The Gear News You Need to Know This Week

We’ve made some new adjustments to This Week in Gear, including a new streamlined layout. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Monday, October 30th

Plum
When it comes to wine, the saying “use it or lose it” actually rings true. An opened bottle of wine has a relatively short shelf life before it’s relegated to cooking-wine status or turns into, essentially, fancy vinegar fit only for the drain. Plum changes all of that. Plum automatically identifies any bottle from a cloud database, perfectly preserves it and keeps it at the serving temperature it was intended for, all without actually opening it. All you have to do is push a button, and Plum gives you the perfect glass of vino, every time. — Gear Patrol

M.1 by JLA Sound Systems
The M.1 is the first speaker by JLA Sound Systems, an upcoming hi-fi company based in Brooklyn and founded by two brothers — one, an architect, and the other, an engineer — who originally founded the company as a passion project. Their wireless hi-fi speakers are beautifully designed to look like side tables, meaning they’re functional and also sound great. You can order the M1 in black or white, and each supports a number of streaming services (iTunes, Airplay, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart Radio, TuneIn). — Tucker Bowe

Rapha Brevet Flyweight Wind Jacket
Cycling brand Rapha is known for calculated understatement, not hyperbole. So when it releases a product that can be described with any word ending in “-est,” it’s worth taking note. Rapha’s latest external layer, the Brevet Flyweight Wind Jacket, is its lightest and most packable yet. The Brevet weighs only 2.61 ounces (in size medium), which is lighter than a deck of cards. It packs down to be about the same size, too, which means it’ll easily go unnoticed in any pocket. In fact, the only thing “big” about the Brevet is the stylish twin stripes circumnavigating the jacket’s chest. — Tanner Bowden

The James Brand Chapter X Salomon Super 8 Knife
In one of the more unlikely product collaborations of the year, boutique knifemaker The James Brand has joined forces with the biggest name in mountain sports, Salomon, to create a unique take on a wildly popular pocket knife. The Chapter has been in The James Brand’s lineup since the get-go (it’s often sold out) and features a drop-point steel blade just under two and a half inches. The product of that collaboration is louder than the subtle aesthetic The James Brand is known for; its handle is made with orange anodized aluminum and features topographical detailing that denotes the two brands’ common motif: adventure. — Tanner Bowden

Cockpit USA x American Trench Snorkel Parka
American Trench teamed up with military contractor Cockpit USA to produce a jacket ready to take on winter’s worst. This N3B Snorkel Parka is made from rip-stop Ventile fabric and filled with Primaloft insulation. It features American coyote fur trim around the hood, and it has both a zip closure and button placket. Made in New Jersey, this coat will stand up to years of hard use. — John Zientek

Tuesday, October 31st

AVI-8 Hawker Harrier II AV-4056
With its ability to take off vertically in confined spaces, the Hawker Harrier “Jump Jet” is one of the most stunning, iconic fighter jets of the 20th century. Using that incredible machine as inspiration, AVI-8 has created the Hawker Harrier II AV-4056, featuring a rugged 43mm case with accents like an anodized aluminum pusher at two o’clock and curved lugs that firmly hug the watch case to the wrist courtesy of a nylon and leather strap. Inside ticks a quartz chronograph movement from Miyota that allows for split timing readouts up to 30 minutes long, as well as a retrograde display for the days of the week. The AV-4056 Timepieces are now available for pre-order and each watch comes with a custom built Hawker Harrier II Turbine shaped Fidget Spinner. — Gear Patrol

BOND Travel Gear DASH Dopp Kit
Chris Elfering founded BOND Travel Gear with one goal: bring the rugged durability of the gear he used while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq to everyday travel items used by regular people. Among his company’s first collection is a burly Dopp kit made with 1,000-denier ripstop nylon and double-stitched zippers and stress points. It’s designed to be tossed, crushed and generally abused (and it’ll probably withstand more of a beating than the necessaries you store inside). — Tanner Bowden

Wilson & Willy’s Half Raglan Trench
This textured version of the trench is made in the USA from an oxblood Japanese wool fabric. It features back panel raglan sleeve construction, double-needle stitching and genuine horn buttons. It’s highly versatile: throw it on over your favorite sweatshirt and jeans, or pair it with a button-down and slacks. It’s a great mid-weight piece of outerwear for any occasion. — John Zientek

Tanner Goods x Danner Mountain Pass Humboldt
The sixth creation of Tanner Goods’ and Danner’s longstanding partnership, the Mountain Pass Humboldt is a city-street trekker with suede leather, a Vibram sole, a waxed canvas collar and a water-resistant, breathable DRI-LEX lining. Like most of the two Pacific Northwest brands’ products, the boots are handmade in Portland, Oregon. — Michael Finn

A/MARELLI X Chapman Camera Bag
Photographer (and former Gear Patrol Contributor) Adam Morelli has come out with his own camera bag, based on a shoulder bag design from Chapman Bags. The end result is a durable (and waterproof) canvas bag that you’d actually want to be seen carrying, with details tailored for photographers. That means a durable shoulder strap that wraps around the entire bag, a padded laptop compartment, pockets big enough for lenses and camera bodies and the ability to add your own padded dividers (if that’s your thing). — Andrew Connor

Wednesday, November 1st

Buri Utility Knife and Akua Rescue + Dive Knife
If you’re trying to survive the elements or merely need to make day-to-day tasks on your camping or diving adventure easier, you need the right tool for the job — you need a knife that is as multi-faceted as you. Gear Aid’s utility knives, made from titanium-coated 420 stainless steel, three-inch blades, are just that tool, whether on land or out at sea. — Gear Patrol

TAG Heuer Autavia Jack Heuer Edition
Earlier this year, TAG Heuer reissued its iconic Autavia chronograph, making it one of the most talked-about timepieces of 2017. Now TAG has launched a limited-edition version of that watch in honor of Jack Heuer, the creator of the original Autavia and an influential figure in the watch industry throughout the 20th century. The watch retains much of the 2017 Autavia’s features — notably the same 42mm case and in-house chronograph movement — but receives a new “panda” dial design with black sundials set against a silver background. Only 1,932 examples will be made and will retail at $5,900. — Andrew Connor

Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L
San Francisco–based Peak Design has mastered the art of the bag. Its latest (and smallest and lightest, too) is designed for camera or drone carry, but it works well as an organizer for everyday essentials, too. The Everyday Sling 5L’s interior is optimized with removable padded dividers that help to keep gear safe and secure, and a variety of internal organizing pockets for memory cards, cords, and other small items you may need at hand. The outer is constructed with a weatherproof nylon canvas shell. Even the strap is a marvel, built to adjust on the fly or be tucked into a hidden pocket in case you prefer to wear the sling as a hip bag. — Tanner Bowden

Kodak Printomatic Instant Print Camera
The Kodak Printomatic was announced in early September. It has a 10MP sensor and can instantly print sticker photos that are 2 x 3 inches, similar to the more expensive Polaroid Snap ($89). It’s simple to use and has a built-in flash, and it can even capture new photos while it’s printing other ones. And it’s now available on Amazon. — Tucker Bowe

Artifox DESK 02 Black Edition
Artifox’s masterfully designed minimalist desk now comes in black. It has a number of clever features, like a built-in gadget dock, cable grid, headphone hook and more. It’s also modular — for an additional $40 or $99, you can add additional elements, like a small shelf or a desktop organizer. Available in walnut or oak; ships November 27. — Michael Finn

Thursday, November 2nd

Toad&Co Mission Ridge Pants
The Mission Ridge Pant from Toad&Co is the perfect alternative to jeans this winter. Unlike your typical khakis, these pants smartly blend organic cotton for comfort, polyester for durability and a small amount of spandex for mobility. Each pair is also tailored with a fit that strikes the right balance between slim and relaxed. The result is a modern pant that’ll work as well in the office as it will on the trail. — Gear Patrol

Next-Generation Shelby 1000
SEMA isn’t exactly known for introducing subtle cars, and there’s no way Shelby is going to buck that trend. This year’s show now brings us the comeback of the Shelby 1000, the 1,000 horsepower Mustang designed and tuned by the legendary Shelby American. But this muscle car isn’t just for the drag strip — everything from the engine, brakes, tires, suspension, ECU and axels have been upgraded and tuned to handle all that power and get the Shelby 1000 through turns as fast as possible. — Bryan Campbell

Razer Phone
Razer has been building high-end gaming laptops, desktops and accessories for years. Good ones. Really good ones. Now the company is taking its first leap into smartphones with the Razor Phone. It’s designed as a “gaming” smartphone. It has a 5.7-inch display, the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage and a big 4,000mAh battery. That said, other than its specs, the only real thing that makes it a gaming smartphone is its Game Booster app, which, according to The Verge‘s Vlad Savov, can “prioritize system resources for games [and] specify your desired resolution.” It also has a pretty good dual 12MP camera system. You’ll be able to preorder Razor Phone soon, with shipping set to commence on November 17. — Tucker Bowe

Burton Gold Elite Collection
Last night, Burton unveiled the U.S. snowboard team uniforms for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. Inspired by the history of the American space program, the designs are both retro-futuristic in style and innovative in construction. If you want to add some of that same aesthetic into your own wardrobe, the brand is offering a line of products that riff on the uniforms dubbed the Gold Elite collection. From socks and beanies to tees and pants and jackets, this is a cool line of winter gear you’ll want to rock all season long. — John Zientek

Friday, November 3rd

Ranger Station Candles
As the days get colder and darker, the comforts of home become hard to beat. The little things make all the difference; for instance, a good candle can add a warm glow and welcome scent to any room. Nashville-based Ranger Station makes a range of soy wax candles that fit the bill. The candles are hand poured into heavy glass tumblers, designed to double as whiskey glasses once the wax is burned. Scents include Oakmoss, Balsam Fir and Santalum, among others, and the candles will burn for at least 40 hours. They cost $36 a piece, a worthy investment to step up the ambiance of any room (and eventually live by your bar cart). Not ready to pull the trigger? Ranger Station just added a try at home program: buy 4 tealights for $12 and the kit comes with a $12 credit. Get free shipping now when you use the code GPFREESHIP at checkout. — Gear Patrol

Worn & Wound Black Grid Wax Watch Roll
Worn & Wound’s latest addition to its lineup of watch accessories is this American-made watch roll featuring an outer protective layer of grid waxed cotton. Inside, it features dark gray pockets made from Horween leather that can accommodate up to four watches and a springboard tool. — Andrew Connor

Dakine Eric Pollard Team Heli Pro Backpack
Like any action sports brand, Dakine supports a team of athletes who push their sports to the limits every season. Those athletes often harness creativity on and off the mountain, and every year Dakine taps this well to create unique product collaborations. The Team Heli Pro backpack is one of those products; designed with professional skier, artist and filmmaker Eric Pollard, the pack is built to carry everything needed for a day of backcountry skiing or snowboarding, but unlike many technical bags, it looks good enough to sport around town, too. — Tanner Bowden

Slowtide Holiday 2017 Collection
Who says beach towels have to be boring? Slowtide’s super-soft cotton towels are anything but. They just released four new prints: Makai (floral), Regime (camo), Valen (Native American print), and Indigo Sun (blue and white tie-dye. — Michael Finn

Love Hultèn Cary42 Arcade Console
Love Hultèn makes wooden contraptions that belong in a wizard’s spire corner office. Their latest conjuration is an American walnut briefcase; inside is a fully featured retro arcade console, with 100 classic games pre-installed, including Metal Slug, Gauntlet, Contra and more. (If that’s not enough, feel free to add over 10,000 emulated games manually.) Only 50 will be made. — Michael Finn

Buck Mason Double Weave Vintage Two Pocket
Buck Mason’s work shirt is ideal for fall, capable of being worn as a undershirt or an insulating outer layer. It’s 100 percent cotton and double woven, so it’s strong and soft, and is available in several colors, including black, dark blue (Atlantic) and elm. — Tucker Bowe

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