Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

A primitive step for trail running

The barefoot running revolution is headed off-road and companies are scrambling for a foothold. The New Balance Minimus Trail or MT10 ($105) is just as the name suggests: minimal. As in only a 4mm drop from heel to toe; a traditional running shoe by comparison is about three times that. The Vibram designed outsole means [...]

DiCaprio joe

Philadelphia-based La Colombe Torrefaction has already captured the hearts of the coffee community and it looks like the charitable clique is next. Their new Lyon coffee ($13) is the result of an alliance with Mr. Amsterdam Vallon himself. 100% of all Lyon sale’s profits will go to the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation, which supports a variety [...]

It sure beats setting up a tent

Jeep’s are legendary for their ability to go anywhere, but what do you do when you get there?. The At Action Camper ($53,500) is designed for extended expeditions into the bush, and features 6’3? of interior headroom, a king-size bed, three-burner stove, sink, 40 liter top-loading refrigerator, integrated dining table, chemical toilet, plenty of storage [...]

When these fibers combine...

While we prefer the warmer, sockless months, the colder ones are just a fact of life. And as such, the right socks are critical. You want to look good, maybe show some ankle flair, and most importantly keep your feet dry. Wicking moisture away from your feet actually keeps them warm in the winter, or [...]

Rack Opinion

Can a key rack inspire lust? It might if it comes from the Joshua Tree, CA shop of J.L. Lawson & Co. Applying three generations of machining knowhow, father and son duo Floyd Lawson and son Anthony have created an impressive collection of small steel goods and accessories. Their latest creation, The Rack ($58), might [...]

Pooch Goop Galoshes

A dog’s paws can withstand all kinds of extreme conditions, but that doesn’t mean traipsing around in the snow, hot sand, or grimy asphalt for long periods of time is good for them. One solution is to pick up some fido footwear like the Bark’n Boots Polar Trex. If you and your hound aren’t thrilled [...]

Take it to 11

Adding this component to your home audio system can unveil new layers of realism to sounds and vastly improve your listening experience, even if you already own most expensive gear out there. How and why the DEQX HDP-Express ($1,950) works is a bit complicated, so we’ll spare you the lengthy audio lesson and stick with [...]

Bring the barbershop home

Imperial Barber Products is a new grooming brand, inspired by the founding team’s collective 26 years of experience in the LA and NYC barbershop scene. The made in the U.S.A. line started off with the classic pomade, which the brand boasts is the strongest water-based pomade in the country, and should be good for those [...]

Smooth and Ready

Travel enough and you come to appreciate the advantages of hard-shell luggage. Their no-nonsense design, impact-resistance and durability go hand-in-hand with the frequent traveler routine. The problem is, hard-shell cases often weigh more than their soft-shelled counterparts. Tumi aims to change all that with their new line of Tegra-Lite ($595-$795) luggage. Made from an armor-like [...]

Oh emm dee

With an honest, throwback design the Olympus OM-D E-M5 ($999, body) builds off of the 40 year-long lineage of OM SLR film cameras. Modernized in Micro Four Thirds format, the 16.1 megapixel shooter comes paired with a built-in electric viewfinder (before you groan, take note of its 1.44 million dot resolution and 120 fps refresh [...]

Better for you and the earth

We’ve blabbered more than Scatman Crothers about how to manually brew better coffee, but if you still can’t wean yourself from the convenience of the K-cup, foodie and tech writer Matt Buchanan points out that the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter ($19) offers some reasonable middle ground. This exclusive filter for the K-Cup system [...]

The fine gents at Put This On have put together what may be the coolest style subscription yet. It’s called The Gentlemen’s Association. The goal: dress you like a proper man, one square at a time. Traveling the world, editor Jesse Thorn hand picks fabrics — some vintage, some rare, all unique — which are [...]

Bookin' It Old School

Etsy maker “punkassjim” came across a photo of an antique electrical handbook and got inspired. The bold title and fun aside notes seemed to describe the iPad 2 perfectly. So, he decided to recreate the look into a set of custom iPad 2 smart covers. All of his wares are made by hand from leather [...]

Drivers have their day

We approach track time like a fluffy white cat to Fancy Feast. That is, we lick our chops… which is exactly what happened in sunny Las Vegas on Superbowl weekend in the all-new 2013 Lexus GS and LFA supercar. With a bevy of Lexus staff and race car driver extraordinaire, Scott Pruett, we availed ourselves [...]

Lighting the Way

When we think of fine watches, our minds automatically shift to thoughts of the quaint villages and alpine vistas of Switzerland, or, increasingly, to Germany’s Glashütte region, where brands like A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original hail. But what of merry old England? Given that some of the most renowned figures in horology have [...]