Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

From Shack to Stomach

Unless you’re fortunate enough to call the state of Maine home, tracking down a decent local lobster roll can be — to use the native vernacular — wicked haard. Thankfully, Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. is around to help anyone with a mailing address indulge their crustacean cravings, granted they have the patience for overnight shipping. [...]

Small Wonder

Bookshelf systems may not be at the top of your gear-acquisition list, but to us, nothing really beats the sexiness of a well-designed compact system. It seems Harman Kardon feels the same way because the new tuxedo-clad MAS 102 ($999) certainly looks the part. Designed to perform like a separate component setup, the system still [...]

Simply Electric

Perhaps electric car design is on the upswing. Electric no longer equals emaculated with the Peugeot EX 1 Concept, which just set the speed record for an electric car on the Nordschliefe at Germany’s Nurburgring track at 9:01.338, which equates to an average speed of 86 mph. You might not think that’s fast until you [...]

What You Need to Know Before Diving In

2011 is the year of the tablet, no matter how hard we and our wallets squirm over having another gadget thrust into our lives. But why now? A discussion on that topic could take longer than the birther diatribe if explored in full, but the short answer is we have our smartphones addictions to thank. [...]

Southern. Living.

If someone were to ask you where to find one of the world’s best getaways, your first instinct might not be East Tennessee. But an easy drive from Knoxville, TN at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains you’ll find Blackberry Farms — 4,200 bucolic acres of pure getaway grandeur. A farm with a penchant [...]

$140 | Epaulet

When Jack Daniel’s invites you to Las Vegas to try their latest whiskey, you don’t say no. Other than Lynchburg, Tennessee, we can’t think of a more appropriate venue for the launch of a new variety of America’s most iconic spirit. So this intrepid reporter, camera in tow, showed up at the MGM Grand megaplex [...]

Dry me a river

Summer heat is just around the bend so it’s time to bust out the moisture and sweat fighting go-to’s. We’ve been stalwart users of Gold Bond, but this year we’re making the switch to Dry Goods ($13). Each 360° point-and-shoot spray bottle applies a clump-free long-lasting drying powder to protect against everything chafe-related. Apply it [...]

The White House Flickr stream, has shared a poignant moment in American history capturing President Obama, Vice President Biden and members of the national security team including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Situation Room receiving an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011. Powerful. Credit: Official White House [...]

Wool for the road

It was only a matter of time before Icebreaker, the New Zealand-based maker of fine merino wool clothing, got into cycling gear. After all, merino is a perfect material for cycling – breathable, stink-free and warm or cool when it needs to be. The new GT Cycling line was worth the wait. We recently put [...]

The (True) Sound of Music

Believe it or not, there is an entire generation of ‘audio-orphans’ who have never known that music isn’t meant to come out of undersized, mass-produced, plastic boxes. And standing right behind them is a slightly older generation who may know better the virtues of quality speakers, but have been caught in the spell of ‘digital [...]

Royally Good

For those of you men who woke up early on Friday morning to watch the Royal Wedding, may we kindly ask you to return your man-card? The only thing worthwhile that emerged from the media shark-feeding frenzy in our minds is the supremely classy 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante Mark II Prince William had the [...]

The Evolution of the Revolution

Thomas Meyerhoffer’s portfolio is something other product designers would kill to call their own — or certainly smash their 27-Cinema Displays in sacrifice. His first success came in 1994, when he designed the first pair of wrap-around-lens ski goggles, the Smith V3. In 1996, he led Apple’s eMate design team, which preceded the iMac. From [...]

Natural running for an unnatural world

Natural running, while better for you, can still cause problems when done in a man-made environment like the gym and neighborhood roads. Repetitive forefoot strikes on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt without proper padding can lead to stress fractures, and no one wants those. Recognizing this pitfall, the Reebok RealFlex ($90) is designed accordingly. [...]

Canine Shine

Glowdoggie LED Collars ($45-$50) are designed to make b(raving) the elements with your four-legged friend a safer affair. Their integrated Superflux LEDs have a lifespan of 150,000 hours or roughly 81 dog years of use — providing owners and other citizens with plenty of visibility for tracking rover’s movements. Thanks to an “all-in-tube” design, each [...]