Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Gets you where Quattro won't

In case Hublot’s sledge doesn’t strike your winter sport fancy, consider Audi’s Carbon Ski Concept a potential alternative. Created in collaboration with Head, Audi’s Munich based concept design team has developed a pair of skis built around a wood core sandwiched between aluminum and titanium and coated in carbon fiber. The result is a more [...]

One Ball to Rule Them All

American Football is now sadly taking its seasonal breather, but it’s almost time for the knock out phase of the Champions League to begin. Right on schedule, Adidas has released this year’s “official match” finale ball, which will be used for one night only during the game at Wembley Stadium in London. It’s the 11th [...]

WebOS Goes Tablet

The wait is finally over folks. HP has announced a Web OS 3.0 runnin’-tablet called the the TouchPad, and it looks mighty fine. Its 9.7-inch, 1024×768 XGA multitouch screen, 16 or 32GB of storage, 1.5 pound weight, and 13mm thickness should seem familiar. A 1.2Ghz Snapdragon processor, a 1.3 MP front facing camera for video [...]

Mer-C-less

Revamped both inside and out, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is a four door force to be reckoned with. Earlier generations of Mercedes AMG vehicles were blunt force instruments. Lately though, Merc has been churning out drool-worthy vehicles that truly raise the performance quotient for the German automaker, as is the case for the C63. [...]

Fine Design

The work of Wall & Decò has nothing in common with the stuff you see on a typical Home Depot weekend. Yes, they technically make wallpaper, but they aren’t in the business of creating drab monothematic patterns. Instead, the firm is focused on balancing elements of photographic realism and graphic design to create wall-sized works [...]

Camera with a silver lining

Is silver the new black? Nah, but Pentax does a fine job arguing the case for the heritage finish with their Pentax K-5 Limited Edition Silver ($1,699). The special edition model touts a 16.4 megapixel CMOS sensor, 7 fps capture, 80-12800 ISO (expandable to 51200), 1080p HD video capture at 25fps with built-in mic or [...]

Android Gets Challenged to a Duel

Using two monitors helps you breeze through tasks on the computer, so why not bring the principle to the phone? That’s what Kyocera (yeah that budget handset brand) has done with the Echo, which features two 3.5-inch WVGA displays joined together via a nifty “pivot hinge”, enabling the screens to work both in tandem and [...]

Photography by Ryan Plett of You Have Broken the Internet While most of the country continues to get buried in snow, there’s never a better time to start planning your next getaway. The new Marine Canvas Duffels from Wharf are a perfect way to lug your kit at wallet-friendly prices. Drawing inspiration from Wharf proprietor [...]

An unrelenting read

Probably one of the greatest books you’ve never read, Matterhorn ($15) takes place during the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War. Reviewed by Amazon as one of the best books of 2010, this novel grips you from the start and will have you utterly engrossed in a story that could easily have been true. Karl [...]

Let there be efficient light

As captivated as we are with Ferrowatt bulbs, they aren’t exactly renown for their output and efficient lighting capabilities. The Plumen 001 lightbulb ($32) sheds illumination on a solution by literally unwinding the efficient (yet not entirely design-friendly) coiled low-energy compact flourescent bulbs. The Plumen can be installed in any standard socket or lamp, but [...]

Author, TV host, all around badass

Lately on Sunday nights we’ve found ourselves glued to the TV watching the Travel Channel’s new show, The Wild Within with Steven Rinella. Rinella, a life-long outdoorsman and avid hunter on a quest to recapture the spirit and skills of our ancestors as he travels the globe in search of food, living by his own [...]

This Kayano is gellin'

Now in its 17th rendition, Asics’ iconic Gel Kayano has shaped up to be the best yet. The Gel Kayano 17 ($140) now features a full-length Guidance Line that promotes gait efficiency and responsiveness while reducing weight. Additional improvements include dual density cushioning, ComforDry sockliner and anatomical Asymmetrical Lacing Design that follows the foots natural [...]

A river of features runs through it

The modern fly fishing wader has only seen a moderate degree of innovation since the introduction of breathable construction materials. With breathability came increased comfort and performance compared to heavy and hot neoprene or plastic materials, but designers have essentially been tweaking and adjusting a basic model that no one built better than Simms Fishing… [...]

Third Time to Harm

Hold onto your quarter rolls. After a decade of waiting, Marvel vs.Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds will be release on February 15th, making its way to living rooms on either Xbox 360 or PS3. Old standby’s like Ryu and Wolverine have returned to throw down with over 30 new characters from both the Marvel [...]

Lean Back

Touch screens are all the rage with mobile technology, but touch-enabled desktops are still few and far between. HP originally led the way with the first TouchSmart PC back in 2008, and since then they’ve been continually innovating the line. The HP 9300 and 610 are the two latest additions to the family and the [...]