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

A rugged jacket for adventuring...

You know that spring or summer rainstorm/monsoon/torrent that we all inevitably end up in at the most unexpected and inopportune time?   Say, when you need to fill the gas tank or just as you arrive at the campsite but haven’t yet setup?  ”Infrequent” may describe how often these scenarios occur, still, they happen. Good news… there is a jacket that you can rough up and will still keep your top half dry. The Craghoppers Bandero Jacket…

There is something you should know about the Craghoppers company before getting to the details of the Bandero Jacket.  Simply, they have a passion for gear.  For 45 years they’ve been producing quality outdoor gear in the United Kingdom, all started by a dream to summit Mt. Everest.  Craghoppers is a company based on a quintessential adventure and because of that, they succeed perfectly in creating worthy gear.

Craghoppers also works with Bear Grylls to create clothing specifically for the extreme conditions Bear will encounter.  While we don’t know for sure whether or not the Craghoppers Bandero Jacket was influenced by Bear, we are pretty sure it would qualify for one of his adventures.

The jacket itself is a thing of beauty… stylish, et al.  Even if Craghoppers didn’t already have a great reputation for creating quality gear, I would recommend this jacket solely on its reliability.  It’s comfortable and the fit is perfect. I am 5′ 10″ with broad shoulders and the large jacket fits like a glove.  All the pockets, flaps, zippers, seams and buttons are NOT flimsy like they can be on many other jackets.  This jacket keeps the bulk down but truly feels rugged.   A side benefit of the Craghoppers Bandero Jacket is that it could be worn in a variety of conditions: hiking, fishing, hunting, a night on the town, urban, rural, treasure hunting, fall, winter, spring and possibly even in the summer.

Specifications:
-23oz. (660g)
-Roll-away hood
-2 zipped hand pockets and inner pocket plus concealed map pocket
-Chin guard and waterproof storm flap
-AquaDry polyester fabric with water-repellent finish
-Lifetime Guarantee!

Bottom Line:
One of the best multi-use jackets at an absolutely great price.

Shoe perfection? Close.

The Little Manistee River in northern Michigan serves as a gauntlet for any water shoe. This river has many different types of difficult to navigate riverbeds including: small and loose pebbles, soft sand, slippery clay and large boulders. The Teva Sunkosi 2 water shoe is made to conquer exactly these types of riverbed challenges.

Teva, Hebrew for nature, created an outsole for the Sunkosi 2 that is made of a durable, high friction rubber for much needed grip in the river. Teva refers to this rubber compound as “Spider Rubber”, rightfully so; the outsole is great in the water or on land.  Available in two colors, gunmetal and stone grey, and weighing in at only 10.6 ounces / 605 grams, a pair Sunkosi 2’s are comfortable and meant for freestyle canoeing or kayaking, whitewater rafting or a day of workin’ on the boat at the dock.

Teva Sunkosi 2 water shoes are built to perfection for a day on any river, including the Little Manistee.

Get the Teva Sunkosi 2 Water Shoe:
- at Amazon.com
- at REI.com

Turn the light on...

Leatherman, known for their multi-tools, also produces an LED flashlight worth noting… the Serac S3.

As we all know, a flashlight typically has at least a few fragile components. Therefore, often it is essential to take close care of your flashlight. That does not work for me because I treat my flashlight just like any other piece of gear. And therefore, I was breaking a lot of flashlights. Thankfully, my Leatherman Serac S3 has held up very well to the many tests I’ve put it through, ie. hiking, boating, camping and road tripping.

The Serac S3 has three settings and can put out up to 100 Lumen on high. Granted, set that high a full battery will only last about an hour but, the high setting is great for signaling and other short uses. The medium setting pushes out 43 Lumen for four hours per battery and the low (normal) setting 7 Lumen for up to thirty-six hours. The low is plenty bright for most uses including map reading, hiking, setting up a tent, etc.

Also of note, the flashlight body is made of a hard-anodized aluminum, has a 10 year warranty and is resistant to humidity, corrosion and shock. Tough… as… hell.

Get the Leatherman Serac S3 Flashlight:
-at Cabela’s
-at Amazon

Doc Martens… they’re like a vacation for your feet. I don’t consider Doc Martens the quintessential footwear but they do make a lot of choice gear. And one such piece of gear that is perfect for this summer season is their Robson Ringo Open Toe Sandal.

Every single pair of Docs I’ve owned have been durable beyond that of any other brand. These open toe sandals are no exception to that rule. The stitching is tough, the footbed is very comfortable and the fit is ideal.

A constant problem that I’ve had with sandals is that they are unwearable for an entire day, especially if there was a lot walking or hiking to do. On the rock, these sandals perform better than expected. On sand, cement and underwater they perform well enough to be worn every day.

I have a water dog (1/2 Labrador Retriever, 1/2 Rhodesian Ridgeback) and these shoes are perfect for taking her into the nearby Bear Lake for a swim.

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
-

Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar – $$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks
-

Buca di Beppo – $$$
4 out of 5 Rucksacks

Light my fire...

The Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp is a mid-level headlamp well-suited for a lot of very different activities.  Camping, expeditions, spelunking, climbing, orienteering, general travel and road running are just a few of the activities the Apex Pro is perfect for. It’d also be acceptable for trail running, but don’t expect to use it while doing something like night cycling or adventure racing.

This headlamp will flood an area with bright white light up to 91 meters down a path and has varying focuses; narrow through wide.  It runs on two lithium batteries which are monitored by the included power meter. It also has five LEDs producing 130 lumen and is all contained in just 173 grams.

Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp from REI.com
$90

All-in-one...

In the toughest situations, it’s essential to have the right communication gear. But sometimes, the battery power in your gear doesn’t last as long as you do. For those situations Eton Corporation has the perfect answer… a two-way radio that can be powered by a hand-crank with several other features… the FR1000 Voicelink.

First off, this radio has several features worth noting: 22 channel two-way radio (GMRS and FRS), NOAA weather radio and weather alert system, AM/FM receiver, siren, flashlight and cell-phone charging jack. The weather alerts and AM/FM receiver will keep you informed while the siren and light can act as an SOS beacon, saving your voice.

All of these features can be powered in one of four, redundant ways. The FR1000 has a built in Rechargeable Ni-MH battery.  Additionally, it is possible to power the system using 4 “AA” batteries, the included AC Adapter or, in the case all other power is depleted, the dynamo hand crank.

At 3.6lbs the unit is a bit heavy for light hiking however, if you can spare the weight in your pack, it’ll be a welcome gear addition.

Eton FR1000 Voicelink
$94

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