Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Thinking Ahead

No matter what the law dictates in your particular state, not wearing a helmet while riding is one of the dumbest things you can do. That doesn’t mean lugging around a bulky dome guard is any fun for commuters. The Overade aims to make riding slightly more convenient and just as safe. Designed in France at Agence 360 by Patrick Jouffret in collaboration with engineer Philippe Arrouart, the first prototype was developed for the folding helmet back in 2010. Now the concept is finally scheduled to go into production later this year. Details around its exact specs are slim, but the helmet will offer the same level of protection as the non-transforming variety and fold small enough to fit into backpack or purse. Optimus Prime is officially jealous.

Learn More: Here

In the pantheon of male bonding experiences, few adventures have the provenance of a weekend fishing trip. This short film by the Swedish fishing site Frontsidefly, made during a trip to övre vindelälven in their native land, perfectly captures the magic of these outings, leaving all of us here at GP HQ itching for Fly fishing season to hurry up and get here. Seeing guys wearing Wayfarers and trucker hats while casting the line admittedly made us wince a little, but maybe we’ve just watched A River Runs Through It one too many times.

Poof Positive

Got a Michael Bay-like appetite for capturing destruction, without the matching slush fund to pay for it? Well, $50 can land you a neat bit of photographic trickery, known as Smoke Drops. Imported from Italy by the fine folks at Photojojo, combining a few drops of bottle A with bottle B creates 5 to 10 minutes of instant smoke. Use more than a few drops, and you’ll see more smoke. Practically speaking, there are probably better things to drop half a Benjamin on, but using Smoke Drops will definitely work out better than that Marlboro / kerosene plan you concocted for your Backdraft themed family portrait.

Buy Now: $50

Get it before it’s gone

Always advocates for more beer, we’re happy to welcome Newcastle Founders’ Ale to the U.S. market. The new brew – which pays homage to Newcastle’s five founding breweries – is part of Newcastle’s Limited Edition series, which also includes Summer Ale, Werewolf and Winter IPA.

Newcastle Founders’ Ale ($9) is a full-bodied, easy-drinking beer with lots of roasty malts and notes of dry hops. It’s balanced with sweet caramel and fruit, and it finishes clean. That’s a good combination for making us want another round. Founders’ Ale is only available nationwide from February through April, so don’t delay. Get yourself a six pack. Or maybe a case. Better yet, make it two.

Buy Now: $9, Local Shops

Ready for the next 20 years

Flash back to 1984. Prince still went by Prince and was ruling the music charts. Ralph put the macho in Macchio by laying the hurt on Cobra Kai. A former hollywood actor was just reaching the middle of his tenure in the oval office. And Koss introduced what would become one of the most iconic sets of headphones on the market — the Porta Pro.

Now, even after decades of technological advances, the $50 semi-open cans are still widely regarded as one of the best values in the audio world, thanks to their extraordinary sound quality, “Comfort Zone” earpad pressure adjustment, and portable folding design. While we’re all for the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, the newly announced Porta Pro KTC (or Koss Touch Control) updates the original with an iDevice-certified inline remote / mic combination, making them just as perfect for the iPhone as they were for the Walkman. It’s still unclear how much this Botox treatment will affect the price, but we really don’t expect their value proposition to change. Koss has shared that the set will go on sale sometime this spring, so you’ve still got a little time to get your genius playlist based on Jump in order (just in case you foolishly don’t have it teed up already).

Learn More: Here

High Karate

It’s not often you see a car this rare and iconic go up on the auction block, especially considering its Japanese origin. The first of its kind, this 1967 Shelby/Toyota 2000GT was brought to life by none other than Mr. Carroll Shelby, himself, for the 1968 C-Production SCCA racing circuit. This was also significant, as it marked the first time a Japanese car was entered into a U.S. racing event. And though it didn’t possess the same horsepower as its main competitor, the Porsche 911, it was driven to several podium finishes in 1968 (more on the Toyota 2000GT). It was restored in the early 1990′s by Maine Line Exotics and has had its fair share of vintage track time at NHIS, Monterey, Morroso and The Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s driven at the rear wheels by a 230 horsepower Shelby engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. Combined with its full restoration, a solid racing history, the Shelby name and the 1st racing iteration, the car should command nearly $2 million. Now that’s a roundhouse kick to the back of the head.

Learn More: Here

Here’s a quick mental exercise for you. Imagine you were faced with a fight, in which you knew your opponent was bigger, stronger, more experienced, and had access to the best facilities, trainers, and coaches money could buy. Would you step into the ring?

It’s a terrible analogy, but those kind of Rocky odds are what nearly every new independent brand faces today. Amazingly, despite having the deck stacked against them, plenty of small, passion-fueled companies are creating incredibly innovative products with one goal in mind; revolutionizing their respective industries. While we make it a point to highlight brands like this on a regular basis, in the list below we’ve compiled 20 of our favorites to date in no particular order.

Read on about them all after the break and remember their names, because we don’t expect them to stay small for long.

We’d like to extend a special hat tip to our partners at Intel for making this GP x Smart Life series possible. Sharing our passion for discovery, Intel’s relentless pursuit of innovation not only makes our lives better today, but tomorrow’s as well. Now that’s smart.

Help bring this Irish spirit upstart, stateside

Poitín is essentially the traditional Irish equivalent to moonshine and holds a reputation for being one of the strongest spirits in the world, thanks to its 60%-95% ABV. Its Gaelic name references the small copper pots used in its distillation and the booze is commonly found throughout homes on the Emerald Isle. Poitín is in many ways a symbol of Irish independence too, since it was banned for over 300 years by the English Crown in 1661.

While two companies have been officially licensed to distill the spirit since 1989, it’s still incredibly difficult to find in the states, so Ashlee Casserly has started a Kickstarter project to bring the treasured drink to American shores. Her plan involves working with a small batch Irish distillery that uses only Irish ingredients to create a truly authentic version of the spirit, unlike the international varieties that usually just add a “poitín flavor” to neutral grain spirits such as Vodka. Given the early nature of the project, none of the basic donation levels will immediately land you a bottle of the spirit for your own bar. Contributors who pledge $500, however, will have 100 bottles named after them, complete with their signature printed on the label. Also worth noting is that high rollers donating $2,000+ will receive a Poitín tour in Ireland, tracing the spirit’s roots and production. Sounds like an incredibly cool vacation to us.

Editor’s Note: We’ve elected to donate $500 to this project — so rest assured you’ll see a Tasting Notes post on 1661 Poitín should Ashlee reach her funding goal.

Buy Now: $25+

The First American Cookbook

American Cookery ($10) is the first cookbook written by an American. Strangely, the only details that are actually known about its author come from the words “American orphan” found on the cover. Other hints from the book’s text suggest she was a domestic laborer who lacked formal education. The book was published originally in 1796 and much of its contents revolve around using traditional English cooking methods with American ingredients. Before then, English cookbooks were the only items available and called for ingredients not readily accessible in the new world. For instance, its recipe for Johnny Cakes is the first known printed version that exchanged English oats for American maize, which has evolved today to become corn bread. It also contains the first printed recipe for turkey and cranberries. Finally, and probably most important of all, Simmons outlines the use of leavening agents for making dough rise.

Only four first editions of the book exist today, but Applewood Books does offer new copies of the rare, second edition, printed in 1796 with a special introduction by food historian Karen Hess. For $10, it’s an ideal gift for foodies and chefs looking for insights on what real American cooking was like before the advent of Hamburger Helper and Velveeta.

Buy Now: $10

One star resort

Part childhood camp, part adult retreat, all neo-luddite, Camp Wandawega proves relaxation doesn’t have to involve iPads and DVRs. In lieu of technology, Wandawega’s camp counselors — oh yes, there are counselors — are happy to point you to activities like lake fishing, archery, various court sports, or one of the many other non-internet-connected activities across Wandawega’s sprawling 25 acre property. If you’re still feeling restless from not checking Gmail, you can always grab an old Schwinn and ride it up the street to pick up provisions at the gourmet grocer, tuck into a book (your Kindle, if you must), or shoot pool on an antique billiards table. If you prefer the water, you’re welcome to take a rowboat out, cast a line into one of Wisconsin’s cleaest lakes, take a turn on the uncomfortably long rope swing, or just while away the afternoon on a battered old pier thinking about how far the office seems.

For accommodations, Camp Wandawega, which is located 90 miles from Chicago in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, offers guest rooms, cabins and even a boy scout canvas-tent campsite. Our recommendation though is Tom’s Treehouse. For $200 a night, the three-level treehouse is stocked with vintage books and games, Pendleton blankets, and even a deer antler chandelier. And like any good treehouse, it also offers a towering view of the surroundings and loads of nostalgia. But don’t worry city slickers, Camp Wandawega does boast one luxury. Hot water.

More photos after the jump.

Rate: $200+ | wandawega.com

Et Two, Brutus

Motorcycles are already far more efficient than their automotive petrol-hog brethren. Now that electric varieties have popped on the scene, you’ll start to see manufacturers emerge with new exhaust-free bikes and eventually go mainstream. The new and beefy Brutus 2.0 certainly doesn’t look like an electric bike hippies would fawn over, thanks to its sinister stance, uber-thick profile and prominent gold flake frame paint job.

Brutus part deux also features a decidedly better lithium-powered battery compared to the original’s lead-acid power supply, as well a new chain-drive system that will propel the 500 pound two-wheeler to 60 in less than five seconds. Translation — the prototype hauls, and as production creeps closer, that sprint time is likely to get better. When it comes time to engage the sensible side of your brain and stop, twin 6-piston caliper rotors upfront combined with a pair of clamps in the rear should do the trick, and light action on the rear break lever is even supposed to mimic the sense of engine-braking found on traditional bikes. No word on top speed, but it should get you to triple digits with ease and the range will be 100 miles plus on a full charge. Look for the bike’s release soon, though the date and the price remain cloaked in secrecy.

Learn More: Here