Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Spring simplicity

Even if your bear trap grip on the urban-woodsman look is as unrelenting as the next style-maven, use this Spring as a reason to ratchet things down a notch. The good news: if the Appalachian-wannabe in you is lost for options, many of the same go-to brands are (and have been) making great looking choices. [...]

Like father, like son

A. Cutting Edge: Formula 1 technology and design inspired. Schuey would be jealous. B. Automotive Weightwatchers: Extensive use of carbon fiber for rigidity and lightness C. High-tech Bathtub: Carbon-fiber monocell for driver safety and structural integrity D. Talk about Details: Magnesium dash support beam instead of steel to save weight E. Not Just a Pretty [...]

Shaking Up the Vodka Pack

Eristoff’s roots are in Georgia; that’s the former Soviet Union satellite, not the birthplace of MLK Jr. and Cee Lo Green. It was created by Georgian royalty back in 1806 when times were tough, and since the country is known for its wolf population, the spirit inherited the mascot. We bring up this little Discovery [...]

Double duty

Sure, your DSLR can do double-digit megapixel images all day long, but now that it also captures HD video what about that aging external flash or heaven forbid, built-in flash? Canon heeds the call with its new well-priced Speedlite 320EX ($249). The compact flashgun offers a bevy of features including powerful strobe strength (Guide Number [...]

Tissot much watch

Tissot started designing classic timepieces back 1853 and has served as the official time keeper for major sporting events in motorcycling and downhill skiing, in addition to sponsoring Lotus, and Renault’s Formula 1 teams. Located in LeLocle, Switzerland, the watchmaker’s quality remains unmistakable, and the all-new Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph stunner, is no exception. Unlike [...]

Low slung bull

Unlike the Prancing Horse, Lambo lacks any serious racing pedigree. The newly designed Lamborghini PML-F Formula 1 Concept, however, could change that. Part F1 racer, part Dark Knight transport, this demonic creation from Sabino Leerentveld is intended to be propelled by a 3.0L 1200 hp V12. If it ever gets built, pairing that engine with [...]

Chair lifts be damned

For a while, snowboarders had a harder time riding some of the biggest mountain lines. Relying on a snowmobile and then an often exhausting boot pack in, it was thought that a skier with a randonee set up was often best suited for off piste adventure. Then Jones Snowboard decided to develop a solution and [...]

Mix Master

Wannabe bedroom DJ’s may like the idea of using an iPad as a cheap & easy way to get their mix on, but the pros still turn to Pioneer’s DJM line when it comes to sound processing. The DJM-900 Nexus ($2,400) is the company’s latest tour-friendly mixer that stands on the shoulders of the supremely [...]

Bow to Good Design

The Ultimate Steering Machine? Perhaps the new BMW Intermarine 55 will establish that new slogan for the Bavarian automaker. In a stunning collaborative work between BMW DesignworksUSA and Intermarine, the Brazilian luxury yacht manufacturer, the goal was to create a new design theme for nautical vessels, incorporating such automotive cues as trapezoidal windows (instead of [...]

Peripheral pairings

If the idea of pairing your Mac’s keyboard and trackpad using wood isn’t your thing, then consider TwelveSouth’s minimalist MagicWand ($29) a suitable alternative. The keyboard and trackpad snap into the MagicWand for left or right hand use, turning the two devices into a single extended keyboard, which we still don’t understand why there’s not [...]

You can't fake heritage

Drawing on 246 years of history, designer Sarah Saiger has created a line of t-shirts portraying iconic imagery from Bambu. Bambu produces some of the world’s finest rolling papers and having a couple centuries’ worth of marketing and advertising designs lends itself well to shirt print ideas. You don’t even have to be a tobacco [...]

Good Gets Better

We reviewed Xetum’s Tyndall and Stinson timepieces shortly after they stepped out on the watch scene and appreciated both models’ blend of California design and Swiss-made guts. Now the up-and-coming brand has released its first limited edition Xetum. This watch features a carbon fiber dial — since man can never have too much of the [...]

This past Tuesday, TaylorMade unleashed the commanding new R11 Driver to frigid New Yorkers. In celebration TaylorMade and Golfsmith converted the 54th street block into a driving range — in less than 7 hours. Gear Patrol had a pair of intervelometer equipped Canon 7D’s on the ground to capture the build-up in a 4,000 photo [...]

Sweet Restitution

Vodka brands have been adding fruit flavoring to their spirits for years in hopes of coaxing mixologists to shell out for another fifth, or at least get the squeamish drinking something. So it makes perfect sense the same trend would trickle down to white lightening. The sweetness from Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Aged Fruit Moonshine($30) [...]

Flame Off

In purely concept form right now, the Amatova ATV, from designer Liam Ferguson, gives us a vision into what first-line fire-fighting could look like in the near future. More like something out of the ‘Terminator’ series than out of your local firehouse, the Amatova houses 2 passengers in a high-visibility cockpit and can liquid Howitzer [...]