When it comes to pocketable multi-tools, most people think SAK or Leatherman. Both, obviously, are decent enough options… BUT, when it comes to an absolute “Buy It For Life” scenario, it’s very hard to beat the durability of the old Camillus Soldier Knife.
The blade steel isn’t special, the make isn’t particularly elegant, and you can forget one handed access to any of the tools. However, many millions of these were made through the years… and I’d bet a VERY large percentage of those are still as capable as they were when they came off the line.
I don’t know that anyone actually sells these any more, but you can find them all day long on eBay.
I love Magpul DAKA pouches. They are built like a brick shithouse, work well, and look great. However, they are expensive and because they are zipped, they are not 100% waterproof.
If you need something to stay absolutely dry when submerged, similar functionality otherwise, and a lower cost solution… well, check out these resealable Stasher silicone bags. While they might not look the business, there is no arguing their functionality.
And if money is burning a hole in your pocket, but you still need something absolutely submergible, Nite Ize recently introduced their new RunOff Waterproof Pockets in a number of different sizes and colors. These things are priced similar to the DAKAs, but use a different kind of zip system that allows them to be completely waterproof.
I haven’t used or seen these, but initial reviews are really good.
Over Quarantine, my wife and I did a strange sort of experiment with Instagram ads. A typical experience would go like this:
A targeted ad would appear on our feeds with an uncanny accuracy towards current conversation and/or needs. For me, these ads routinely feel like something YETI would produce – highly polished photography that touted a lifestyle more than any one product.
For shits and giggles, I started ordering some of these products for review. Almost without fail, something from China would show up in the mail (weeks later) that was a sort of cheap shadow of the product featured in the ad. A great example of this is the “Official Toolroll.” The website make this tool roll appear as though it’s ready for anything you can throw at it, right?
In reality, it’s cheap canvas with sloppy stitching and some of the worst zippers I’ve EVER seen. Further, the product sent isn’t even close to the product featured on the website – missing details, dimension, and reinforcements all around.
This experience has repeated itself a number of times across a number of different product categories.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I was greeted by a similar ad from a company called Poncho. Like Yeti, the company is based in Austin and even their logo feels a bit like the outdoor flagship. Again, lifestyle over product. Rather than waste my money, I decided to challenge them to a review. They accepted and two shirts arrived days later.
I got the Nighthawk and the Brazos, but for the purposes of this review I will focus on the former. The Nighthawk is made of a relatively thin material that feels a bit like flannel that has had a clean shave. Unlike traditional flannel, however, this material has good bit of stretch to it and a ton of memory. Not bad.
Moving on to detail work, the stitching is good. I’m no seamstress, but there were no loose ends anywhere to be found and from a craftsmanship standpoint, everything seemed to be on point and well made. Again, no complaints.
At this point, it feels as though I’ve got a decently built shirt made in Vietnam (one of the better countries of origin for soft goods) and appropriately priced at around $85. How does it wear though?
I’m 6’2″ and 190-pounds. I was sent a size large in a regular fit (slim fit is also available). The cut is perfectly tailored to my size and the shirt wears really well. I immediately liked the drape and felt comfortable with how I looked.
However, it wasn’t until I wore the shirt day-to-day that I realized how good this thing really is. This seems odd to say about a button-down flannel, but it’s innovative. There’s built-in storage for your sunglasses, a built-in lense cleaning cloth, magnetic pocket flaps and my absolute favorite – a hidden and zippered chest pocket.
To test wearability, I wore this thing for three days straight and then threw it into the laundry. While in the laundry, I must have dropped my phone three times trying to stash it in the hidden chest pocket that isn’t featured on my edc t-shirt. It’s just one of those features that you get used to and wonder how you ever lived without.
And once out of the laundry, the shirt felt just as it did before the wash. Additionally, this thing doesn’t seem to wrinkle… at all? I’ve yet to pack it for any trips obviously, but I don’t think it will be a problem.
Faults? None really. The magnets used on the pocket flaps initially seemed too weak to me, but they’ve proven to work just fine. And materials combed with spandex for the stretch properties often leave you with weird structure issues after a period of time. I don’t think that will be an issue here as it’s made of only 1% spandex and thus far, the memory properties have been great.
All and all, Poncho completely blew my Instagram advertising conspiracy theory out of the water. I’m a full on converted fan of a company that makes “fishing shirts” for the outdoorsman… and I don’t even fish.
(Editor’s Note: I was given these shirts for Free. However, I reviewed them without consequence and later this morning, I will be buying my own. In short, these things are dope… For real.)
American Giant makes the best zippered hoodie in the world. That much has been established. They also used to make my favorite t-shirt in the world as well, but for some reason they stopped manufacturing their “Premium Heavyweight Tee” and replaced it with what they call the “Premium Slub Tee.”
Every year for years, I have ordered four of their tees to replace those that have been beat up while working in the shop. Not knowing where to go or what to do this year, I decided to just try the new “Slub” tee.
Thoughts? It’s still very, very good… but it’s not as good as the old t-shirt it replaced. It’s not as thick, it’s not as detailed from a craftsmanship or materials standpoint, and well… while it’s still the best tee that I know of, it’s no longer so great that I will refuse to try other options.
Holy hell y’all… Artificial intelligence is intelligent. I can’t even tell that I have any underpants on at all. It’s like free falling through an expensive cloud of happiness. I am sold.
Get yours here. (Not a sponsor… I’m not paid… by anyone)
When smart phones first came out, my life changed for the better. Given that I make a living online, having processing power in my pocket took the leash off and allowed me to get away from my monitor far more often then ever before.
These days, however, I detest the smart phone. In fact, I believe it is largely responsible for the wide spread disease of social media – which, in turn, can be held responsible for many of today’s societal and political problems.
That’s neither here nor there though I guess… The smart phone is here. So what are you gonna do about it?
My answer has been to minimize. This started with a refusal to upgrade my years old iPhone. And when that finally gave up the ghost, I bought the iPhone mini thinking that the diminutive size would keep my eyes and thoughts away from it unless absolutely necessary.
This has worked ok for me, but Palm is taking it to the next level with a credit card sized “sort of smart” phone and I LOVE it.
So I get asked this all the time – What’s the best “one bag” travel backpack on the market?
I think the answer is probably different for everyone and unfortunately, you can’t really know the answer for your own use case without trying out a bunch of different options. Myself? I’ve tried more than I care to admit… In fact, I used to have a bag problem. I still do… But I used to too…
Anyway, the best “one bag” backpack I have ever used is the 40L GoRuck Gr2. First and foremost and as far as materials and craftsmanship go, there isn’t a bag of any kind made any better. The 1000D CORDURA, the YKK zippers, the perfect stitching done in the USA, the… It’s just made as well as it possibly could be.
And then, there’s form. There is very little organization in a GR2… Essentially, it features two main compartments and a few a cubbies. You won’t find a spot for your pencils or an easy access pocket or… any of that stuff.
Instead, you are left with a blank canvas that allows you to outfit the bag for your own use case using supplemental pouches, organizers, and the like. The end result is a really flexible platform that can be configured for many, many uses. And because it’s made so damned well, it will last FOREVER.
I’m a big fan of James Brand and their design work. Due to their prices, I always just sort of assumed their products were made in the USA. However, a user on garagejournal.com told me otherwise.
So… I investigated and yes, it appears as though most James Brand products are made in China. In my mind, there’s nothing wrong with that if your prices are inline with other products sourced from the same country.
With James Brand, however, that is not the case. Pictured above is the James Brand Elko knife (one of their most popular offerings) and the Whitby Sprint EDC knife.
It appears as though Whitby simply knocked off the James Brand design and had it reproduced in China – possibly even at the same factory. The price for the James Brand example is $85 while the price of the knock off is a little over $20. Both appear to use similar blade materials and some YouTubers claim that the Whitby actually has better fit and finish than the James Brand.
I don’t know how to feel about this. I love the design work that James Brand does and hate to see any kind of IP get so viscously and obviously stolen, but… at the same time, it’s really hard to justify the James Brand price strategy.
