Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Luge for the lil' ones

Retire the ol’ Radio Flyer with L.L. Bean’s Rambler Wagon, now available with skis for the powder-bound family. Available in either separate skis or an entire set, the Rambler can go from a 10″ pneumatic tire/wheeled to ski-equipped ruggedized snow-covered field or ice pond runner. The wagon measures 34″ x 16″ and rails are made [...]

Catch ya' gaitor

Boots only provide so much protection from the bog, and when the going gets deep, the deep get gaiters. Our choice: Black Diamond’s GTX FrontPoint Gaiters ($70). Not only do they protect from the sludge with their Velcro closure, ballistylc nylon lower and breathable 2-layer Gore-Tex upper but they’re relatively light at just 9 oz [...]

Do Your Part and Help Those in Need

The disaster created by the 8.9 earthquake and the resulting tsunami is far from over in Japan. As global citizens, we encourage each of you to do your part to help the victims regain their footing after the devastation. You can help out in a variety of ways. The easiest is to simply text REDCROSS [...]

Bear Grylls Meets Optimus Prime

Preparing for a wet outing in the woods normally involves packing a solid rain shell, a warm sleeping bag and a weather-proof tent. Thanks to some seriously resourceful engineering, the JakPak Jacket ($250) serves as all three — granted with some sacrifices. Made from waterproof, flame retardant material, the jacket features an integrated and detachable [...]

The Good Kind

If you’re fortunate enough, especially in this economy, to have more than just a daily driver, and if you’re automotive tastes go beyond a reasonably quick street vehicle, take a gander at the BAC Mono track car. The British carmaker and its new track toy put the Ariel Atom and the KTM X-Bow firmly in [...]

Wireless Black Belt

Wireless audio. A convenient technology that, like many modern conveniences, comes at the peril of quality. When it comes to a great pair of cans, we’re a picky lot here at GP and tend to keep ours plugged into an amp via cables — for better or worse. So, when AKG asked us a few [...]

Saddle Up

The Mark McNairy Smokin Saddle Shoe ($285) adds a welcomed bit of distinction to a wardrobe area dominated by solid blacks and browns. Made in England from a combination of grey and navy suede, wear them with a set of chinos or jeans and they’ll act as a good classic ballast to your otherwise thoroughly [...]

Smokes the Others

An umbrella that withstands 70 mph, the Blunt Umbrella ($70) is as tough as it is sleek. A low-profile, tensioned canopy scoffs at big gusts for maximum protection during your hurricane commutes and we found that the ultra durable design handles even the most abusive of New York Spring commutes — our interestates speed test [...]

Here's One Club Where the Dues Are Worth It

We all know that bacon is the proper foundation to any good diet. Zingerman’s Bacon of the Month Club ($99) is the easiest way we’re aware of to insure your bacon stockpile never runs out. Available in three or six month options, signing up guarantees you’ll receive a 12 to 16 ounce package of artisan [...]

This Saw, Sings

Boasting saw speeds 3 times quicker than mere mortal saws, the Irwin Universal Handsaw ($22) is the Usain Bolt of cutters. Winner of a Red Dot Product Design Award, the handsaw features a unique, ergonomic placement of its comfort grip handle in relation to the triple-ground tooth blade design. The combination virtually eliminates binding and [...]

Two Wheels Good

The iPad 2 release from the minds at Apple may put you to sleep when you see what else has been unveiled in Cupertino, CA. The Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition is easily more fun than a flock of angry birds (app or real). Created to celebrate motorcyclist Greg Tracy’s victorious class [...]

The Original Mashup

This is not the KFC spork of yore, so dispel those flash backs of middle school field trips and cellophane packaged cutlery. Made entirely of titanium, the super light Triple Aught Design Titanium Folding Spork ($39) reduces arm fatigue as you stuff your face with last night’s left overs. Plus, it has a bottle cap/can [...]

Higher Flyer

Working in a 15,000 square foot factory in Grottammare, Italy – Fly Products has been producing some of the world’s best motorized paragliding gear in the world. Focusing their research & development efforts on high-quality paramotors and trikes that not only inspire and stun, their creations will have you itching for aerial acrobats at every [...]

Worth a Shot

We love an expertly pulled espresso as much as the next guy, but when morning scrambles get hectic (and when don’t they?) there’s nothing wrong with just wanting a no-fuss shot. Our regular go-to capsule based maker recently unveiled their latest Swiss made single cup machination, the Nespresso Pixie ($250) and it’s diminuitive design has [...]

Blue Ribbon Blades

While you may not think twice about mounting a wilderness excursion without your Benchmade knife, what about a more domestic adventure, like the kitchen? Benchmade has a knife for that. These knives may not include typical Benchmade features like a locking mechanism, pocket clip or sheath, but what they lack in outdoor grit the three [...]