Every review on Top-Notch Outdoor is tested and written by a freelance reviewer. Most of them also write for other outdoor media, magazines and newspapers. They work in the places the gear is made for: the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the Canadian Rockies, the Lake District, the Dorset coast, the French Alps and the Colorado high country. Sean Williams and Emma Williams edit every review before it goes live.
Nobody tests everything. Each profile says what that person is good at and what they hand to someone else, so you know whose view you are reading. How the scores work is on How We Test. We check the facts in every review, but results depend on conditions and users; see our Terms of Use.
Because our reviewers are freelancers, the team changes from time to time. This page shows who is writing for us now; we review it regularly and update it as people join or move on. Anyone who has left stays listed under Previous contributors, so the reviews they wrote are still credited to them. Last reviewed: 17 October 2026.
Leadership & Heavy Gear
Sean Williams
Editor-in-Chief
Tests in: Greater Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, British Columbia
A former commercial outdoor copywriter and gear journalist who now runs Top-Notch Outdoor as an independent publisher. He takes no brand-funded trips and runs no supplied ad copy.
What Sean tests
- RVs and fifth wheels: 50 amp electrical loads at Lake Tahoe
- Dual-fuel inverter generators under load
- Off-grid solar setups
- Long-term durability: frames, welds, zippers and fabric after several seasons
Strongest at: Checks every tester’s field notes against the maker’s claims before a score goes live.
Leaves to others: No patience for fragile sub-pound ultralight gear. Leaves freestyle and park snowboards to the crew.
Reviews Sean has worked on
And 84 more.
Emma Williams
Editor and Camp, Footwear & Ergonomics Lead
Tests in: Cumbria and the Lake District fells, UK, with seasons in the Pacific Northwest
One of our two editors: with Sean, she edits the reviews and pages on the site before they go live. Also a freelance outdoor gear photographer and former outdoor retail equipment buyer.
What Emma tests
- 1 to 3 person backpacking tents and 4-season storm shelters
- Backpacking stoves, liquid-fuel pumps and cooksets
- Women’s waterproof hiking boots and fastpacking shoes
- Inflatable paddle boards and packrafts
Strongest at: Wet weather. She pitches shelters and runs stoves in sustained wind-driven rain, which finds the condensation traps and valve failures a dry bench test misses.
Leaves to others: Doesn’t haul 80 lb-plus canvas basecamp tents or steel camp cookers on her own. Leaves generator and electrical testing to John and Ryan.
Reviews Emma has worked on
And 7 more.
Ryan Williams
Lead Tester
Tests in: Squamish and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, British Columbia
A heavy fleet equipment mechanic and commercial vehicle technician. At 6 ft 2 and 215 lb, he is our heavy, high-impact user.
What Ryan tests
- Inverter generators, solar panels and power stations (his Ford F-250 is our loading test)
- Family and basecamp tents, canvas tents, poles and stakes
- Canoe and kayak carts and roof-rack tie-downs
- Stiff, metal-laminate charging skis and boots
- Emergency shelters: tube tents, bivvy bags, emergency blankets and car kits
Strongest at: Mechanical stress. He works hardware hard and fast to find weak welds, stripped adjusters and plastic that fatigues.
Leaves to others: An intermediate snowboarder, so he can’t judge fine sidecut or flex differences on high-end boards. Heavy-handed with ultralight zippers, thin fabrics and small clips.
Reviews Ryan has worked on
And 61 more.
Alpine & Winter
Shaun Taylor
Freeride Snowboard Tester
Tests in: Revelstoke and the Selkirks, Interior British Columbia
Raced banked slalom and halfpipe in the late 1980s and 1990s before turning to backcountry freeriding. A finish carpenter by trade.
What Shaun tests
- Stiff directional freeride boards and camber profiles
- Splitboards and stiff freeride bindings
- Backcountry snowboard boots
Strongest at: Edge hold at speed on boilerplate and refrozen debris, where chatter and soft cores show up.
Leaves to others: Doesn’t ride park, rails or soft butter boards. Finds it hard to judge how forgiving a beginner board is.
Reviews Shaun has worked on
And 3 more.
James Ward
Alpine Ski & Fat Bike Tester
Tests in: Calgary, Alberta, riding Lake Louise and Sunshine Village
On skis since he was 3 and a former regional alpine racer. Now a ski tuner and dryland fitness coach.
What James tests
- Frontside carvers and resort chargers
- Fat bikes: brakes in the cold, low-pressure tyres, snow clearance
- Beginner to intermediate snowboards, as our crossover baseline
Strongest at: Edge engagement and stiffness at speed on hard groomers.
Leaves to others: Can’t ride switch, so he doesn’t judge park or rail boards. Prefers locked-in camber skis to loose, surfy powder shapes.
Reviews James has worked on
And 20 more.
Annie Ward
Women’s All-Mountain Snowboard Tester
Tests in: Calgary, Alberta
A freelance graphic designer and committed weekend all-mountain rider.
What Annie tests
- Women’s all-mountain and progression snowboards
- Hybrid camber and medium-flex boards
Strongest at: The intermediate view: does a board turn smoothly in choppy resort snow without needing a lot of leg?
Leaves to others: Can’t flex ultra-stiff big-mountain boards. Doesn’t ride glaciated backcountry lines.
Reviews Annie has worked on
And 3 more.
Libby Smith
Freeride Ski & Fat Bike Tester
Tests in: Truckee and the Lake Tahoe Basin, California
A seasonal mountain bike trail builder and winter ski patroller, with several seasons of freeriding behind her.
What Libby tests
- Powder and freeride skis (104 to 118 mm waists)
- Fat bikes in heavy Sierra snow and slush
Strongest at: Playfulness. She would rather surf, smear and pop off features than straight-line, and judges how easily a ski releases in tight trees.
Leaves to others: Doesn’t get on with stiff, narrow carving skis. Not involved in generator, electrical or vehicle testing.
Reviews Libby has worked on
And 9 more.
Tom Harris
All-Mountain Ski Tester
Tests in: Whistler, British Columbia (Symphony Bowl, Peak Chair, Harmony Ridge)
A ski shop service manager and boot fitter. A strong advanced skier who loves bowls and glades.
What Tom tests
- 95 to 105 mm all-mountain skis and hybrid touring bindings
- Ski boots: cuff stiffness and how well a shell takes a punch
- Powder snowboards in steep bowls, for a non-pro view
- Approach and scrambling shoes
Strongest at: Coastal snow: wind crust, ice and heavy wet snowpack.
Leaves to others: Sceptical of sub-1,000 g touring gear. Not involved in fishing, boats or watersports.
Reviews Tom has worked on
And 14 more.
Amy Carter
Freestyle Snowboard Tester
Tests in: Squamish and Whistler, British Columbia
An action sports videographer and terrain park builder, and our strongest snowboarder.
What Amy tests
- Twin park boards: pop, butter and edge detune
- Beginner and intermediate skis, as our progressing-intermediate skier
Strongest at: Impact and flex. How a board’s core and sidewalls hold up after rails and heavy landings.
Leaves to others: Doesn’t test race or high-speed carving skis. Not involved in RV, generator or basecamp testing.
Reviews Amy has worked on
And 14 more.
Tony Fisher
Alpine Snowboard & Splitboard Tester
Tests in: Morzine, Haute-Savoie, France
A former freestyle and backcountry snowboard pro, now a splitboard coach and seasonal lift maintenance worker.
What Tony tests
- Splitboards, skins and hard-boot touring setups
- Avalanche transceivers, probes and touring packs
Strongest at: High-alpine conditions across the Portes du Soleil and Chamonix: glacier ice, sastrugi and rock.
Leaves to others: No interest in family car-camping gear. Skips soft, beginner resort boards.
Reviews Tony has worked on
And 3 more.
Ali Fisher
Women’s Alpine Snowboard Lead
Tests in: Morzine, Haute-Savoie, France
A former slopestyle competitor and a freelance technical outerwear patternmaker.
What Ali tests
- Women’s freeride boards and splitboards: tuned for women, or just shorter men’s boards?
- Waterproof shells, bibs, goggles and helmets
Strongest at: Garment construction and board flex for lighter riders: seam tape, cuffs, zips and core profiles.
Leaves to others: Finds it hard to judge beginner progression boards. Not involved in generators or vehicle setups.
Reviews Ali has worked on
And 3 more.