Trending Gear: June 2022

Zebra’s F-701 is an all-metal clicky pen with a knurled grip, rigid steel body, and strong pocket clip. The click mechanism is nice and quiet to operate and demands a firm press - excellent if you don’t want it opening accidentally in your pocket. The stepped tip of the pen is designed to stay out of the way while you’re writing so you can get a clear view of what’s going onto the page. Inside, there’s a Zebra ballpoint refill that lays down a 0.8 mm line with ease. In the past, the F-701 was not made entirely of metal, so people would mod their pens with the click mechanism and hardware from the F-401 model. On our site, the F-701 is extremely popular and is carried by students, businessmen, EMTs, and more. It has universal appeal, and for good reason.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get into the world of fountain pens, and that much is clear with offerings like the legendary LAMY safari. Made out of charcoal-colored ABS plastic, the safari sports a sleek, timeless look, while remaining durable compared to other plastic offerings. The grip section of the pen comes in a triangular shape which helps with proper hand position, while the rest of its body features a circular shape with two flat faces, which prevents the pen from rolling off your desk. There’s even a little window built into the body so you can look at how much ink in the included cartridge you have left. This version of the safari comes with a medium stainless steel nib, a great starting point for newbies and a good general-purpose size for experienced fountain pen users.

First introduced in 1996, the Leatherman Micra finds its way trending back up the charts. Despite its age the Micra still holds up today as an invaluable keychain tool thanks to its useful complement of tools, scissors-based butterfly design, and sturdy construction all in a compact package. Most other butterfly-style multi-tools sized for your keychain feature a set of pliers as their main tool, but not everyone can get much use out of pliers at that size. Scissors, however, come in handy for all sorts of daily cutting tasks in a more discreet way than pulling out your dedicated EDC blade. With that said, the Micra still comes equipped with a small penknife, a nail file and cleaning tool, screwdrivers, a bottle opener, a ruler, and even a set of tweezers.

The Garmin Instinct Tactical isn’t your usual smartwatch. Rather than a simple sphere or square of glass and steel, this tactical-inspired watch is built tough to U.S. military standard 810G for thermal, shock, and water resistance rated up to 100 meters. But the Instinct isn’t just a tough watch. It’s a fully featured smartwatch that includes vibrating alarms, stopwatch, connectivity to smartphones, built-in navigation sensors, multiple global navigation satellite systems like GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, and smart notifications. It also comes with fitness-oriented features like a heart-rate monitor, sleep tracking and pre-loaded activity profiles such as running, biking, swimming, hiking, and more. And true to its Tactical name, the Instinct includes stealth mode, jumpmaster mode, waypoint projection, dual-position GPS formatting and preloaded tactical activities.

In addition to other quality of life features like momentary-on, memory mode, and instant High, the A1x comes with 4 different brightness settings, ranging from a 2-lumen Moonlight for up to 32 hours to the aforementioned High, which pushes out 450 lumens for 100 seconds before stepping down to 100 lumens for 75 minutes. Thanks to the use of an improved 330mAh battery, the light is fully rechargeable via micro USB in 90 minutes. And while it’s compact at 2.38“ long and 0.59 ounces, the A1x is rated IPX6 against moisture and dust. As an alternative, if color accuracy isn’t a priority and you want to squeeze out all the power you can, the A1x is available in a XP-G3 LED version with a max of 650 lumens as well.

While many knives out there feature complex designs with different materials and intricate features, a simple, elegant design never goes out of style. The Ruike P801 is clear evidence that sometimes less is more. However, a simple construction doesn’t mean a cheap knife, and that much is clear with the P801’s choice of steel for its blade, Sandvik 14C28N. This steel features a 58-60 HRC with added chromium, perfect for applications that demand a lot from edge durability and corrosion resistance. The P801 is an original design from a brand under Fenix's banner with solid features at an even better price.

Rechargeable batteries are the best way to make the most out of your EDC flashlight without ruining your bank acount (and especially the environment). But with the variety of battery types and sizes out there, topping them up can be cumbersome, and sometimes even dangerous. XTAR takes the guesswork out of recharging in a compact package, with a comprehensive compatibility of chemistries, sizes from 10440 all the way up to 26650, and hassle-free automatic detection and operation. It conveniently operates via micro USB, and can even act as a power bank in a pinch using the batteries it's charging.

Tudor’s Pelagos takes a different turn from the Black Bay, with its modern appearance and materials. Crafted from titanium, the case is lightweight, strong, and water-resistant down to an impressive 500 meters. There’s a helium escape valve integrated into the side of the case, taking a more subtle approach than Omega’s separate crown-like device. The titanium bracelet on the Tudor has a unique spring-loaded extension system that keeps it comfortable on your wrist all day long. You’ll also appreciate the sapphire crystal for durability, the 70-hour power reserve for convenience, and the ceramic bezel insert to avoid scratches.

When you need access to your batteries in times when every second counts, the Thyrm CellVault-18 might be the solution you’re looking for. It's designed to keep 1x18650 or 2x18350 batteries both protected from the environment and easily accessible. Measuring in at 7.5“ x 4”, it can accommodate a single 18650 cell or two 18350s, viewable from the clear side window, and protected with internal foam padding. Aside from keeping things versatile by occupying less than one MOLLE/PALS column, this size also helps keep the weight down at only 2 oz. The CellVault-18 protects batteries from the rough and tumble of EDC and field use thanks to its durable, double-layered construction. It also includes a waterproof O-ring seal rated to IPX7, which means that it can withstand water down to 2 meters for around 30 minutes, fending off damage from storms, splashes, and spills.

There's no shortage of useful utility blades on the market, but last month's most popular item adds a sleek and premium contender to the mix. Tactical and Portable's AVIS-PRY is a compact and capable tool built from titanium and designed to work with standard utility blades. A titanium button lock and internal magnet system prevents rattling while securing the blade, which itself requires two-handed operation to deploy for extra safety. A built-in bottle opener adds more utility to the tool, and its 3", 1.65 oz footprint is easy to slip into your pockets, with a clip as an optional accessory.