Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

A big green vision for the deep blue sea

Every so often, your average citizen does something remarkable. But dreaming big and actualizing that dream don’t often happen unless you’re Sir Richard Branson or James Cameron. In the case of Switzerland’s Raphael Domjan, the dream has become a reality no one could have forseen. The Tûranor PlanetSolar was birthed from a vision by Domjan. In 2008, with a background in electrical engineering and an active spirit of adventure (having experience as a pilot, paramedic and mountaineer), Mr. Domjan began to plan his life’s desire to be the first to circumnavigate the world on a purely solar-powered ship. What started as an overwhelming obstacle was soon overcome by his insatiable thirst for this monumental adventure.

More details, photos and video after the jump.

Year of the Ruck

We’ve written about GORUCK and their tactically inspired gear a number of times. Made in the USA, bomb proof, with a life time guarantee, they’re the kind of company we love to support. Enough said.

But one of the best things about a GORUCK product is how they’re set up for you to make your own — something you really can’t tell until you’ve made a step into their system. 2×3 velcro patches and MOLLE webbing inside and out allow you to configure their bags exactly how you need or want. Having tested the GR1 for well over a year now — using it as a daily work bag and travel carry — we figured it was high time to show you how we’ve rigged our GR1 and why for everything from the Tough Mudder challenge to a work commute.

Continues after the jump.

Back with a splash

Nowadays, you can hardly throw a dead fish without hitting another new dive watch brand. The availability of Far East shops that will stamp out a few hundred watch cases based on a napkin sketch means that almost anyone with a little ambition and a small loan can start their own watch company. And there are many, with names and retro designs evoking the romance and adventure of the early days of diving. While it’s great to see such a swell in interest in timepieces and the entrepreneurial spirit so healthy, it’s also great to see an old name revived and a brand that is staying faithful to its heritage. Case in point: Aquadive and its Bathyscaphe dive watches in two sizes. I’ve been wearing the smaller Bathyscaphe 100 in stealthy black DLC trim for the past few months and have come away duly impressed.

Continues after the jump.

The original craft brewer

Beer lovers, we live in fortunate times. The craft brewing revolution is in full swing in America, from Seattle to South Beach. But while most craft beer makers are “micro” in every sense of the word, there’s one with a long history and the capacity to make its beer available coast to coast: Leinenkugel’s.

Sure, Leinie’s is now owned by the SAB/Miller Brewing conglomerate but they’ve been largely left to their own devices and are still headquartered in tiny Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and run by a fifth generation of Leinenkugels. While the brand is known for its seasonal brews like the excellent Summer Shandy and Oktoberfest, this year is Leinenkugel’s 145th anniversary year and they’re celebrating with a new line of limited run beers called, “Big Eddy,” named for the Big Eddy Creek, a pure water source that runs right through the brewery.

So far, Leinie’s has introduced the Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout and Wee Scotch Ale and on June 1st, they’ll add the Imperial IPA to the lineup. I got an early sample of it and it might just be the perfect summer beer. Hoppy, crisp and slightly bitter, drunk cold the IPA is a perfect accompaniment to great summer foods and post-adventure exaggeration. But beware, it packs a punch at close to 9% alcohol by volume, so don’t be surprised if you chase a bottle of it with a nap in the shade.

Learn More Here

Fitness in the Digital Age

The vast majority of us are guilty of taking better care of the various gadgets around us than we do our most personal hardware: our body. Bruce Perry’s book focuses on the only thing that really matters: making you the healthiest person you can be, not transforming you into a hulking tower of meat and veins. Anyone who has ever been tied to a desk job knows how hard it can be to squeeze in time for a short cardio session, especially when management is breathing down your neck. But getting fit doesn’t need to be so daunting and Fitness for Geeks ($23) offers a straightforward blueprint to health optimization techniques. True to its title, the book makes use of various tools and the most up to date studies available. From the Zeo to help track your sleep patterns, to intermittent fasting protocols, to the benefit of hormesis, aka good stress — it’s all about sustainable ways to approach your fitness. Isn’t it time you rebooted your system?

Buy Now: $23

No more Alfredo sauce

If you’re a car nerd like some of us here at GP, you can spot mid-cycle changes made to an automobile with just a cursory overview (when sober). These mid-cycle refreshers are common in the industry but not so much for Ferrari. The Ferrari California is an exception, and the changes are welcomed. Though plenty powerful and sophisticated, the car was a bit bloated (especially an issue when carrying on the legacy of the stunning Ferrari 250 California).

The 2013 Ferrari California drops the equivalent of some lovehandles and part of a beer gut, shaving off 66 pounds. Output has been increased due to new exhaust manifolds and reprogramming of the ECU, providing 490 hp, up from 453. The increase in power and the decrease in corpulence results in an impressive 0-60 sprint of 3.7 seconds, not too shabby for a heavy grand tourer with a hardtop folding roof. Bolster this performance with the Handling Speciale package that adds magnethorhelogical suspension and more responsive steering and you’re a linebacker in track spikes. If Ferrari could only do something about your large butt.

Learn More: Here

Zone your technique

You need a hot grill to sear in the juices for that High Plains Bison that was just delivered, but you also need a sub-400 degree zone to make sure your investment doesn’t go up in smoke. To make sure you’ve got your grill in order, just place the Taylor Grill Surface Thermometer ($10) directly on the grates (not over the open flame though) to get accurate on the spot temperature readings to perfect your technique. The Taylor has it all spelled out for you, so you can create multiple cooking zones for grilling, searing and even slow cooking. The magnetized base makes it easy to move from zone to zone, and it’s easy to clean stainless steel design ensures that it will last as long as you, provided you don’t try to pick it up without tongs.

Buy Now: $10

Click-ish

Traveling and giving presentations for work is stressful enough, which is why perennial mouse-maker Logitech has created the Cube. The palm-sized businessman’s friend is a combination mouse/presenter that lightens the load of even the most burdened road warrior. Thanks to touch surface scrolling, the Cube acts as a traditional mouse when placed on a flat surface. Whenever it’s picked up, the cube becomes a presentation remote with slide-by-slide clicking. Reverting to mouse mode is as easy as flipping the Cube over and re-clicking. Available in gloss black or Apple-lovers’ white, the Cube connects to Logitech’s proprietary receiver that can link up to six compatible devices simultaneously to your computer without hoarding all of its valuable USB ports. That sound you just heard was a brigade of sales reps in a collective sigh of relief.

Buy Now: $70

Bella bicicletta

Bring some sprezzatura (that’s essentially Italian for inner-swagger) to the peloton in the next Gran Fondo astride Bianchi’s Impulso Ultegra road bike. This cool Italian entry-level racer matches less expensive Shimano 105 and Tiagra components with Shimano’s second-tier Ultegra where it really counts — the shifters and a 10-speed rear derailleur. Its elegant aluminum frame owes those fine lines to a new process called hydroforming, which uses hydraulic pressure to dial in the tube shape and wall thickness in a way the traditional extrusion method cannot. Think carbon fiber customization and stiffness at a chromoly price point. This allows Bianchi to customize each part of the frame to maximize rigidity and strength while minimizing weight. The result: a near-race ready velo under 21 pounds. The Ultegra-equipped version of the Impulso comes in an understated black — the lower priced 105 comes in Bianchi’s signature color, Celeste. Swap out the bullet-proof wheelset for your lightweight racing treads and you’ll be ready to take on your fellow Cat 4/5 competitors. Just remember to say “ciao” as you lead out the breakaway.

Buy Now: $1,700

Walk around with home theater sound

High-end audio manufacturer Velodyne, known for making some of the best subwoofers on the market over the past few decades, is now bringing the bass even closer to your ears with the vPulse In-Ear Headphones ($90). As you’d expect, the vPulse’s provide incredible sound quality for the price thanks to 10 mm drivers encased in an aluminum housing, which provide a frequency response between 20Hz-20kHz while reducing distortion. The intuitive in-line controls also makes controlling the volume or toggling between your tunes and phone conversations easy. Heavier, flat cables prevent annoying tangles too, leaving you with more time to focus on your music instead of knot-defusing. In short, they’re the perfect approachable replacement for those tinny iBuds you’ve been torturing your ears with for years, particularly if bass is your thing.

Buy Now: $90

Length matters

What was once a stigma is quickly becoming a standard in the golf industry for those who struggle on the putting green. We of course refer to the belly putter. The next iteration of belly putter enhancement comes to us from PING in the Nome 405 Adjustable Belly Putter ($300).

Our review continues after the jump.

Naked in the dark

The BMW F800R is a phenomenal bike in its own right. Nimble, responsive and powerful, the F800R is a rider favorite due to its great naked bike looks and fantastic performance. So, how do you make it better? You send it to Russian tuner, Vilner and let them have at it. The stunning result is the Vilner BMW F800R Predator. This single iteration was custom built for a fortunate and obviously wealthy businessman (who shall remain anonymous as long as he wears a helmet when he rides).

Rendered in carbon fiber composite and chrome, the bike looks even more aggressive than the original. Vilner even added red LED headlights, making the bike look like a pissed off wolf spider. The bike has also been shortened by a full ten inches and a single seat replaces the original double. Final touches include hand stitching on the saddle, a custom exhaust, the clever re-use of hockey-puck BMW Z4 turn signals, and subtle “Predator” labeling to set it apart from your average Beemer, as if there is such a thing.

Learn More: Here

Space-saving scaffold

While city populations grow every year, living space doesn’t. Given the ever-increasing premium for square footage, creative design concepts like The Corner Ladder are becoming increasingly useful. This unique shape shifter is made of beech wood (yes, you remember that from the old Budweiser ads), brass hinges, and a cord at the base, and can collapse down to a pole that’s about 3.5 x 4 x 68-inches. Stick that behind a door and it’s out of sight until you need it next.

One thing to note: The reason the unit compacts into such a small size is because each rung has hinges that allow the outside poles to fold in toward each other. While these joints are key to saving space, they’re also reason for caution. A brass joint at the center of the rung, right where a man would step, makes the ladder considerably weaker. If a joint has to be in the middle of each step, we’d feel much better if it were titanium or otherwise reinforced.

We definitely appreciate the design and concept of a space-saving ladder, but this one might still need some tweaking before we give our stamp of approval. Right now it’s pretty much limited to someone in Spiderman’s weight class, and he’s not exactly in the market for a ladder.

Buy Now: $TBD