Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

One glove that works better than two

Most winter gloves force adventure seekers to choose between protection and dexterity. If you’re sick of dealing with mummy-like hand skills for the sake of keeping warm, then take a gander at the G-Comp Wind Glove ($80) from Italian outdoor brand Camp. The medium weight base glove features a durable, synthetic leather palm and Grip’R [...]

You never know when you’re going to need some illumination

Whether you’re caught out after sunset on your bike, troubleshooting an uncooperative ’74 Beetle, plotting your pre-dawn summit bid, or finding a blown fuse in a dark basement, a good light source becomes invaluable. The problem is, you usually need different lights for different purposes and the one you need is rarely where you need [...]

Captivating Clip

The latest project from Jens Anso, the Anso Titanium Carabiner ($125) is CNC milled from thick titanium then beadblasted, anodized and stonewashed in either blue, green or bronze. Measuring 3″ x 1.5″, the 1.2 oz carabiner also features a custom stainless steel spring. Only 24 have been made in the first batch, which means you’ll [...]

Bikepack

The Bergmönch is designed to provide the best of both worlds for mountain bikers. Adrenaline junkies can haul the “device” up the summit of their choice as a collapsible rucksack — complete with a weight distributing waist strap and padded harness. Once the hard work is over, the bag can then mutate into a downhill-optimized [...]

Taking the Tool Watch Fetish to New Heights

As Rolex moves further away from its tool watch roots with bigger, shinier version of its classics, there are still those in the watch community who are carrying forward the legacy that began in the 1950s with the Explorer and Submariner. A couple of years ago, a Dutch Rolex collector, Philipp Stahl, created a modified [...]

A Pack With An Identity Crisis

Outdoor Research calls the DryComp Ridge Sack a perfect pack for peak bagging and summit pushes. Well, living in Minnesota, there aren’t a lot of peaks to be bagged but we have a few thousand lakes and countless rivers, so I’m re-positioning this waterproof bag as the perfect paddling pack.

Hot Foot It

Designed for extreme weather situations, Wenger’s new Boar Boot ($250) for Fall 2010 is offically their most technically-advanced cold weather boot. Utilizing an integrated rechargeable heater, the boot provides three user-adjustable levels of heat targeted at the ball of the foot (where your main artery resides). Before you bemoan battery use on the trailhead, know [...]

Facebook Status: I'm Alive

No matter how hardcore the adventure, sometimes you just have to stay connected. The Delorme Earthmate PN-60W Portable GPS Navigator with SPOT Satellite Communicator ($550) gives you Delorme’s renown handheld GPS functionality paired with SPOT satellite communications. In wireless tandem the two units give adventurers not only unprecedented tools in the wild, but also the [...]

A Lightweight Headlamp at an Unbeatable Price

I recently decided to ditch the use of flashlights entirely in my life, in favor of a solid headlamp. After all, what can a flashlight do that a headlamp can’t (aside from not sticking tenaciously to your noggin, of course)? After researching the best model for my need, which include camping, hiking, and late night [...]

Don't Let Moisture Slow You Down

Pretty much any dude who has spent even one night outdoors knows of brands like North Face and Patagonia. They have a reputation for making high quality gear that many outdoor enthusiasts swear by (including several of Gear Patrol’s editors). Being the type of men who are always curious to discover new brands though, we [...]

Into the Wild, Prepared

You’ve got to love a good kit, especially when it comes from Ultimate Survival Technologies. Their Deluxe Camping/Hiking Survival Kit ($67) is small, but packed with survival essentials in case your casual weekend hike turns into a 30 day race to survive… or worse. It’s perfect for campers, hikers, or outdoors bound excursions and sized [...]

Toe Socks are All Grown Up (And Masculine This Time)

I have a friend who spends so much time outdoors that the existence of his house is debatable. Obviously, whenever there is a “revolutionary” product for use outdoors, he’s the first person to have his hands on it. In this case, though, it was his feet. About two years ago, when the solesmiths at Vibram [...]

Touching the Void (or at least taking the first step)

By Guest Writer and outdoor enthusiast Sandy Bandhu In today’s economy, you may be hesitant to jump into new sports or less willing to take that adventure you’ve had in the back of your head and understandably so. That’s why it’s all the more important to find versatile gear that can be used for multitude [...]

Go Play In The Rain (Or Snow)

“There’s no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing.” I don’t know who said that, but odds are, he was wearing waterproof shoes. As anyone who has spent much time outdoors knows, there are few things more uncomfortable, more demoralizing, or more downright withering as wet feet. Conversely, there’s a certain joy and smugness [...]

Confident Trailblazing

Your current GPS may tell you how to get to the nearest Exxon or Cheesecake Factory, but it sure as hell won’t tell you nautical directions, topographic information, or how to get back to the trailhead on that three day mountain excursion. Consider the waterproof DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 your BMW (or Jeep rather) of off-road [...]