Simple and functional, the handblown Chemex coffeemaker is for the purist. The hourglass flask-beeker looking design was invented by chemist Dr. Peter J. Schlumbohm in 1941 and still handblown in Germany. The wood collar and leather tie prevent you from burning your hand before your Saturday morning tee time. Just put in the paper filter, coffee ground, and hot water. Drip coffee orgasm. Retail $87.90 (40 oz capacity)
Red Bull has done an amazing job commercializing grassroots events like soapbox racing. This year the Los Angeles race event will be held on September 26th. Teams of five compete for supreme bragging rights.
The Rules
“Teams will be judged on three criteria: speed, creativity and showmanship. All soapboxes must be human powered meaning no engines or external energy sources allowed. Prefabricated cars are not accepted. All vehicles must be less than six-feet wide, less than 20 feet in length and no more than seven inches from the ground. All cars must weigh no more than 176 lbs. (not including the driver). Drivers must be at least 18 years old.”
When you think of men’s fashion it’s easy to get scared and turned off from even caring. Insert Michael Bastian, this guy is a fashion icon and designs stuff normal guys can pull off. His label is only four-years-old but he was the fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman Men for the five years before that. The problem is the prices are insane, for example pants for $550. All his items are made by luxury Italian brand Brunello Cucinelli. The good news is Bastian is trying to find a way to cut prices by 30% at least while keeping the quality. Check out his Fall/Winter 2009 Collection which has already been nominated by the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America). We should be seeing his designs trickle down to affordable levels in the very near future.
From the makers of Gorillapod, Gorillatorch is a small, lightweight, dimmable LED light on a flexible magnetic tripod. You can fasten this thing to just about anything but a hard drive to get some work done in the dark. I think this would be really useful for working on cars and for taking on camping trips. Weighing only 6.5 oz, it can run off of 3 AAA batteries for up to 80 hours. You can pre-order it today for $29.95, and it’ll be shipping out in mid-September.
Last year Nike tried to get 1 million runners to participate the first Human Race, but only 780,000 participated. This year they are throwing another event on October 24th. Nike will host the race in 30 cities across the world such as New York, London, Buenos Aires, Seoul, and Tokyo. Most of the major cities will also have a post-race concert, artists have not been announced. If you can make it to one of the host cities, you can still participate using your Nike+ iPod by signing up at www.nikeplus.com
Make no mistake The North Face Twin Peaks BX is for car camping not backpacking, and is designed for two people. That means either you’ll have plenty of space if used solo, or you’ll consider someone more than a friend by the morning. This is a luxury item but in comparison to other 2-person sleeping bags it is less bulky and much higher quality. Temperature rating is 20ºF.
I’ve had the same minimag flashlight ever since I was a Cub Scout. That thing has gone with me through rain and snow, mountains and rivers. Lately though its age has been starting to show, with all these new LED flashlights everywhere. But thanks to Nite Ize, you can now swap out your bulb for a bright and shining LED. It’s only $13.95 at your local REI. Or you could always buy a new Mini Maglite LED flashlight for $25.
