Tripods are a complete pain in the ass. They are big and ungainly, so carrying them is always a hassle. Of course, a quality professional unit is also very expensive. To carry a really functional unit every day you can expect discomfort on both your back and your pocket book… or so it seemed to me when I began shopping for a compact and versatile tripod.
I love Moleskine notebooks. Beyond being excellent note takers and mini-organizers, they just feel so damned tactile. I use them for car journals, “to do” lists, and many other tasks. I seem to have them sitting around all over the place.
Rickshaw must like them too… They are a small company based out of San Francisco that focuses on hand crafting bags and organizers. Their latest is a small and water-proof job based around protecting a Moleskine notebook. The interior boasts a clear business card holder, secured zippered compartment, four pen sleeves, a padded flap to protect the journal’s cover from the pen clips, and clear rear pocket.
They are available for $50 in a variety of colors. Get yours here.
A few weeks ago, I posted about Nau’s new twill cargo pants calling them “covert cargos” as they featured the look of sleek chinos, but the functionality of EDC cargos. Folks in the forum showed some interest, so I contacted the company about getting a pair to review. They arrived at The Gear Journal world headquarters just a day before I set out on two major expeditions – a vintage car rally in Tennessee and an adventure in Hawaii.
I’m still on vacation, but thought I would drop a quick note… Earlier this week, Hamilton introduced a new watch to the market. Essentially, it’s a retool of the X-Wind and adds such features as a PVD finish, black face, and carbon strap. Somehow, this damned thing measures the mach speed of an aircraft. Just a hair over a grand puts you there.
So a friend of mine only “EDCs” three items – an iPhone, a driver’s license, and a credit card. As such, even great little solutions like the Slimmy are just too much for him. In the past, he has just used a rubber band to keep his cards together and let his iPhone float in his pocket. Recently, however, Case-Mate has come up with a solution.
The iPhone changed my life. No longer am I tethered to a laptop or a wifi connection – I can roam the world taking comfort in the fact that in a pinch, I can manage all of my sites and more from a little device that fits perfectly in my pocket. Quite frankly, I couldn’t live without it.
The latest rage in the tactical world is the use of “covert” equipment. You know, silly shit… like concealed holsters that don’t print, tactical knives that fit deep in the pocket, gear bags that look like book bags, etc… Frankly, I find most of this stuff to be a bit over the top. Then again I’m not in “the service,” so who I am to judge?
In any case, I found a “covert” use product that I actually dig. They are cargo pants that don’t look like cargo pants. You get all kinds of pockets to stuff your gear in, but you don’t have to look like a mall soldier. Pretty cool.
I carry a Nikon DSLR and love it, but it’s not exactly pocketable and is just flat-out inappropriate as an EDC camera. Enter the Panasonic Lumix GF1. It’s a small camera that is suitable for pocket carry, but sports features that seem more inline with a full-sized DSLR:
– 12-magepixel CMOS sensor
– 3″ LCD
– 720p HD Video recording
– Built-In Flash
– SDHC Storage
– Mini-HDMI output
– Image stabilization
– and more…
Of course, all of this tech-glory comes at a price – $900. None of my favorite reviewers have gotten their hands on one yet, but I will update this post as soon as they do…
