Gear Patrol

It doesn’t matter if you’re heading to Whistler for early spring powder turns or Fort Lander for the summer climbing festival; mountain style is a little different than your garden variety runway fare. Put the moonboots and sweat pants down. You’re not fooling anyone. We’ve put together a few indispensable mountain style standards, chock full of storied, quality brands, to help you blend in with the locals — unless you’re heading to any ski resort in Montana. In that case, it’s time to stock up on Wrangler and Carhartt.

Nothing ruins a backpacking trip like a terrible night’s sleep (or a lack of clean underwear, but if you can’t figure that one out you’re beyond our help). A good sleeping bag is the key to staying warm and dry when you’re crashing under the stars — so you’re at your best crossing that next 8,000 foot mountain pass. Sleeping bag tech has made its way into the space age in the last few years: your 20-year-old bag from summer camp or the Boy Scouts is no longer up to snuff. Here’s our list of the best 20°F (or below) bags to ensure comfort and safety for three-season camping.

Superior foul weather gear should provide warmth, shelter your skin from precipitation and be breathable to boot. The Eddie Bauer BC MicroTherm Down Jacket 2.0 does just that thanks to a double layered shell that’s waterproof while venting perspiration (and not losing warmth). Additionally, its micro-channel compartments, stuffed with 800-fill premium goose down, minimize weight…

Originally conceived in 1978 as a multi-season coat, Eddie Bauer re-introduces the Mountain Parka today as the Heritage Mountain Parka. More casual than technical, many of the original parka’s details remain including cotton/nylon fabric, trim, hardware and colors (brilliant blue, ivy, olive, black) and a throwback price. $149 | eddiebauer.com

Adventure filmmakers big and small have more tools than ever for producing their work in the wilderness, thanks in part to the continuous improvements of camera equipment and filmmaking technology. Of course, the vision wouldn’t be anything without the dedicated creativity put forth by the storytellers — the writers, directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers. Lastly,…

Named for the year Eddie Bauer first opened his store, this work shirt is made entirely from 100% Oregon-made Pendleton wool in archival patterns. Details include horn buttons. $130 | eddiebauer.com

Based on all the fall wardrobe question’s we’ve been receiving from you lately, we came to the conclusion a fall roundup was in order. Done and done. In this Gear Patrol Roundup, we’ve taken the time to scour some of our favorite men’s brands (high and low), for unique, sharp, and warm sweaters that’ll match…

Empower your keys with the Swiss+Tech Utili-Key XT 8-In-1. No, not like Val Kilmer a la, The Saint. It’s a veritable Swiss Army knife in a key sized/shaped tool. The Utili-Key XT has an a eyeglass screwdriver, flat & Phillips head screwdrivers, serrated & straight knife blades, wire cutter, nail cleaner/file, wire cutter, wire stripper,…

Double Certified True European Goose Down. Sounds Nice. If there’s a clothing outfitter I’d like to see make a decent comeback it’s Eddie Bauer. Call me old school, but the brand had the right roots, but somewhere, somehow a bunch of penny pinchers and incompetent marketers decided to take the brand towards a world of…

The winter is almost over but foggy windshields will still plague a lot of guys and their rides, especially if they don’t have the luxury of parking in a garage. Unless you have one of the few cars that have a defrosting windshields (e.g. Land Rover) then watching your car’s regular A/C defroster to clear…