Aether X Leica Reporter Jacket

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This is exactly the kind of lunacy that lights a fire under my ass. Leica teams up with Aether to make a “Reporter Jacket”—a jacket supposedly crafted specifically for photographers wielding the Leica M. Sounds cool on paper, right?

Then, they slap on an $800 price tag. Eight hundred bucks for waxed cotton and a horde of pockets. Now, at $300, maybe I’d understand… But let’s not kid ourselves—any photographer with half a brain could wander into a military surplus store, grab an M-65 jacket for under a hundred, and walk out better equipped and better dressed for the job of actually taking pictures.

Details here.

Lego Locking Notebook

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My kid got one of these contraptions for school, and damn it—I’m hooked. It’s a notebook that locks up with Lego, cover and all, even has a Lego pen that snaps right in. The whole thing’s absurdly tactile, satisfying in that click-and-snap kind of way that sinks its claws into your brain. Now I sort of want one for myself, just for the joy of fidgeting with the damn thing.

Details here.

The Pioneer Savant Pack

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The last stop on our Pioneer Carry tour… The Savant Pack. And if you’ve learned one thing from this ride, it’s that these guys have a borderline obsessive knack for picking the right materials. Wallet, pouch, pack—it doesn’t matter. Pioneer knows what the hell they’re doing with both textiles and a sewing machine.

The Savant Pack is wrapped in Mandarin 840, a ballistic nylon that sounds tactical on paper, but in person? It’s got a luxury swagger to it. Imagine if 1000D Cordura went to charm school, but spent its nights lifting weights in some dimly lit basement gym, plotting revenge. This thing feels more Prada than GoRuck, which is to say—don’t let the fancy texture fool you. It’s still tough as nails.

In any case, that ballistic nylon is cut and sewn into a three compartment bag. First, there’s one of the best laptop compartments I’ve ever used. It provides easy access through the top, is spacious enough for just about any laptop, and is both padded and suspended for your machines protection.

Forward of that is the main compartment fed through a clamshell opening. It feels a bit on the smallish side for a 20L bag, but provides enough room for one layer of pouches or a few rolls of clothes. There’s also a document sleeve and two zippered pockets featuring some of the best flex mesh I’ve ever encountered – very smooth, flexible, and luxurious.

Finally, the last compartment up front… A half zip provides access to the full length of the bag and organization is abundant. The back wall features four sleeve pockets as well a smartly designed key leash with a simple button snap to secure anything you can fit the leash through. The interesting part here is that the further down the bag your hand goes, the more it opens up in dimension. In fact, this compartment feels larger than the main compartment. It could easily fit a fairly thick top layer, a pair of shoes, or a generously outfitted tech pouch.

To be frank, the allotment of volume between the compartments initially confused me. Why would I want to restrict the space in the main compartment to provide more in what is typically considered a quick access compartment? And then it hit me… The Savant isn’t limiting itself as a dedicated travel bag. It’s an everyday bag that seems to be targeted towards the professional.

Look at the material again. Sure, it’s tough enough to ride shotgun next to your denim jacket, but it’ll also slide right in with your business attire, no problem. And then the layout makes sense—space for a powerhouse laptop, a document sleeve for the corporate grind, and plenty of organization for all your business gadgets. And that front pocket? Perfect for overflow gear or your gym clothes and shoes after the 9-to-5 grind.

I don’t know if this clicks for you like it did for me, but once I saw it through that lens, the bag started to make sense. It stopped being confusing and started being brilliant.

So here’s the million-dollar question: Is the Savant Pack worth its $335 price tag? Is it a three-hundred-dollar bag?

Abso-fucking-lutely. After weeks with this thing, my takeaway is simple—Pioneer is serious about using the best damn materials out there and putting them together with top-tier craftsmanship. The Savant is no exception. It’s an expensive pack, sure, but worth every single penny. The only question is, do you have the right use case?

More details here.

The Pioneer Global Pouch

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For years, the only thing I knew about Pioneer Carry was their wallets—functional, no-nonsense, and built beautifully. Then a few years ago, they unleashed the Global Pouch, a travel organizer so damn flexible it can morph into anything: a tech pouch, a Dopp kit, whatever your chaotic lifestyle demands.

The magic, once again, lies in the materials. This medium-sized beast comes in your choice of Baby Ballistic, 10XD, or 3XD. My review unit arrived in slate 3XD, and it’s fantastic. Smooth as a politician’s handshake, but with none of that lightweight, fragile nonsense. It’s tough, built for action, and in my opinion, the perfect fabric for something you’ll be dragging through airports, hotel rooms, or wherever the road spits you out.

The interior? It’s like a Swiss Army knife of organization. Four slip pockets, equally spaced, surround a gaping main compartment with a zippered flap that gives you a total of seven storage zones. That’s the beauty here—you get all this flexibility without the thing becoming an unwieldy mess of zippers and tangled cables.

Personally, I see this thing shining brightest as a tech pouch. The slip pockets are tailor-made for keeping cables from turning into a rat’s nest, while the main compartment easily swallows up charging bricks, backup batteries, and whatever other tech junk you haul around. The zippered pocket is perfect for stashing the small, easy-to-lose stuff.

But me? I’ve put mine to work as a film camera gear organizer. The slip pockets handle filters like a charm, the main section holds my rolls of film, and the zippered pocket is a home for my lens cleaning kit.

Bottom line: This thing’s pure dynamite. Pioneer nailed it again with killer materials and impeccable craftsmanship. If you’re in the market for a general-purpose pouch that won’t quit, this might just be your new best friend.

More details here.

Next, we tackled a Pioneer Carry built backpack.

The Pioneer Flyfold Wallet

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Pioneer Carry is young, but they’ve got an itch for ambition, no doubt about that. The design chops? They’re there, clear as day. But what really puts them ahead of the pack in the carry goods racket is their audacity in material selection. True to their name, they’re not afraid to break the mold, using materials no one in their right mind would associate with wallets and pouches. It’s like they’ve got a sick thrill for experimentation.

My first encounter with their mad genius was the Matter Bifold, a wallet that’s been riding shotgun with me for damn near a decade now. Mine’s made of 10XD—a textile that feels like silk but could probably survive a nuclear blast. Five years of relentless abuse, and the damn thing looks like I just pulled it out of the box yesterday. That kind of durability messes with your head, makes you wonder if it’s indestructible or if time itself just gave up on it.

So, naturally, I reached out to Pioneer. Wanted to see if I could hustle a few sample products for review. Within days, a package shows up—Pioneer, not one to disappoint, delivered. You’ll see the whole lineup soon enough, but for now, let me introduce you to the Pioneer Flyfold Wallet.

This one’s made of ballistic nylon, but not the kind you’d expect from AER or Evergoods. No, Pioneer’s cooked up something they call “Baby Ballistics.” It’s like they took standard issue nylon, shrunk it down, sent it off to charm school, and came back with a material that’s tough as nails but smooth enough to pass as sophisticated. The weave is so tight, you can barely feel it. It’s a strange kind of luxury—one minute you’re thinking James Bond, the next you’re imagining the Marlboro Man slipping it into his jeans. A true chameleon of class and grit.

Fabrication? Spot on. You can tell they didn’t half-ass this thing. As for size, well, it’s a bit bulkier than I’d prefer. I’ve still got a soft spot for the slim form factor of the Matter Bifold. But here’s the kicker—Pioneer’s got wallets in all shapes, sizes, and mind-bending materials. So, whatever your preference, they’ve got something to scratch that itch. Highly recommend these lunatics… and if you’ve got means and the needs, I recommend you give them a shot.

More details on the Flyfold here.

Zens Travel Charger 2

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My doctor, in his infinite wisdom, has decided I need to wear an Apple Watch—something I absolutely detest. Sure, I love my old mechanical watches, the ones that tick away with soul and history, but fine… I’ll play ball. It’s fun to mess with tech every now and then. But here’s the problem: charging. My phone is already a hassle on the road, but throw a watch into the mix? Suddenly, I’m tangled in cables and scrambling for outlets in every godforsaken hotel room. It’s a nightmare.

Enter the Zen Travel Charger. Now, let me be clear—I couldn’t care less about charging speed. I’m not sitting there watching the battery percentage climb. No, the beauty of this thing is simple. I set it up on the hotel nightstand, toss my phone and watch onto it, and let them simmer overnight. When I wake up, everything’s fully juiced and ready to go. No fuss.

The Zen is plenty fast though… but the real magic is in its design. It folds down to this neat little package, slides into my tech pouch like it was born to be there. Best form factor I’ve found so far, and trust me, I’ve been through plenty. If you’re in the market for something that won’t make your life more complicated, I highly recommend this little gadget. It’s about as good as it gets when you’re fighting the war on wires.

Details here.

The Leica M11-D

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I’ve got a wild, borderline abusive relationship with Leica. On the one hand, I worship them for their genius in design and their relentless pursuit of optical perfection. But on the other, I can’t stand their corporate nonsense—their obsession with cashing in on the brand’s “fashion” status. Limited editions, gaudy collaborations… it all sends me spiraling into madness. None of that bullshit does a damn thing for photography.

And yet, like clockwork, they drop something so beautiful, so tempting, that it’s impossible not to want it—despite the fact I can’t afford the damn thing. This year’s torture device? The Leica M11-D. A digital camera stripped down to the bare essentials, like a classic M-camera that just happens to shoot digital. No nonsense, no distractions—just pure, unadulterated simplicity.

Oh, how I’d love to run wild with this thing. Maybe in a few years, when the used prices dip below “sell your soul” levels.

Details here.

Rollei 35AF

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The Rollei 35—a pint-sized 35mm film camera with ergonomics that could drive a man to drink but a lens so sharp it could cut glass. No bells, no whistles—just raw, fully manual control and zone focusing that left no room for error. But if you were looking for something that could slip into your pocket and still hold its own against a Nikon F3, this was the only game in town.

Naturally, the awkward little bastard built a cult following over the years—diehards who swear by its charm and simplicity. That devotion runs so deep that Mint Camera just dropped a modern twist on it: the Rollei 35AF. Same quirky handling that’ll tie your fingers in knots, but now with lidar-based autofocus and a built-in meter to sweeten the deal.

It’s a thing of beauty, and make no mistake—it’ll fly off the shelves faster than you can blink.

Details here.