The Drop: Cotopaxi Allpa Roller Bag

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

With its ergonomic design and clever organization features, the best-selling Cotopaxi Allpa Travel Pack has been a popular choice for quick, rugged excursions. For long-distance travel, however, you’d want to put your items in a travel roller to avoid carrying all that weight on your back and shoulders.

The Cotopaxi Allpa Roller Bag takes everything great about the Allpa pack to the next level by making it a full-fledged roller. It hasn’t forgotten its rugged pedigree, either. Large, sturdy wheels and an extendable handle make it easy to roll over cobbled streets, dirt roads, and stairs. And if you need to, you can also carry it as a backpack, thanks to the molded EVA back panel and padded shoulder straps that tuck away when not in use, making it a best-of-both-worlds travel solution.

The Allpa is made from high-quality materials that are both eco-friendly and resilient. The main body uses 100% recycled 840D nylon with a water-resistant TPU coating, while the secondary body uses 100% recycled 840D ballistic nylon with a ripstop weave. The lining is also 100% recycled ripstop polyester. These fabrics are sourced from pre-consumer waste, meaning they’re leftovers from other production processes that would otherwise end up in landfills.

The Allpa Roller Bag has a split case design that allows you to organize your belongings in two separate compartments, separated by mesh dividers. A top accessory pocket gives you quick access to your essentials, such as your passport, wallet, phone, and keys. It has 38L of available space, which I find is perfect for a 3-day getaway.

Multiple grab handles make it easy to lift it in and out of overhead bins or car trunks. It’s also carry-on compatible, so you can avoid the hassle of checking in your luggage. For longer trips or more packing space, a larger 65L size is available, too.

What we like: It combines many things we want to see in our gear: 100% recycled materials, rugged durability, and thoughtful organization features.

What to watch out for: It has no laptop compartment, so be prepared to leave your work behind. And while you can use it as a backpack, it won’t be a very comfortable carry.

Final verdict: The Cotopaxi Allpa Roller Bag combines the features of a backpack and a suitcase, making it a great all-in-one solution for your next adventure.

Check It Out

The Drop: Timex Marlin Chronograph Tachymeter

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

If you look at the wrists of many modern everyday carry watch enthusiasts, you'll notice that the panda dial chronograph has found itself in a resurging trend. A panda dial consists of a white or silver dial on a watch with dark black subdials for the chronograph complication. The contrast between light and dark looks similar to the face of a panda, lending the look its name. And while the panda dial has become popular in the everyday carry watch community because of unattainable watches that will cost you a second mortgage, the Timex Marlin Chronograph Tachymeter lets you get the look for far less and continues the brand’s consistency for strong releases and collaborations this year.

The Timex Marlin Chronograph Tachymeter has an Art Deco look that holds its own, so while it's reminiscent of luxury watches, it's not a copy or a homage. The striking typeface used for the Arabic hour markers at the 12, 3, and 9 o'clock positions are unique, and they are easily identifiable at a glance thanks to the application of high-contrast black rectangular highlights around them. The same goes for the black subdials, making it easy to read the chronograph complication without too much effort. The black outer tachymeter helps give the watch its name, letting you calculate speeds quickly.

With a case diameter of 40mm and a lug width of 20mm, this watch will work on most people's wrists. Its compatibility with a wide range of straps makes it versatile, from dress to casual wear based on your mood. Its reliable quartz movement will keep time better than some of the most expensive mechanical and automatic watches at a fraction of the cost.

What we like: The classic Art Deco look and reliable quartz design of the Timex Marlin Chronograph offer excellent functionality and value for money.

What to watch out for: With a water resistance of only 50m, you should take this watch off before taking your next plunge into the pool or the ocean.

Final verdict: The Timex Marlin Chronograph is an elevated quartz timepiece that gives you a classic look without bidding for a classic watch at auction. Even better, you can buy one today online. That's better than being made to wait years on an exclusive list just for the chance to buy something you can't afford.

Check It Out

The Loadout: Creepy Everyday Carry

The Loadout is our curated collection of excellent essentials to help give you ideas for building your own everyday carry. We'll do our best to cover your bases, and, at the very least, help you discover even more awesome gear worth a spot in your EDC.

The Drop: Chrome Industries Bravo 4.0 Backpack

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

The emergence of multi-layer laminate material has been a boon to everyday carry enthusiasts searching for a lightweight bag or pack. The thin yet durable and water-resistant construction of the layers of material helps reduce the initial heft of a bag. Adding it to existing bag designs, with some tweaks, is also a winning recipe. That's what Chrome Industries has done with their Bravo 4.0 backpack. This fourth iteration of their classic urban and bike-oriented rolltop bag features the lightweight construction modern everyday carry demands, with added organizational space inside to boot.

Where the original Bravo designs from Chrome Industries featured a large main compartment, it was lacking for anyone looking for interior and exterior organizational space. With the Bravo 4.0, Chrome Industries added a padded laptop sleeve that fits up to a 17" desktop computer replacement laptop (a feat few packs attempt). There's a new zippered tech organizer compartment in the front, but the best addition is the side water bottle pocket, letting you stay hydrated on your commute, whether on two legs or wheels.

What we like: The laminate material allows this large 24-35L backpack to weigh just 2.82 pounds fully unloaded. Compare that to 5 or 6 pounds with a similarly-sized ballistic nylon bag, and you have all-day wearability with space to spare. It's even sustainable, with its layers composed of recycled nylon and polyester.

What to watch out for: Chrome Industries bills this bag as water-resistant, not waterproof. But with its rolltop design and quality materials, you should get through the urban rain without a hitch.

Final verdict: The Bravo 4.0 is ready to be your next lightweight everyday carry go-to item. With its large capacity, innovative design additions, and lightweight materials, it's hard to pass up if you're looking for an urban commute bag this season.

Check It Out

The Drop: Timex Expedition North Titanium Automatic Watch

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

Opting for an automatic mechanical watch involves having movements with lots of gears, springs, rotors, and other pieces to work. Where a standard quartz movement condenses all that into a circuit board, part of the allure of having an automatic watch is the mechanism itself, but that mechanism requires a slightly bigger watch, and that bigger size impacts the overall weight. But watches like the new Timex Expedition North Titanium Automatic keep the weight down by using the namesake titanium material instead.

The bead-blasted titanium case allows the 41mm diameter Expedition North to have a heft that wears smaller than its size. In its larger form, however, you get 200 meters of water resistance, which is a lot for a field watch. The larger space also enables more shock resistance for the Japanese automatic movement inside, powering the highly-legible three-hand watch. The dial features Arabic legends, with a Timex Expedition logo at the top. There's a date window at the 3 o'clock position for your convenience. The hands are big and bright in regular light, and in the dark, the hours, hands, and markers feature Swiss Super-LumiNova lume to make it readable in low-light situations. An exhibition caseback is the final stylish flair to the watch, letting you take a peek into its automatic engine. 

What we like: The handsome recycled ocean plastic strap is sustainable for the environment, and it also features easy removal from the 20mm lugs for swapping it out with other straps based on your style and mood.

What to watch out for: Traditional watch enthusiasts tend to have a problem with titanium watches. To them, the lightness is indicative of poor quality and a cheap feeling. But in everyday carry, we know that finding the best materials is part of finding the best tools to do the job, and a titanium watch like the Timex Expedition North Automatic allows for serious weight savings and overall comfort on your wrist.

Final verdict: The Timex Expedition North Titanium Automatic 41mm is a highly easy-to-read field watch featuring a lightweight titanium case, a quality Japanese automatic movement, and a sapphire glass crystal at an attainable price.

Check It Out

Dango Compass XL

"Dango’s combination carabiner/compass makes a great addition to your keychain, belt loop, or backpack. It features a liquid-filled compass with degree markers and a CNC-machined 6061 aerospace aluminum case with a spring steel latch that’s built to..." (via The Awesomer)

Read More

The Drop: Vosteed Thunderbird Knife

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

Vosteed are on a roll this year, considering they first popped up on our radar late last year with a flashlight, then fast became a favorite knifemaker (for me especially) with their fidget- and budget-friendly models like the Corgi and the Raccoon. Designer Yue Dong and his team aren’t showing any signs of showing down, and the return of a fan-favorite model has me pretty excited.

The Thunderbird was an earlier model in their catalog, with a sleek, tanto-styled blade in S35VN and a larger 3.48” profile with Gmascus (G-10 laminate with a topo pattern) handle scales that contained Vosteed’s patent-pending Trek button lock, which, while not truly ambidextrous, can still comfortably be operated by either hand and still does the job of keeping your fingers away when closing up the blade. Inherent fidget friendliness was also the Thunderbird’s claim to fame, with three ways to flick it open between front and rear jimping and a thumb hole punctuating the end of the blade’s fuller.

The knife returns in a slightly smaller but more premium iteration, now with a top-tier M390 steel making up a 3.25” blade. Gmascus handles make a return with shuffled colorways (three available right now, with the blue/black one coming on November 7th), but this is shaping up to be every bit the fun, fidgetable knife as its larger predecessor.

What we like: Premium steel, a new take on G-10, and three ways to play—what’s not to like?

What to watch out for: The four base models are already good, but I can’t help but get hyped for the titanium variants coming on the 7th as well, which come with ELMAX steel and a frag pattern on the black variant’s scales. Watch this space for a hands-on when we’re able to grab one.

Final verdict: Time to get my flick on.

Check It Out

The Drop: aroundsquare Ultem Collection

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

The fun and fabulous toys by our friends over at aroundsquare are best known for two things: a whole catalog worth of wearables and carryables to choose from, and being able to pick up most everything in that catalog in a range of materials from wood to the most exotic materials and alloys.

For their October drop, they’re cooking up even more material science with a healthy dose of polyetherimide (PEI), otherwise known more popularly as Ultem. To say that it’s made a splash in EDC is an understatement; its unique properties of high strength and rigidity give it exceptional stability even at very high temperatures, making it a sort of superplastic once it’s set. Matt (the founder of aroundsquare) has a great write-up about it in his e-mail announcing the drop.

As for the drop itself, there’s plenty to scope out and scoop up, Ultem or otherwise. Leading the pack are long and shortform “MKUltems,” my personal favorite wearable they offer, which also comes in both a matte machined finish and polished versions. There are Ultem begleris with the new apple-shaped Mílos beads, as well as in the larger Hardcore Titans variant. Last but not least are Ultem options for both the Banzhi ring and several Knucklebones, so there really is a lot in this drop to look out for if you want to get your amber game on.

What we like: Variety is the spice of life, and Ultem is just another great material option if you’re looking for the perfect mindfulness or meditation toy from aroundsquare. Bonus that it’s also particularly distinct in appearance without adding too much to the cost of a product, without any performance drawbacks.

What to watch out for: Some aroundsquare drops can get popular, and given Ultem’s, these could be snatched up quickly. Set those alarms for 7PM Pacific today, Friday the 27th, to get a jump on the release. Also, check out the other inclusions, like a new cashmere sweater and acrylic sets.

Final verdict: Amber is the color of our energy.

Check It Out