Gear Patrol

Backpacks are ubiquitous, and sometimes too many pockets just means… too many pockets. In the case of the Marmot Urban Hauler ($50), less is more. Based on a centuries-old Japanese fishing bag, the Urban Hauler is as simple as a pack can get, short of a brown grocery bag and duct tape. Made of UpCycled…

Remember your first day of school? Wet-your-pants excitement in elementary, doldrums in middle and utter jadedness in high school — but always accompanied by that trustworthy backpack. Those tattered Eastpaks and monogrammed LL Beans may not have exactly exuded street style, but there’s still time to make up for it with Everlane’s latest consideration, an…

We’ve already waxed eloquently about our love of Goruck’s bags — but the company’s newly released Multicam’ color option for their entire line makes us wonder if we bought in too early. Hop over to their site and soak in the (re)militarized goodness for yourself. The chocolate lab isn’t included. Buy Now: $225+

Whether you’re bike commuting in Seattle, doing a surf photo shoot in Maui or boarding a dive boat in Fiji, you’re going to need to keep your gear dry. The trick is to find a waterproof bag that holds all your stuff but doesn’t feel like a potato sack on your back. The Dakine Cyclone…

In the ongoing struggle to carry gear without looking like an overstuffed Sherpa, all-around black-bag purveyor Ignoble has tossed in a solution in the form of the Ignoble Lorna Case Backpack ($300). At 25 liters, made from black ballistic nylon, and sporting padded shoulder straps, obligatory sternum strap, and airmesh back, the Lorna functions as…

Finding interesting ways to carry around our camera gear never gets old. ONA’s useful camera bag inserts are a great item for casual photographers looking for the best way to stash a camera in their luggage. The brand’s new Camps Bay ($430) backpack, however, is a full-service camera and laptop carrier geared toward the pros….

We’ve written about GORUCK and their tactically inspired gear a number of times. Made in the USA, bomb proof, with a life time guarantee, they’re the kind of company we love to support. Enough said. But one of the best things about a GORUCK product is how they’re set up for you to make your…

It’s a pretty safe bet that a backpack designed to haul 45 pounds of gear into debris-spewing, quadruple-digit infernos can also handle muling a shovel, miscellaneous clothes and tools up a sleepy peak. That’s the way Nargear figures, anyway. The company has been manufacturing burly backpacks for parachuting firefighters for more than a decade and…

Incase continues their love affair with cyclists with the release of their new collection, Range. Created with two-wheeled travelers in mind, the Range series figures that if it can stand up to the beating of a bike messenger whipping through New York’s Lower East Side, it can probably do just fine lugging your books or…

Your average snow shovel works great for cleaning out the driveway or dispatching amateur crooks pestering a prepubsecent Macaulay Culkin. K2′s Rescue Shovel Plus ($60) is the snow shovel of the future. Thanks to a unique modular design, the handle can be affixed to the blade to transform the Plus into a hoe for faster…

Admittedly, it’s been a pretty wimpy winter everywhere from Colorado to the Alps, causing renewed grumblings about global warming from skiers, both Alpine and Nordic. Getting out on the boards anywhere but in the high country has required either the nimbleness to dodge the bald patches of dirt and grass or a pair of rock…

With enough bite to make a Yeti white with jealousy, Atlas Snowshoe has outdone themselves with the Aspect ($269). Built around an all-new traction system called ReactiV-Trac, the Aspect’ offers up tons of grip thanks to an angry saw-toothed perimeter. Something you’ll want when the powder gets especially naughty. A platform of offset webbing creates…

One of the drawbacks to being a modern, on-the-go guy is carrying around all that gear and gadgets. Streamlining your accessories into one portable pack is the JanSport Pleasanton ($250), a waxed cotton twill and leather bag with dedicated compartments for all your stuff. Stow your laptop in the 15-inch quick-access sleeve and your iPad…

At CES, we eyeballed an expansion on the HEX bag we wrote about a few months ago. They have introduced a neat new line of carry gear for the urban man with a subtle nautical touch. We love the streamlined but stylish look of the HEX Fleet Sonic Backpack ($100). With its dressy but understated…

Gear Patrol favorite Goruck has launched their first accessory offering in the form of the Brick Bag. In spite of its misnomer of a name (re: it’s not actually intended for bricks), the Brick Bag is an excellent addition to the Goruck line. Built from the same 1000D Cordura, ballistic nylon, mil-spec webbing and hardware…

Larry Horton’s fine day and a half design from 1977 embodies uncluttered simplicity and streamlined functionality. Dragon Fire orange with navy base 11oz Cordura cotton. Capacity: 2040 cu.in. Weight: 1lb 7.2oz. 9 leather and nylon tie-on points and dual ice axe loops, #10 YKK coil zipper, 1” waist belt with side release buckle and 2″…

Pure. Uncut. Powder. We’re not discussing Whitney Houston’s daydreams here people. We’re talking about the stuff that transforms passionate snowboarders into giddy Catholic school girls. Sure, if you can commandeer a chopper on a whim, accessing the stuff in the prime backcountry of your choice is an easy affair. For those of more humble means,…

One would expect intelligent design and exceptional function from a group of unsatisfied American outdoorsmen who previously scattered across the world to purchase premium alfresco gear. The only logical action was to take matters in their own hands and create an American bag company suitable for even the most austere mountain man, or, perhaps, even…

The Naneu Pro Sahara 217F ($114) is an ideal carry-on solution for camera enthusiasts frequently on the go. Made from water-resistant Kodra, the bag is designed to be both compact and ergonomic while still including space for critical camera gear as well as a 17″ laptop. Don’t go thinking that it’s just like every other…

Sometimes less is more, and backpack design is no exception. Try finding one for your laptop that holds plenty of gear while not looking like part of an intergalactic space suit with enough straps and pockets to confuse Stephen Hawking. Introducing the new Timbuk2 Q Laptop Backpack ($100). It’s a bit more budget-conscious than the…

Reading Gear Patrol and seeing all the bags we feature, you might think we live by the motto “the measure of a man is how many bags he owns.” Well, here’s some more proof to that theory – our newest luggage obsession, the Archival Clothing Rucksack ($240). Archival Clothing started out as a place to…

Outdoor Research calls the DryComp Ridge Sack a perfect pack for peak bagging and summit pushes. Well, living in Minnesota, there aren’t a lot of peaks to be bagged but we have a few thousand lakes and countless rivers, so I’m re-positioning this waterproof bag as the perfect paddling pack.

The Altadena 802 Rucksack ($275) is a new backpack that looks old, and that’s a good thing because it looks damn good doing it. It’s a top loading tube shaped ruck, with a zip open pocket on the top flap. It also accepts additional pockets that strap onto the side (shown above) providing you enough…

The urban commute can be a harrowing and dirty business, even when the weather’s nice. When inclement weather comes a calling though, it’s a challenge to keep yourself dry, even more so your beloved gear. The SealLine Urban Backpack is made to solve that very problem. As one of the world’s leading water resistant bag…

Triathletes are, by nature, gear hounds. Carbon fiber bikes and helmets, tri-specific cycling and running shoes, caps, glasses, water bottles, slippery wetsuits and goggles – the list goes on. So it stands to reason that a bag designed for hauling triathlon gear would do a pretty good job for just about anything. Blueseventy’s Nero Bag…

Ski and Snowboarding season is coming, and we know you’ve been waiting. Your mental preparations may be complete, but before you hit the slopes this year, consider upgrading your pack with the DAKINE Team Baker pack. Affordable and functional, this bag is designed with a back country carver in mind. An insulated hydration sleeves keeps…

Charged Up, Eco-Style You can’t exactly plug your iPod into the nearest tree. Ahhh, the great outdoors. There’s nothing like the fresh air and open spaces that Mother Nature provides. The GP crew spend a lot of time outside, but as you can tell, we’re also gadget freaks and that poses a dilemma. Where do…

The Osprey Stratos 18 is a daypack perfect for quick hikes, mountain bike rides or cross country skis runs. It’s also perfect just to toss some gear into and take to the gym – doing double duty as a daypack and an extension pack with it’s stretch side pockets that carry extra gear. The 2/3…