Gear Patrol

Often found hanging between a pair of trees overlooking a sandy beach at sunset, hammocks may be the world’s most potent therapeutic treatment next to glass of single malt and a filet. Ok, so we’re projecting just a bit. Yellow Leaf Hammocks takes their relaxation charge quite seriously, though, and every dream-swinger they make offers…

New evidence suggests that our mancestors may have started cooking with fire almost a million years ago. We’re willing to bet the chefs on duty in the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa wish they had a Grillcube. Billed as a greener way to grill, Grillcube is essentially a cardboard box full of natural hardwood charcoal….

We’ve all probably drowned or neglected a few plants in our past, but a black thumb shouldn’t stop you from adding a hint of green to your home (that the alien growth cropping up on your leftovers from time to time doesn’t count). The Mosser is a sleek little glass terrarium housing a simple yet…

When we were just youngsters, it was always fun “helping out” the old man in the garage or lawn…which probably explains our gear addiction. Now that we’ve got some square footage of our own, carrying on the generational tradition of a perfectly manicured lawn and well appointed garage is one of life’s chief delights. While…

Good BBQ is a thing of legend and separates the “great neighbors” from “those people down the block”. Be the hero of your street this season with the Yoder Smokers Pellet Series YS640 ($1,299). Yoder makes competition grade grills in a hotbed of BBQ excellence, Kansas. The YS640 Pellet Smoker is Yoder’s solution for the…

We’re sure that in the eyes of some extremists, mowing the lawn is like committing a double-tap to the head of the earth. Your chopping down a macrocosmic Fern Gully and doing it with some of the least fuel-efficient machines on the planet. Fiskars’ StaySharp Max lawnmower ($250) can at least help address the carbon…

The Loll Designs Wallbanger is essentially an outdoor version of the Urbancase Emergency Cocktail Station we highlighted back in August of 2011 — sold for roughly half the price. Urbancase designer Darin Montgomery worked with the modern outdoor furniture manufacturer on the Wallbanger, named after the famous 1950′s mixed drink invented by Duke Antone, to…

We like to grill our meat, but if you prefer to give it the ol’ Towering Inferno treatment, the Cook-Air Portable Grill ($200) could be for you. This small BBQ is capable of reaching temps of 1,100°F — that’s the equivalent of 65,000 BTUs of power, which is essentially double that of your average propane…

The Detroit Auto Show has hosted plenty of firsts over the years — like the unveiling of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in 1992. So it’s no surprise to learn that the 2012 show is still mowing new trails as the launch site for Craftsman’s new CTX-series of lawn tractors. Yes folks, you read that correctly….

As much as we want “YardStash” to refer to especially epic upper lip sweaters, the term has already been claimed by a company who hopes you’ll buy a tent, instead of a shed, when your gear overfloweth. To keep things safe from the elements, the shelter sports weather-proof coated heavy duty polyester with a reinforced…

Weighing in at 32 pounds, slightly less than the totalitarian Mongol it’s named after, the Genghis Kahn Hibachi ($180) offers up more than one way to get meat cooked. The stout, yet compact cast-iron grill provides three cooking schemes: flat griddle, 16-skewer shish kebab attachment, or a convex grilling grate with V-Grooves — an improvement…

Cooking over charcoal can impart many excellent flavor characteristics to your meat of choice — lighter fluid just isn’t one of them. Swedish inventor Richard Looft created the Looftlighter ($80) to end charcoal-grilling man’s dependance on the explosive fluid once and for all, granted they have an electrical outlet close at hand. Looking like a…

The first man to use a skewer while cooking food over a flame was the undisputed genius of his time. The fire cooked his catch, not him, and he could eat right off of the stick afterwards. Then someone invented plates and botched it all up. The price of progress in this case was mountains…

German engineers have made countless innovations in the automotive world, and hold a reputation as some of the best in the business. The question is, do these technical skills translate to BBQ? Brennwagen is a relatively new company, founded in 2010 by former Formula 1 engineer Florian Wagner. A quick look at his grill’s low…

If baseball is America’s game, then yard work must be America’s chore. These officially licensed MLB Lawn Logo Stencils ($80) combine the two weekend time killers in a way that’s sure to bring joy to rabid fans and horror to their wives. Each reusable stencil creates a 52″ tall logo that remains visible until your…

Using an electric push mower over their gas guzzling counterparts previously involved some serious power and range tradeoffs for homeowners. The Worx 788 cordless electric lawn mower ($430) changes the game thanks to a high capacity 36V PowerTank battery, which eliminates the need for pesky extension cords and allows the 19-inch mower to cut up…

If you’re willing to adventure a little off grilling main street you’ll find there are some great American-made options like the Minden Master Grill ($479). Designed with a more realistic and urban-friendly compact form factor, the Minden is an ideal fit for households not yet ready to sell their first born child for a barnyard…

Call it our inner pyro, but just because its warmer doesn’t mean we can’t light up an evening fire. What looks like an overly ambitious metal worker’s off-hour project, the Weber Fireplace ($159) takes a porcelain enameled lid and bowl with some heavy-gauge steel to create a clever, well priced outdoor fire. And when you’re…

Think of the Alpina Mobile Bongos Beer Bar ($11,300) as a graduate degree in outdoor drinking. The mobile party center features an integrated kegerator, 8kg of ice storage, and customizable tops for adding everything from a gas-powered grill to extra serving areas. Thanks its four sturdy wheels and a specially designed refrigeration system, there’s also…

Made from locally sourced Burgundy clay and kiln baked at 2000°F, the Black Flame Top Grilling Stone ($49) features proprietary “Flame” technology allowing it to work perfectly in all cooking scenarios be it gas, charcoal, wood, electric, oven or broiler. Using the principle of radiant heat, the handmade stone provides an even cooking surface for…

Why choose between gas, charcoal, or wood when buying a grill, when you can have all three? That’s the holy trinity the new Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grilling System ($10,000+) offers. The magic happens via special drawers installed above the grill’s main gas burners, which can be filled with either wood or charcoal and lit from…

With warm weather beckoning, consider swapping out that Aeron in your office with the Gallant and Jones Kitsiliano Beach Deck Chair ($215) and some scenery. Inspired by the classic English Deck chairs found sprinkled on the banks of the Thames, each Kitsiliano is made by hand from North American Black Walnut and can ship with…

Some men are grill-capable the day they leave the delivery room. Others have an uncanny ability to turn great cuts of meat into fresh sets of mud-terrains. If you or someone you know falls into the latter bucket, these Steak Button Thermometers ($20) will help. Their big, easy to read dials are essentially idiot-proof, even…

The Element Portable ($150) is Fuego’s latest gorgeous grilling creation. Not only is it small, but it’s cleverly designed aluminum legs also fold up to become a convenient handle for easy toting, while a huge red rubber band ensures the lid stays in place. A shoulder strap is also available — making the Element Portable…

Make the most out of your outdoor space during the chilly months with the Zero Fireplace ($4,640). As the image shows, it’s an attractive way to store firewood as well as burn it, and thanks to a grill accessory and closing disk, the fireplace can easily be transformed into a social cooking outpost or a…

Aprons and oven mitts in many ways perform similar functions. One prevents stains from scarring your clothing, while the other prevents scars from ruining your hands. This brilliant design combines both features in one convenient product, making it a bullet-proof vest of sorts for chefs. It even has two buttons at the waist for hanging…

The Craftsman YT 4500 54” Lawn Tractor ($2,000) is the company’s top-of-the-line residential mower for 2011. Sporting a 26 hp Kohler Courage V-Twin engine, a premium hydrostatic automatic transmission, and 54-inch cutting base, it’s got everything you’ll need to fight back suburbia. Its real game-changing feature, though, is Turn Tight technology. If the name didn’t…

Meat searing monuments like the Weber Ranch Kettle charcoal grill will always hold a special place in our carnivore hearts, but there’s something strangely attractive about the idyllic vision of grilling painted by the Holzpellet grill from Bob Grillson ($7,470). Ok, so maybe it’s just this German beauty’s magnetizing lines. Or maybe it’s just Bob’s…

Sometimes a man needs a moment to recharge his personal batteries. The Renetto Zero Gravity Portable Hammock ($120) offers a quick, portable place to take a nod. The flip-proof design sets up in a matter of minutes and has the ability to sit upright or recline. Complete with a MP3 slot so you can doze…