Andrew Pierce

Andrew was born and raised in the mountainous region of the United States known as Kansas. He honed his outdoor skills at an early age while being surrounded by towering peaks, massive glaciers, and roaring river valleys. While Andrew was growing up in such a mecca of outdoor recreation, he also developed an incredibly dry sense of humor. This fact may lead you to the conclusion that Kansas is not home to unmatched skiing, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing, but is, actually, flatter than the average pancake. Although Andrew did not spend his formative childhood and teenage years pursuing the passions of the typical Outdoor Gear Lab gear reviewer, he began exploring what the West Coast, and a small chunk of the rest of the world, had to offer after graduating college. His travels have taken him from Alaska to Chile, and most spots with mountains and rivers in between. He is a full-time professional ski patroller in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, guides part-time on the rivers and mountains of the American West, and instructs firefighters, para-jumpers, and wildland fire crews how to perform rescues on rock and in water in the shoulder seasons. In his free time, he enjoys long ski tours, analyzing weather models, and any meal that ends with ice cream.