One thing Members regularly read about is new gear I pick up and items I am eyeing. I tend to note new things I am testing or trying at the end of most of my Member Journals. I went back through the last 8 months or so to take a look at the gear I’ve mentioned and pulled out a selection to share.
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Casio Duro MDV-106 Re-ReviewDecember 15, 2022
The Hype: Yoshida & Co’s Porter BagsAugust 26, 2025
Grand Seiko SBGX261February 23, 2023
Recent Articles
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Current Setup: Day Hiking
Looking at my current day hiking load out.
Having recently moved to Colorado, I’ve been doing a lot of day hiking with my family. So, I thought it would be a good time to go over what I am keeping my pack and using right now, as I am sure it will change in a few months.
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High Twist: The Linen Lowdown
Everything You Need to Know About Summer’s Favorite Fabric
In this episode, Ben and Bruce discuss linen fabric, its properties, and how to wear it. They cover different types of linen (Irish vs Italian), linen weights, care and maintenance, and how to style linen garments. The hosts share their personal experiences with various linen pieces and offer recommendations for brands that make quality linen clothing. They also touch on linen-adjacent fabrics like hemp and ramie, discussing their unique properties compared to linen.
For those who do listen, we would really love it if you subscribed on your platform of choice. I assume it helps with something more than my ego when I check the stats, but at the very least it helps there.
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Packable Totes: Peak Design and Epperson Mountaineering
Pack that tote up.
I started taking a packable tote with me for travel. It comes in handy during airport snack stops when you buy slightly more than what fits in your bags. Or during strolls around cities when you pick up a few odds and ends and don’t want to be carrying around large branded store bags. Or if you live in a state where the norm is the use your own tote bag to carry anything you buy.
While I have a lot of thoughts on non-packable tote bags, today I want to talk about two packable ones which I think are quite excellent in different ways. I often carry one of these with me.
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Buying Fake Watches
There’s a lot of fake luxury watches out there.
A great read about Istanbul & Counterfeit Watches. I love this bit:
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Great Deals on Hiking Stuffs at REI
Great deals to fill up your emergency bags.
REI has some nice discounts going on here. <- Affiliate link, that is.
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Kifaru Echo Backpack
Allow me to introduce you to the best outdoors backpack I’ve ever used.
I’ve had this Kifaru Echo for nearly a year now, having picked it up back in August of 2023. And while I immediately loved this bag, I didn’t use it a ton, and so it sat around waiting for Texas hikes which never happened. But when I moved to Colorado, I knew this bag was going to get used a lot for hiking.
And after putting this bag through the paces on the trails, in the mountains and woods — I can confidently say that this is the best outdoors backpack I’ve used.
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High Twist: Bag it Up
Ben and Bruce discuss their preferences for various carry solutions, discussing the pros and cons of different bag types for daily use and travel. They also share insights on organizing bag contents using pouches and accessories. They talk about balancing style with practicality, the importance of versatility in everyday carry items, and how their choices…
Ben and Bruce discuss their preferences for various carry solutions, discussing the pros and cons of different bag types for daily use and travel. They also share insights on organizing bag contents using pouches and accessories. They talk about balancing style with practicality, the importance of versatility in everyday carry items, and how their choices reflect their personal styles and needs.
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Sunspel Riviera Polos
This is the best polo shirt you can buy.
I stopped wearing polo shirts for a while, and when I was ready to get back into them, I wanted to wear the best ones out there. I was told that the Sunspel Riviera Polos were in a league of their own — the best for sure. I bought a long sleeve variant, and then I bought another, and a few more including short sleeved models as well.
Yes, I agree, these are the best polo shirts you can buy.
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Member Journal — 7/29/24
Generative AI is getting really good, it’s at a spot where it doesn’t make a lot of sense to use anything other the commercial options (personally or professionally) so let’s review them.
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Traska Venturer GMT
The best value for money watch you can buy.
Imagine if you could go buy an exceptionally well finished watch, with a great movement, a really modern-if-classic design, and do that all for under $1,000? That’s what the Traska Venturer GMT offers, and in a lot of ways it represents the best value for dollar on the watch market.
But labeling it as a value buy, is a disservice to what this watch is. The finishing is at least on par with Tudor. In fact, I think it might be a better watch than my Tudor GMT — at a fraction of the price. None of this was expected, or really apparent from the website marketing. So, I’ll do my best to explain how it accomplishes this feat.
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High Twist: The Low-Cost Leap
Experimenting with New Styles
Fun show this week, appreciate all the new subscribers!
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Topo Designs TopoLite Accessory Bag – Quick Thumbs Up
A must own little pouch, but only in this new material.
I’ll keep this short and sweet. I am pretty ambivalent about the standard Topo Designs Accessory Bag, they can feel oddly bulky and like overkill. But I was intrigued by the Topolite variant which uses a lighter fabric for the same Accessory Bag.
This is the correct way to execute this Accessory Bag, and it’s fantastic.
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Member Journal — 7/22/24
What is really fucked in iPadOS, and also we need to classify CEOs better when referencing them.
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Sid Mashburn’s Ghost Blazer
Allow me to introduce you to the best blazer out there, and my favorite jacket.
This ‘blazer’ is one of my favorite items of clothing — so much so that even given the pricing (roughly $1,000), I own three of these blazers and still want more. If you look at this blazer online before you read about it, you’ll likely not get what makes it so great — you’ll be distracted by what looks like a rather traditional blazer.
But that’s a mere illusion. A part of the magic of what makes the Sid Mashburn Ghost Blazer so amazing to wear is that it looks pretty normal, while wearing exceptionally well.
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High Twist: Watch Yourself
New podcast episode!
Dive into the world of watches with Bruce and Ben as they explore the intricacies of timepieces, from affordable options to luxury brands. This episode covers everything from why watches matter in the digital age to how to choose the perfect watch for your style and budget. The hosts share their personal experiences, offer practical advice on buying watches, and discuss the cultural significance of various brands. Whether you’re a watch enthusiast or a curious beginner, this episode provides valuable insights into the art of selecting and wearing watches that complement your personal style.
Fun show, I let loose about watches and got a few things slightly oopsed on the show.
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Filson’s Outlet Summer Sale
Good deals, great brand.
Good prices on a lot of their clothing.
Some of my faves I’ll vouch for:
- Lightweight Alaskan Guide Shirt: it’s a classic look, without all the heat. I love mine, really great weight. (Second link with more colors, Filson’s sales are odd like that.)
- Alaskan Guide Shirt: or if you live somewhere colder, this is the classic.
- Forestry Cloth Cruiser: this is like a Filson take on a chore style jacket, in the cruiser cut. The wool is very smooth on the hand, and not overly warm. Runs big, but damn is it great.
- Down Jac Shirt: this was my warmest layer during 20°F days in Durango last winter, it’s fantastic. It also packs down exceptionally well.
- Washed Feather Cloth Short Sleeve: I’ve been living in these to unpack the house. A great and easy shirt, which is pretty lightweight. Big fan, I sized down one letter size from my standard.
- Field Flannel: this is an odd one, but I think underrated. It has a lining almost, and it’s really soft and moves great. The Alaskan Guide flannels tend to be stiff until you wear them in, but this is soft out of the box. If being in a cold place, with a whiskey, by a fire is your thing, then this is your shirt.
