For the Slightly Less Masochistic Among Us

By Jason HeatoncloseAuthor: Jason Heaton Name: Jason Heaton
Email: jheaton@gearpatrol.com
Site:
About: I’ve always been a bit of an adventure fiend, a Midwestern boy seduced by the exoticism of adventure magazines and Hemingway novels. So, I feel like I’ve arrived now that I’m writing for Gear Patrol. It justifies as “research” a lifetime of tramping about the planet, climbing mountains, diving wrecks, and having a basement that looks like your local outdoor shop. Though I lean towards the Polarfleece aesthetic, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional urban weekend in a tweed jacket or an evening in (gasp!) a tie. I only wear mechanical watches, drive my adequately patina’d Alfa Romeo Spider right up until the snow flies, and always keep an open bottle of single malt close at hand. My sporting cred runs the gamut from velodrome bike racing to Nordic skiing. I’ve done adventure races; I golf twice a month in the summer, have summited Colorado 14ers,and have even been scuba diving everywhere from Sri Lanka to Boston Harbor. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, the US, and Asia, somehow earned an English Literature degree and learned German, French, and Latin along the way. I have studied photography and can make a mean saag paneer. I can’t say where Gear Patrol will take me. But as someone once said: “it’s not an adventure if you know the outcome.” And that’s just the way I like it. I’m here to serve you, my fellow adventurers.See Authors Posts (24) on Monday, 16 Nov, 2009 – 16:40 | Comment Now

There are two camps of open-water swimmers - the purists who wear nothing but a Speedo and those who swaddle themselves in neoprene. If you’re one of the masochists who prefer to swim au naturel, …

See America's Best Idea

By Ben BowerscloseAuthor: Ben Bowers Name: Ben Bowers
Email: bbowers@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://gearpatrol.com/blog/author/bbowers/
About: See Authors Posts (206) on Friday, 23 Oct, 2009 – 14:32 | Comment Now

Considering we’re still in a recession, and the relative weakness of the dollar in general abroad, there’s never been a better time to keep your summer or holiday vacation sites firmly set in the U.S. …

Have Boat, Will Travel

By Jason HeatoncloseAuthor: Jason Heaton Name: Jason Heaton
Email: jheaton@gearpatrol.com
Site:
About: I’ve always been a bit of an adventure fiend, a Midwestern boy seduced by the exoticism of adventure magazines and Hemingway novels. So, I feel like I’ve arrived now that I’m writing for Gear Patrol. It justifies as “research” a lifetime of tramping about the planet, climbing mountains, diving wrecks, and having a basement that looks like your local outdoor shop. Though I lean towards the Polarfleece aesthetic, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional urban weekend in a tweed jacket or an evening in (gasp!) a tie. I only wear mechanical watches, drive my adequately patina’d Alfa Romeo Spider right up until the snow flies, and always keep an open bottle of single malt close at hand. My sporting cred runs the gamut from velodrome bike racing to Nordic skiing. I’ve done adventure races; I golf twice a month in the summer, have summited Colorado 14ers,and have even been scuba diving everywhere from Sri Lanka to Boston Harbor. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, the US, and Asia, somehow earned an English Literature degree and learned German, French, and Latin along the way. I have studied photography and can make a mean saag paneer. I can’t say where Gear Patrol will take me. But as someone once said: “it’s not an adventure if you know the outcome.” And that’s just the way I like it. I’m here to serve you, my fellow adventurers.See Authors Posts (24) on Monday, 12 Oct, 2009 – 12:30 | One Comment

Whether you’re a Manhattan apartment dweller planning your weekend adventure or a hardened explorer planning your next expedition, we have the kayak for you. Here’s a boat that packs into two airline-(or yak-)friendly duffel bags, …

See and be Seen

By Jason HeatoncloseAuthor: Jason Heaton Name: Jason Heaton
Email: jheaton@gearpatrol.com
Site:
About: I’ve always been a bit of an adventure fiend, a Midwestern boy seduced by the exoticism of adventure magazines and Hemingway novels. So, I feel like I’ve arrived now that I’m writing for Gear Patrol. It justifies as “research” a lifetime of tramping about the planet, climbing mountains, diving wrecks, and having a basement that looks like your local outdoor shop. Though I lean towards the Polarfleece aesthetic, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional urban weekend in a tweed jacket or an evening in (gasp!) a tie. I only wear mechanical watches, drive my adequately patina’d Alfa Romeo Spider right up until the snow flies, and always keep an open bottle of single malt close at hand. My sporting cred runs the gamut from velodrome bike racing to Nordic skiing. I’ve done adventure races; I golf twice a month in the summer, have summited Colorado 14ers,and have even been scuba diving everywhere from Sri Lanka to Boston Harbor. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, the US, and Asia, somehow earned an English Literature degree and learned German, French, and Latin along the way. I have studied photography and can make a mean saag paneer. I can’t say where Gear Patrol will take me. But as someone once said: “it’s not an adventure if you know the outcome.” And that’s just the way I like it. I’m here to serve you, my fellow adventurers.See Authors Posts (24) on Monday, 31 Aug, 2009 – 9:30 | One Comment

I am planning to do the Alcatraz swim crossing this October and my training swims are an hour long, comprised of laps between buoys in the lake near my house. As such, I’ve had plenty …

Putting "The One That Got Away" to Rest

By Ben BowerscloseAuthor: Ben Bowers Name: Ben Bowers
Email: bbowers@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://gearpatrol.com/blog/author/bbowers/
About: See Authors Posts (206) on Thursday, 27 Aug, 2009 – 11:30 | Comment Now

Anyone who has ever deep sea fished before can attest to the thrill and insane struggle of reeling in a whopper. With gallons of adrenaline surging through your blood stream though, one of the worst …

Courtesy Bone Conduction Technology

By Guest WritercloseAuthor: Guest Writer Name: Guest Writer
Email: info@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://www.gearpatrol.com
About: See Authors Posts (39) on Monday, 10 Aug, 2009 – 11:25 | One Comment

By Gear Patrol Reader: Mark Vann
In the world of heart rate monitoring, there are a lot of options for runners and terrestrial training. Swimmers, however, are faced with fewer options and more cumbersome equipment. Enter, …

The Big and Tall Shop of Water-Worthy Vessels

By Guest WritercloseAuthor: Guest Writer Name: Guest Writer
Email: info@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://www.gearpatrol.com
About: See Authors Posts (39) on Tuesday, 30 Jun, 2009 – 13:07 | Comment Now

By Gear Patrol Reader Chris Hoffman:
As a guy that does a fair share of kayaking, I’ve seen the inside of more than a few vessels. The Borealis XL is one of more stunning craft you’ll …

A Watch That's Not All Business

By Jon GaffneycloseAuthor: Jon Gaffney Name: Jon Gaffney
Email: jgaffney@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://www.gearpatrol.com
About: I joined Gear Patrol because I love searching for gear in my free time, and I felt the need to pass on my knowledge. As an avid reader of everything online, my bookmark list is about as bloated as George Costanza’s wallet; needless to say, my tastes are eclectic. So, readers, prepare yourselves for variety. That said, I know that you work hard for your disposable income, so if I recommend something you can be sure I’ve done the research to know that it’s worth your while. Outside of the gear, I am a born and bred New Englander who recently completed a 2 year stint below the Mason-Dixon Line, and I’m glad to have the Sox and Pats on local programming again (Please refrain from any TB Rays or NY Giants jokes). I’m also a Social Media dork so feel free to hit me up on Twitter @jongaffney. I graduated not too long ago with a BS in Marketing and, according to my friends, an MS in the History Channel. As a collegiate athlete, my interest and passion for sports and fitness has carried with me. I’m always up for an adrenaline fix whether it’s from the gym, from skydiving, or from an intense game of ultimate. That’s me in a nutshell, and if any one has suggestions, comments, disagreements, or something you think I should review just shoot me an email. Slainte!See Authors Posts (61) on Tuesday, 3 Mar, 2009 – 14:10 | One Comment

The economy may be awful, but as my compadre Jason recently mentioned, if you’re a watch enthusiast, as most of us at GP are, we live in fortunate times. Small companies are coming out with …

By Jason HeatoncloseAuthor: Jason Heaton Name: Jason Heaton
Email: jheaton@gearpatrol.com
Site:
About: I’ve always been a bit of an adventure fiend, a Midwestern boy seduced by the exoticism of adventure magazines and Hemingway novels. So, I feel like I’ve arrived now that I’m writing for Gear Patrol. It justifies as “research” a lifetime of tramping about the planet, climbing mountains, diving wrecks, and having a basement that looks like your local outdoor shop. Though I lean towards the Polarfleece aesthetic, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional urban weekend in a tweed jacket or an evening in (gasp!) a tie. I only wear mechanical watches, drive my adequately patina’d Alfa Romeo Spider right up until the snow flies, and always keep an open bottle of single malt close at hand. My sporting cred runs the gamut from velodrome bike racing to Nordic skiing. I’ve done adventure races; I golf twice a month in the summer, have summited Colorado 14ers,and have even been scuba diving everywhere from Sri Lanka to Boston Harbor. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, the US, and Asia, somehow earned an English Literature degree and learned German, French, and Latin along the way. I have studied photography and can make a mean saag paneer. I can’t say where Gear Patrol will take me. But as someone once said: “it’s not an adventure if you know the outcome.” And that’s just the way I like it. I’m here to serve you, my fellow adventurers.See Authors Posts (24) on Thursday, 22 Jan, 2009 – 16:04 | One Comment

Editor’s Note: No, this isn’t from last night’s Lost premiere. Recently, Gear Patrol crew member (and adventure junkie) Jason Heaton ventured off to the Dharma Initiative Submersible Headquarters Jules Undersea Lodge.
You’ve slept everywhere: the European …

By Jason HeatoncloseAuthor: Jason Heaton Name: Jason Heaton
Email: jheaton@gearpatrol.com
Site:
About: I’ve always been a bit of an adventure fiend, a Midwestern boy seduced by the exoticism of adventure magazines and Hemingway novels. So, I feel like I’ve arrived now that I’m writing for Gear Patrol. It justifies as “research” a lifetime of tramping about the planet, climbing mountains, diving wrecks, and having a basement that looks like your local outdoor shop. Though I lean towards the Polarfleece aesthetic, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional urban weekend in a tweed jacket or an evening in (gasp!) a tie. I only wear mechanical watches, drive my adequately patina’d Alfa Romeo Spider right up until the snow flies, and always keep an open bottle of single malt close at hand. My sporting cred runs the gamut from velodrome bike racing to Nordic skiing. I’ve done adventure races; I golf twice a month in the summer, have summited Colorado 14ers,and have even been scuba diving everywhere from Sri Lanka to Boston Harbor. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, the US, and Asia, somehow earned an English Literature degree and learned German, French, and Latin along the way. I have studied photography and can make a mean saag paneer. I can’t say where Gear Patrol will take me. But as someone once said: “it’s not an adventure if you know the outcome.” And that’s just the way I like it. I’m here to serve you, my fellow adventurers.See Authors Posts (24) on Thursday, 11 Dec, 2008 – 15:00 | 3 Comments

Dive Watch Fanatics, Your Grail Has Arrived

Gear Patrol Contributor Jason Heaton showing his approval for the Doxa SUB 800Ti.
In the late 1960s, Doxa, a venerable Swiss watchmaker, developed one of the most enduring and unique …