Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Actually Get It Straight

Discovering a niche tool that makes one’s task exponentially easier, no matter how small it may be, is one of the most satisfying feelings we can have as Gear Patrol product gurus (stepping off soapbox). Sure, a normal level is more than capable of helping decorators properly hang artwork, but the Johnson Level & Tool [...]

Plank Meets Grill

Mix up the ol’ grilling routine with grilling planks. Originating from the Pacific Northwest, grilling planks provide a direct infusion of moisture, oils, and flavors from a variety of woods into your food. On our fiery quest (literally) to better understand plank grilling, we found aFire Grilling Planks ($9) outperformed. Specifically, the Sugar Maple plank [...]

Summer Footwear Isn't Always About Pastels

Chambray has become the Kudzu of the fabric world, slowly coating every kind of men’s fashion product in its path. The latest victim: classic Champion sneakers by Keds, which are now available in two different chambray options of flint grey and navy. Compared to the solid canvas and jersey versions, the random white threads of [...]

Awesomely Geeky Projects to Share with Your Kids

As a dad and as something of a geek, it’s only natural that this editor would be a fan of Wired’s GeekDad blog. It’s a parenting site like no other, as a visit is likely to kindle your nostalgic passions and to inspire you to help the next generation connect with their geek-magination. Now the [...]

Pardon Our Slackjaw...

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Somewhere between those model designation numbers reads: fastest street-legal Porsche on the road. The three thousand some-odd pound Porsche 911 GT2 RS is packed with a pavement stretching 620 horsepower, giving it a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and 205 mph top speed. The entire gift of speed is [...]

A Year Ago on Gear Patrol

Game Changer, Literally

If you aren’t familiar with Steam, it’s Valve’s (makers of the Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, and Counterstrike franchises) top-flight client for video game delivery and online play on the PC. Since it’s release on Windows in 2003, Steam has accounted for an estimated 70% of the digital distribution market and, as of January of this [...]

A Guide to Apartment Improvement

Anyone who doesn’t have a sprawling home of their own keenly understands the impact clever design can have on maximizing space. If you’re running short on ideas though of what to personally do to squeeze the most out of your lair, this book may be your new Bible. Written by Maxwell Gllingham-Ryan whose claim to [...]

Because You Don't Do Slow

Consider yourself an avid photographer? Then you understand the demand for absolute performance from your memory card. Specifically, CompactFlash if you’re using any mid to higher-end DSLR. We just upgraded our arsenal to SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards (16GB ($185), 32GB ($335), 64GB ($700)). The 90 MB/s read/write speed is unbelievably quick (virtually no waiting [...]

Forget Minesweeper, Go Crater Surveying

Just because you don’t have 20/20 vision, a PhD, or 1,000+ logged flying hours doesn’t mean you can’t help NASA or even visit the moon. Virtually, that is. With the launch of Moon Zoo, NASA is turning to the public (crowd-sourcing) to help examine a massive set of new high-resolution moon surface photographs taken from [...]

The Anti-Prep Short

Our fashion-focused friends over at Limited Hype brought these New Amsterdamn Expo Shorts by Mark Mcnairy ($164) to our attention, and what appealed to us most was their distinctive mix of casual and outdoor style. Clearly the integrated nylon belt won’t float everyone’s boat, and the same thing probably goes for their $164 price tag. [...]

Tis the Season for Seersucker

Summer. Seersucker suits. Right? Well, yes and no. Seersucker suits, as great as they are, don’t lend themselves to everyday wear. A seersucker shirt though, now that’s a different thing. Work, travel, or play – a seersucker shirt is perfect for summer-long comfort and style. You can thank the soft cotton fabric which naturally aids [...]

Rethinking Instability Dumbbells

Instability is the new “black” in the fitness world. We’ve seen it permeate every type of workout equipment, and now we’re adding dumbbells to the list. Why? Because we’ve had a chance to use SandBells. The SandBell ($8-$85) is a cross between a sandbag, a dumbbell, a barbell, a grip bag, a medicine ball, a [...]

Inspired Canvas

Canvas and leather meet with refined harmony in the Cole Rood & Haan Canvas Leather Duffle ($450). This semi-structured duffel is constructed with heavy-duty khaki canvas and detailed with antique brass hardware, raw Italian vachetta trim, center double-zip enclosure, and 53″ adjustable webbed shoulder strap with leather shoulder pad. The interior is cotton-lined with an [...]

A Year Ago on Gear Patrol