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Staff Picks: Gear We’re Loving Right Now
We’re lucky that we get to experience so much gear in our day-to-day lives. And when particular pieces really stand out in our daily setups, we love to share these with our fellow gear enthusiasts. So we’ve rounded up some extra special staff picks of gear we’re loving right now…
Andy Fallshaw
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I’m more peace, love and mung-beans than concealed carry, so I try to avoid scary-aggressive knives. That’s where The James Brand fits my vibes well. You still get a honed edge and slick mechanisms, but without scaring friends every time you reach for a blade. From hacking sample products to splitting an apple for the kids, and yes, like most of us I also use it to open my online purchases.
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Useful hack: I clip my Chapter near the top of my bag in a highly visible location, so I’ll never miss removing it before plane flights.
Erik Nachtrieb
Sometimes your accoutrements hit the counter perfectly. Perfection is how I would describe the Bellroy Travel Wallet. The leather has been pounded on a Royal Enfield in India, submerged in the salt waters off the coast of Okinawa, frozen in Antarctica, and seasoned across seven continents. I’ve tried to turn away from her, twice, but I can’t escape her worn sophistication, understated beauty and practical functionality. The rare kind of natural beauty turning heads for how she looks and what she has to say. A character far outweighing her rough edges.
Bo Ismono
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Hamburg has a pretty cold and wet climate. It is Winter / Spring, but the weather switches quite a lot from cold to warm to cold. Therefore I like to layer up a couple of jackets. My current favorite outershell that I have been testing the last few months is the Alchemy Equipment AEM105 Raincoat. Yes it’s “just” a raincoat but it’s not only water resistant but also works well against those cold winds. I use this with a couple of good isolating and warming base layers underneath. The AEM105 keeps the warmth inside and rain, snow and harsh winds outside. And since I layer my jackets this is basically a great jacket for the whole year.
Janis Lacey
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If you cast your mind back ten years you might remember that buying luggage was fairly dull. If you couldn’t afford a Cosmolite or a Rimowa there wasn’t much to get excited about. That’s why I’m a big supporter of the newcomers designing smart, simple luggage. The debut carry-on spinner from local brand July is a great example. It’s sturdy and well built with a Dieter Rams feel to it. Aesthetic whilst unobtrusive. The colour options are all solid, as are the aluminium bumpers. And although I haven’t used the battery compartment it feels like the right level of tech. Altogether it’s been a classy travel companion.
Vincent Tse
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My pick would go to the Victorinox MiniChamp Multi-Tool. It’s got a tool for every occasion – a pair of scissors for all those loose ends, a screwdriver because there’s always a screw to tighten, and my favorite, a built-in flashlight. All that and more stuffed into a package no larger than my pinky finger. It has replaced several other EDC items on the daily and it’s super cute and definitely not as aggressive (and heavy) as pulling out a full-fledged Leatherman.
Mr Zing
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I’m rocking a 24Bottles Urban Bottle these days. It’s a 500ml stainless steel bottle that, to me, has just the right size, doesn’t take up a whole lot of space, drinks very well and looks pretty cool too. I prefer a steel bottle over plastic because of hygiene. 24Bottles has bigger bottles and insulated bottles as well, they come in all kinds of colors and you can even personalize them if you order online.
Zeke Kamm
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In my film school days, I’d haul 50+ lbs. all over NYC in a massive, canvas, Czech military surplus backpack that probably weighed 15 lbs. empty. Now that I’m a minimalist carry devotee, my EDC is a phone, car key, and a tiny front pocket wallet: the 0.6 oz origami-inspired Nik’s Minimalist Wallet from Tom Bihn. It keeps my credit cards, cash, and driver’s licence tucked away in a package so smooth and small it slips easily into my front pocket, disappearing until I need it. After a year of daily carry it’s traveled with me around the world and shows no signs of wear. For me it’s the perfect combination of function and visually minimalist design.
Piotr Ma
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I really can’t imagine any outdoor adventure without some sort of cutting tool with me. It doesn’t have to be big, but must be strong, useful and dependable. Recently I’ve been carrying the Spyderco Techno 2, designed by talented Polish custom knifemaker Marcin Slysz. The titanium handle with frame lock accounts for strength and user safety. The blade measures 2.55″ and it’s made of modern supersteel CTS-XHP. I really like the blade profile, inspired by Japanese Santoku kitchen knives. With its strong tip and lowered cutting edge it excels in everyday tasks and all kinds of camp-kitchen uses. A thumb ramp, lanyard hole, ambidextrous deep carry clip and one-handed opening complete the package. It’s one of the newest models for Spyderco, great for EDC and due to its size also legal in most places. I really like my little Spydie helper…and it looks good too.
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Frank Sedlar
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Yeti’s tote has become my go-to bag for daily and weekend trips. When I’m going into work it easily fits all my gym clothes and shoes, a lunch, and other odds and ends. It’s big enough that I don’t need to wrestle to fit all my gear into it, and it still has a handy semi-closure hook on the top to prevent it from being wide open on the subway. And when I get into work, the tote has a hard bottom so it will always stand up on its own which is great to set up shop with next to my desk. Similarly for the outdoors, this tote is super handy to load up with food or gear. Its shell is super durable so tools won’t ding it, and it can easily be wiped down if something spills in it. Yeti has elevated the humble tote with their Camino Carryall. I’m pleased to report that it lives up to its name!
Mike Weiss
It’s become my go-to when I want to travel light to and from work with just the essentials (laptop, Kindle, charger, noise cancelling headphones). Plus it’s waterproof so worrying about any inclement weather is off the table.
John Pangilinan
The team at DSPTCH released the Cap Snap to solve the problem of having your cap crushed while on the go, while saving precious interior cargo space. The clever design is simple to use and small enough to keep attached to your daily pack, travel bag, or even belt loop via the carabiner clip. The other end grabs hold of the button found on the crown of the cap (fun fact, it’s called a squatchee), and tightly locks into place. I’ve been using a CapSnap for a few months now and haven’t had any issues while traveling. For $10 it’s a deal. I’m looking forward to getting the limited edition UNDFTD version that teased on Instagram.
Jason
Muyshondt Aeon Mk. III Flashlight
I am loving my titanium Muyshondt Aeon Mk. III flashlight. It has been my daily companion for some time and so far I can’t find another torch that knocks it out of my pocket. While the rest of my EDC can change almost daily, the Aeon is the one constant (although I alternate between my plain and bead blasted Titanium versions). At under 2.5″ long, under 1″ in diameter and running on the tiny CR2 cell, it really falls in that sweet spot for a high-end EDC light in terms of size, quality and performance. There are some fantastic alternatives available, from more budget-friendly offerings to gorgeous custom torches, but the Aeon is tough to beat and really punches above its weight class. The fact that they are beautiful is just an added bonus. I also added some 550 Paracord and matching Ti Scoopyloops lanyard beads to personalize them just a bit.
David Vo
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My wife and I started using the first collection of Purist bottles. They come in three sizes, from a small 10 oz which is great for having coffee in the morning, to a large 32 oz bottle for carrying on trips or around the office from meeting to meeting as many of my colleagues like to do. They are stainless steel and can keep drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for up to 24 hours. They have a “glasslike” interior coating which allows it to not retain any flavors so you can easily swap between coffee in the morning and water later in the day without any discernible residue. The exterior is a matte, almost powder-coated or sandblasted finish which looks really modern and sleek and they have a built-in carry handle that tucks away when not in use.
Bradley
Bleu-De-Chauffe Gaston Musette
I’ve been slinging the Bleu-De-Chauffe Gaston Musette or about 6 months now and for the heritage inclined, this musette ticks a lot of boxes. Built with 18oz. British Millerain Lick-Wax cotton twill, luscious, ecologically friendly vegetable tanned leathers, and rugged brass hardware, there’s lovely refinement at play here; think Filson, but inspired by work-wear and signed by the artisan who made it in the Averyon region of southern France. Win!
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