Click… Snap… Boom.

So you’ve just purchased that nice new digital SLR camera, like the Nikon D90 GP uses for our article images. You’re ready to take it on the road with you where you’ll encounter all kinds of conditions, but you’re not really the type of guy that’s readily exposing his thousand dollar equipment to the elements.

Well, gear up with Camera Armor - a company who specializes in engineering custom body armor protection for your camera. Camera Armor sheathes your new digital beauty’s body, lens in elsatomeric silicone and the screen with a polycarbonate shield. Sounds postively grizzly.

The precision fit armor will protect your photographic investment from the nasties you encouter: impacts, abrasions, dust, fingerprints and do it with barely any additional weight. The armor comes in black, smoke and even camoflauge for you sniper photogs.

Cost: $50

Also See: ION Slides 2 PC | Nikon D700 Digital SLR | Vintage Canon AE-1 Film SLR

We Doubt Pagans Drank This Well

As a precusor to your costume party debauchery, give the Herradura Calabatini a shot. This festive blend of tequila and pumpkin spice is sure to get nods of approval from guests. Not to mention yourself. Plus it’s a lot more dignified than orange jello shots, though depending on how your night unfolds that might be included.

So drop by the store after work and pick up some Herradura Reposado, half-and-half, and a bottle of pumpkin spice syrup (I recommend Monin). If you don’t finish the Resposado tonight, undoubtedly you’ll finish it later once you’ve had a taste. As for the pumpkin spice syrup… well just don’t mix it with gin.

Herradura Calabatini

• 1.5 oz Herradura Reposado
• 1/2 oz Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup
• 3 oz half-and half

Instructions

• Add ice to shaker and the ingredients in the order listed above
• Shake well and strain into martini glass
• Garnish with cinnamon
• Hand to your date. Dressed as a cheerleader

By: Daniel Mader | The Truth About Cars

The California is a bit like my first girlfriend: pretty from the front, but a little frumpy at the rear, especially in the wrong clothes (sorry Sarah). This is Ferrari’s softer side. Huh? How can you mess with the classic GT recipe? Sorry Ferrari but the California is the best definition of Ugly Betty with four wheels. If you were hoping for a Dino successor, then you’ll be disappointed. This is a fresh GT with a new clientele in mind.

Review: 2010 Ferrari California continued »

Gear Patrol and AXE On The Scene With UnScene

GP’s Bradley Hasemeyer second row, far right. Courtesy: 944 Magazine.

Recently, smell and sight lord AXE and 944 Magazine teamed up at Sofitel’s Rose Lounge in Los Angeles inside the swank and modern Sofitel hotel to benefit Behind The UnScene. Raising awareness and funds for the genius non-profit and a few charities. Invited, GP’s outreach extraordinare Bradley Hasemeyer was on the scene. His take:

Cameras, red carpets, beautiful women, great music and cost-free imbibing. BAM: That’s how I’m living… tonight.

UnScene finds emerging photographers and exposes them via mobile and online competitions giving them first-time gallery launches and event premieres.

The event featured drinks prepped by mixologists with the same notes of each of AXE’s new Proximity fragrance lineup: Vetyver, Amber and Bergamot. Each, at a different bar with tones of the fragrance’s individual ingredients. Who knew that’s what ‘beech wood’ smells like? I liked.

Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant to try a “Bergamot Martini” due to a bad experience with bergamot in a high school chemistry class (long story). Nevertheless, I pressed forward for the benefit of our readers.

Three martinis, or was it four (?), later, I was glad I did. Ed: LAist did catch Bradley having that fourth.

In addition to the drinks sponsored by Belvedere, a few celebrities—Michelle Branch, Rick(y) Schroder, Karina Smirnoff, Jesse McCartney, Cisco Adler and Shwayze were on hand to promote their own photographs. They ran the full gamut.

Donations were donated, drinks were drank, conversations were conversed, good times were had, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what charity events are all about.

Check out 944’s full gallery of the event, including the aforementioned ladies.

Look for the next UnScene Tour coming to your neck o’ da woods soon.

Director of Iron Man Interviews Director of Skateboarding

Two men we wouldn’t mind having lunch with.

Here at GP we love a good mashup. Especially when two seemingly opposite ideas come together for something unexpectedly great.

Tonight I’ve got my DVR set to record Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel. If you don’t know about Iconoclasts, it’s an outstanding show that forgoes the typical interview/interviewee process and pairs two influencers/celebrities/world-changers of seemingly opposite genres and has them interview each other in a casual real-world environment. It’s fascinating.

In it’s forth season and more importantly tonight, Iconoclasts has Jon Favreau, director of the Iron Man movie franchise (but more importantly, creator and actor in Swingers) interviewing Tony Hawk, and vice versa. Other interview pairings include: Wycleaf Jean and Venus Williams, Mike Myers and Deepak Chopra, Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple, Cameron Diaz and Cameron Sinclair, Eddie Vedder and Laird Hamilton… and the list goes on.

More than just questions, you’ll see Tony Hawk showing Jon Favreau why he’s scared to do his new jump or what the biggest challenge is between creating a movie like Swingers and Iron Man 2. So watch and learn.

Who knows? Season 10 could feature you.

Editor’s Note: In a Gear Patrol World, our mashup vote goes to resident golf guru Patrick Tuttle talking with Lil Wayne a.k.a Wheezy. Imagine the possibilities.

Iconoclasts | Tonight (October 30) at 10PM eastern

21st Century Breadcrumbs

The BackTrack is required directional gear for outdoorsmen and parking-lot goers alike.

Let’s face it. Some people are directionally challenged. Hell, one of the guys here can’t even make it to the golf course, even with a navigation system (Eric: I resent that.). So you can imagine the relief when Bushnell agreed that they’d equip the GP team here with BackTracks and give us the chance to get ourselves lost, and more importantly, un-lost.

Equipped with a high sensitivity SiRF Star III GPS receiver, the BackTrack can store and locate up to three locations. Simply push a button and the BackTrack will remember your current location. Whether it’s finding your car after a football game (post-beer) or hiking back to base camp on your latest excursion, the Backtrack will guide the way. The digital interface even provides distance and directional cues. Throw in a built-in self calibrating digital compass and the BackTrack is now standard issue at GP.

The BackTrack comes in camo, orange, white and even pink… Just in case you’d like to not-so-subtly give your significant other a hint about her aptitude for losing the car at Whole Foods.

Cost: $74

Also See: Colibri Xtreme II High Altitude Lighter | Pelican 2480 ELS Emergency Lighting Station | Osprey Stratos 18 Daypack