This Week in Gear: March 7-11

Good morning, and welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Gear — your single-shot serving of an entire week’s worth of killer new gear pulled from our weekday editions of Today in Gear. Bookmark it to peruse before you put away your winter coats for the year, and start your Monday completely up to speed. (By the way — remember how much you hate Daylight Saving Time every spring? Yeah… That happens Sunday.) Here’s to another fantastic week.

On the Radar

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Reveals, New Launches and Gear

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Herschel Sealtech Backpack

Herschel Supply Co., purveyors of heritage-inspired, old-school bags and accessories, have just rolled out some decidedly futuristic tech. Sealtech, that is. The fabric is made of water-resistant, nylon-based ripstop, and it literally heals itself — minor contusions close back up because the fibers themselves are designed to separate enough to accept and basically ignore punctures. Kind of like Wolverine, only you can carry this on your back.

SUBPAC M2

Feel the music, man. Literally. Strap into this backpack device and let bass sound waves course through your torso, rather than assault your delicate eardrums. If you can remember to gear up every time you rewatch John Wick, you’ll have yourself a high-tech, immersive experience unlike any other.

Clarks Trigenic Flex

The Vibram outsoles of Clarks’ latest offerings are split into three parts, allowing for extreme natural movement and comfort. Also note the mocassin looks inspired by the brand’s famous Wallabee shoes — comfort never looked so classic.

La Colombe Draft Latte

You go to the bar to drink your favorite microbrew on tap, then you go home and enjoy one straight out of the can. La Colombe, known for milky, high-octane lattes on draft, have poured their concoction into cans and made them available to at-home java junkies.

Hydroventure Trail Shoe by Topo Athletic

Topo Athletic just went ahead and debuted the “lightest waterproof breathable trail running shoe available on the market,” featuring eVent DVdryLT materials. The shoes are aimed at light active use or daily wear, and should keep your toesies dry and happy.

Watershot

Instagram and Snapchat just got a whole lot more underwater-er. Watershot is a diving camera housing designed for iPhones of all kinds. It’s waterproof to 60 meters, features a tripod mounting plate and is compatible with the available wide and super-dome lenses.

The Turnbull & Asser Detachable Collar Shirt

It’s been a century, give or take, since detachable collars were simply all the rage. Leave it to the Turnbull & Asser style pros to not only bring back the old-timey look, but improve upon it. The shirt comes with two collars and can be worn sans any collar at all for a third — and just as classy — look.

Talusphere Rain Jacket by REI

Featuring just enough stretch, the Talusphere provides a dry but breathable environment for wilderness hikers and urban explorers alike. Windproof to over 60 mph, the jacket features extra-accessible hand pockets, a media port and an adjustable fit to keep the bad out and the good sheltered within.

Knog OI Bike Bell

“What if they looked sexy and sounded like an angel playing a glockenspiel?” Knog asks the right questions. And they’re making the right product — a bell for biking that does its job extra well while not looking anything like that stupid thing you had on your Huffy when you were 9. The Oi halos your handlebars and looks slicker than a greased doorknob.

Blue Seventy Cold-Water Wetsuit

This is what the world’s first purpose-built cold-water swimming wetsuit looks like. It’s lined with mid-weight zirconium jersey for more warmth; seams are triple glued and blind stitched, and internally taped where your Michael-Phelps-ice-scultpure-looking body will stress them most.

Z4 Aurora Smart Projector

This humble projector turns any surface into a 300-inch screen capable of 4K and 3D video support, using OSRAM LED tech and keystone correction. You control it with touch-less gestures, computers or an Android smartphone. BUT. It also houses a Harmon Kardon audio system, so it sounds crisp whether you’re watching Sex & the City 2 or listening to Rammstein, or whatever. It streams all your favorites, from Hulu to Netflix, uses a Bluetooth remote control and looks really, really great. So, obviously, click to learn more.

Bureo’s Ocean Collection Sunglasses

If you’re like us, you’ve literally never wondered what happens to nylon fishing nets after they’ve cast their last. But now that we know, we’re very glad. Bureo just launched their Ocean Collection, a line of sunglasses made of “Net+Positiva plastic,” which is 100 percent recycled… which makes it 100 percent recyclable. And their design is inspired by whales.

Dewalt 20V Hedge Trimmer

You know when heroic movie characters hack through dense jungles with massive machetes? Well Dewalt just made you an even bigger hero than the aformentioned sweaty goon. The 7.8-pound trimmer uses 22-inch, laser-cut stainless steel blades and a very powerful motor to saw through even thicker, more unkempt vegetation than the South American depths will ever know: your backyard.

J.Crew x New Balance 997 Butterscotch

We’re not holding our breath that J.Crew will buy the genius slogan we just wrote for their new shoes, but if “Put Your Feet in Something Sweet” doesn’t sell these babies, well, good luck. Because without our help, they’ll have to rely on classic design with modern twists, supreme New Balance comfort, a unique colorway and special wooden-box-filled-with-butterscotch-candies packaging to sell the entire limited run.

BRIXO Bricks

If you were to ask us at any point in time, “What would make LEGOs better?” we’d punch you square in your ignorant face. Because nothing could. Except maybe electrifying your creations with compatible chrome blocks and batteries and making them move and light up using Bluetooth connectivity to control it all with your phone. Maybe.

Hero Pill Dispenser

In some distant future, machines and computers will monitor medicine intake and automatically distribute necessary pills to us each day. Right? Well, no. The future is now: load up your meds and vitamins and tell Hero the dosage, and the little guy will remind you to take them and pop out exactly what you need, no “day of the week” plastic things necessary.

Switchboard

Made of beechwood, this minimalist design piece is supremely functional in the simplest of ways. When the wooden hooks aren’t in use, they fold flush with the rest of their friends; hang a jacket, pull one down and go about your day.

Blue Bottle Cold Brew in a Can

Giving new meaning to “cracking open a cold one before breakfast” is Blue Bottles’ announcement that come April their cold brew will be available for purchase in cans. Find them at Whole Foods — if they can keep ’em in stock.

Myo Gesture Control Armband

First there was the Force, then there was Tom Cruise in Minority Report, now there’s you in real life. The Myo tracks arm movements and muscle contractions to let you control everything from drones to computers to the music on your phone.

Mini Cinder Blocks and Mortar

Here’s your chance to demonstrate to everyone in your life that you are, in fact, the third little pig. Build houses that no miniature wolf will ever be able to blow down, and really put your sand-castle-obsessed nephew in his place.

2016 KTM X-Bow Gt Black Edition

Is it possible for a vehicle to be “carbon fiber heavy”? Seems especially odd to say when that vehicle’s non-carbon twin already weighs in at under 1,900 pounds. 2.0-liter, 320 horsepower, turbocharged motivation doesn’t mind either way. Also note hand-stitched seats, a titanium exhaust, all-aluminum-machined mechanicals, a backup camera and a 500 percent increase in testosterone levels. Only 5 will be made at $109k a pop.

Henry’s Hard Sodas

Orange Soda and Ginger Ale with a kick — and not from your uncle’s hip flask this time. MillerCoors release these 4.2% ABV palate-pleasers in memory of Henry Weinhard, a brewer from the Pacific Northwest.

Evoke Vaporizer

If you can manage to wrap your head around how great this device looks, you’ll be amazed that its insides are just as impressive. An induction core that utilizes magnetic fields to provide even heat is fitted inside to produce smooth vapor. Using swappable internals, the Evoke works with oils or dried leaf tobacco or concentrates; you control heat and dosage with a smartphone app.

Marathon Shell by Ultimate Direction

Weighing in at only 3.3 ounces, the Marathon Shell is lighter than, well, most things. A back vent regulates heat while detailing in the shoulders allows for comfortable motion, and the whole windproof thing packs into its own chest pocket for easy transport.

Gitman Vintage for J.Crew Garment Dyed Oxfords

Made with the Gitman Brothers factory in Pennsylvania, these garment dyed button-downs come in colors that the spring is aching for. They’re also bright enough to be seen from space, which is why we want one of each.

SlimFold Micro Soft Shell Wallet

San Franciso-made from 0.5mm-thick 70 mph crash-tested materials: just what you need in a wallet. And it’s waterproof, which is also what you need in a wallet. Bottom line: it’s super thin and holds a ton of cards and even some cash.

‘Tom Clancy’s The Division’

What’re you up to this weekend? YEAH, NOT ANYMORE. Now you’re playing this all-new, first-person, open-world shooter that takes place in Manhattan. (So while you’re smearing bad guys and investigating the source of a virus, make sure to stop by the GP offices and rescue us. We’ll probably have already cannibalized the intern — don’t judge.)

Topo Designs Mountain Messenger

The next time you have to deliver messages on top of a mountain (or when you just want to look awesome on your commute), reach for a multicolor, 1000d Cordura pack from Topo. Your 15-inch laptop will fit inside, your Nalgene will fit on the side, there’s a stabilizing waist strap and of course high-grade hardware all around.

Wood and Brass Notebook by Pacific & West

Take some recycled paper, add 0.8mm-thick, three-ply sheets of hand-oiled walnut and some beautiful brass coil hardware, and BOOM: best notebook ever. Available in two sizes with either plain, ruled or dot-grid paper; made in the USA.

Polar V650 GPS Bike Computer

From AJ Powell, Tech Writer : Polar’s newest bike computer has been updated with a new route guidance feature that allows cyclists to load predetermined routes and make use of GPS guidance. The big upgrade though is the partnership with Strava, as customers purchasing the device will receive a two-month Strava Premium membership — including access to features like Suffer Score and live data.

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