Gear Patrol

No matter the destination or pursuit, there’s one unpredictable constant that entwines throughout the spirit of adventure — the ever-changing natural elements. Rather than limiting your lifestyle or altering your approach, we’ve compiled this list of 10 critical items that belong in your outdoor gear arsenal. Some you may be familiar with, some you may…

Wrapping up our fourth and final post for our My Coach Day series, it’s only fitting we highlight Sunday — a day all about rituals. Obvious ones and sometimes not so obvious. Whether that’s back-to-back matinees or dialing some tunes, it’s all about leaning back and taking in for us. That is, when we’re in…

“Open Road” is an ongoing series of dispatches written and photographed by guest correspondent, Foster Huntington, during his epic cross-country adventure for his upcoming book by Harper Collins. Foster is the creator of Arestlesstransplant and The Burning House. Check out previous parts of the series here. My alarm went off at 2:15am on Thursday, the…

When you think of the classic British sports cars of the 1950s and ‘60s, MG, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Triumph tend to come to mind first. But arguably the most beautiful of the genre was the series of roadsters made by Austin Healey during the company’s short run, with their long sweeping haunches, short rear…

Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re as completely and unashamedly obsessed with objects as we are. Interviews with designers are our way of getting back to the source and seeing who’s behind some of our favorite gear, and this week we got a hold of Peter Bristol,product designer/renaissance man and one of the…

Glancing down for a moment, my eye caught sight of the orange glow of the speedometer. The readout hovered at 50 km per hour. My head did the rough conversion as a fat drop of rain streaked across the plexiglass visor of my helmet. Things sure felt faster than 30 miles per hour. Then again,…

If there’s one piece of advice I can give first-time visitors to Bonaire, it’s to skip the iguana stew. Maybe it was all the diving I’d done, but feeling adventurous, I ordered the local specialty at Rosie’s Inn in the small town of Rincon. Rosie’s is a café along the dusty, windy road in the…

Adventure, and the gear you take along for the ride never ceases to enthrall us here at GP. David Munson, CEO of Saddleback Leather Co. is a kindred spirit in that regard. Subsequently, we decided to sit down with him and pick his brain on everything from the best strategies for approaching world travel, to…

2011 is the year of the tablet, no matter how hard we and our wallets squirm over having another gadget thrust into our lives. But why now? A discussion on that topic could take longer than the birther diatribe if explored in full, but the short answer is we have our smartphones addictions to thank….

The tradition of throwing on a well-tailored suit and enjoying a ten course meal with your best friends that’s topped off with a glass of single malt and a fine cigar is rarity in most male circles these days. Well, at least the cigar part — thanks to our societal epiphany on the dangers of…

In the midst of this jobless recovery, quirky product maker the.’s literal interpretation of Financial Padding Package Cushioning ($15) takes the cake for satirical wit. Not only will it make your care packages standout — if not thrill recipients for one fleeting moment, but it’s also much more environmentally friendly compared to foam peanuts. That’s…

Editor’s Note: We’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about our EDC (everyday carry for the uninitiated); in large part because of one of our favorite Tumblers, EDC. If you’ve never been, head there if you want to kill an hour or two. While we already have our daily rigs sorted out reasonably well…

Elaborate box sets for many rock and roll legends boil down to repackaging the same music you already own. West Coast Seattle Boy ($55) doesn’t suffer from the same shortcomings, since it isn’t a collection of existing albums at all. Instead, fans of Jimi will discover 45 previously unreleased live studio recordings that include demo…

Good food and drink can alter a man’s mood better than even the strongest prescription drug, particularly when we play a part in preparing said food and drink. While taste, skill and devotion will always determine how your ventures into gastronomy and mixology turn out, we’ve compiled items in this guide that can lend a…

As men, we’ll always be suckers for shiny things. There’s no point in fighting it. Particularly when they can help do things like battle our inbox(s), catch up on missed episodes of the shows we’re too busy to watch, or single-handedly sway the tide of battles using just our thumbs. This gift list is a…

Do you or someone you know have a bug for adventure? Is scaling a north face this year’s oeuvre? Then consider part one of this year’s gift guide your cheat sheet to success when opening time comes around. That’s because we’ve patiently culled through our favorite outdoor gear this year to compile a handy list…

Aside from exotic cars, sports and beautiful women, beer and pork rank high on the list of things that occupy significant brain space for most red-blooded men. Combine these modern day nectar and ambrosia with a massive, communal walnut table set up in a racetrack style, along with warm globe lighting suspended from the ceiling…

Thanks to all who entered our recent Sony Walkman giveaway. Unfortunately, we can only make the water resistant dreams of two lucky random readers who entered come true, so congratulations to Adam Yates and Jeff (doing the Ironman Coeur d’Alene). We hope you’ll both enjoy the sweet rewards of Gear Patrol readership. Drop us a…

Sam Martin, the Editor-in-Chief of Design Mind discusses the instinctive, visceral need of men for their own space. In his speech at 2009′s TED Conference (the thinkers of our time), Martin shares his research and findings of “man spaces”. His insights are not far from what I’ve seen permeate modern-day men’s culture both mass (Into…

Rufus shirts offer a quiet uniqueness, garnering second looks without screaming, “Look at me!” meaning you can wear these shirts with confidence, and rightfully so. Offering both classic and contemporary patterns, fabrics, and colors, with a touch of style and flair, these shirts diversify your otherwise mundane choices of the standard white and blue office…

So we can only assume that many of you are saddled with sizable to-do lists, as we received a veritable crap-load of entries in our Porter Cable 18V Lithium Drill Kit Giveaway. As always, we’re grateful to each of you who took the time to enter via the comments, Facebook, or Twitter. Our sole winner…

We like to think of ourselves and yourselves as guys who get stuff done. Having the right tool for any given job is key to this effort. To that end, we’ve been big fans of Porter Cable’s full lineup of equipment, suitable of just about any worthwhile task you can think of. Even better, we’ve…

The only thing better than getting to test the latest and greatest gear is having the opportunity to give some of it away to you. In recognition of Aperion Audio’s newly released Home Audio Link (launched today) we, and Aperion Audio, want to give you a chance to get in on the wireless sound goodness….

Max Bill (1908-1994) was a man whom others fancied as a ‘universal creator’. His work spanned many mediums including architecture, sculpture, painting, education, politics, typeface design, graphic design, industrial design, and product design. Bill designed a host of watches and clocks in the late 1950s and early 1960s for German watchmaker Junghans, which has been…

Almost a year ago, we featured a pair of Randoph Engineering Aviators on Gear Patrol. Since then, they’ve accompanied us everywhere. This past Monday, we were offered to take a tour of Randolph Engineering‘s factory and we jumped at the chance. We came away with even more respect for our some of our favorite shades…

It’s pretty clear that making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. The hustle and bustle of modern life, combined with financial meltdowns and the 24 hour news cycle has worn some men down, shoving class and civility into a dark, forgotten corner of their psyches. Not to mention the disgrace of…

Because 2009 may have been tough as hell, but never was there a better time to see what we were more thankful for. Amongst the many, here are 15 suggestions to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Welcome to today’s Turkey-day Giveaway. We’ve got a brand spanking new Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer ($150) to giveaway and it’s got your name written all over it. How do you get in on the fried goodness? Simple, all you need to do is one (or all) of the following: Leave a…

Thanks again to all ye who entered our latest Gear Patrol Giveaway. We’re pleased to partner with Coke Zero to announce our two most excellent winners, both of whom are soon to be digital speed-addicts. We salute both Tyler L. (commented on the giveaway posts) and @jordachio (a Twitter follower, quite obviously). The gods of…

While domestic travelers might prefer basic hard shelled rolling luggage for standard trips confined to cabs, hotels, and airports, for anything off the beaten path these convenient packers don’t cut it. That doesn’t mean however that hiking and adventure backpacks are the only feasible solution out there for trips with rugged demands. Take the BAD…