Black Rucksack – The Gear, The Lifestyle and The Pastimes of Men

A stunning entry into the wallet world...

Verbosity has its time and its place. For instance, when I’m checking for hockey scores and highlights in the morning, I don’t want to read an entire article to get to marrow of the game. I want to keep verbosity out of that morning pleasantry. However, when I am roving for information on new gear or getting ready to purchase said gear, verbosity is welcome; thank you J. Peterman and Braithwaite Wallets, Inc.

Before you read the rest of this article on Braithwaite Wallets, take a moment to visit the Braithwaite Wallets, Inc. website… I’ll wait. … … The elegance of the site speaks to the elegance and creative eyes that influence every wallet design. The verbosity of the writing tells us that details are cared for. The design of the five wallets, Cypress, Orpheus, Raptured, The Sunrise and The Vagabond, is impeccable, flavorful and rich with fervor.

The Vagabond is described as being “designed for the man for whom wanderlust isn’t an affliction, but a choice.” Brilliant. If the name “The Vagabond” is enough to capture your attention then that description will sell you on the wallet without an iota more information. The Vagabond is large enough to hold a passport, currency (both plastic and paper) and even a Moleskine notebook. Its measurements are a hearty 7 1/8″ x 4 1/4″ and it’s made from dependable leather. Check our previous article on Moleskine notebooks entitled, Anything That Interests.

There is a true difference in the Braithwaite Wallet. Comparatively, many other wallets are shameful in design and aren’t nearly as durable. The Braithwaite style is unique and well-tailored while not being overzealous. The Vagabond is stunning. Trust us… your inner jacket pocket or your back pants pocket will thank you for filling it with a Braithwaite Wallet.

Stay dry... stay warm...

I’ve been in two violent thunderstorms while driving across Nebraska on Interstate 80 (I-80) between California and Michigan, the first was in February of 2007. Days earlier I installed new windshield wipers on my Escape, and of that I was thankful. During that storm, even though many cars and trucks pulled off the road, my Dad and I were able to keep heading toward California.

The second storm was in April of 2007 and of course, mid-storm one of those wipers decided to partially detach, leaving me looking through an opaque windshield. I immediately pulled over on the right side of the road and started to think, “do I have a poncho in here?”

The answer was no, I did not have a poncho. Thankfully, I had the next best thing, a Marmot jacket. And during the time it took to fix the wiper, I was kept remarkably dry. For spring 2009, Marmot has another weatherproof jacket… the Marmot Aegis Jacket.

This jacket is well-designed from top to bottom, from collar to zipper. The Marmot material known as MemBrain Strata serves as the main material for the jacket and is incredibly lightweight, breathable and of course, waterproof. Zippers on the jacket are water resistant and the seams are taped. In addition to that, there are useful pockets including hand warmer pockets and a sleeve pocket. The jacket also as a hood that rolls into the collar.

All in all, this is one good jacket. Buy one now and you’ll have it for the next decade.

Rivals...

Downtown Columbus, Ohio has a lot to offer for the guy who just loves to travel or the guy who is looking for a simple vacation with the big city feel but without the big city hassle.

First off, most of the downtown area and especially the “Arena District” is well organized, easy to navigate and densely populated with quality restaurants and bars. We ventured to Gordon Biersch Brewery, Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar and Buca di Beppo’s. Of those three restaurants Buca di Beppo, a family Italian eatery, had the best food, Gordon Biersch Brewery had the best drinks and Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar had the best atmosphere and was the perfect place to close out a night. All were quality establishments and are worth a visit.

The Arena District is so named for Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have been in Columbus since 2000 and by the looks of it, they’ll make the playoffs this year for the first time in franchise history. Personally, I’m a Detroit Red Wings fan but, it’s always fun to catch a game in another city; especially if you can get tickets like we had… one row off the glass. Sitting that close you’ll better understand the speed and the grit that is the NHL. See the previous Black Rucksack article on the NHL experience and get tickets from StubHub!

More rivals...

Another feature in Columbus a few miles outside of downtown is the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; one of the best zoos in the country. It’s a good place to relax and enjoy a sunny Spring afternoon. A zoo typically isn’t the place for a hardcore adventure (unless something escapes) but, a lot of the kids, girlfriends and wives you guys have will enjoy it.

This is just a taste of what downtown Columbus, Ohio offers… find a hotel and book it now!

Gordon Biersch Brewery – $$$
3.5 out of 5 Rucksacks
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Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar – $$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks
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Buca di Beppo – $$$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks

Breathe right...

Snowboarding is one way I know I can relax. I snowboard mostly in Michigan but, many years ago I ventured to Durango, Colorado. I learned a lot from that experience including how the difference in the snowpack was drastic. One concern in Colorado, that we don’t see hardly ever in Michigan, was avalanches.

If an avalanche did occur and you managed to get yourself buried, Black Diamond, a company largely known for their snow gear, has a simple item that could save your life… the Black Diamond AvaLung II.

The AvaLung II is meant to extend your breathable air supply once trapped in an avalanche. When you inhale through the AvaLung’s tube, you’ll receive oxygenated air from one area of the snowpack. Upon exhaling, the AvaLung diverts the airflow to another part of the snowpack, not contaminating your breathable air supply and extending the time you can survive until a rescue team locates you. And, to help that rescue team find you sooner rather than later, consider carrying a locator beacon such as the SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger.

Get the Black Diamond AvaLung II:
-at MooseJaw
-at Amazon
-at EMS

Ducati is a prominent brand of high performance motorcycles and likewise, they hock quality apparel and gear. As an Italian manufacturer typically associated with racing bikes, they’ve also achieved notoriety for their sport/street bikes.

The Ducati Meccanica Hooded Sweatshirt is one of the many faultless ways to show your affinity for the brand. It’s one of the nine items in the Meccanica apparel line and is embroidered with the Ducati logo and  Ducati Meccanica in writing.

The sweatshirt is stylish and the perfect weight for an outside layer in cool and warm weather or an insider layer in cold weather.

You can find this hooded sweatshirt and the rest of the Ducati offered gear at the Ducati website.  And if you have time, be sure to check out the bikes too… not just the apparel.

Ducati Meccanica Hooded Sweatshirt
$114

Spotted...

Editor’s Note: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

When my brother and I were kids, we lived on 20 acres of property on the western side of Michigan’s lower peninsula. We first moved to the heavily wooded property when I was six and my younger brother was four years old. For fun we often riled up the dogs, built tree forts and explored (or wandered) the property and adjacent property until we would inadvertently (and inevitably) get lost. Now that we’re adults, we still enjoy riling up the dogs, we build decks and garages instead of tree forts and we never get lost… at least not without a GPS and/or a SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger.

The purpose of the SPOT is simple… location, location, location. In a two step process it will locate you via GPS satellites and then use commercial satellites to send out your location. You can send out a request for an emergency response using the “Alert 911″ function or you can simply send a “Check in” location update. Using the location update, you can tie-in Google Maps plotting to chart the path you’ve taken.

The SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger requires a $99 annual subscription which seems inexpensive for what the unit offers; a return home. It weighs approximately 8 ounces and is very rugged, capable of surviving extreme temperatures and being submerged up to a meter deep.

SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger
$150

at Amazon
at Eastern Mountain Sports
at REI

Black hooded...

As we described in a previous article, Armani Exchange (A|X) is the trendy, accessible off-the-peg brand from Armani. A|X features stylish, branded gear such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans and jackets. One sweatshirt that is really emblematic of the uniqueness of A|X is the Zip Neck Hoody.

In jet black, the Zip Neck Hoody features a hood that folds easily into the collar. Although, you may find, like I did, that you like the hood out a whole lot better.

The sweatshirt is a medium weight and perfect for an outdoor rock concert in a Midwestern state during spring or fall.  Or, it’s good for that early fall tailgate and football game.

Armani Exchange Zip Neck Hoody
$115

A necessary addition...

When you have to look your best it is relatively easy to take care of the major items: shirt, pants and jacket. It’s even pretty easy to take care of medial importance items: hair, shoes, belt, etc. But, there are a few minor details that are often overlooked that can make or break your style. And if you’re going to put all that effort into dressing well to attract that one stunning woman you’ve been working on, you’ll need just one more thing… the collar stay.

A collar stay isn’t universally required; there are many shirts and collars that are best worn slightly unkempt. On the other hand, when you’re wearing a suit or shirt and tie a collar stay is most likely necessary.

One the best quality collar stays is produced by Stayclip. They are made out of metal, come in many different finishes and provide that durable, lasting perfect collar. In addition, you can have them engraved for a personalized touch. Included with purchase is, in essence, a keyring to keep all of your Stayclip collar stays together and that keyring can be wall mounted right near the rest of your wardrobe. And if you’re wearing them through a metal detector, according to the Stayclip site, no worries.

Stayclip Collar Stays
$35 to $130