Gear Patrol

I have terrible luck checking luggage, and the list of destinations where I’ve arrived with only the clothes on my back spans the globe: Iceland, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Germany. The problem is, most carry-on bags are unwieldy, anonymous “roll-aboards” or lumpy backpacks that are better suited for campus or the trail. The TUMI Tegra-Lite ($595) bucks those trends and has quickly become my second favorite travel companion, behind my wife.

It’s no secret that it’s boom time for American-made heritage products, and companies as diverse as Stormy Kromer, LL Bean and Randolph Engineering are making the most of it. Even within this resurgence of handmade Americana, there is a further niche: Minnesota-made. Maybe it’s the popularity of the urban lumberjack aesthetic or a just a fondness for Midwestern honesty, but there’s no denying that brands from America’s icebox are hotter than ever.

We’ve highlighted some Minnesota companies before — Red Wing Shoes, Duluth Pack and Faribault Woolen Mills — but we recently got a chance to visit another venerable company nestled right in the gritty urban heart of Minnesota’s capital, St. Paul: J.W. Hulme. We stopped in, hoping to see what this bespoke baggage maker is all about.

It seems like everyone traveling has the same black roller bag. Herb Lester Luggage Tags (~$7) stand out and dress up that carry-on with more panache than the “Big Tag” or a random scrap of fabric, saving you from opening your luggage only to find the outsized garments of the lady who filled Row 32….

After years of making stylish and functional cases and bags for our coveted gadgets, Incase enters the carry-on luggage fray with their new EO Travel Collection ($150+). The five bags of the series range in size from a weekender duffle to an extended trip roller, but all include padded pockets for a MacBook Pro and…

Our friends at Cool Hunting recently returned from an eight day safari in the South Luangwa National Park and designed a special edition of Tumi’s medium Alpha duffle specifically for the trip. Besides striking the ideal balance between size and weight, (which is often strictly monitored on Safaris) the Cool Hunting x Tumi Safari Duffel…

Tom Bihn spends a lot of time thinking of ways to make travel easier (though he has yet to make plane seats wider). The Seattle-based travel gear/luggage company that bears his name tackles both big and small jobs. One small but vital task that often gets overlooked though is the pesky task of keeping gadgets…

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…

While we love a good weekender or duffle, there are times where several days worth of gear necessitate a hard side carryon with wheels. The thing is, a great hard side case (like those from Tumi or Rimowa) don’t come cheap. Enter a surprisingly achievable solution. The in-house line of Exo Hardside Spinner Carry-on from…

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…

Do any amount of traveling and see the poor luggage choices people make. Too big, too small, nondescript, completely impractical… they run the gamut. Preferring our travel light and agile, but prepared, this traveler prefers a bag provides key travel functions, flexibility and bombproof construction.We recently went in-depth with the excellent Osprey Meridian 22 ($300)…

Our ever-tasteful friends at Cool Hunting brought this new travel accessory from one of our favorite notebook brands to our attention. Much to our pleasure, these 3.75 x 2.25 pay direct homage to the company’s classic hard cover journals and feature rounded edges along with a matching elastic closure. Available in four color ways, the…

The person who coined the phrase “getting there is half the fun”, clearly never had to travel by air, train, bus, or car during the holiday season. No amount of planning can ever guarantee a smooth journey, but having the “right tools for the job”, as they say, will go a long way towards making…

Blue Claw Co. is an upstart bag company out of Maryland that was born out of an inspiring trip to Argentina. Their current line is made entirely in the USA and provide an upscale look without breaking the bank. Leather and ballistic nylon are two of our favorite bag materials, and the Worton Weekender contains…

Messenger bags can either be a huge help or a huge pain for cyclists or commuters, depending on quality and design. We’ve been through my fair share of them in the past year to know what works and what doesn’t. Well, Tom Bihn has a formula that works and works wonders. Tom Bihn is a…

Want to be taken away? Well, you must consider Vietnam. Take everything you’ve come to know or partially understand about the country as you’ve seen through the mass media and turn it all on its collective head. This picturesque sliver of a country is a true escape from some of what we’ve come to know…

Photography by Ryan Plett of You Have Broken the Internet While most of the country continues to get buried in snow, there’s never a better time to start planning your next getaway. The new Marine Canvas Duffels from Wharf are a perfect way to lug your kit at wallet-friendly prices. Drawing inspiration from Wharf proprietor…

We had the opportunity to interview the founders of Billykirk back in 2009 and ever since we’ve been in love with their products. All of their leather inspired wares are made with a sense of craftsmanship that’s sadly all too rare in most men’s products today and that’s why we’ve never felt any remorse paying…

Unlike a lot of men’s luggage today, the Nau Fleunt Traveler Duffle ($200) is made for guys who prefer to keep their carryall tastes a few feet under the radar. Made from 100% organic cotton canvas with cotton poplin lining, the duffle is shaped to recall the look of a classic doctors bag while providing…

In the market for a classic holdall that, if properly maintained, will last you the rest of your well-traveled life? Then allow us to recommend the Barbour Waxed Holdall ($190) made from the Barbour’s famous waxed cotton, which we can’t gush enough about. Outside of being water-resistant and durable, the bag features two additional zip…

Packing before a trip tends to be easier because everything that goes into your luggage is “supposedly” clean. Once you’ve worn everything on a week-long vacation though is when things get tricky. The shoes you took to the beach still have grains of sand clinging for dear life and your t-shirts all reek of sunscreen…

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…

Made of 100% cotton canvas and accented by leather strapping and antique brass metalwork, the Earsdon Weekend Bag is a great looking option for spur of the moment trips. Available in classic barley shown above or a more striking Watermelon shown below, the bag measures roughly 23 inches long by 18.5 inches tall and 12…

Sampsonite, Victorianox, and Tumi, may dominate the luggage market thanks to their practical design and wide swath of retailers, but in our opinion there’s something to be said for packing with style. As part of Paul Smith’s limited edition Westbourne collection, this Holdall mixes the classic look of Smith’s well known tailoring with the vintage…

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…

Tim Gunn of Project Runway (not that you or I watch the show) would tell you that he’s a style maven. We might agree with that, but a sense of style is appropriate for any man – not just ones who run fashion empires. Taking an extra minute to make sure your shirt is pressed,…

[click on image to enlarge and view other angles] Samsonite Graviton luggage is tough. Good luggage should be. Good luggage also has plenty of interior lining and features to keep up with your traveling rigor. The Graviton has that, plus aesthetic, in spades. Luggage features: Constructed of Samsonite’s molded polypropylene hardside shell material. Push button…

There are a lot of guys out there who have to carry a lot of gear. Sometimes this gear is for work and if you work in the creative industry, then electronic and media centric. If that’s the case then the UDG Producer Bag is for you. It’s a bag specifically designed to carry your…

On the go and on the move. It’s seemingly an increased part of our lives in addition to the number of gadgets we carry. Keep the hassle of charging them all at bay with the Tumi Travel Power Kit. Tumi’s power kit provides a universal way to charge your your phones, smartphones, PDA’s and cameras…

Nowadays it’s tough to go anywhere without the need to bring along your laptop. A sad notion yes, but an inevitable one. That said, you might as well make sure that what you’re bringing is sheathed in something durable and stylish. Morgan Grays bags are classic American-designed leather goods with an English influence. They have…

It’s inevitable, a man needs a bag. Between his mobile gear and product there’s little chance he’s going to fit it all in his pockets – not that we’d suggesting carrying around a lot of items there. First, it’s unsightly and second, it can be, ahem, misconstrued when walking. This sunwashed canvas bag from L.L….