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If you missed the fact that Patagonia sells camping food, we’ll give you a pass; most people aren’t aware that Patagonia Provisions was launched in 2012, and the line of camping provision and now everyday food seems to keep flying under the radar.
When you’re on the go – whether on a 30-mile hike or 80-mile bike ride - you need the right fuel in order to keep yourself up and running. And when you’re hungry or thirsty during one of those activities, you need that fuel to come quickly and conveniently – and without the junk found in so many energy bars and the insane amount of sugar in most sports drinks.
When outfitting your kitchen on a budget, you’ll probably find yourself reaching for an inexpensive cast iron skillet, from Lodge or another similar brand. Cast iron is cheap, overall, and you don’t need to spend a lot to get a useable pan that will last many years – hence why Lodge is totally fine.
A properly-equipped bar is a necessity for every home, and that means more than just a few bottles of scotch. You need to be able to properly store, chill, open and serve drinks of all kinds, from a vintage bottle of wine to a fine bourbon. Our emphasis today is on the “open” part of line. There’s a lot of different bottle opener styles out there to pick from, each with their own unique twist and specialized purpose. Here’s a couple of cool bottle openers we’re using right now.
Every true coffee aficionado knows that burr grinders are practically a necessity when it comes to making good coffee. Cheap blade grinders simply don’t grind with the kind of precision and consistency that burr grinders do, and how finely they grind the coffee is determine solely by the length of time you let it run.
When we’re camping or backpacking, we’re usually looking for ways to cut down on weight, and the camping stove you choose is usually one of the first pieces you look at for shedding weight.
In our eternal quest for the perfect shot of espresso, we’ve tried virtually machine, cup and blend of beans we could get our hands on, so we think it’s fair to say we know a good bit about what makes a coffee machine worth buying and what makes a good cup.
The important of keeping your knives sharp should go without saying. Whether it’s your fancy chef’s knife or your favorite pocket knife, a sharp, properly-honed blade will cut faster, more precisely and with much less effort, and will also be a heck of a lot safer to use; you’re far more likely to cut yourself with a dull or jagged blade that snags and tears than a razor-sharp one.
IHOP grabbed our all attention a few months back when they announced they were rebranding at IHOB – the International House of Burgers. It turned out to be nothing more than a gimmick creating hype for their new burger menu – but it does appear that IHOP is still creating all the same, as they’ve just released a new beer, which they predictably bill as IHOPS.
It's no secret. We love tools. Whether they're survival knives, pocket-sized EDC knives, kitchen utensils or handy little gadgets that make the dinner party easier, if's made of steel and carbon, we're looking at it. Here's a few that caught our eye today.
There may not be a brick in sight, but the Bakerstone Pizza Oven Box makes some incredible pizzas regardless. Just place it on the grill, let it preheat, slide in your pizza and enjoy.
We’ve reviewed a lot of good whiskey, but we’ve yet to really see a whiskey as unpretentious, and as unlike the brand’s usual offerings, as Naked Grouse. Created by the makers of The Famous Grouse, maker of classic Scotch whiskey, Naked Grouse is what the distillery calls “whiskey at its most uncomplicated,” and uses “first fill” sherry casks in which to age the whiskey. This slightly-unusual (though not unheard of) aging vessel imparts a much sweeter, fruitier flavor to their spirits - and one that gives the drink it’s slightly cheeky personality. (Don’t believe us? See the website.)
In a world where everybody is trying their hand at making “craft” spirits, there are a few that really stand out from the pack. The folks at Bruichladdich Distillery, which has been around on the famed island of Islay since 1881, are one of them. These are the same folks behind Botanist gin, and their Scotch is just as good.
With a name like TinCup, you know this stuff must have some real Old West flavor. Distilled high in Denver, just feet from the Rocky Mountains, TinCup American Whiskey is named after the town of Tincup, Colorado – an old mining town in Gunnison, Colorado, on the Western Slope of the Rockies.
If you’re into coffee, you’ve likely heard of the Chemex. But what’s so special about this pour-over maker, and why does it continue to be one of the most popular out there?
What on earth is a temperature control mug? The new innovation in drinkware, of course, The Ember Ceramic Mug keeps your drinks at exactly the temperature you like them, so they don’t get cold before you’re through with them.
Packing food for overnight backpacking trips can be a challenge. How much food do you bring? How do you keep it fresh and prevent spoilage? And how much does it weigh? And let’s not even get started on thru-hiking, when you sometimes need to carry weeks’ worth of food all at once…
Few breweries really strike gold with their branding, the way Speakeasy Ales and Lagers does. They’ve been brewing beer with a Prohibition theme in San Francisco since 1997, and their Big Daddy IPA is already one of the most popular out there.
Corona isn’t exactly known for their wide variety of brews, but just in time for summer, they’ve decided to try something new and put out their first beer in almost 3 decades – the Corona Premier,
Summer means Barbecue. The most uniquely-American of cuisines, barbecue is one of the foods that engenders unbreakable loyalty amongst its fans, and inspires passionate debate among the widely varied camps of barbecue fandom; Which barbecue style is best? Texas? Memphis? Kansas City? Is it smoked over Hickory or Oak? Mesquite? In a pit? Tomato-based or vinegar sauce? (Sauce may be the only thing that inspires more heated debate than barbecue itself…)
Sometimes the best part of camping isn’t just being in the great outdoors, but the opportunity to enjoy some delicious warm food in the great outdoors after a long day. There is just nothing quite like fresh-cooked food over the campfire. And if you like cooking fine food at home, there is no reason you can’t prepare some gourmet food around the campsite too, and we don’t mean bacon and potatoes in foil
As much as we would all like to deck out our kitchens in the finest appliances and cutlery, many of us are still on a bit of a budget and have to “make do” with something just a little bit cheaper. Thankfully, this 15-Piece Kitchen Knife and Block set from J.A Henckels doesn’t feel like settling at all.
Smoking is a ton of fun, but not everyone has a smoker or a backyard to use one in. Which is why the Charcoal Companion Kitchenque Stovetop Smoker is such a nice tool to have in your kitchen; no need for a grill, smoker or even a backyard, and you can use it quite comfortably no matter the weather.
If you haven’t yet made the leap to a stainless-steel water bottle, you really ought to. You’ll be able to say goodbye to funky plastic smells and the possibility of chemicals leaching into your water, and your bottle will become much more attractive in the process.