The Brooks Review

The Best — 2024

Some notes before we kick this mother off.

This is much shorter explainers than in years past. Go back and read reviews and such to get a better sense. I wanted to make this faster to get through (for me and you).
I’ve got a lot more gear selected this year.
When possible I am linking to the review and the shopping link, which will be affiliate where possible.
Best and favorite are different things.
This is all subjective, where my opinion rules the day.

Enjoy!

One more thing: this list is full of expensive shit. I remember reading lists like this and breaking my back to try and afford stuff on the lists. Some of that gear is still around, but none of it made my life so much better at the time, that it was worth that level of financial stretch to get the gear.

Don’t read this list thinking that your life will be made any better by switching to anything here. This is just a bunch of material bullshit that you’ll likely never “need”. Anyways, enjoy this list from the perspective of shaking your head at a guy who has spent far too much money on gear.

Contents show

Best Notebook

Starting here, as my love affair with this item has not stopped. The Observer Collection’s Papa Notebook with a Travelers Passport insert (two of them) is utter perfection. I carry a Tactile Turn Slim Side Click Pen (short) in this with an OTHO Flash Dry refill — this goes basically everywhere with me.

Best Backpack Overall

The overall category is the “if you can only have one” category, and when it comes to backpacks, that’s easy: Alpha One Niner’s Evade 1.5 (2024). This backpack is exceptional, well sized, excellently made, perfect materials, and better than anything I’ve tried for this use. It has enough features and versatility that it won’t look out of place in an office or on a trail. It has some compression, is low key looking, and has a lot of configuration. The pockets are well thought out and the harness is very comfortable. I’d have no issue traveling with this, meeting with clients, or day hiking.

Best Backpack for EDC

If I were to daily carry a backpack and need it to roll from weekends out in the world, and back to the office during the week, it’s going to be Filson’s Journeyman. It’s a little smaller than the Evade 1.5, and is a complete blank canvas, while the aesthetics jump up quite a few notches. When it’s not full it looks small, and when it is full it doesn’t look huge — this is an underrated trait of a good EDC pack.

Best Backpack for Outdoors

This is not your pure “hiking” bag, this is the bag you take on groomed trails with the family, short hikes, to the park, to the beach, or when simple is the rule of the day and dirt is at play — it’s the “no devices needed” backpack. And for that it’s Kifaru’s Echo — an amazing backpack. It can carry a ton of weight, be worn comfortably all day, and has a load of perfect outdoor features. I day hike with this bag all day long, and it nails the sizing and features, while feeling indestructible.

Best Hiking Backpack

A hiking backpack is something you need when you are going long on the miles, or possibly a quick overnight. This is the bag when you drop the ‘day’ from your hiking, because you are hiking. For that, it’s Mystery Ranch’s Radix 31. This bag carries just enough, does it really well, and is everything you need with the creature comforts added in. It’s very stable on your back over rocky and uneven terrain, and it distributes the load exceptionally well.

Best Travel Backpack

I don’t do much one bag (personal item only) travel these days, but if I did you would see me using my Alpha One Niner Evade 1.5 for that. This bag can hold a ton, compress, and be comfortable — all while still allowing easy access to my gear. Once I get there I have the best overall backpack with me to go on all the rest of my adventures. It fits at your feet in most scenarios and while I might want a little more space, if you toss on the Beavertail you’ll have everything you need.

Best Office Briefcase

I am steadfast that the best briefcase for the office is the Filson 24hr Briefcase. It looks fantastic without looking overly premium. It’s really well laid out, and can carry a surprising amount of gear for the size. It isn’t bulky in and of itself, and thus rewards you well for carrying less. The two front pockets are true gems and underrated on this bag.

Best Shoulder Bag / Purse / Sling

I moved away from the smaller slings, and to more substantial sized bags in the 12-15L size class. I’ve been blown away by the Bleu de Chuaffe Business Musette Bag which is a bit like ‘what if Filson were French’. The twill is the same as Filson twill (as far as I can tell) and the detailing is all the right bits of Filson with all the style flair of — well not Filson. The sizing of this bag is spot on, and it’s very easy to get in and out of without needing two hands or worrying about gear spilling out. Oh, and it’s oh so very soft to the touch. A gem.

Best Duffle Bags

I am a huge proponent of duffle bags, and for me the best ones are the Small and Medium sized Filson Rugged Twill Duffle. I check these when I fly and have no issues. They get tossed around the back of my car amongst the other gear when we roadtrip. They are very much the bag that I pack for pretty much every trip with. They are exceptional quality, and design. They look killer, and work extremely well. They’re all you need for a duffle.

Best Pouches

I’m a fickle bitch when it comes to the pouches I use. I don’t like most I’ve tried and I think they are universally not well designed. The only pouches which have stuck enough, such that I’ll vouch that they are the best, is the Hardgraft Content Cable Cases. They feel sublime and have slight padding while still being smushable. I appreciate the minimal pocketing in them too. What I like the best is how they feel and look.

Best Flashlight Overall

The overall best flashlight has to be well rounded enough that it can do everything. Have low enough light that you can ninja sneak to go pee without waking up your spouse at night. Have enough ouput that you can actually see what went bump in the night. A good set of variable modes so you can work while running the light. Long runtimes. It should be nearly indestructible. And you should be able to hand it to your kid without instruction.

There’s still only one for that: HDS Rotary EDC. It’s not even fucking close. If you’re lucky enough to have the 18350 tube for yours, then you have the literal best setup a man could want in any flashlight.

Best EDC Flashlight

Unlike the overall pick, the EDC pick has to be something you want to carry in your pocket often, something which is easy and trusted to be carried with you. This was a tight race, but ultimately I am picking the Kosen x Malkoff MDC in a AA variant — pick the emitter of your desire for it. The MDC is easily one of my most used lights, and the AA variants are slightly lower output, with long runtimes — an easy type of light. They are slim enough to fit in your pocket, bright enough for anything you need, and durable as hell. I prefer an SM353 emitter if you can get it.

Best Tiny Flashlight

Pocket bulk is a real thing, so if you want the best and to keep you pockets trim, the Dawson Hoku Clicky is a near perfect light. It’s crazy bright, feels amazing, and disappears in your pocket. The only downside here is the 10440 battery has a short runtime. I’d love a standard AAA variant of this light.

Best Outdoors Flashlight

I am not talking about something to take on a multi-mile backing trip, but maybe (I would), rather if you are outside, in the woods, what have you. What you need here is something easy to hold with cold or wet hands. Something durable, something bright, something that can project, and take a beating. The best you can get is a Kosen x Malkoff MD2 model — Kosen will get you better emitters, while Malkoff makes the light indestructible. This runs an 18650 so the run time is long and the output is high. Hell yes. I prefer the 3-mode for this use.

Best Watch Overall

Oh boy, buckle up, big changes. This is the watch that covers over 95% of what the average man needs. And the Datejust has held this title for years.

It’s been dethroned.

The best overall watch is the Grand Seiko SBGX261. It’s everything the Datejust is, plus two extras:

Insane accuracy that you never worry about.
It’s not a target of theft and thus helps you not be a target yourself.

It’s also a fantastic size, wearing small but with good wrist presence. It can be worn on more strap varieties than the Datejust too. What tossed it over the top of the Datejust is crime. A watch can’t be the best overall if it’s also something you have to worry about wearing in certain countries and cities in the world.

You won’t have the worry with the SBGX261 so it takes the best spot. And I’m happy with that. Fucking underrated watch. Get the black dial so you can wear it on black leather with a tux. It eats up straps, so be ready to buy many. It’s my most worn watch these days.

Best GADA Watch

Now that I have your attention, let’s get to the ‘GADA’ which is internet slang for “Go Anywhere, Do Anything”. This is the best watch you can put on for anything you could possibly do, without any other consideration like price or theft, and is generally thought of as a watch which can take a bit of a beating.

I have a controversial pick, and that’s the Rolex Datejust.

Most would be inclined to go with a dive watch, or other tool watch, but that’s not going to sit as easy as the Datejust in most normal situations. While the Datejust can still handle all the more extreme situations with aplomb (they are all essentially the same case design “Oyster” after all). Don’t be fooled, you are not going to need to water resistance beyond what the Datejust has.

Best Office Watch

Self explanatory category here, and in years past I would have selected the SBGM221, but I think that’s the wrong watch. Instead the best watch for the office is one I regret not buying before it started to get all the hype, it’s the Cartier Tank Must. Buy it in the smallest size you can stand. This watch is tremendous and exactly what modern men should be wearing to the office.

Best WFH Watch

You don’t leave your cozy office at home, so that means a lot can go out the window from concerns and needs. And when you find yourself in that spot, then you’ll find that the best watch for you is the Grand Seiko SBGM221. Gorgeous to look at, lovely to wear, water resistance doesn’t matter unless your office is on the Gulf Coast. Instead you get a GMT hand to track a second time zone, and something that looks understated and classy for your Zoom calls — effectively offsetting your generic fake background.

Best Travel Watch

Travel requires a lot from a watch. And the best is the Grand Seiko SBGE285, here’s why:

Excellent lume.
True GMT
High Accuracy Spring Drive Movement
Will not be a target for theives
GADA specs
Wears very comfortably 24/7

What more could you want from a travel watch? It flies under the radar and outperforms a GMT-Master II. Yeah, I said it.

Best Watch Straps

It’s not even close, Veblenist makes the best straps money can buy. Don’t waste your money on anything else.

Best EDC Pen

I’ve been going back and forth on this, but ultimately I know that the best EDC pen is the Prometheus Alpha Executive. Montblanc refills, under the radar style, and secure enough cap to pocket carry the pen.

Best Pocket Knife Overall

This category was a tough one for me, as I would normally not even consider this knife for this role, but when I really looked at it, it became clear that Tactile Knife’s Bexar is the best pocket knife overall.

I KNOW

Here’s why:

It’s so easy to carry, you are more likely to have it on you than not
It’s so non-threatening that you are more likely to use it
It looks fucking amazing
The materials and finishing are tremendous
I often go weeks where it’s the only knife I use.

So yes, I am confident this is the best overall pocket knife.

Best Small Fixed Blade Knife

I dove into small fixed blades this year, and this is really the best kind of fixed blade knife to buy. I’ve used loads of these, but none of have proven to be as good as Benchmade’s new Dacian. It’s a perfect size and shape, excellent steel, and the only downside is the sheath (but that’s the case with most fixed blades). I carry this often.

Best Fixed Blade Knife Sheaths

Armatus Carry’s Architect line of knife sheaths will cover an insanely wide array of knife models, are competitively priced, and extremely well made. But above all that, they are highly functional, and have no unnecessary material on them. I need to stop buying anything else.

Favorite Outdoors Fixed Blade

When you are out in the woods and you really are going to put a knife to work, you’ll want something a little larger. Not too large, but a touch more blade. The best I’ve found is the Chris Reeve Knives Backpacker. The balance and craftsmanship (including steel) is outstanding. Even the sheath is fantastic. But what pushes it over the edge is the lack of weight — it feels like nothing in hand while being perfectly balanced. I’d carry it backpacking in a heartbeat — in fact I usually hike with it in my bag.

Best Pants

New category, but I think this is one of the easiest picks on this list — the best pants you can buy are Levis 501s. They are copied continuously for a reason. They are not expensive and they look great. Done and done.

Best Socks

Anything from Rototo. ‘Nuff said.

Best Shirt

The singular best shirt you can buy is a Proper Cloth American Pima OCBD in University Stripe. It’ll work with pretty much anything and is the perfect ‘if in doubt, wear this’ shirt.

(Shop, this gives you and me money)

Best Go To Jacket

A ‘go to jacket’ is the layer you can toss on which will work with 90% of your wardrobe. It can be great over a t-shirt, or with chinos on a date night. It can go to the office, or Home Depot. The best I’ve found for this is the Le Mont St Michel Moleskin Chore Coat. A near perfect weight material, well made, excellently cut. I got navy, but that’s going to depend on your wardrobe for what works best for you.

Best Blazer

The classic, what you can throw on all the time and never regret it, for that, there’s only one: Sid Mashburn’s Ghost Blazer in Navy High Twist. It’s perfect.

Best Rain Shell

I’ve been pretty happy with most of my rain shells, but ‘pretty happy’ doesn’t make the best list. However, the Triple Aught Design Astral VR shell took me to “loving this” mode for rain shells. There’s something about the look of the jacket and the cut that hits just right.

Best Down Winter Jacket

Down jackets are hard to make look good, generally. They are usually overly synthetic, noisy, and poorly cut. And if you get one which does look good, you rarely get one which is actually warm. The only exception to this rule is my absolute favorite: Filson’s Down Cruiser Jacket. This is a workwear/lumberjack style, with a 650 fill power, wool lining on the neck, and a waxed tin cloth exterior. Add to that versatile work pocketing — it’s not going to win awards for high-fashion, but it doesn’t look like your run of the mill down jacket that you picked up at REI on sale. The waxed canvas keeps the wind at bay on top of all of it and unlike those ultralight fuckers from other brands, it can take a beating. Even here in Boulder, it’s often not cold enough to wear this jacket, but if you find yourself walking a mile plus in 20°F weather with the wind blowing and snow falling — well this is a jacket you want, and I know this from personal experience.

Best Fleece Jacket

I noted this in my review for this item, but year after year I read about how much people love this jacket and how special it is. But it wasn’t until Triple Aught Design sent me their Ranger LT Jacket that I actually understood. If I’m going to wear a fleece, this is the fleece I am going to fucking wear — it’s really exceptional.

Best Hats

I’ll die on this hill, but I’ve tested loads of hat brands over the years, and the most underrated of them all is also the best of the lot: Filson. Dry Tin Cloth, Packer Hats, Beanies — they are all best in class and consistently impress me.

Best Warm-ish and Easy Jacket

I made this section with another jacket in mind, but after getting the Relwen Windzip Jacket, this was a no-brainer. This jacket has impressive warmth for how thin it is and it blocks a decent amount of wind for a fabric which feels like it should not be that wind resistant. Add to that the overall comfort of wearing this jacket — it’s going to be a staple item for me.

Best Wallet

This wallet is stupidly good, and it looks fantastic, it’s the best and it’s Observer Collection’s Whisky. A simple looking wallet with a lot of extra tricks, it’s the only wallet I use now.

Best Daily Boots

This is a wide category, and if you think this should be a classic pair of Blundstones, than I would find it hard to fault you on that. You’d, of course, be wrong — but I can see where you are coming from. The actual best daily boots are RM Williams’ ‘Dynamic Flex Craftsman Boot’. This is taking the spirit of the Blundstone, and making it look far more respectable, while only slightly loosing some versatility. You get a boot which looks like a leather sole, but actually has some rubber for overall comfort and traction. A trimmer profile with higher quality materials all around.

When I travel, I take these. I’ve walked in rain, muck, and all across hot and humid with these. I swear by them.

Best Rucking Shoe

I’ve tried a load of different rucking shoes, and my experiences usually leave me wanting more — something better. Common problems:

Toe box is too tight
Not enough cushion on foot strike
Not enough stability on uneven terrain
Poor traction
Soft sole which wears out obscenely fast
Shitty lace systems which don’t stay tied

Shockingly, I found an unexpectedly fantastic rucking shoe which I have none of the above issues when I wear them: Nike’s Wildhorse trail running shoes. These are, without a doubt, the best rucking shoes I’ve worn.

Best Flannel Shirt

Easiest one to answer, but it’s Filson’s Alaskan Guide Shirt. Heavy flannel which needs a lot of break in. Fun patterns and colors, but also the staples. Priced well, and often on sale. I could have a closet full of these and be perfectly happy. Don’t waste money on any other flannel.

Best Hiking Pants

If you’d like, you can say that this category is any pair of Fjallraven pants — as they are all pretty tremendous in my expereince. However, the best ones I’ve found are the Fjallraven Singi-X, which have surprisingly mixed reviews online, but I’ve found them to be a really nicely balanced pair of pants. They are extremely comfortable, durable, and have amazing pockets. They also have a fantastic cut to them, and look pretty good (for hiking pants).

Best Brand

Every year I like to pick the brand I think consistently nailed their shit throughout the year. For me, in 2024, this is was a hard choice as there were multiple I wanted to put in this category. So I had to take a step back and really think about the overall impression I got for the brand. And once I did that, it was clear that the best brand this year was Alpha One Niner.

Their bags on a whole got better functionally, while still making bags at the top echelon of quality. And at the same time, the pricing is stellar. Every time I touch something made by them, the quality if obvious.

Best Online Shopping

No need for a lot of reasoning, it’s Huckberry (again). They crush online shopping.

Best Keyboard

For me, this is an easy one, it’s the HHKB Type-S Hybrid. Light in weight, solid in sound. Easy battery system. Fantastic switches. It’s not the sexiest looking board, but it’s ruined most others for me.

The Worst Of the Year

The worst thing of 2024 is Tesla Cybertrucks.