Maggie is an avid outdoor adventurer and a dedicated nature enthusiast. As a young girl growing up just a few hours south of Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, she completed an American Canoe Association mastery paddling course. As a teenager, she started teaching canoeing skills and leading hiking expeditions in Girl Scouts. Attending Iowa State University, Maggie earned her BS in Biology and a Masters in Physical Anthropology. For eight years, Maggie worked in numerous research laboratories, assisting in scientific studies of everything from local frog communication strategies and white-tailed jackrabbit life cycles to bison seed dispersal in tall-grass prairies and the mechanism behind temperature sex dependence in turtles. Completing her Master's thesis on chimpanzee behavior took her to the savannahs of Senegal and the forests of Zambia, all the while guiding backcountry paddling and backpacking trips for ISU's Outdoor Recreation Program. After leaving her home state, Maggie designed and led hands-on study abroad courses, guiding and teaching high school and college students while backpacking in Andean cloud forests, trekking in Lesotho's high mountain ranges, swimming in Galapagean waters, and exploring Caribbean jungles. She spent several years managing youth backpacking and educational programs in the Lake Tahoe area, planning, outfitting, and guiding teens on multi-day expeditions through the Sierra Nevadas. Maggie has slept under the stars in all hemispheres, living out of a backpack, a teardrop trailer, and a camper van. She's an avid hobbyist runner, racking up miles on the pavement and on trails, and medaling in local races — just for fun. With over 15 years of professional guiding experience under her belt and close to 30 years spent paddling, cycling, running, hiking, skiing, and road-tripping around the world, Maggie has been bringing her passion for finding the right gear for any situation to GearLab since 2016.
Showing 1-15 of 292 by Maggie Nichols

The Ultimate Travel Packing List
Looking to travel? Let us help you prepare with our Ultimate Travel Packing list!
Best Sun Protection Shirts for Women
In the market for a UV-protective sun shirt? Each year, we test the most interesting, most popular, and highest-rated...
Best Water Gear
Enjoy a day on the water. Our ultimate list of the best water gear is adventure worthy. We considered everything you...![the ultimate camping gear checklist for [year]](https://d1nymbkeomeoqg.cloudfront.net/photos/24/10/362565_20297_M2.jpg)
The Ultimate Camping Gear Checklist
Looking for the best camping gear on the market? Waste no time and get in here to see the best of the best when it...
10 Best Sandals
Trying to figure out what type of sandal the one you need is? We've spent years testing hundreds of pairs of flip...
The Best Camping Chairs
When choosing the best camping chair, we have a lot of demands. It must be portable and last through lots of use and...
Editors' Choice
ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Review
This chair is one of the most comfortable, durable, sturdy, and easy to use models tested. Awesome for campsites and...
Top Pick
Kelty Low Loveseat Review
What it lacks in portability, this loveseat makes up for in excellent comfort and high quality. It's sure to be a...
10 Best Sunglasses
Whether you need a pair of sunglasses for a garden party, a trail run, or ripping down a mountain on your new mountain...
10 Best Fleece Jackets
Over the last ten years, we've bought and tested more than 170 fleece jackets to bring you the best options on the...
The Best Duffel Bags
A dependable duffel bag will take you and all your gear on the best adventures and will also make everyday travel a...
Best Inflatable Kayak
Sick of being the only one without a kayak, but you have no room to store one? Check out one of these inflatable and...
Editors' Choice
Oru Beach LT Review
This non-inflatable, highly portable, origami-style kayak is a crowd-pleaser. Its performance on the water is...
Best Buy
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport Review
A more approachable version of another model we've tested, this boat is affordable, easy to set up, lighter, stable...
Top Pick
Pakayak Bluefin 142 Review
This long boat is narrow, with a high top that keeps out the waves better than most. It's narrow and fast, though more...
Next >