Good morning, welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Gear — your single shot serving of an entire week’s worth of killer new gear — pulled from our weekday editions of Today in Gear. Bookmark it to peruse over Sunday football and start your Monday completely up to speed. Here’s to another fantastic week.
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We’ve all wondered whether that Roomba has a mind of its own. Now, you can program its mind. The Create 2 is an affordable and hackable Roomba body meant to teach users robotics and computer science. Just plug in your computer and program away. iRobot provides instructions to help you make your Roomba into a floor-level photographer, a roaming DJ, and even light painting assistant. $200
Most people either use a snorkel, an aquarium ticket or a small fish tank to get an underwater vantage. But for those who cannonball into Benjamin’s or swim laps in Smaug’s plunderage, there’s the new Super Falcon Mark II: the personal submersible of choice for billionaires. Decked out with a high-strength carbon-reinforced composite body, a 230kg thrust and room for two, it’s designed to swim with the dolphins. As for price: if you have to ask, don’t bother. deepflight.com
Fans of global print magazine Monocle rejoice in this newly launched annual publication from the same editors. Issue 01 of The Forecast is dense with content, ranging from essays, reportage, even fiction, all combining to form a fitting overture to 2015. Printed on high-quality tactile paper, the publication is conveniently compact for easy stowage that should carry well into the new year. $12
Funny thing about throw covers: they always end up wadded up in the corner of the couch after a late night with some hot cocoa. OUTLIER’s merino wool throw is awfully tempting in that regard: originally intended for polo shirts, the throw is made from 100 percent merino 18.9 micron pique knit. Presumably they threw “expensive” in its name to deter you from wrapping yourself up in it. $120
Carrying a gym bag, laptop case and a lunch box, all on top of your heavy winter coat, makes you a nuisance on public transportation. Like their burly dopp kit, a 2014 GP100 pick, DSPTCH’s Gym/Work Bag will make your life easier and ensure the safety of your gym gear and office gear: they’ll live side by side with a ventilated shoe compartment, laptop and tablet compartments, a wet/dry pouch and a hidden security pocket on the floor of the bag. $184
The almighty GoPro has met its match — at least when it comes to skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering. Zeal’s HD2 goggles contain, as the name implies, an HD camera built into its impact-resistant frame. It utilizes an in-goggle viewfinder to capture 1080p and 720p video, automatically adjusting to light so that you can focus your hands on keeping balance on the slope. When you’re through, you can send your footage to either your phone or a micro SD card. $499
Audi breaks cover on the all new Q7. Compared to the outgoing model, the fully redesigned luxury SUV shrinks its exterior dimensions, all the while increasing interior space. Combined with a weight loss of 716 lbs and a diesel hybrid engine coupled to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system for the first time, the Q7 sets a new efficiency benchmark for the luxury SUV segment. Learn More
Seems BMW was on to something with the X6 after all. Mercedes-Benz has followed suit with the new GLE Coupe — a tighter, less busy package, with sheetmetal that’s C-Class crisp and slim taillights similar to the stunning S Class Coupe. The first iteration is the GLE 450 AMG, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 362 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, paired with a brand-new nine-speed automatic and 4Matic all-wheel-drive. Expect news on the full range and pricing shortly after the GLE Coupe’s debut at the Detroit Auto Show. caranddriver.com
Until phones replace wallets, your best bet is to combine the two. Bellroy, who make some of the finest (in every sense) slim wallets around, are best suited to this task. The new Elements Phone Pocket holds two to eight cards along with your iPhone 5, 5S or 6; a SIM card; keys and coins. $100
Few people need to be convinced of Daft Punk’s importance in dance and pop music of the past two decades. For those few, the French duo’s two live albums are comprehensive bodies of evidence, documents of the producers’ young, hungry days (Alive 1997) and the world tour in which their vision came to full fruition (Alive 2007). The four-vinyl box set includes a limited-edition Alive 2007 LP-format booklet, an Alive 2007 VIP pass, Alive 1997 stickers and digital bonus content. $124
Every year, rye whiskey distiller WhistlePig releases “The Boss Hog”, a unique, hand-selected single barrel whiskey. This year’s Boss hog, the Spirit of Mortimer, spent 13.5 years in four different new American oak and early use bourbon barrels, according to WhistlePig. The result, named after the company’s recently deceased mascot, is cask strength at 117-124 proof, sure to curl your hair like Mortimer’s tail. whistlepigwhiskey.com
Admittedly, it takes balls to try and pull off Shwood’s striking skip-sawn oak and birch-bodied shades. Which is perhaps why they decided to pair it with a special brew from fellow Oregonians Widmer Brothers Brewing: the Upheaval IPA, aged in Oregon oak spirals. This box set includes the shades, the brew, and a branded bottle opener and glasses case. $395
BirdieBox is a subscription-based service delivering customers a monthly box of golf, lifestyle and nutritional products. But you don’t need a subscription for their gift box, which includes a Go-In! belt with a hidden ball marker underneath its buckle, a merino V-neck sweater, golf balls, and a Zero Friction glove (for left- and right-handed golfers). $150
Male joggers wear UnderArmour; female joggers wear Lululemon. No more! says Iffley Road, a new British apparel company specifically for runners, founded by a married couple drawn together by their love of running. The wares — which encompass everything from moisture-wicking tees to zip-up merino sweaters and shorts made from lightweight Italian fabric — have a distinct prep school sensibility. iffleyroad.com
The Orphan Barrel Project was founded to find and share rare and delicious whiskey that was abandoned in rickhouses and distilleries. Every release is hand bottled in Tullahoma, Tennessee to ensure these barrels receive the treatment they deserve. Rhetoric is one of the three bottles the project has released; it starts out with vanilla oak and toasted rye notes, with a cherry blossom and bitter chocolate finish. Stumbling upon a barrel warehouse in the middle of the woods would be great, but buying a bottle is a good enough substitute. orphanbarrel.com
This family-owned lifestyle brand based in Eugene, Oregon brings together 30 years of leather craft experience and global influences. For this duffle, the company looked to the weaving tradition of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico. Made in the country of its inspiration, the duffel incorporates material from hand-loomed wool rugs with bold geometric designs that contrast with brown leather lining. This bag will last for years, as will its personality. $695
In collaboration with Polartec, Roots developed these sweatpants for the morning workout. Polartec’s new fleece construction increases resistance and durability against the elements while providing support during movement. Zippered pockets and ribbed cuffs, two often overlooked features, are nonetheless an asset at the gym. The price is higher than your average sweatpants; what you’re paying for is functionality and versatility. Not a pair of Netflix binge pants. $128
The iPhone doesn’t have a standard digital camera bottom mount like digital cameras, which means you can’t mount it on a traditional tripod. This versatile, compact tripod is made specifically for taking iPhone photos and videos, mounting directly into the iPhone’s Lightning connector. You can stand your iPhone vertically for time-lapse and video recording and even lean it horizontally for watching movies. And like every other small gadget made for millennials, it includes a bottle opener. $30
This jacket melds classic style with modern waterproofing technologies, making it the ultimate in ski lodge style and functionality, with coated lambswool and full grain leather accents for warmth and striking contrast. Its waterproof pockets and seam-sealed zippers also keep you dry and protect any tech you’re carrying along. $1,095
This three-part coffee pot was first designed in Italy more than 80 years ago, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a Kickstarter baby. Similar to an espresso pot, hot water is poured into the bottom steel chamber, while grounds go in the middle. As the water boils on the stovetop, steam pushes water up through the grounds into the serving chamber on top. It’s in limited supply and may not ship until early 2015, but this stunning ceramic and steel pot is worth the wait. $100
Fans of Chemex will agree: it’s one of the best coffee systems available, designed to showcase beans in their purest form with no taste imparted from the brewing process. The Ottomatic takes the labor out of the original Chemex: it can make that perfect cup with the push of a button. Available for pre-order, units start shipping early 2015. $350
If you own a Leica or another high-end camera, you probably shouldn’t look to CVS for your 4×6 prints. 24 hours is very tempting, but your great photographs deserve more. This service offers high-quality prints on your choice of 12 different papers and in more than 80 frames. Sign up and get started on those holiday gifts for family members… or yourself. leica-camera.com
Your favorite hot sauce in a beer? No need to check — the world hasn’t ended. This beer from the Ashland, Oregon’s Rogue Ales added the Huy Fong sauce to their normal stout recipe. Recommended for dishes that aren’t too spicy alone, this beer offers its own kick. Available in a couple of days — order yours now. $13
Few motorcycle gear manufacturers can match Dainese’s consistent attention to rider comfort. Now the Molvena, Italy based brand has widened its gaze to emphasize style as well. Named after the zip code where the first leather riding pants were cut and sewn, Dainese’s 36060 Capsule Collection combines vintage style and modern-day protection for an entire ensemble. dainese.com
“Adaptable” sums up this utilitarian duffel well, as does “adjustable”. Made with a strong Ultrahigh Nonwoven Composite, this duffel is extremely lightweight. It also features a compressible roll top, giving travelers the option to accumulate garments or other things as they go. $450
These versatile runners have adopted a desert boot’s rugged swagger. Well, at least some of it: with a suede upper body, a soft EVA midsole and a deconstructed heel collar, the SL Loop Moc shoes are comfortable, stylish (in a way athletes can appreciate) and come in two different colors. $90
Bondic is a liquid plastic bonder that works similarly to glue, but is much stronger and more versatile with a simple four-step application procedure — clean, fill, cure with attached UV light and shape with a file or sander. Watch it in action. $22+ (★)
These microfiber lens-cleaning clothes iron onto the inside of garments or bags for discreet but easy access on the go. Whether it’s a camera lens, sunglasses, or just a dirty iPhone screen, using a shirt is prone to scratch those necessary essentials. Never be caught without the proper tools of maintenance again. $12
Most leather made from alligator hide comes from farm raised animals, resulting in standard, often uniform skin pattern. These watch bands are all made from wild-caught Florida gators, meaning no two hides are the same. Hand dyed in dark brown with single-piece back leather keeper, the bands also feature stainless steel buckles built to last. $225
With winter approaching, H&M have launched their ski-inspired line of budget-friendly men’s activewear for the active lifestyle. Highlights of the collection include their base-layer long johns and shirts, trekking pants, and both the soft shell and outer shell jackets in visible neon colors. hm.com
Hub Punch is a pre-Prohibition-inspired spirit: barrel-aged rum steeped with orange and lemon peels, raspberry, and other botanicals. Said to have been a local favorite in late 19th century Boston, Bully Boy Distillers are bringing this tradition back and recommend it over soda water ginger ale, or lemonade. ~$29 (★)
Vermont brand Ursa Major make healthy yet effective grooming products inspired by nature’s inherent ability to “nourish and restore”. For the Trailside soy wax candle, the brand blended cedar, spruce, and sandalwood oils, among other botanicals, for a delicate whiff of the great outdoors when you’re cooped up this winter. $40
