for local publication Adventures NW magazine.

As Senior Editor for GearJunkie, Belcaster contributes and synthesizes creative efforts to support our in-depth gear reviewing and Buyer’s Guides. He can often be found above treeline, carrying as little as humanly necessary, jotting down notes.

Expertise

Topics of Expertise: Backpacking, climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding, camping, fly fishing
Years in This Expertise: 15+
Number Of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 500+ products, 2,000+ hours

Experience:

Hailing from the hemlocks and hanging mosses of Washington State, Senior Editor Nick Belcaster is an adventure journalist following threads of stories across the West.

Cruelly stolen from the alpine swales of rural Wisconsin at a young age, Belcaster made do ascending the snows and granite of the North Cascades while completing a journalism degree. A long stint on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 codified a life bent on sleeping on minor slopes and picking devil’s club out of his shoes.

After his stretch of trail life, he worked for the American Alpine Institute as first an equipment specialist, then manager, where he outfitted hundreds of climbers for expeditions into the Alaska Range, Andean Cordilleras, and further ranges.

In between these forays into the wilderness, Belcaster contributed freelance articles to national outdoors publications, as well as working regularly as staff writer for local publication Adventures NW magazine.

As Senior Editor for GearJunkie, Belcaster contributes and synthesizes creative efforts to support our in-depth gear reviewing and Buyer’s Guides. He can often be found above treeline, carrying as little as humanly necessary, jotting down notes.

Stories by the Author

Gear Junkie: A Thru-Hiker’s Water Filter Dream Team: Sawyer Squeeze Filter + CNOC Bladder Review

The collaboration creates one of the best out-of-the-box backpacking filter options out there.

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April 2, 2026

Gear Junkie: A Thru-Hiker’s Water Filter Dream Team: Sawyer Squeeze Filter + CNOC Bladder Review

The collaboration creates one of the best out-of-the-box backpacking filter options out there.

Meet the experts

Meet some of our contributors

Get advice, reviews, outdoor lessons and expert feedback from a supportive community.

Kevin Wierzbicki

Brandon Lampley

National Forest Foundation

Ashwin Rodrigues

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