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.
Author Profile
Maggie Nichols
Senior Review Editor
Showing 1-15 of 312 by Maggie Nichols
Best Windbreaker Jacket For Women of 2024
Searching for the essential layer for just about any three-season adventure? For the last 9 years, we've tested the...Best Water Gear of 2024
Enjoy a day on the water. Our ultimate list of the best water gear is adventure worthy. We considered everything you...10 Best Rain Jackets of 2024
If wet weather is keeping you cooped up inside, get your hands on a top-ranked wet weather winner from our lineup of...The Ultimate Travel Packing List for 2024
Looking to travel? Let us help you prepare with our Ultimate Travel Packing list!Best Dry Bags of 2024
Unless you are willing to risk it for the biscuit, transporting water-phobic gear safely across a body of water...Best Soft Coolers of 2024
Which soft cooler is the best? To find out, we took the top-rated and most popular models available and compared them...The Ultimate Camping Gear Checklist for 2024
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...Best Daypacks for Women of 2024
If you're a woman in the market for a daypack, we can help. We considered 80+ different models and chose 11 of the...Best Camping Blankets of 2024
Want to stay cozy by the campfire? We do too. We purchased 11 of the best camping blankets available on the market for...Best Camping Chairs of 2024
When choosing the best camping chair, we have a lot of demands. It must be portable and last through lots of use and...10 Best Fleece Jackets of 2024
Over the last 10 years, we've bought and tested over 124 fleece jackets to bring you the best options on the market...Best Fleece Jackets for Women of 2024
Seeking a deliciously warm fleece jacket? After looking over the best contenders on the market, we chose 11 of the...Best Coolers of 2024
Looking to keep your food fresh and beers cold while you're out adventuring? We've researched and tested the best...Best Buy
Xspec 60qt Review
The Xspec is full of great features built into a great design and offering strong value. We like the extras included...Best Inflatable Kayak of 2024
Sick of being the only one without a kayak, but you have no room to store one? Check out one of these inflatable and...
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