I have quite a few parkas hanging up at home but chose to highlight these two because of the fact that they’re lined, the Holubar with wool and the Penfield with what seems to be cotton. Both are made from a 60/40 cotton-nylon fabric pioneered by Sierra Designs in their parkas- also in my parka stash but I think you’ve probably seen enough pictures of those if you frequent blogs like this one. Continue reading
Filed under gear, private collection, wear
California based Altadena Works will be adding a couple new packs to their line this winter; the high volume Knapsack which can take lash-on side pockets and a smaller daypack called the Ventura Pack which is the only one of their packs that isn’t leather-bottomed. The Knapsack reminds me of an old Gerry pack I’ve seen before, but surely the Altadena version is more durable because it’s new and made with some serious materials. All four of Altadena’s packs are made with heavyweight cordura, Horween leather, military spec webbing, and metal hardware. Oldschool aesthetics with quality materials, what’s not to like?
Suggested reading: Klettersack & Shapes and Sizes
I don’t exactly recall I how found this magazine, but I like it. After a little digging (a post on Ridge) I found out that it’s aimed at a female audience, that much is unclear from these spreads though. From what I can tell it seems a little less fashion driven than other Japanese outdoor magazines like Go Out but not by much. The major difference between Hütte, German for cabin, and Go Out seems to be that Hütte is less mountain street style and more mountain style on the mountain. Either way, the photography is very nice- that’s Kasane Nogawa on the cover issue 3 pictured at the top. Perhaps the writing is good too, but I can’t read Japanese. See some more sample spreads here.
Suggested reading: Kasane Nogawa
Filed under gear, japan, outside, photography
I’ve been looking around on ebay for a pair of Italian made Vasque’s for a little while now- they’re currently being made in China and I’ve heard enough negative feedback to even consider buying a new pair, especially since the msrp is at $180. Sure these are a little bit beat up but they’re miles from retirement, I just reconditioned the leather and threw on some laces I had around.. who wants to wear pristine boots anyways?
Suggested reading: Danner
Filed under gear, private collection, wear
This pack first peaked my interest when I saw a prototype pop up on the Topo blog back in March. After talking about the pack with Jedd and Mark for a little while they sent me a near-final iteration of the prototype that’s very similar to the sling pack they’re now offering- the only difference was the addition of a stabilizing strap in the final design.
I’ve been using the pack at least a few days a week since August, filling the gap between my tiny laptop bag and larger git-r-done packs. The size is perfect for carrying a 15″ laptop, an extra layer of clothing, and some small odds and ends. The padded back and wide strap make for a really comfortable wear; note the D-rings on both lower corners for switching the strap to your preferred shoulder. 1000 denier cordura strong with a coated lining, made in Colorado. Check out the Sling Pack and Topo’s other packs on their site: Topo Designs
Filed under field test, gear
Shoichi Watanabe is a craftsman of leather and canvas bags whose workshop and retail store are situated in the Kichijoji neighborhood of Tokyo. Watanabe specializes in touring style bike luggage for panniers and racks but also does a good deal of shoulder and hand bags. His flickr is filled with photos, pushing 3,000 of them, of bags along with both his own and customer travel/in use photos.
Hoggan’s is a little company based out of Rupert, Idaho that has been making bags, packs, pouches, tents, and pretty much everything else under the sun for over 100 years. I was mostly drawn to these little illustratons of their packs on their web catalog; since almost everything they make is custom not every product has an example in photographic form. Perhaps this is what the Campmor catalog would look like if they hired David Shrigley? (found via CarryWare)
A simple bag for a simple task- a rider on a long stage will need more fuel to keep up their stamina and so a member of the support team will distribute these ‘snatch and grab’ musettes of food along the way. Sometimes two closures and other times just one; the bag has to be easy to access while riding a bike. The long strap also eases the quick distribution process as shown below (grabs from A Sunday in Hell).
Suggested reading: Archival Review: Cycling Musettes & A Sunday In Hell
cork grips 