
Sasha Brown
Title: Writer & Gear Tester
Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Expertise & Background
- Topics of Expertise: Trail running, backpacking, bikepacking, hiking, mountain biking
- Years of Writing: 12+
- Years of Gear Testing: 12+
Why I Chose This Career
I've spent my life playing in the mountains, and my husband Brian and I have chose to spend our lives exploring as much as possible. Our adventures require gear, and we are often in harsh—though beautiful—locations, so gear testing felt like a natural fit.
How I Began My Career
In 2012, I was selected as a Trail Ambassador for The North Face in Canada. In that role, I tested TNF trail running gear and wrote about it for Canadian Trail Running. My relationship with Switchback Travel started a few years later, after I discovered their great beta on trails on Norway’s Lofoten Islands. My husband and I started testing gear for Switchback shortly after that, and the rest is history.
Recent Articles
MSR Hubba Hubba Tent Review
Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Discerning backpackers look for a high-quality, lightweight, and durable tent, and MSR’s Hubba Hubba checks all of those boxes emphatically. Despite dropping a considerable 10 ounces from the past version, the latest model (updated in 2022) held up...
Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler Review
Last Updated: August 2, 2023
The Yeti name carries a lot of weight in the cooler market: Their coolers are impressively effective insulators, hold up very well over the long term, and boast the brand’s laudable polished look. Their smallest hard-sided offering is the Roadie 24...
La Sportiva Bushido III Trail Running Shoe Review
Last Updated: September 3, 2024
La Sportiva is a technical specialist with a competitive lineup of mountain-ready shoes and boots that excel on challenging terrain. A longtime favorite of mine, their Bushido trail runner does a great job showcasing the brand’s expertise with standout...
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad Review
Last Updated: February 4, 2025
Therm-a-Rest is well known in the backpacking space for their lightweight sleeping pads, and perhaps no design is more ubiquitous than the NeoAir XLite NXT. Built with ultralight backpackers in mind, this pad is popular for its impressive warmth-to...