Category: Uncategorized

If you are considering buying a new ski coat for spring skiing, do not do it. The ski coat, or 3-1 jacket, has been pushed by the industry for too long. The outdoor companies take advantage of consumers’ resistance to research and desire to purchase an all-in-one product. Sure, there is a powder skirt and the liner zips in … but there’s also a Goggle pocket? Who really needs those things? A well thought out three jacket system is a dramatically better idea for a number of reasons.

 

1. Replaceability and maintenance:

Consider this scenario: you tear a hole in your 3-1 ski coat and you patch it. Patching works reasonably well for the most part, but it will never be as waterproof as the original shell. You can’t just replace the shell because it’s part of a system. The opposing scenario is that you tear a hole in your shell and you replace the shell, but you still have a good down or primaloft layer to use for your next setup. Replacing things one piece at a time is always preferable to replacing a whole system.

1. Flexibility:

In a 3-1, you have three choices: liner, liner and shell or shell alone. This may seem flexible, but really, is it? Each of those things are a single weight, and you are stuck with those weights. Now, in a system involving your choice of base, mid and outer layer, each of those layers can be rotated out depending on conditions and required insulation, with the mid layer being the most frequently changed. The choices for midlayer are endless – primaloft, down or fleeces in varying fills and weights all serve to make your own personal system able to be dialed in for your body. It’s not just a one-weight-fits-all scenario.

1. Quality

Are there good quality 3-1 systems out there? Absolutely. Are they the norm? Not really. From a company’s perspective, they need to hit the price mark around $200-300 for a good quality ski coat, which is about the same amount you’d spend on a gore-tex shell.  If you spaced out your three purchases for your personal layers, you can make the case to afford good quality layers that will all work together better than the downgraded individual layers that outdoor companies have to include in their systems to hit their price point. The vast majority of the time, you will be able to purchase three layers of gear of much better quality than those included in a 3-1. Once you make the additional purchases, the cost of upkeep ends up actually being cheaper, as you can replace a single piece at a time to maintain the system you’ve designed to work for your body.

If you are not adverse to doing some research, and initially spending a little more money on buying individual pieces, you can really devise a much better custom solution to winter outerwear, than anything a huge outdoor company could ever devise as a one-size-fits-all solution.

In my EDC and knife posts, I made the point that people tend to keep more things with them than necessary. One reason is commercialism under the guise of necessity. While some products do make life easier in their specific tasks, at a certain point, we become so buried in things that we “need” to facilitate life that we begin to become encumbered.

This is something I struggle with constantly. I love getting something new, and I love little gadgets and tools and flashlights and shoes. Something happened recently though that really made me examine this about myself and whether something specific in my life really “furthered my cause.” I drive a 1996 Lexus LX450, for those of you who aren’t total Land Cruiser nerds like myself  know, those numbers translate to “Toyota Land Cruiser” specifically an 80 series Land Cruiser which was produced from 1990-1997 globally. On paper, it gets poor fuel economy, it goes pretty slow, and it’s now 23 years old, so it requires a certain amount of maintenance, most of which involved good old fashioned grease. Not a very practical vehicle for one person’s runabout town, which is what I’m sure prompted a man in the gym parking lot to tell me that, “I should be ashamed of driving my vehicle.”

So, I thought about it. I examined whether I should be ashamed of my beloved ‘cruiser – is it environmentally friendly on a day to day basis? Probably not in the micro sense. What I can say in its defense though is that instead of causing a new company to build a whole new car for me, I’m still using a vehicle that’s been bouncing around for 26 years, so that might be environmentally friendly. The maintenance is relatively easy, so I am able to do a lot of it myself, saving money. I have no car payment, and it suits my lifestyle well, hauling bikes and gear reliably as the day is long.

So, am I ashamed of myself, the answer would be a resounding, “no.” Is my huge truck a lesson that something doesn’t always have to be 100 percent practical? Sure, it’s good to think about. There are plenty of Subarus out there that would do what I need that make my old LC look like the Exxon Valdez. My wife drives one as a matter of fact, but you know what? My LC makes me happy, and sometimes that’s enough.

 

One thing I almost always have in my pocket is a pocket knife. It changes often, but there are a few usual suspects.

Pocket knives are an interesting beast and actually more polarizing than I would have thought. Some people don’t see the need to have one and are intimidated by the idea of somebody having a knife within reach at all times. Other people cannot imagine not having a knife in their pocket and consider it to be imperative to their personal security. I don’t really fall into either camp.

Growing up, a pocket knife was just something that I threw in my pocket and probably used for something during the day. “What’s the point?”, you ask (hilarious knife pun not withstanding). The point is, people carry what they carry for a number of reasons. I know people who carry hunting knives because “It’s the perfect EDC folder, a blade you can do a lot of cutting with.” Other people view them as weapons, with which to protect themselves. Others still just need something to open packages and crack open the occasional cold beverage with.

My question then relates to EDC utilitarianism how much cutting you are doing on a daily basis. Would a small Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool have more functionality and take up less room in your pocket? Ultimately, it falls down to preference,and the tasks you do on a regular basis. If you work in an office, you probably need something that doesn’t take up any space inside your pockets but packs a lot of light functionality. People in the military need a knife that works with some other very specific tasks. Some people truly just like the “bling” factor that comes from having a custom knife that uses the current super steel, with an all titanium construction and ceramic bearings providing the most frictionless flipper action on the market, viewed as art.

I cannot really tell you what will work for you, but I can offer an unbiased and honest opinion on the knives I choose to carry most often that have been whittled down (sorry, last one I promise) from years of having this handy little tool in my pocket. A lot of what is important to me may not be important to you, but I hope at least some applies to the way you think about your pocket tools.

Something that shapes any reviews I make is my personal preferences, where I choose to carry my knife, for example. I choose to carry my pocket knife in my left front pocket, and this comes with its own set of idiosyncrasies but it is where I’ve fallen into the habit of carrying them. If it has a pocket clip, I need to constantly pay attention that I do not lean on anything scratchable, and because of this concern, I don’t clip to my rear pocket because I would gouge anything I sat on like furniture or my car seats. This being the place where this tool resides, it means size is important. Too big without a pocket clip, and it falls sideways in my pocket and is uncomfortable. Too big with a pocket clip, and I cannot get my hand in my jeans. Things like these make picking a knife a very personal thing. Like the idea of everyday carry, I find, no matter what I do, or which knife I buy, the same models usually make it back into my pocket after a time because of this. This rotation is based mostly on function and more often than not, whether they are cumbersome in my pocket.

 

We will delve into my personal rotation, but for now, head over to Instagram at @blacktuskliving and let me know what you carry.

My EDC philosophy

I have come to realize that I dislike the current trend of pocket dumps and every day carry.  I AM very much interested in what other people carry on an everyday basis, but I am only really interested in what people actually carry.  I know this seems counter intuitive, but let me explain. I follow tons of everyday carry blogs, I am interested in and love pocket tools and gadgets from the minds of Peter Atwood and the like, but I have found that I must just have different pockets than most of the people who are posting their edc. Most of these pocket dumps include a fixed blade knife, a folder, AND a multi tool, two flashlights, a camera, a laptop, a wallet, a money clip, a bandana, a set of screwdrivers, phone, laptop and tablet.  

I love tools and gadgets but as much as I try to carry all the helpful stuff I can, I think of my pockets end up whittling themselves down as if by magic.  My keys don’t maintain tools for very long, and they too seem to magically lose extraneous key fobs and unneeded gadgets. This is because they also need to go into my pockets, and in the summertime when I am not wearing a jacket full of pockets, that space is at a premium.

No matter which tools I find to be awesome and useful, my daily carry can only consistently contain; My wallet, a pocket knife (which I carry because I like to have a toy in my pocket more so than having an actual need if I’m totally honest), my phone, my wallet, and my watch. I have things that I perceive a need for stashed around, in my truck, in my desk drawer at work, multi-tools here, flashlights there. The “on a daily basis cannot leave home without list”  Is and must remain as short as it is, anything more than that and I feel like I’m over encumbered.

I think other people are the same, and I generally think that most people don’t even carry a pocket knife nor do they need to. They are handy tools, and I plan to review my most usually carried ones, but actually need one?, I’m not sure many people really actually NEED to have one with which to traverse their daily routine.  

Remember this blog is about use, real world use and usefulness, what does a person need in their daily life and what are the best of those products? I may not know the best for you but I know I’ve been worried about being prepared for my day since I was a child and I have found the things that work the best for me.