Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Beyond the fists, fights and foes

References from film and TV are what flash into most people’s memory today when the subject of boxing arises in conversation. There are just too many great, engaging examples to draw on, from both real and fictional stories (Rocky 45 and Tyson v. Holyfield being exceptions). Before technology padlocked our imagination, though, writing was the [...]

The Holy Grail of Sports Sedans

The BMW M5 has stood as the definitive sports sedan for two decades. Others have tried and though some have duplicated its power, no one has been able to harness the commensurate handling dynamics in this category. Now, BMW has pulled back the curtains on its 2012 BMW M5 Concept, and the results are nothing [...]

Make it rain on your mail

In the midst of this jobless recovery, quirky product maker the.’s literal interpretation of Financial Padding Package Cushioning ($15) takes the cake for satirical wit. Not only will it make your care packages standout — if not thrill recipients for one fleeting moment, but it’s also much more environmentally friendly compared to foam peanuts. That’s [...]

Spending a week in -13° F temperatures in the National Parks of Kirkenes and Pas around the Russian border, landscape photographer Terje Sorgjerd captured one of the biggest displays of the aurora borealis. Using a combination of time-lapse photography from his Canon 5D Mark II and what’s known as a motion control dolly Sorgjerd has [...]

Hawk, line and sinker

If the idea of unsheathing a lean, mean Storm Trooper inspired machine isn’t quite your style, allow Callaway to give you a taste of the dark side with their latest Razr Hawk Driver ($399). Lighter and stronger than titanium, forged composite is the hallmark technology behind this club, allowing giving engineers maximum control over wall [...]

Woodn't you?

Sometimes aesthetics play second fiddle to environmental sustainability. Some automobiles come to mind. In the case of the 2011 Audi duoCity, design reigns alongside being green. Audi has partnered with Portland, OR based Renovo, maker of custom hardwood bikes. With impressive lightness, stiffness (hold back on the wood jokes) and shock absorbency, the duoCity boasts [...]

Paper-less

Paper business cards? Pass. We’ll take ours in wood. Using 100% natural, harvested sustainable woods from the US, third generation family owned Cards of Wood creates paper-thin cards using micro-veneer technology without the use of chemicals. Producing everything from stationary, to packaging, to envelopes in 23 different veneers, CoW even staffs a team of designers [...]

An automobile that needs no explanation

Every so often, a car comes along that is transcendent. The Jaguar E-Type. The Porsche 911. The Lamborghini Miura. And, yes, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. This Pininfarina designed exotic looks even more beautiful today than it did in 1973, set apart from the overly wrought designs of the present and rising above the morass [...]

Sheath thy pen

The Journal Bandolier ($17) from Etsy maker Cleverhands is a useful addition to your journal, especially if you’re the type of fellow who despises carrying extra items or haven’t quite bought into the tablet madness. Made from reclaimed rubber and elastic, it’s both rugged looking and useful for most 5-inch notebooks like Moleskins. With seven [...]

Famous for their game and mane

Normally we avoid the funny t-shirt racket because our dorm room days are behind us. This new line of Hair-itage Tees ($20) just tugged too strongly at our inner sports fan to be ignored. The series features some of the most distinguished stashes, mullets, beards, and sideburns to ever grace the diamond, testing your knowledge [...]

Watches 101

Ironically, the resurgent popularity of the wristwatch has come about during an era of iPhones-as-pocketwatches and ubiquitous digital time. With technology largely unchanged since the 19th century, mechanical timepieces are vestigial novelties in this modern age, and they provide a nostalgic counterpoint to our gadget-obsessed culture. They also have a human quality, from the hands [...]

R-ighteous

Somewhere between fast cars, practical cars, and those you can actually afford lies the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R. Taking the title as the most powerful small car VW has ever offered, it’s safe to say this little brute is very quick. The “R” moniker refers to Volkswagen’s tuned models (think: “M” to BMW and “S” [...]

A good pack for your back

As the snow melts we have turned our thoughts to summer backpacking trips and the quest for the perfect pack. For the last few weeks, we’ve been testing the Divide 55 ($259), the mid-size pack offering from back pack newcomer Mile High Mountaineering and right off the bat we have to admit, we love it. [...]