John Ellings

John Ellings

Title: Editor-in-Chief (Former)

Location: Wenatchee, WA

Expertise & Background


Why I Chose This Career

I wouldn't say it was my plan all along, but the work connects a lot of things I love: creating and building something great, geeking out on outdoor gear, and adventuring in my Pacific Northwest backyard and around the world.


How I Began My Career

I met Switchback founder, David Wilkinson, while I was working at REI and part way through my MBA program in 2014. The opportunity to rethink outdoor gear testing, photography, and long-form content was too good to pass up!

Recent Articles

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MSR FreeLite 2 Tent Review

Last Updated: July 1, 2022

MSR’s updated-for-2022 FreeLite tent shares many design similarities with one of our favorite backpacking models, the Hubba Hubba, but with significant weight savings. At 2 pounds 5 ounces...

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Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoe Review

Last Updated: April 26, 2024

With only three iterations in well over a decade on the market, Merrell has taken a slow and steady approach to updating their extremely popular Moab collection. The latest “3” was released in late spring 2022 and builds on its predecessor with a...

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Marmot PreCip Eco Rain Jacket Review

Last Updated: November 9, 2021

Being from Seattle, we get asked for rain jacket recommendations a lot, and we often steer people to the Marmot PreCip. The reasons for this are fairly simple: the jacket punches well above its $100 price with quality waterproofing, a versatile feature...

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Marmot Minimalist Rain Jacket Review

Last Updated: May 6, 2022

Marmot’s Minimalist jacket isn’t new, but its combination of price and performance keeps it among our favorite rain shells year after year. With proven Gore-Tex waterproofing, a thoughtful feature set, and premium build quality, the...