CHARLESTON, S.C. – January 16, 2025 – The Murray Road Agency, a leading agency in the outdoor industry and related verticals, is proud to release the first installment of Pathfinders. This original series is non-sequential and highlights true pioneers in the outdoor space. It is not funded by clients/brands or otherwise sponsored. It solely focuses on people and their stories because they need to be told.

Pathfinders starts off featuring renowned photographer, videographer, outdoorsman and content pioneer Mitch Kezar. Anyone who has followed the outdoor industry for the last 40 plus years probably knows his name and may have even met him. If they don’t know him by name, they’ve seen his work. Kezar’s talent is one-of-a-generation and his portfolio spans countless brands, publications, mediums, industries and verticals. Murray Road is honored to release the first Pathfinders piece featuring this true titan of his craft.  

Kezar was born and raised in the farm country of northwestern Minnesota. He hunted, fished, farmed and did anything and everything outdoors. He also took to photography at a very young age. After high school he served in the military as a United States Air Force photojournalist before his entry into mainstream photojournalism that would lead him to work for major newspapers and media outlets across the United States. His experiences and accomplishments in the field are too infinite to begin to cover. He quickly ascended to leadership positions and built an amazing body of work along the way.  

Kezar was then able to combine his passion and skill for photography and storytelling with his other passions and skills—hunting, fishing and the great outdoors as he began working in the outdoor industry as a photographer and writer. Over the next several decades he established himself as a true leader and his work has graced covers and brought life to words, brands, products, campaigns, headlines, news events and more. He has completely wowed audiences and readers across the world each time.  

“To see Mitch’s photography and videography is to see true artwork that is unparalleled,” said Murray Road President and CEO Tim Brandt. “But to be lucky enough to work alongside Mitch is just different. Mitch is the most polished professional and is as talented as anyone to ever hold a camera to their eye. But his grit, determination, humility, vision and personality shine as bright and as prominent as even his best work. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s as accomplished as any outdoorsman, loves a good glass of scotch and is up for any challenge.”  

“Professionally, Mitch is so much more than a photographer. He is truly one of the great storytellers of our generation. To see him work and deliver the final product can only be described as witnessing greatness. We are honored and humbled to try and capture even a fraction of this essence and his impact in our short piece.” 

This episode of Pathfinders takes on the tough task of trying to frame Kezar as a man and as a professional — his work, his legacy, his family and his current projects — for the average viewer. The finished piece will never do justice to his past and present accomplishments and bodies of work, but it does give the audience a personal view into the man who has done so much.  

Despite all of his professional success, Kezar is also one of the finest examples of a father, grandfather, brother, son, teammate, military veteran and general advocate as one can ever come across. Kezar raised two sons who have each put together military special forces careers of over 20 years. Kezar is also a proud grandfather. His impact on the industry has been and continues to be revolutionary, but his impact on his family, friends, co-workers and colleagues surpasses that as well.  

The full episode featuring Kezar is available now at the Murray Road Agency YouTube channel. Future Pathfinders releases will also be seen here. Clips, teasers, behind-the-scenes and other content from the Kezar piece and other Pathfinders efforts will also be available on Murray Road social media channels and website.  

The Big Tex Podcast hit a major milestone with its 100th episode, welcoming back Kerry Davis of Dark Angel Medical – the very first guest from episode one. This full-circle moment highlighted how far the podcast has come since its humble beginnings with “beige walls, GoPro camera recording it on a GoPro, my cell phone and a DSLR,” as host Chris reminisced.

Kerry, a passionate medical instructor, shared insights on the importance of everyday preparedness and the evolution of tactical medicine. He emphasized the need for quality medical gear, warning against “bargain basement shopping” and fake products. The conversation covered a range of topics, from the latest advancements in medical technology to the challenges of teaching complex medical concepts to diverse audiences. Kerry’s teaching philosophy shone through as he explained, “I try to break it down to where people can understand this stuff… I do a lot of analogies because I love analogies.”

Kerry also discussed Dark Angel Medical’s new online training offerings, designed to make critical medical knowledge more accessible. He shared exciting updates about upcoming classes and product developments.

This landmark episode not only celebrated the podcast’s growth but also reinforced the crucial message of medical preparedness. As Kerry put it, “16 hours is a minimal investment. I call it cheap life insurance, man.”

We highly recommend seeking medical training such as that is provided by Dark Angel Medical, for more information or to find out their schedule check out all these links!

Listen or Watch on Spotify Here

Listen on Apple Here

Watch on Rumble Here

Watch on Youtube Here

Listen on Amazon Here

Red Beard Tactical & BOLD Consulting from Germany, known for their mil blogging on Instagram as well as their hands-on military consulting are excited to announce to finally have found a fitting US publisher with Kommandostore

kommandostore.com/collections/red-beard-books

After shipping thousands of books to military members, LEOs and responsible citizens in the US, we are literally relieved to first off reduce shipping cost for the US customer, but also get our supply chain in check.

The initial release consists out of BOLD´s first book “Fieldcraft Essentials”, as well as an all new version of “Infantry in Combat”, which got extended with additional illustrated pages on Platoon and Squad movement. “Infantry in Combat” covers tactics, techniques and procedures not only from a battle drill based perspective, but puts a high emphasis on “understanding tactics” from a mission command and tenet based perspective.

“Infantry in Combat” as well as “Fieldcraft Essentials” can from now on directly sourced from Kommando Store

kommandostore.com/products/redbeard-tactical-infantry-in-combat-book

kommandostore.com/products/redbeard-tactical-fieldcraft-book

You can find the Red Beard Tacticals Blog on Instagram

www.instagram.com/redbeardtactical.de

All their books (and more) are also available as e-books on their Patreon for a 1$/ month subscription and up.

www.patreon.com/RedbeardTactical

Bleecker Street Publications is thrilled to announce that Fred Mastison has joined the Athlon Outdoors team as a staff writer.

Fred Mastison is a seasoned national magazine contributor, professional firearms and combatives instructor, and executive protection provider and trainer. He has authored more than 700 articles for 27 different magazines. In his new role, Mastison will leverage his extensive industry knowledge and ability to engage diverse audiences with both humor and technical proficiency, further elevating Athlon Outdoors’ editorial excellence.

“I am both honored and excited to join the team at Athlon as a full-time writer,” said Mastison. “While I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Athlon as a freelancer since its inception, this next step is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I look forward to continuing and expanding my relationships with companies and delivering solid content across a spectrum of topics.”

“We faced a tough decision with so many talented candidates, and we’re grateful to all who applied,” said Emily Long, CEO and Investor of Bleecker Street Publications. “Mr. Mastison brings tremendous passion for our industry, along with his vast experience and insights. He will be a fantastic addition to our team.”