Maggie Slepian is a full-time freelance writer in the outdoor industry and has tested gear professionally for almost ten years—she is an avid backpacker, trail runner, bikepacker, and horseback rider and has thru-hiked thousands of miles on the Appalachian, Colorado, and Ouachita trails, along with backcountry travel on terrain including coastal trails, the desert, and high alpine peaks. Maggie has written for New York Magazine, Huffington Post, REI, and Outside. She is a columnist with Backpacker Magazine and is the co-founder of BackpackingRoutes.com. Contact her at MaggieSlepian.com.

Kyle McPhee, Director of Preparedness Programs for Hagerty Consulting, oversees the company’s Preparedness Division, which provides pre-disaster services such as planning, training, exercise, program management, and assessment. Under his leadership, Hagerty supports more than 100 preparedness clients nationwide–across government and private industry.