Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Some like it hot

Add kick and a little heat to your dirty vodka martini or bloody mary with a splash of 75 proof Stolichnaya’s “Hot” flavored vodka. Vodka-enthusiasts may be more familiar with this fiery jalapeno-infused liquor back when it was known as Stoli Pertsovka. Pertsovka is actually the general Russian term for pepper-flavored vodka, and all that’s really changed with Stoli Hot is the switch to more western-friendly branding.

While it’s apparently not the hottest vodka out there, this particular blend is still noted as a great option for adding heat and a range of heavy vegetal flavors including Thai basil. If you were feeling particularly adventurous and culturally laissez-faire, there’s the potential to take things from the bar to the kitchen and fire up pasta with spicy vodka sauce. Afterwards, fire-in-the-belly speeches could take on a whole other meaning.

Buy Now: $30

History in the Remaking

After a long absence, the once popular Amiga brand is back, courtesy of its parent company Commodore. The revival, dubbed the Amiga Mini, like a Leprachaun in a boxing ring, is short in stature, but big at heart. With obvious nods to its similarly named Apple counterpart, the Amiga Mini is made out of a sleek aluminium casing which comes in either silver or black. Under the hood, you’ll find a powerful Intel Core i7 3.5GHz (3.9GHz with Turbo Boost) quad-core processor, 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 GPU complete with its own 1GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. It also includes a slot load Blu-Ray drive and internal space for two 2.5″ hard drives. Note that all these options, with the exception of the Blu-Ray drive, are considered add-ons and are not included in the “barebones” price of $345. A fully decked out Amiga Mini will set you back $1345. Coming in at 7.5 inches square and 3 inches tall, there’s no denying that the Amiga Mini is a tiny powerhouse. Hot on the heels of the Commodore 64′s recent comeback, this revival of Amiga lets us wonder which unit Commodore will revive next…

Buy Now: $345+

In the hands of the Master

Over thirty years ago, a racing legend made his debut at F1, though his sterling career would sadly be cut short by a freak accident. Aytron Senna, as many of you have seen in the much acclaimed documentary Senna, possessed mad driving skills and the kind of talent that emerges but rarely, not just in Formula 1 but in automotive racing, period. Largely due to the excellently made film, there’s been a surge in popularity of Senna racing memorabilia, from his helmet to a racing suit that both commanded serious money at auction.

Next up is Senna’s first F1 steering wheel from his 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix opening. It will be auctioned at Silverstone. Though it’s curiously free of the modern, hi-tech F1 steering wheels that have been manhandled by the likes of Schuey, the simple wheel with Senna’s autograph would take the honored spot in your man-cave. Early figures predict a $20K+ purchase price, but it could go even higher. Sell your 2010 Honda Accord and you could own a piece of racing history.

Learn More: Here

Save lives in style

Preparing for the worst is especially trendy now. Whether you believe nuclear war is about to break out, a zombie infestation is inevitable, or think the Mayans really had the inside scoop on the apocalypse – many individuals across the country have taken a liking to ‘prepping’. And, as with any trend, style and aesthetics cannot be left out of the mix.

German-based company Radius Design has added some elegance to that clunky first-aid kit hanging in your bathroom, stashed under your desk, or in the back of a closet. The First-Aid Box (~$66+) is a brushed stainless steel casing that holds the iconic red first-aid kit. A cutout section that resembles the iconic cross symbol allows for anyone to quickly recognize and grab the kit in case of an emergency. Available in two different sizes – home and office, the company also offers a refillable kit that you can purchase to supplement your own stash.

Buy Now: ~$66+

Any excuse to cut things...

Featuring one part cutting board and one part food storage unit (with a waste disposal unit to boot), the Curtis Stone Workbench slicing and dicing the most exciting part of your meal — in the off chance it wasn’t already.

Made from an Australian grown Victorian ash wood (from an eco-sustainable plantation), there’s no need to worry about your knives getting damaged chopping away on this thing. 3 stainless steel 1-cup measuring cups come included with the board, along with an additional steel scoop and an incredibly handy waste disposal drawer. When that’s full, simply pull it out and dump the contents in the trash. It couldn’t be more efficient, although, its large size means you’d better have plenty of cabinet space in your kitchen, unless you don’t mind proudly displaying this wooden beast at all times.

Buy Now: $300

Change is in the air

It’s time to replace your ceiling fan. That brass and wicker adorned wafter you installed in your living room in 1991 has had its day in the country kitsch sun. Update your decor with the 2012 Red Dot Design Award winning Haiku Fan. Completely deconstructed and reimagined from the ground up by the experts at Big Ass Fans, the Haiku is a marvel of minimalism and efficiency. Three sleek and smooth airfoils meld into the motor housing to deliver what they call “organic essentialism”. Hippy jargon aside, whether you order it equipped with the hand-finished Cocoa or Caramel colored Bamboo foils the Haiku is lust worthy enough to be hung on a wall, never mind the ceiling.

The beauty continues with the internals as the Haiku drive unit is an absolute model of efficiency. While most Energy Star certified fans suck up sixty-five Watts of juice, the Haiku spins on approximately two to thirty Watts, making it 450% to 700% more energy efficient. That means it’ll only cost you about five bucks a year to keep those blades spinning. The cost of the chiropractor visits you’ll need from staring at your ceiling, well that’s another story.

Learn More: Here

Naturally on top

The anticipation for Samsung’s lastest addition to their premier Galaxy line of mobile phones has been higher than any other Android device we can remember. Was it for good reason? Well, the revealed specs include a massive, 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display at 720p resolution, 16-64GB of internal storage with a microSD slot for expansion, Bluetooth 4.0, a 2,100 mAh battery and a Exynos quad-core processor, all nestled inside a frame that weighs only 1.2oz and measures 8.6mm thick.

There’s also an 8MP rear camera, complete with zero shutter lag, a start up time of less than one second, plenty of image tweaking settings, best shot mode, and a 3.3 shots per second burst mode, as well as a 1.9 MP front-facing companion camera. While that’s all great news for Android fans looking to one-up other Android users with state of the art hardware, it’s the Galaxy SIII’s software that truly separates it from the pack.

We’ve got more images, details, and even the melodramatic first TV commercial after the break.

Back from the future

The dystopian Neo Tokyo of 2019 described and depicted by Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira may be as likely as our Mayan predicted destruction, but that didn’t stop the team at Japan’s Znug Design from having a crack at building Tetsuo Shima’s bike. The ZecOO ($70,000 projected) is easily one of the best looking, and possibly priciest electric motorcycles we’ve seen yet. While the styling for most e-bikes tends toward the off-road look, this low slung cruiser ticks all of the boxes that even the average custom may have missed.

Luxurious terrarium living

Attrap’ Rêves (or dreamcatcher in English), is an innovative French hotel chain located in the Alps, Provence, and Côtes d’Azur regions, geared towards eco-friendly travelers who dream of sleeping under an open night sky with all of the comforts of home. Each bubble stands roughly 10 feet high by 14 feet wide, and comes equipped with an entrance lobby, rigid floor, king-sized bed, luxury furniture, and a telescope to help you count the stars. Additionally, each space is equipped with a silent air-filtering system to ensure constant air recycling. Toilets and showers are housed in a separate, wooden, and private cabin in the near vicinity.

The bubble structures are made out of anti-UV material, adhering to all safety norms required by the industry and ensuring you don`t wake up with an oddly tanned face. Similarly to traditional hotels, Attrap’Rêves offers different suites: Zen, Nature, Glamour, Thousand & One Nights, Chic & Design, each with their own pricing (from ~$143 euros to ~$655) and unique features. That may sound steep for human-sized terrarium, but where else can you live out your fantasies of being Pauly Shore in Biodome?

Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for the early weeks of August and November as their skies are reportedly filled with shooting stars. We’ve got additional photos after the break.

Buy Now: ~$143+

Timeless advice

The relentless pursuit of sartorial, intellectual, philosophical, and physical excellence is all codified in The Gentry Man: A Guide for the Civilized Male. Inside this manly bible, readers will find highlights from all 22 issues of Gentry Magazine published from 1951-1957 that some of our older readership might remember as the spiritual predecessor to GQ and the like. From its no-frills cover to its evocatively creative interiors, this gorgeous anthology offers classic advice that even younger generations could benefit from reading, in-between texts and tweets. In fact, no stone is left unturned as The Gentry Man expounds time-honoured tidbits and perspectives on a wide range of topics including travel, food, drinks, fashion, art, sports, cars, etc. In other words, everything a sophisticated man should know to give James Bond and Don Draper a good run for their money, both now, or in their heyday.

Buy Now: $14

Amateur Gardener? There's an app for that

We’ve all severely neglected or, worse, killed a few plants. Before you could make the excuse that keeping track of sunlight, water, and the quality of the soil was just too much for your one track mind to handle. Now, with Koubachi (~$142), your black thumb isn’t so easily wiped clean.

Using a Wifi sensor inserted directly into the soil and a free iPhone app, Koubachi lets users know exactly how good (or bad) they’ve been treating their plants. Specifically, the device monitors soil moisture, ambient temperature, and light, and checks those metrics against that particular plant’s needs. All of those health metrics are then easily viewable via the iPhone, and alerts can be set when things get into dangerous territory. Since the system literally does all the dirty work for you, it’s time you finally repented for your gardening ineptitude and grew something healthy.

Buy Now: Wifi Sensor $142 | App Free