Gear 2019

In have an updated list which captures what I am using now.

In 2019 am using pretty much the same gear in 2018. This shouldn’t be a surprised. Several years ago Minimalism led me to simplify my stuff, keeping just the items that are regularly used and give me joy. This year I moved a number of items from “my” list, to a not fully complete list of items which are shared family gear.

Items in bold are exceptionally great… I regularly finding myself telling people about them. I am happily use items marked with “*”, but they won’t be replaced if lost. Making this list was originally inspired by one bag lifestyle and Tynan’s Gear posts. I hope this list might encourage others to surround themselves with items that truly bring them joy and remove items that are a burden… and not to encourage people to just consume more. My traveling list is a subset of the items in this post.

Everyday Carry Items

Flexon eyeglass frames with high index progressive lens (not shown). Seeing clearly is such a blessing. I break most frames within a year of getting them. Flexon last me several years. My current pair was purchased in 2010, though the lens have been replaced a few times when my prescription was updated.

Garmin 935 Watch: is a do everything watch which is light enough that I don’t mind wearing it everyday.  It has adequate integration with my phone and provides every fitness and activity tracking feature I want with better accuracy than most other smart watches. I appreciate the alert on the watch when it loses bluetooth connection with it’s paired phone that reduces the likelihood of leaving the phone behind. There are a number of other sport watches I would recommend if you wanted to spend less money.

Flowfold Minimalist Wallet which holds my IDs, 2 credit cards, and a few bills taking up minimal space. The Nomatic Wallet is another good minimalist wallet.

Uni-ball Vision Micro-Point Rollerball Pen and Post-It Notes for jotted down ideas until I can get them into an electronic system. I like Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine pens, but the can leak.

Victorinox Rambler Pocket Knife is the smallest, most usable tool I have found with a phillips head & flat screwdriver, scissors, knife, bottle opener, and nail file. Even though the blade is tiny, TSA will confiscate this knife. When flying I switch to a Swiss+Tech Utili-Key which is not as usable as the Rambler, but for years has made it through TSA checkpoints without being confiscated. I have notes on other knife options.

Apple iPhone Xs on Verizon. I “upgraded” from a iPhone 6. The camera is much better and I can make it through a normal day of use without needing to recharge. I miss my earphone jack, and the phone is too big to use with one hand, and I find the face unlock inconsistent. I wish Apple would release a smaller (SE sized) phone with a good display,  modern CPU, and fingerprint reader. I am not “happy” with my iPhone Xs, but it’s the best options I have found for me.

Apple AirPods  have decent sound quality while letting in ambiance noise providing situational awareness, stays in place during the most vigorous exercise, no wires to get tangled, has good user interface with Apple products (would be perfect if I could change volume) and ok with others, acceptable sound quality, the ear buds run 5 hour, fully recharges in 20 minutes, with a carry case which can recharge them 4-5 times. With Apple products they just work! They aren’t rated for water resistance, but after more than a year of using them while sweating heavily, rides and runs in the rain they continue to function flawlessly.

Zojirushi Double Walled Mug (1 + 1*) can easily be used one handed, locks so it doesn’t open accidentally, pours at the perfect speed, the mouth is wide enough for ice cubes, and best of all does a better job insulating than any other double walled mug I have used. Liquids stay fairly warm or cold for up to 24 hours.  I have a silver colored mug. I often misplaced it at work. When it was misplaced for more than a week, I purchased a replacement thinking it was lost for good. Realizing findability was important, I purchased a Deep Cherry color mug which is much easier to spot across the room. After several weeks I found my original Silver mug. Now I have the Red mug which lives at work, and the silver which I use when not at work. Zojirushi makes a number of other excellent styles of mug and Snowpeak makes a beautiful Titanium double walled mug.

Tech “Survival Kit” which is stored in a small  pouch. RAVpower Portable Charger/Flashlight is small enough to fit in my pocket while proving power to recharge my phone. Aukey Ultra Compact USB Charger is one of the smallest chargers with two slots and up to 2.4A amps. 6” USB Lightning, USB micro, and USB-C cables with some adaptor tips which let me connect pretty much any two USB devices.  A USB thumb drive because sometimes I need to transfer / store files. An Olight Universal Magnetic Battery Charger powered by USB, and can be used with pretty much any size battery. and charges both 1.5V NiHM and 3.7V LI batteries. 

Macbook 13″ Pro Laptop (for work). I have tried using tablets but still find myself prefering a real laptop. I would love to find a lighter and more compact laptop, but I like 13” screens, and am still pretty much committed to OSX because it has the applications I use and the good integration with iOS devices. When not doing work (vacations) I am trying to only bring my iPhone and leave laptop behind.

AWS AC-650 Digital Pocket Scale (not shown) is a small scale which makes it easy to weight food on the go.

Matador Freerain24 is a nicely designed daypack which: carries well even when running, weights only 5.5oz, easily folds into it’s own pocket, and keeps contents dry even in the worst rain.  I actually own a PNW Sea to Sky Waterproof Backpack which is a ripoff of the Freerain24. Used every day for more than a year. Generally good shape, but the coating on zipper slowly breaking down and leaking a bit in heavy rain.

ZebraLight H51 (not shown) with an AA eneloop battery, and headband weight 3.5oz. It has 6 regulation output levels which include lumens/runtime : 0.2/19 days, 8/39h,  30/10h, 200/55min. I use the lowest setting for basic proximity lighting I bump up to 8 lumens for tasks when I need to see accurate colors or when I am walking on establish paths, 30 lumens when running on streets. I use higher settles for night hiking or bouncing off ceiling to light up a room. I have the standard (non floody) reflector: the beam has a hot spot with enough throw for wayfinding and enough spill to be useful for close up tasks. The headband is comfortable,  removable, with a glow in the dark holder which makes it easy to find at night. The only thing this light is missing is a battery life indicator which exists in the later version. When stored,  I unscrew the tail-cap 1/3 a twist to prevent accidentally it turning on. I have a post about flashlights.

Home Electronics

Apple Mac mini. Needed more storage, memory, and CPU than my 2013 MacBook Pro. The Mini is compact, low noise, with a good collection of ports, and plays well in the Apple eco-system which I am committed to until my next refresh in a few years. It is overpriced compared to non-Apple hardware. This is an experiment to see if when I am away from work and home I can “live” just using an iPhone.

KEF LS50 wireless monitor speakers with a built in DAC and amplifier designed for the speakers. Good quality sound that fills a room, excellent for near field use in a nicely designed, compact package. Can take TOSlink, USB, Bluetooth, analog, and several IP based streaming protocols inputs over ethernet or WiFi. Roon can stream directly to it over the network, but it’s not Roon-Ready so can’t be synchronized with other Roon-Ready systems.  The iOS remote application is poor.  I drive the LS50 via USB on a Mac Mini running Roon which remove the need for the KEF remote and the speakers can be synchronized with other Roon Ready end-points giving me whole house music. I still prefer the sound quality of electrostatic speakers with audiophile grade full electronics, but I am happy that I downsized my stereo so I could focus on other things.

Sennheiser HD800 Headphones* for when I want very high quality sound and don’t want to bother others too much (sound does leak).  These are the second best sounding pair of headphones I have ever used, at 1/3 the cost of the best (Stax SR-009). I have a headphones post with additional information.

Nekteck 4-port 72W USB C Charger with 1 USB-C and 3 traditional USB ports which allows me to charge every device I use on a daily basis from a power brick, including the 13” MacBook Pro from work. When the MacBook Pro isn’t being charged can rapidly charge all my devices. Replaced an Anker 60W PowerPort+ 5  which didn’t support PD 12V@3A. 

Google WiFi Mesh network access points easily install and just work when you have an area than a single WiFi router isn’t sufficient. There may be faster / more featureful options out there, but the Google devices work flawlessly and are visually appealing.

Bathroom

Withering Body WiFi Scale (Not shown) makes it easy to track weight which is well integrated to Garmin, Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, and numerous other health tracking eco-systems.

Oral-B/Braun 4000 Electric toothbrush (Not shown). Oral-B and Sonicare both make excellent toothbrushes which are significantly more effective than using a manual toothbrush.

Listerine Floss (not shown) is the most effective dental floss I have used. Gentle to the gums while still getting plague and food wedged between teeth out.

REI Micro Shower Bag is the perfect size for my toiletry kit while providing just enough organizational features to make it easy for me to find everything quickly. Holds all bathroom items when traveling. Inside has first aid kit which includes waterproof Band-Aids, antiseptic wipes, anti biotic cream, superglue, a couple of safety pins.  Small size HumanGear GoTubb to store aleve and a few nyquil caplets and a Violife Slim Sonic toothbrush.

Gillette Mach-3 Razor + Pacific Natural Shaving Oil.  I am sure there are better razors and many people would suggest that shaving oil is a prep step which should be followed by shaving cream… but I have found this combination effective, reasonable cost effective, and compact when traveling.

PaRaDa Nail clipper with a trimmings catcher to make cleanup easy.

Retractable Bristle Hairbrush (2) which is compact but effective. One in travel bag, one at work

Ziplock bag with two weeks work of supplies: dropper bottles filled with Dr Bronner Soap, Shaving Oil, shampoo, skin lotion, and a few single use woolite packets

Precision Xtra Ketone and Blood Glucose Meter* for times I am fasting or engaged in a new diet and want some objective data.

Travel, Exercise, Hats

Tom Bihn Synapse-25 Backpack is my travel luggage. Wonderfully designed with just the right amount of organizational features. Large enough for nearly every trip I have taken, while small enough that it fits under every seat I have used and has never been viewed as “luggage” by transportation operators. The laptop cache works brillantly. Have notes about other travel packs.

Patagonia Ultralight Courier Bag* is perfect size for day use and compact enough that I can pack it away in my backpack when moving between towns. Easy access without taking it off, in hot weather maximized ventilation, and can be used at the same time that I am carrying a backpack. 

Water Bottle Sling Nancy brought back from South America. Great for days I just need water and nothing else. Sometimes borrow my wife’s Chico Water Bottle Sling because it can hold my water bottle + my umbrella or windbreaker.

Montbell Trekking Umbrella* has the best balance I have found between small/light and canopy size. It has survived 40mph wind/rain storms. In warm to hot weather much more comfortable than wearing a rain jacket but doesn’t adequately protect my legs in a hard rain.

PolarBuff is a versatile item which can be used as a neck cozy, balaclava, beanie, hair band, and in a number of other configurations. I typically use it as a beanie.

23and Stocking Hat* lives in my daypack for days when it is particularly cold and I want a bit of extra warmth. Not technically needed, but a way to show my company spirit.

Tilley LTM6 Hat provides good sun protection while offering decent ventilation. I think it’s one of the more stylish hats which provides good sun protection. My wife says I am wrong… that my SunRunner is better looking, but is willing to put up with me wearing this hat when the sun is big. I have a list of other hats that you might prefer.

REI eVENT Rain Hat: a discontinued ball cap made from waterproof / breathable eVENT. Used when hiking or running when I know it’s going to be raining.

Mountain Hardware Grub Gloves (not shown)  medium weight PowerStretch gloves with a quilted mitten cover which folds away into the back of the glove making it comfortable to wear in a wide variety of conditions.

Sleep Mask by Bedtime Bliss (not shown) which lets me get an extra hour of sleep in the morning because the sun coming up doesn’t immediately wake me and helps if I take a nap during the day.

PackTowel Ultralight (Bodysize/XL) dries amazingly quickly, is compact, and is very effective. The XL is large enough that I can wrap it around my waist like a small sarong.  For awhile I used a medium/face size which packs in a tiny space. I found the face size sufficient for me to dry myself after a swim or shower, but I am willing to carry a larger towel for the added versatility and ease of use.

TYR Corrective Optical Performance Goggles so that I can actually see when I am swimming. I keep the goggles with a  generic swimming cap because some pools require them, and small combination lock.

Stryd Footpad (not shown) captures run’s intensity better than using pace or heart rate. The Garmin Running Dynamics Pod might be a cheaper way to get the same sort of data. The RunScribe Plus now syncs to Garmin and other eco-systems and might provide more actionable insights about running form that other running power meters.

Wahoo Tickr X Heart Rate Strap because optical heart rate monitors aren’t sufficiently accurate for HRV measurements and aren’t responsive enough to track interval training. I mostly use it as a basic HRM, but if you use the Wahoo fitness app there are a number of other metrics that it can record. There are plenty of good HRM including Garmin’s Tri HRM which can be worn swimming and the Viiiva HRM which can be used to bridge other sensors between BlueTooth and ANT+. These days I mostly use Power rather than heart rate to track intensity, and the optical HRM on my Garmin 935 is almost good enough to replace the strap.

Westone 5ES custom In-ear-monitors (IEM) with excellent sound quality and comfortable enough to wear on 14 hour flights. They reduce noise by 35db which makes travel much less fatiguing for me while being much smaller and having better sound quality than active noise canceling headphones. Stored in a medium size HumanGear GoTubb with adapters.

Radsome EarStudio ES100 bluetooth/DAC/headphone amplifier allows me to use Westone IEM (or other wired headphones) with my iPhone Xs. The ES100 is tiny, with good sound quality (though Chord Mojo is noticeably better) and able drive Sennheiser HD800 to reasonable sound levels.

Chord Mojo DAC* offers a nice design, good quality sound, good price / performance ratio, portability, has enough power to happily drive Sennheiser HD 800, and has an internal battery which enables it be driven via USB from phones and portable DAPs. I have written about other DACs.

Ainope 10K mAh Portable charger for when I need to power devices for several days without access to a power outlet or for long flights without USB power in the seat.

Olight I3S EOS Flashlight* is slightly larger than the single AAA battery which powers it. Selectable output of 8,50,80 lumens permits the user to make a trade-off of runtime vs brightness. I have other lights which should rendered this flashlight unnecessary, but when I take walks around the neighborhood at night I find myself reaching for this tiny light.  I have notes about other flashlight and headlamps.

Kindle PaperWhite* (not shown) lets me carry the majority of my library with me and every book can be displayed with large print for my aging eyes. Love being able to quickly search for notes / hi-lighted passages. I miss physical books and knowledge retention with paper books is still better than when using an e-reader, but the connivence of the Kindle outweighs this for me. I often use the Kindle reader on my phone, but the larger display surface of the Paperwhite, much longer battery life, and usability in sunlight means the PaperWhite goes on most trips I take.

Clothing

I have notes about selecting clothing for an active life which goes in detail  about how to select clothing for a wide range of activities and conditions.

Outlier New Way Shorts (3) are nice looking shorts which fit me perfectly, don’t have cargo pockets, are durable and dry reasonably quickly. They are pricy but I haven’t found any shorts I like as much.

North Face Paramount Shorts* (not shown) were the best shorts I could find on a trip where I needed a part of shorts. I appreciate the zipper stash pocket, and they were better than all there other shorts I tried on, but they just don’t fit as nicely as my new way shorts.

Zootsports Performance Tri Shorts works well cycling, running and swimming. They are comfortable for all the activities I engage in, in a wide range of conditions. They have reduces issues with chaffing,  dry fairly quickly, and are reasonably comfortable  when wet. They have side pockets large enough to hold some nutrition and my phone so I don’t need to use a special cycling jersey. I never need to think about what shorts to wear when I am going to engage in vigorous physical activities…. I just grab my pair of zoot.

Columbia/Montrail Titan Trailrunning Shirt: Omni-Freeze fabric that helps cool when working out in moderate to hot conditions. Super light weight and breathable. Anti-stink is reasonable.

Icebreaker Anatomica Tee-shirt (4) merino wool with just a bit of lycra for a body hugging fit. This tee-shirt fits me perfectly, looks good, is super comfortable, doesn’t smell after several days of wear on the road, and dries fairly quickly.  There are two downside.  First, they are pricy especially in view that they wear out more quickly that a cheap cotton tee.  Second, they don’t work as well as synthetics when engaged in  high energy activities where you are sweating a lot. There are a number of other good merino wool shirts from Smartwool, Outlier, and Wool&Price.

Icebreaker Anatomica Briefs (4) the most comfortable underwear I have worn. Downsides are that they start  getting holes after a year and they are expensive. Some people prefer boxer style but I see no reason to have extra fabric on my thighs. Good alternatives are the synthetic travel oriented briefs from Ex Offico and the comfortable but expensive underwear from Saxx.

Darn Tough Socks (8) are unsurprisingly durable since they come with a lifetime warranty. I found they fit and perform very well and come in a wide variety of thicknesses, lengths, and colors. I like the endurance light socks. Icebreaker and the Smartwool PhD line are good alternatives.

Injinji Ultralight Toe Socks (2) for long distance runs / hikes. Generally I prefer wool, but I found light weight wool toe socks get holes very quickly so I use the CoolMax, original weight version.

Rocky Gore-Tex Socks are the best way I have found to keep my feet reasonably clean, dry and warm in messy back country conditions. Often worn with Keen sandals to maximum breathability and speed drying once they are out of the water.

Keen Clearwater CNX are the lightest sandals Keen makes. I liked the minimalist sandals made by luna and Xero Shoes but the toe protection of the Keens makes them a clear winner for me. If worn with gray socks they can pass for shoes. Comfortable in a wide range of conditions. I can run in them when I don’t have my Alta running shoes with me.

Alta Running Shoes are the best running shoes (trail and road) that I have used. Wearing these shoes with toe-socks has allow me to do marathon length runs and 20+ mile days backpacking with no blisters or foot pain.  Just one week after purchasing my first pair of One V2.5 I completed the Big Sur Marathon without issue.  I like the models with minimal cushion.  I currently use One V3 for road running and the Superior V3 for trails.

Vivobarefoot Gobi II are extremely light weight, zero-drop, minimalist ankle boots which can be worn with casual clothing and my wife tells me they are acceptable to wear with a suit. Love them because they are light weight and comfortable. Two downside are that they take longer to put on and take off than low rise shoes and my feet can feel tired if I have been walking 14+ miles each day, for several days.

Carots Shoes* are formal looking zero drop shoes. These are the only minimalist shoes I have found that looks like traditional dress shoes (heels and and tapered toe) that are sufficiently comfortable for day long wear. These were purchased before I discovered that the Gobi II were acceptable footwear with my suit.

Skinners* (Not Shown) Socks with durable flexible coating on bottom so they can be used like shoes. Small and compact. Use as slippers, when I biking somewhere and then want to walk around without cleats, or when I am in the mood for barefoot running.

Topo Running Shoes (Not Shown) are zero drop minimalist running shoes. My model is a bit lighter than their current zero drop road running shoe. These shoes live at work for the days I ride my bike and don’t want to clomp around with cleats all day or carry shoes back and forth to work.

Outlier Slim Dungarees (4) Soft shell pants in the style of jeans. Wonderful fit, looks good, excellent mobility. Thanks to the NanoSphere treatment very stain and water resistant. They are perfect except when it’s >80F and I am active. They seem pricy, but the per day cost of wearing is about the same as denim jeans. Maker & Rider makes a nice alternative.

White Dress Shirt for when I need to be dressed up.

Peach Button Down Shirt* for when my wife wants me to wear something at is a bit different than normal (for me).

Black/Grey/White Checked Button Down Shirt* for when my wife wants me to wear something nicer than a tee-shirt but less than a suit, white shirt, and tie.

Icebreaker Wool Hoodie: (4) Oasis 200wt merio wool hoodie with 1/4 length zipper. Worn when it gets too cool to wear just a tee-shirt. Icebreaker has discontinued this model. Also have 3 in storage which will come out when these wear out.

Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Hoody for cool/cold weather outdoor activities. Without wind protection the grid weave lets air flow through letting heat vent out. With a shell it insulates well. Comfort down to 30F when running without a shell, below that with a shell. When walking keeps me comfortable down to 40F when combined with a wind shirt.  I am reasonably comfortable engage in high energy activities when it’s 65F by fully opening the zipper and pushing the sleeves up to my elbows. Dries amazingly quickly and feels more comfortable than any other shirt I have used when it’s wet.

Grey Cashmere V-neck Sweater for fall and winter evenings that when I should wear something a bit more dressed up than my wool hoody and/or want more insulation.

Mid-Weight, Purple Merino Wool Sweater* for cool days or when I want to wear something that isn’t black.

Uniqlo Ultralight Down Vest is decent quality, low price, with just the right amount of insulation for me. Combined with my sweater and a shell keeps me warm enough in the coldest weather I encounter in the SF Bay area.

Montbell Tachyon Windshirt a 1.8 ounce wind shirt that can be compressed into something slightly larger than a cliff bar. Windshirts, especially when combined with a air permeable middle layer provide comfort over a huge range of conditions. This lives in my daypack.

Westcomb’s Focus LT Rain Jacket has been pulled out of storage because in the last few rain storms the zipper on the ArcTeryx Norvan SL has leaked so much that I don’t use it when I expect to be out in the rain for an extended period of time. While not as breathable as the Norvan SL, the Focus doesn’t leak. Other options are discussed in my post about  rain gear.

Zpacks Vertice Rain Pants (not shown) are simple, light, breathable, waterproof rain pants. Used when commuting by bike, hiking, or backpacking in the rain.

Patagonia Down Shirt* with 23andMe logo.  A jacket which provides adequate insulation for around the town use in the SF Bay Area. Allows me to show my company spirit and my wife thinks it looks better than the combination of the above items. The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody using PlumaFill insulation would be better for back country use thanks to it’s superior water resistance. The Montbell inner down jacket continues to be the price performance champ, and Uniqlo’s down jacket is a good alternative for someone on a tight budget.

Boss Blazer Jacket used when going out and it’s appropriate to be wearing something more dressy than a hoodie, but a full suit is too formal. On cool evenings I sometimes wear the blazer over my shirt rather than taking a more traditional “outdoor” jacket.

Boss Wool Suit slim/european cut in suit cover bag. Fits me perfectly though not bespoken. First suit that I wear rather than the suit wearing me. Light enough that it’s usable in the summer. I use it anytime I need to be very dressed up: weddings, funerals, special nights out on the town.  Have two ties… one that is “serious” and one that is “fun”

Backpacking / Winter Clothing

I have a 3-season packing list which makes use of a number of the items on this list and has several items which are specific for backpacking. In addition to the items on my backpacking list, I have several items which come out when I am heading to the mountains and expect snow.

Patagonia Cap 3 Tights: which go under normal pants and/or rain pants when facing below freezing conditions.

GoLite Snow Cap: polarguard insulated bomber style hat which can be layered over other hats. Fairly windproof, warm, and light weight.

Outdoor Research Meteor Mitts: which have a removable 300wt fleece inner mitt which folds back to let you use your fingers and a durable, waterproof shell.

Mountain Hardware Tempest Gloves: ultralight light weight water resistant shell with modest liner. Great dexterity.

Gaiters: for keeping snow out of shoes/boots and the lower legs dry.

Bicycling Stuff

Cervelo R3: pricy but amazing road bicycle. Comfortable enough for an endurance ride, but responsive like a race bike. Fitted with an Infinity Seat, and a small seat bag which holds a pump, inter-tube, bike tool, and 2 tire levers. Moots makes some great Titanium bikes but you have to special order them.

Giro Air Attack Shield Helmet provides protection, good ventilation while having a very streamlined aerodynamic profile. Has snap on optical shield which is great because with my eye prescription, it’s hard to find sports oriented sunglasses. If you ride a bicycle, wear a helmet!! I am alive today because I was wearing a helmet when I was in an accident. Giro has newer models which have better ventilation and aerodynamic profile and also cheaper models that will protect your head just as well for less money.

Felix BC21R Bike Headlamp  which was purchase when my Expilion 850 was stolen. The BC21R uses a removable 18650 rechargeable battery. I think I slightly preferred the quality of light from the Expilion, but the BC21R works well enough to stick with it, and I do appreciate that the battery can be charged outside light housing.

Power Tap P1 Pedals because I like objective measures about how my physically conditioning is changing. The Garmin Vector 2 pedals integrate better into the Garmin eco-system, use standard Keto cleats, and are lighter / more streamlined at about the same price point.

Bicycling Shoes with Cleat for PowerTap peddles.

Wahoo Fitness Kickr* is a great trainer for when you can’t get outside. Integrated power meter and variable resistance which can be controls via ANT+ or BlueTooth. Wahoo build the Kickr with an open API so there are numerous companies which have applications which can control the Kickr.

Sentimental

There are a several items I have kept as a specific way to honor people I have lost.

Libby’s pins of a nativity scene and of a mother and child. Originally worn by Libby on special occasions they became daily decorations for the hats she wore during chemotherapy. They remind me of Libby’s courage and the two things most important to Libby, family and Jesus.

Carl’s Rolex Oyster Watch to remember his craftsmanship, love of teaching, and ironically his frugality.

Jules’ sculptures of musicians made from nails because he passed on a love for music and art.

WWII Era Wool Blanket (not shown) Originally owned by Carl or maybe even my grandfather. It has been on countless fishing and camping trips and to virtually every picnic and outdoor concert I have ever attended. Everything I see the blanket I think of my dad and many wonderful moments.

Potentially Retired

The following items weren’t used last year. I have put them aside for the next year to see if they get pulled back out.

Wool and Prince Blue Oxford Shirt a blue dress shirt my wife loves. Crisp look and a slim fit while still having all the advantages of 100% wool, but haven’t really needed a light blue color shirt.

Outlier Air Forged Oxford Shirt Fits me well, made from durable nylon weave so it dries quickly and doesn’t wrinkle when traveling while looking nicer than many “travel” shirts. Hasn’t been used because I live in wool tees or hoody when traveling.

Icebreaker Long Sleeve Oasis Crew orange & grey color which was a Christmas gift to add some color to my wardrobe but I tend to use my hoody.

Retired in 2019

North Face TKA80: Fleece which is lighter weight and less bulky than most. Fleece starting to pill. Might eventually replace it with Montbell’s Chameece Inner Jacket, but for now wool sweaters are working fine.

Black Diamond Alpine Start Jacket is one of the lightest weight soft shells made today. Moderately air permeable, schoeller nansphere treatment for excellent DWR, fair bit of stretch for ease of movement. Purchased as an experiment for high aerobic activities in cold weather. While the tight weave and Nanosphere treatment is amazing, wets through in heavy rain after 30 minutes. Either I need wind protection which is provided by the Tachyon, or I need read rain protections in which case I use the Focus LT in cool conditions or I just get wet and keep activity level high to stay warm.

ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket is one of the lightest, most breathable rain jacket currently available. I can actually wear it comfortably jogging in cool, rainy weather.  Alas… the zipper leaks too much in heavy rain.

OR SunRunner Cap ball cap with a removal veil that is very packable. Downside is that it looks a bit silly when used with the veil and air flow when using the veil is less than when I wear the Tilley.

Petzl Bindi is a very light weight, but pricy rechargeable headlamp which works well for urban running. Retired because it was lost after a run. When I need a headlamp for running make use of the Zebralight H51 from my backpacking gear which is a bit heavier but has a better beam.

Cygolight Expilion Bike Headlamp are bright enough to illuminate when I am riding fast and has a swappable rechargeable battery. “Retired” because it was stolen.

Anker 60W PowerPort+ 5 with 1 USB-C and 4 traditional USB ports has enough ports to charge every device I use on a daily basis including my 13” MacBook Pro. Replace to get 12V@3amp PD charging mode on USB-C port and a smaller unit. The need for 12V went away when gave up on the One Netbook, so replacing this wasn’t actually needed 🙁

One Netbook One Mix 2 Yoga Pocket Notebook is a 19 ounce full PC running Windows 10 with 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 1920 x 1200 touch screen. Screen was too small for my aging eyes, and I feel unsafe running Windows 10 due to how much malware is targeted at it. Owned briefly.

Punkt MP02 Minimalist Phone. Owned briefly. Was considering switching from a iPhone to a MP02 + iPod Touch, but the MP02 is missing bands which would make it usable on Verizon and it was a bit larger than I expect.

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