Plenty of people who love the great outdoors spend their working week stuck in towns and cities. And often they have a stack of outdoor kit that spends most of its life packed away in a spare room or in boxes in the garage. But wouldn't it be better to invest in kit that can thrive in both the outdoors and the urban jungle? Gear that’s as suited to queuing in Starbucks as summiting Helvellyn?
In our opinion, The James Brand makes just about the most handsome and useful EDC tools around. From perfectly weighted carabiner keyrings to sleek, stylish steel pens, their products are perfect for the pocket. That extends to their finely crafted knives too. Take the Elko, for example: a diminutive slipjoint folder that comes in handy day in, day out. With a stainless steel blade at the business end and a pry bar at the butt end (which can be used as a bottle opener, keyring, screwdriver and damned near anything else you can think of), it’s the ideal go-anywhere pocket knife for the 9 to 5 and beyond.
DUER's trousers truly straddle the divide between town and country, putting a metaphorical leg in each camp. Super comfortable and with loads of stretch, their performance denim and multi-purpose khakis look good wherever you wear them. Plus, with a focus on maximum flexibility and freedom of movement, they're built for active lifestyles, whether you're cycling across the city or wandering in the woods. Contemporary cuts and versatile styling means you can also dress them up or down – it doesn’t matter, they’ll always look and feel great. In fact, they’re quite possibly the perfect pair of pants.
Japanese brand KINTO is battling the problem of plastic pollution by eliminating single-use water bottles from daily life. Its distinctive minimalist bottles and tumblers transition seamlessly from home to office to gym to the great outdoors, combining style and functionality in one sleek design. The result is a better breed of drinkware, perfectly sized to simply grab and go. The Travel Tumbler is a great example, designed to slip into the water-bottle cage of a bike.
The Wacaco story started with a bad cup of hotel coffee. Disappointed by a morning espresso, industrial design graduate Hugo Cailleton decided to create a portable coffee maker that would make great espresso wherever, whenever – whether you were stuck at the office, out in the wilderness or cooped up in a city-centre hotel room. So, Wacaco's Minipresso, Nanopresso and Pipamoka machines are perfect for travellers, commuters and outdoor lovers alike. They all put great coffee in your hands, giving you the ability to enjoy full-flavoured espresso or filter coffee anytime, anywhere. And with the wide range of accessories and travel cases on offer, it's easy to take your Wacaco coffee maker wherever you roam.
Chrome Industries is a brand that is totally committed to making useful, durable gear for people who live, work and ride in the city. Their products are purpose-built for those who work hard, play hard and ride hard. It's no wonder they've become the bag of choice for pro bike messengers and cycle couriers in some of the world's biggest and busiest cities. But as it happens, that also means their bags and packs are plenty tough enough to front up to weekend adventures. Proudly overbuilt from industrial- and military-grade fabrics and hardware, these packs are designed for a lifetime of use and abuse.
