Fjällräven Store NYC

So, since school has started up again I haven’t been able to adventure as frequently as I would like to (as evidenced by my lack of blog updates). However, being at home more has given me the opportunity to catch up on blog reading. While checking out A Continuous Lean, I came across a great feature on Fjällräven. Founded in 1950 in Sweden, Fjällräven’s classic design hasn’t changed much. The company recently opened their first U.S. store in New York City. Enjoy the store photos, courtesy of ACL. [Note: the company’s logo is a small Arctic Fox and Fjällräven works actively to protect the little furry fellow (shown below).]

 

Rite in the Rain

So, basically I just think these notebooks are super fun.  As the name suggests, they’re made to be used in wet conditions.  You can jot notes down (for instance, “remember umbrella”) while walking or working in rainy weather.  Also, they haven’t changed their design in a few decades so they have that neat mid-century minimalism working in their favor.

RL Rhinelander NYC

So I have never really been a huge Ralph Lauren fan. However, RL recently opened a new retail space in NYC for the Rhinelander line. I’ve really been digging the space itself (photos via A Continuous Lean and Valet). Hooray for outdoorsy interiors!

Saddleback Leather Goods

I came across the Saddleback Leather company while reading one of my favorite blogs: The Art of Manliness.  I love leather bags of all shapes and sizes, especially those with an authentic old world backpacker feel.  Everything Saddleback makes has this feel since they use only the highest quality materials and stitch everything by hand.  If you have a special man in your life, any of these would make a life-lasting gift.

Kiehl’s Cross Terrain—Grooming Adventures

I first came across Kiehl’s Cross Terrain collection when it was featured on Valet. I really liked the packaging/design of the entire collection, especially the sunscreen.  Valet had a great interview with adventurer/photographer Ben Horton (he travels around the world documenting sharks and the slow destruction of their environments).  Again, I just love the packaging, as well as the little blurbs on each product.

Extreme Adventure Camera

The new Pentax WP-90 camera is pretty amazing. This little 12.1 megapixel camera is designed to be used under extreme conditions (snow, rain, mud, etc.) and, judging by its appearance and the reviews I’ve read (it was just named Gear of the Year by Outside Mag), it seems like it can handle whatever you might throw at it. I’m a sucker for the fact it has a nylon strap with attached carabiner. It’s just too bad it says “not for climbing” on it. One rated for a few hundred pounds would have been a nice touch. It’s definitely on my list of future adventure gear. Enjoy!

Land Cruiser Updates from ICON, LA

I just came across these updated Toyota Land Cruisers from Los Angeles-based designers ICON.  Since they are my favorite cars, I just about lost it when I saw how carefully constructed Jonathan Ward’s versions are.  I love all of the little details.  If I had a hundred thousand dollars just sitting around, I would definitely pick one up.  Enjoy the photos courtesy of the ICON website and brochures.

Why REI? Why do you do this me?

Why does REI keep sending me coupons and emails announcing holiday sales? Is it because they carry so much awesome stuff that they assume (correctly) I will see said emails and buy everything? I didn’t buy this, and I usually don’t go for little multi-tool keychain things (this knife pretty much does whatever I need), but I thought it was pretty neat and Kershaw is a great brand for all things outdoor/sharp.

Carry on Parachute Bag

It’s my opinion that a carry-on bag should be capable of being carried on by its owner. I would even go as far as arguing that a person should be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin without assistance (excluding individuals with special needs, the elderly, etc…) *Venting begins* Come on though. In one trip I was bumped in the side of the face/shoulder by a guy whose wheelie suitcase was packed so big he couldn’t see where he was going with it. After that I had to put my bag under my seat because all of the overhead space for my row of 3 was taken up by one guy’s giant suitcase. Another woman had 7 carry on bags (including camera equipment, souvenirs, etc) arguing that the bags belonged to her two (very young) children. *Venting ends* In an effort to spread the word about the huge selection of human-size (as opposed to grizzly-bear-size) carry-on bags, I thought I’d post about these cool new ones from Doug Dyment (a packing expert/designer) and Red Oxx (an engineering company that designs parachute bags). [Via Core77)

Levis Storm Jacket

So I just picked up a canvas version of this Levis jacket. So far it seems to be one of the more awesome purchases I have made recently. It doesn’t hurt that the jacket has been worn by some of the cooler members of old Hollywood.

The Selvedge Yard

So this is just a short post dedicated to The Selvedge Yard blog and my buddy Nick’s recent purchase. I’ve been meaning to share this blog, as it is devoted to a ton of cool topics (mainly 1960’s/70’s motorcycles, culture, and fashion), but Nick’s new bike made the timing seem even better. Below are some of my favorite photos. Vroom Vroom.

Band of Outsiders

So, due to the fact that my adventure co-pilot is such an avid polaroid-er, I have become a huge fan of vintage cameras and (polaroid/diana) photography.  Combine that with my love of the outdoors and camping-inspired apparel, and you can see why I love the new look book from Band of Outsiders.  (It also doesn’t hurt that the book stars Leslie Mann).

vroom vroom

So, with all the furniture building, typewriter and table saw restoring, teardrop trailer blueprinting, etc., we have been doing, I have been thinking more and more about how fun it would be to restore an old car.  To be completely honest, I have never been “handy” so to speak, especially when it came to automobiles.  But, I have to say that after doing some very real mechanical work, [i.e. taking some things apart, cleaning and repairing them, and then putting them back together], it is really much simpler, and much more fun, than I previously imagined.  This brings me to my current object of future car restoration desire: the 1970’s Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser.

If there was ever a car to covet, it would be this one (especially in the original vintage red color).  I have always noticed these “little 4×4’s that could” out of the corner of my eye, probably because of their signature white fiberglass roof and safari-esque style. I just go crazy for all the little details (the gas can holders on the back, the barn-style rear doors, and the fog lights that just seem to say “meep meep!“) I just keep thinking how fun it would be to hitch up our future teardrop to one of these and head up Highway 1.  Vroom.