Today in Gear is our daily roundup of all the latest product announcements, drops and deals. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].
A good winter coat for days on the mountain should provide warmth, protection from the elements and elevated details that make being on skis or a board easier. The Nordic Jacket from Aether checks all these boxes.
Made from a stretch two-layer fabric, the Nordic Jacket is waterproof, seam sealed and wind resistant. The bonded-baffle construction is paired with 800-fill-power grey-goose down insulation for superior warmth. And there are plenty of details that make it a tremendous on-mountain jacket: a three-point adjustable hood with technical wool, a ski-pass pocket on the sleeve, armpit zippers for breathability, a removable snow skirt for powder days, integration with a RECCO rescue reflector and a goggle pocket with a brushed-tricot lining to protect your lenses. While all these features make the Nordic Jacket ideal for cold days on the mountain, its sophisticated look and fit make it one that you can wear anywhere.
You Can Buy a Perfect Classic Bronco and Ford Is Totally Cool With It
Gateway Bronco officially signed a licensing deal with Ford for its restored and modified builds of 1966 and 1977 Broncos. Support like this, from a big manufacturer, is tough to come by, which is why…
Fox Racing Comp 5 Boots Save $50: The initial dive into off-road riding can be a daunting one. It’s a different world than pavement — there are new techniques to learn, skills to sharpen and new gear to acquire. It’s best then to efficiently prepare as much as possible, and a good place to start, with boots at least is the Fox Racing Comp 5 Boots.
The Fox Racing Comp 5 Boots don’t lean too far towards dedicated touring boots, nor are they designed for all-out racing — they land in a healthy middle ground of design, protection and comfort. Since the Comp 5 Boots aren’t the super-focused boots experienced and veteran riders look for, the price tag isn’t sky high. Today, they’re even more affordable at 25% off. — Bryan Campbell
Mountain Hardwear Optic 2.5 Tent Save 50%: Unlike sleeping bags, backpacks, headlamps, jackets, skis — every piece of outdoor equipment really — tents don’t adhere to the same seasonal schedule of innovation and updates. It’s because even tents from years ago were built with high-quality materials that expertly blend durability with low weight — there’s not a ton of room for improvement (although a handful of companies are indeed producing creative new designs). But it’s also a result of the fact that tents are big purchases that generally last a long time, a characteristic that’s bolstered by the fact that tents are also easy to repair. A casual outdoorsy type might replace a ski jacket after two years but use the same tent for 10. Before I bought my own tent, which I’ve had for four years, I borrowed from my dad the one he purchased more than 25 years ago.
All this is to say that you shouldn’t have any misgivings about purchasing a tent that a company has had in its catalog for a while. With tents, the latest and greatest isn’t always the best, and that’s why Mountain Hardwear’s Optic 2.5, which the company released in 2014, is still a good purchase. The tent is more for casual campers than die-hard backpackers; it weighs over five pounds but has a roomy interior that fits two people plus gear (or a dog) and a unique door arrangement that provides 180-degree views from inside. Right now, it’s also 50 percent off, which drops its price down to just $120. — Tanner Bowden
Bunn BX-B 10-Cup Coffee Maker Save $29 The engineering behind making consistently great cups of coffee is not to be taken lightly. The drip brewer must heat water to an exact temperature, pre-infuse the grounds, water the entirety of the brew bed evenly and pull a precise amount of coffee solids (the stuff that makes coffee taste like coffee). And it’s gotta do all these things in less than five minutes or we get ornery.
A lot of credit is given to the rigor of the Specialty Coffee Association’s home brewer program, and for good reason — it’s the most difficult to achieve certification stamp in the coffee world. But there’s barely 15 brewers on its list, and all of them sell for north of $100 (and up to $350). Bunn, a company steeped in coffee-making history, mostly works on the commercial side of the business (you’ve probably seen its grinders in your grocery store or local coffee shop), but its small line of home coffee makers is no joke.
Bunn’s 10-cup BX-B home brewer is among the very best of affordable coffee makers and does everything a great coffee maker needs to and, thanks to a pre-heated water tank, could very well be the quickest brew out there. In testing, the BX-B brewer brewed its maximum load of coffee in 3 minutes and 10 seconds. That is lightning quick. The downside to this is it is using a small amount of power whenever it’s plugged in, but if good and fast coffee is what you’re after, it’s hard to beat.
The 10-cup BX-B is discounted to an all-time low price on Amazon today. —Will Price
Adidas Sneaker Sale Save 30%Just in time for the holiday madness, a variety of best-selling Adidas shoes are on sale. Whether you’re in the market for a new Ultraboost, want to try out a pair of Pureboosts or one of our top sneakers of 2018, the Solarboosts, you can save 30 percent on your total purchase. Below are some of our favorites. — Meg Lappe
L.L.Bean Packaway Jacket Save 25%: Price doesn’t always denote quality, but in down and synthetic insulation jackets, it can give you a pretty good clue as to how warm, packable and durable they’ll be. Usually, the lightest and warmest are the most expensive. But in the case of L.L.Bean’s PrimaLoft Packaway Jacket, that rule deflates.
The Packaway is a synthetic jacket, so it’s a water-resistant and sturdy alternative to down. The fluffy fill inside these types of jackets is sometimes seen as inferior to down because it doesn’t provide as much warmth for its weight, but thanks to manufacturing advances, synthetic insulation is catching up. Inside the Packaway is PrimaLoft Gold insulation with Cross Core technology, which was initially developed for NASA and uses aerogels to increase warmth without doing the same to weight.
For comparison, Patagonia’s highly-favored Nano Puff Jacket relies on PrimaLoft Gold too but doesn’t include Cross Core. That jacket costs $199, but L.L.Bean’s Packaway is only $159. Today you can pick one up for $119 when you enter the code SAVEBIG at checkout. The discount applies to lots of other items on L.L.Bean’s website, just in case you need a new pair of boots or an ultralight sleeping bag. — Tanner Bowden
Todd Snyder Polartec Sherpa Vest Save 40%:Need a warm mid-layer to throw on as the temps drop this winter? Head over to Todd Snyder and pick up the Polartec Sherpa Vest made in collaboration with Champion. Incredibly lightweight, this understated vest is breathable, durable and quick-drying. It features a mock neck, two hand pockets and a small logo on the chest. Best of all, it’s now 40 percent off and costs just $89 — a fair price for something this versatile. — John Zientek
Seiko Prospex For Macy’s Save $184: The Seiko Prospex line is perfect for both the casual wearer and the serious diver alike — there are high-end, professional models as well as those geared more toward streetwear , and just about everything in between. Macy’s, which almost always carries a healthy stock of all sorts of Seikos, recently collaborated with the Japanese brand on a limited edition blue dial Prospex, which you can nab right now for $276, a significant savings off the list price of $460.
The limited edition features a 42.3mm cushion case, blue dial with automatic date movement, 200m of water resistance, unidirectional dive bezel, black silicone dive strap and limited 3-year warranty. This is a serious tool watch for not a lot of money, so if you’re in the market for a new diver or you’re in need of a holiday gift for someone, this is a deal not to be missed. — Oren Hartov
