Gear Patrol

Call it the “Goldilocks of Bags” if you like, though sometimes it seems like more of a “Unicorn of Bags”: the perfectly sized and properly priced duffel can be elusive (hell, brands can’t even decide one way to spell it). When the occasion calls for light packing in something that’ll easily fit in the back seat or sling comfortably over your shoulder there are myriad options, but how many of them can be considered worth a buy? What follows are 30 of the best duffel bags to fit every budget. These represent a vast array of materials, styles, colors and purposes, but suffice it to say each of these duffels is just right.

Around the country, where people can’t easily access a natural body of water, they’ll flock to fake ones for some relaxation, fun, and relief from the heat. This is the seasonal blessing and curse of the fortunate few who own — or have access to — a pool. If you fall into this category and are already bemoaning your hosting duties to come, may we remind you of the wise words of “Uncle” Ben Parker Voltaire, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Think that bowl of corn chips (“but they’re restaurant style!”) and playing some Jimmy Buffet from your puny laptop speakers answers the call? You are woefully mistaken.

It’s time to take your waterside shindigs to another plane. What we’re talking about is the kind of event that’ll haunt Charlie Sheen’s dreams and leave the neighborhood gabbing for decades. We’ve got your shopping list right here.

Summer Fridays are a thing to be put on a pedestal, the ultimate luxury for 9-to-5, Monday to Friday working stiffs. They’re a chance to bug out as soon as possible, to hit the road or jump a train to the beach, a cabin in the woods or some other resplendent getaway. In any case, we can’t just go into a summer Friday unprepared, men. We cannot go silently into that good mini vacation. What we need is a kit — the perfect gear for the perfect summer Friday getaway.

Our third installment of Staff Favorites turns to Mr. Ben Bowers. Second aboard the GP express and the reticent co-founder of Gear Patrol, Mr. Bowers is first and foremost an inquirer — using his battle-hardened eye of skepticism while monitoring the pulse of the internet, et al.; typically, he does so while reading a pantheon of feeds and bookmarks on his mobile device du jour.

At GP HQ, Ben is also the catalyst, and prizewinner, of often heated culture debates, where his insatiable appetite for music, movies and other media provides him with a panoply of pop-culture knowledge, particularly in early hip-hop and independent films. Beyond the walls of media and analytic thinking though, Ben’s interests are far less studious. A fair-weather sailor, patron of cocktail mixing and a die-hard Nets fan, Ben is also a proud Baton Rouge native — undoubtedly the reason behind his occasional son-of-Creole outbursts in an otherwise self-composed nature.

If having the right work environment means junking that garage sale desk you’ve had for years, then by all means, hop to it. But you’ll need a (cough) suitable replacement, preferably one that doesn’t have a pack of melted Life Savers glued to the calculator in the top drawer. The Ralph Lauren Highbridge Desk ($12,000+)…

When it comes to polo shirts, there’s certainly no shortage of choices. Everyone offers his own variant of the wardrobe essential, but we all know the situation: choose a couple out of season shirts at bargain prices, or the one you really want, which happens to be marred with an uncomfortably high price tag. It’s…

Fashion giant Ralph Lauren has launched a new brand, Denim & Supply, that according to the press literature is born out of the warehouse and artistic communities of Brooklyn. From what we’ve seen, the entire line is defined by a weathered, vintage look (which isn’t all that surprising given Brooklyn’s their muse) that seems to…

Slideshows are great and all, but when you’ve got 600 photos why not share all the love and put them into a time-lapse video, right? As tweeted, here is Fashion Night Out at Ralph Lauren’s Soho store… in 60 seconds. Watch it and you’ll catch more than a few glimpses of models, Jessica Alba, and…

Tired of smelling like your deodorant, or just had enough of that same bottle of cologne your girlfriend bought you for your 21st birthday? Well then consider today upgrade day. Polo sent over a complete set of their new Big Pony Cologne for one lucky GP reader. For the math challenged, that’s four separate bottles…

Chambray appears to be one major trends taking over men’s fashion for spring and summer. Rather than talk about your dime a dozen chambray button up though, we figured we’d kill two birds with one stone by highlighting this Princeton Chambray Sport Coat ($375) as a good summer blazer option that also matches today’s trends….

Ralph Lauren may be a world-famous clothing brand, but its real secret to success lies in promoting a lifestyle. To make the point, this large varsity duffle landed on our radar mostly because we wish we were invited to the kinds of swanky events where slinging this bag around our shoulder would clearly separate us…

Whether you’re a fan of Tiger Woods or not, and his much publicized hurdles, you can stand behind the idea of helping those less fortunate. Le Tigre, a brand known for polo shirts will donate 100% of their net profits (through the end of April) from the sale of these shirts to organizations focused on…

After dealing with a heavy winters and snowocalypses, the concept of a spring jacket may cause many of you to scratch your heads in confusion. Not quite warm enough to really withstand any kind of put-hair-on-your-chest weather, but less constricting then that suffocating hand quilted puce “sweater” from your granny, they admittedly fill a small…

Earlier, we asked everyone to do their part for the Haitian people by texting a donation to the Red Cross. This time, Ralph Lauren presents another alternative for giving that also leaves you with a unique piece of attire. 100% of purchase proceeds for these limited edition polo shirts will be donated to the United…

LL. Bean’s iconic Bean Boots will always hold a place in our hearts as the go to shoe for truly nasty ground conditions. However during a quick visit to the Ralph Lauren Mansion over this weekend, we discovered the newly released Nansen Boot which seems built for the same bad weather purpose, while adding a…

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…

Gap has made it plainly clear that plaid is in. That’s all well and good, but the traditional look of fall doesn’t have to extend to just your oxford shirts. The Ralph Lauren Home Haberdashery Collection of wallcoverings does what Ralph Lauren does best, make a statement without making one. Tip: To match a bold…

Dessert has a New Dress Code The next time a female house guest develops a craving for late night sweets, serve it on one of these guaranteed charmers. Made of fine china, each plate is printed with a bow tie in various states of knot-assembly and perfectly captures the haberdashery look only Ralph Lauren could…

Medal Not Included Just because we’re half way through the Olympics doesn’t mean you’re national pride has to fade any time soon. Ralph Lauren’s offering their custom-fit polo with your choice of flag (29 countries) in 12 Ralph Lauren-esque color combinations. The shirt itself is a two-button, ribbed collar, and uneven hem polo [Thanks, Alex!]…

A decent man’s bar require he have well weighted heavy tumblers for his drinks. There’s no better time to serve an old fashioned or nightcap than the doldrums of winter. Show your guests you know how to appreciate a good drink as you pour them a spot into a well made tumbler like these from…

Leather gloves are great. They’re durable and stylish. They’re often pricier too. We recommend getting a warm, comfortable pair of mixed material gloves like these Ralph Lauren’s which are made of marino wool and suede patches that work well paired with your winter gear. After all, snowboard gloves really aren’t the best when you’re out…

A v-neck is not your grandfather’s sweater. The cut accentuates your upper body and frames your tie (if you’re wearing one) better than anything else your wardrobe. You don’t need a dozen sweaters in your wardrobe. Just get one or two you can interchange with your shirts and/or ties or just pair it with a…