So Good You’ll Want To Drink It

If you’ve read any of the major men’s magazines as of late, you might remember that many of them have been turned onto Tom’s of Maine. A company specializing in all-natural oral hygeine products. I know, exciting.

We decided to check out what all the seemingly insider hype was about and procured a few bottles of Tom’s Of Maine Natural Cleansing Mouthwash. It comes in Cinnamint, Peppermint Baking Soda and Spearming - the latter of which I tried.

Wow. It was like an oral hygeine orchestra performing the Midnight Sonata. In my mouth. And like Beethoven’s first movement, it was refreshing without being overpowering - like the Crest Pro Health I currently use.

The alcohol and saccharin-free mouthwash has Vitamin C and infused with aloe vera, witch hazel as an astrigent and pure essential oils to give it a refreshing flavor. All I know is I was smiling while gargling.

Cost: $5

Burn Baby Burn

I have serious doubts that many of you spend a regular amount of time 13,000 feet above sea level. Well, this is Gear Patrol so maybe you do.

If so, then I sincerely hope you’ve got a Colibri XTREME II High Altitude Wind Resistant Butane Lighter packed with your gear. According to the manual that came with my Colibri, the Xtreme II is the first lighter specifically designed for high altitude conditions. It’s also perfect for those outdoor excursions I know you love taking and using an excuse for overengineered gear.

The Xtreme II uses Colibri’s Quantum ignition system that produces a damn-near scary single column flame that won’t falter - no matter how much wind or how little oxygen you have. Its metal encasing has threaded caps that seal each end of the lighter and the bottom camp even has it’s own integrated compass. Pretty handy.

Cost: $55

It’ll Carry Everything But The Kids

Whether you know it or not, there is a condition that you (a guy) have in common with your average American baby.

The scientists here at GP Labs call it Stuffus Overloadicus. The basic gist of the Latin phrase says, “You’ve got too much damn stuff.” It would seem that we aren’t the first to diagnose this issue, as we’ve learned that Scott and John of Dad Gear have been working feverishly for the last few years to find storage solutions for those men who happen to be dads (and for dads who just so happen to be men).

It is in that spirit that we present to you the Dad Gear Messenger Bag. Like many of Gear Patrol’s favorite products, the DGMB is chock full of features. So many, in fact, it requires a bloody chart to enumerate its greatness.

Dad Gear asked Gear Patrol to put the DGMB through its paces; little did they know that I specialize in torture testing baby gear.

My assistant, a rambunctious 16 month old, is an up and coming review star herself (Ed: who also happens to be Dusty’s daughter). Our research confirms that the bag has ample space for whatever you and your kiddo(s) need to tote, both from a volumetric and pocket separator standpoint.

In any other execution, the integrated changing pad and wipe dispenser might have been little more than gimmicks, but quality construction and thoughtful design makes them immanently useful. Having been caught unaware in the park by an unexpected deluge whilst shouldering the bag, I was pleased to find its material highly water resistant. The inside boasts the same property, which make for easy clean-up should any of your contents get loose.

Perhaps most impressive, this is a great looking bag. This GP dad chose the retro stripe orange (of course), and his visual faculties were not disappointed. You’ll find a wide variety of colors and designs at Dad Gear. They even offer a limited selection of exclusive one-of-a-kind bags made from recycled billboards. Incredible.

What this means to you: When innovators take a decidedly uncool product and reincarnate it as a piece of GP-worthy kit, we like to take notice. Dad Gear’s bags can definitely make you forget you’ve got a satchel of dirties slung over your shoulder. This is the evolution of the diaper bag.

Cost: $82-$99

Live Green And Still Live Easy

As self a proclaimed technology addict it’s been hard justifying my desire for national sustainability considering that even while turned off my home theater has enough lights glowing to rival the Vegas strip. I jest not.

Then I stumbled across this simple yet ingenious device on Popular Mechanics. Aptly called the Conserve, consider it the lazy environmentalist’s best friend. That’s because unlike other surge protectors which require you to bend over and flip a switch to fully cut off power, this marvel does it by remote. Glorious glorious remotes. [insert mad scientist laughter] Better yet, it also features two always-on outlets which insure electronics that need constant juice like your DVR and wireless router can be powered at all times.

Don’t think that these nifty features come at the price of basic requirements. On the contrary the Conserve’s wide design ensures that even clunky power adapters can plug in without blocking adjacent outlets. Plus it’s 1000 joules and $100,000 connected equipment warranty provides peace of mind along with premium protection.

However, if doing your part for the planet isn’t reason enough to spend $50 bucks to replace your current strip, I should also mention it can save you cash and eventually pay for itself. After using the Conserve with my home theater for a month, my apartment power bill dropped by 5%. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but multiply that out for a year and that’s enough scratch to give our resident sports guru Patrick those hair extensions he’s always wanted.

Editors Note: Maximize convenience by installing the included remote wall mount next to your current light switches. That way you’ll be sure to turn off the Conserve when you hit the lights.

Cost: $49

Danny Ocean Would Be Proud

Business and calling cards are one of the most important touchpoints for both your personal life and career. It’s a tried and proven method. Whatever your field of work, you should always have a few armed and ready; be it your suit jacket pocket, wallet, attaché, messenger, weekend or gym bag.

We’ve got an affinity for good looking business cards here at GP so we worked with The Mandate Press, a letterpress shop located in Salt Lake City, to procure a set of business cards for this article. The Mandate Press offers pre-set personal calling cards ($95 for 250) with great looking designs to choose from, unlike the garish designs you find at most online printshops or (gasp) Kinkos. The Mandate Press uses a hybrid digital process to create photopolymer plates with yours (or their) designs which emblazon directly onto the card like old lead type. There’s no limit to what you can do.

As you can see from our photographs the letterpress cards are stunning - even in simple black on white. They’re even more impressive in person when you can feel the texture of the embossed logo and type on cotton paper. It’s absolute vintage with a modern spin and gets our ringing endorsement.

More photos of cards after the jump.

Cost: $95 for 250 @ The Mandate Press

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Being Green = Making Green

One of the single greatest ways to save money is controlling your home’s energy usage.

The average household spends $2,000-$3,000 over the course of a year on energy bills. With a simple $50 investment and an hour of your time, you can save hundreds of dollars each year with a properly programmed thermostat.

One that I suggest is Honeywell’s 5-2 Day programmable thermostat. It’s feature packed without the complexity and cost of higher end models. The large backlit display is easy to read from afar, showing room and set temperatures simultaneously. You can also set up-to 4 program periods in the course of a single day, making it great for busy families.

Cost: $50 @ Home Depot

Energy Star’s recommended program settings for time and temperatures.