All posts in “Awards”

Men’s Gear Awards: Best Pocket Knife Brands Of 2021

One of the most common things we’re asked about at Men’s Gear is our stance on knives. We cover a lot of them, so we can understand why this comes up so often. The hardest question to ask us is which pocket knife we love the most. It’s a nearly impossible answer. However, we do have certain pocket knife brands that we swear by over others.

To us, it is still difficult to pick the best. There are a lot of factors to consider there. It was like when we had to pick out just 150 camping gadgets. We went over the top and picked more because we loved this stuff so much. When you ask about the top pocket knife brands, you’re looping together just about every company that makes outdoor knives.

They all make a pocket knife or something in that world like it. They also make hatchets and axes, with some even going as far as making tactical tomahawks. In fact, tactical-led companies have some of the best knives you’ll ever find, and they have to be when you’re going to need them in the field.

Overall, pocket knives are another breed of knife altogether. The pocket knife brands picked by us below were all judged by a number of factors. However, the main thing we focused on was only legal versions of knives. Most brands have assisted open and others that are legal in most countries but switchblades are not.

We only picked brands that fit the closed, smaller knife criteria. They have to count as a pocket knife, as in one that fits in your pocket, basically. Without further wait, enjoy our list of the best pocket knife brands in the world today.

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Editors Rating

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Spyderco makes some of the best knives you’ll ever see. This is especially true of pocket knives. In fact, people are discovering just how impressive Spyderco’s pocket knives are as of late.

So much so, several of these knives from the brand has reached top ten lists for top knife-centered websites as well as outdoor sites.

This is not shocking when you see what they have to offer. All of the knives are made with only the best materials, yet they don’t charge an arm and a leg for their products either. More on that later.

What makes Spyderco stand out over some of the others out there is their countless list of knives that are only sold by them. They trademarked or have copyright on a ton of their knives. Most of the ones that are pocket knife related are in that listing of brand-only knives too.

With that said, let’s get to some of these amazing knives and why they stand out.

Spyderco Pocket Knives 

While some may define pocket knives differently than us, we define them as knives that can fit in your pocket without a protective sheath. That means they are either too small to stab you in the leg if you put them in your pants pocket, or they fold up.

Something must cover them with a protector otherwise, which to us cannot count as a pocket knife. Everything that makes a pocket knife must come attached to the base of the knife or something of that nature. At Spyderco, they have multiple knives that fit this.

Here are the brand knives you should know about:

  • A.T.R.™ 2
  • Advocate™
  • Alcyone™ G-10 Grey
  • Amalgam™
  • Bradley Folder™ 2
  • Brouwer™ Folder
  • Caly™ 3.5 Carbon Fiber ZDP 189
  • Caribbean™ Leaf
  • Caribbean™ Sheepfoot
  • Civilian™ G-10 Black
  • ClipiTool™ Rescue™
  • ClipiTool™ Standard™
  • Cricket™ Stainless Steel
  • Harpy™
  • Hundred Pacer™
  • Karahawk™ G-10 All Black
  • Karahawk™ G-10 Black
  • Magnitude™ Carbon Fiber
  • Manbug™ Salt Sheepfoot
  • McBee™
  • Opus™
  • P’Kal™
  • Reinhold Rhino™
  • Rescue 79 mm™ Lightweight
  • Rubicon™ 2
  • Salt™ 2
  • Saver Salt™
  • Schempp Bowie™
  • Snap-It Salt™ Lightweight / Kraton
  • SpydieChef™ Titanium
  • Subvert™
  • Tatanka™ G-10
  • Techno™
  • Tropen™
  • Tusk™
  • Vallotton Sub-Hilt™
  • Wolfspyder

As you can tell, their list of impressive one-off knives is fantastic. However, Spyderco decided to continue some beyond a few knives. In fact, they have entire knife lines dedicated to them. These are the lines you should really check out:

  • The Assist Salt™ Lightweight Line
  • The Chaparral™ Line
  • The D’Allara™ 4 Line
  • The Dragonfly™ 2 Line
  • The Endura® 4 Line
  • The Lil’ Native® Line
  • The Manix™ 2 Line
  • The Matriarch™ 2 Lightweight Line
  • The Military™ Model Line
  • The Native® 5 Line
  • The Para Military™ 2 Line
  • The Para™ 3 Line
  • The Police™ Model Line
  • The Sage™ Line
  • The Shaman™ Line
  • The Spyderco Line
  • The Stretch™ 2 Line
  • The Tasman™ Salt 2 Line
  • The Tenacious™ Line
  • The Yojimbo™ Line

Each line and knife is made for different reasons. Some are better for hunting or fishing while others are better for camping. Carbon fiber, Titanium, and other materials are used in these knives too. Overall, you cannot go wrong with any of them.

Some of the designs are unique, not just in the handle but in the blade itself. While you still see the classic serrated or straight look in the blade, it may be shaped differently than you might normally see. This only makes them more valuable and unique, in our opinion.

Price Range:

The prices at Spyderco are around the industry average for pocket knife brands. You’ll pay as much here as anywhere else, but not every brand makes knives as impressively as they do. It is quite clear that they are in the average, but what is it exactly?

You’ll spend anywhere between $60 to $800 here. However, most of their knives meet in the middle where you won’t spend much more than $300 most days. The higher knives are usually more specialty-driven. This is why for $140 or $250, you can buy a quality knife from them just as easily as you could for those north of $300.

Spyderco does offer a warranty, but it looks to be a basic Limited Lifetime Warranty. They do have conditions with their warranty, however. One of them is that the service life of a knife will run out eventually, due to the knife needing to be retired from use. Sometimes, knives do reach their expiration. At this point, Spyderco does not fix anything.

They also do not fix the knife if it was used outside the realm of its abilities. If you would like to know more about what the warranty does or doesn’t cover, click here.

Spyderco is also a very big supporter of the Armed Forces. This led them to do what they call a Military Lottery. Each month, they pick 50 Military Personel to give a knife to for absolutely free of charge. This had to do mostly with deploying men and women.

If you want to find out more or you wish to enter the knife lottery with Spyderco, click here.

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Victorinox is a master in the craft of Swiss Army Knives. This is likely due to the fact that they are a Switzerland based company. This sort of helps them with that sort of thing, we feel.

Due to Victorinox being so good with Swiss Army Knives, they obviously have to land on the pocket knife brands list. These types of knives are really what people think about first when they think up a pocket knife.

Swiss Army Knives have been popular for years and it makes sense. They include a blade, sometimes multiple. They may also include tweezers, a bottle opener, nail file, and much more.

Overall, when you think about these types of knives, you know you’re getting more bang for your buck. This is due to the fact that they come with so much, so it feels like you have a one-stop shop for all the things you might need in a given day.

No one is better than Victorinox at making these knives. That said, let’s examine the knives they have and why you should pay attention to them.

Victorinox Pocket Knives 

The Victorinox pocket knives are not nearly as vast as Spyderco. This was to be expected, considering this brand focuses so much on the Swiss Army Knife. That means for every knife other brands might make, Victorinox is making 5 to 6 in one basically.

What knives should you keep an eye on here? These are our favorites among them:

  • Cadet Alox Limited Edition 2019
  • Pioneer Alox Limited Edition 2019
  • Classic Limited Edition 2018
  • Hunter Pro
  • Hunter Pro M Alox
  • Skipper
  • Skipper Pro
  • Huntsman
  • Classic SD
  • Huntsman Year of the Pig 2018
  • Sportsman
  • Spartan Wood
  • Victorinox@Work
  • Jettsetter@Work
  • Midnite Manager@Work
  • Work Champ
  • Hercules
  • Evolution S54
  • Equestrian 
  • CyberTool L
  • Swiss Champ XLT
  • Ranger Grip

As you’ll notice, the selection is vast at Victorinox. It is pretty clear that you’ll find exactly what you need here too. For proper Swiss Army Knives that count as Pocket Knives, there are few better places to shop.

Unlike other models of these knife types, the blades are not half-assed. They make them perfectly and they don’t just mess up with the smallest issue. The blade or blades you get here are perfectly designed for doing what they’re supposed to.

That means you won’t deal with the unsharp problems. The tools inside are also high-quality, making them worth the buy.

Price Range:

The prices on the Victorinox knives are all relatively good. They are a bit under the median of the industry standard. Pocket knife brands do not always have clear pricing. Sometimes you can see a knife for $50 then one similar for $500. This makes a range heavily needed.

Due to being made in Switzerland, they do not charge as much as Victorinox as people might think. The prices can range a bit wildly though. This seems to be from $25 to $250. The reason for the price difference makes a lot of sense, however.

They charge more depending on the number of tools or blades they have inside their particular Swiss Army knife. That means it’s worth the extra money, and you’re not getting cheated.

The company currently has a nice free 2-day shipping option, which should save you money on orders of any amount. They also have free returns if you need to send something back. This is only for a limited time after your purchase, however.

Victorinox even has a good warranty on their knives. Each knife has a Lifetime Warranty on it.

These guys do not mess around, as they feel their products are the best possible version of Swiss Army Knives you’ll find. So if you ever need to get something fixed, you just need to go to their Product Service Center.

You just have to go online and find the service center, fill out the form, and they’ll get back to you on what they can do. Since we’re nice guys, we found the place to go. That said, just click here to go straight to the service center and form area.

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The Columbia River Knife & Tool brand is one of the very best knife companies in the world today. They can literally do it all. It’s almost shocking to see how they can make some of the most incredible knives today.

We’re constantly seeing them make top ten lists on the internet, and some people swear by their knives right now. They are consistently making new and improved knives in every category.

They make perfect knives for fishing and hunting, yet they also make great tactical and protective knives too. CRKT knows how to make a proper pocket knife, so we’re not shocked that they make so many lists along with other great knives.

That said, let’s examine the best pocket knives from the CRKT brand.

CRKT Knives 

CRKT likes to make knives that can be used for just about anything. While they design them for specific tasks, we’ve found that you can use them in several crossover projects. Their pocket knives are a huge area that they love to perfect.

With that knowledge, we were sure they had plenty of knives to show off. However, they have major top rated versions that we feel need to be highlighted more. From single make to major lines, we wanted to highlight the best of the best CRKT has to offer. Let’s do that now:

  • HOMEFRONT™
  • K.I.S.S.® COMMEMORATIVE
  • SHENANIGAN™ Z CAMO REALTREE XTRA®
  • SQUID™ COPPER – LIMITED EDITION
  • SLACKER™
  • PREQUEL™
  • AVANT™
  • FLAT OUT™
  • BEV-EDGE™
  • INCENDIARY™
  • DAKTYL™
  • SNAP LOCK™ WITH TRIPLE POINT™ SERRATIONS
  • RIPSNORT™
  • HELICAL™
  • GUSSET™
  • DELILAH’S P.E.C.K.™
  • JETTISON™ 
  • GRAPHITE™ 
  • MOXIE™ 
  • DEVIATION™ 
  • MY TIGHE™ 
  • TIGHE TAC™ 
  • WRINKLE™ Red

As for those impressive lines we mentioned, here’s the best of the best:

  • The PILAR® Line
  • The Crossbones Line
  • The FOSSIL™ Line
  • The M4™ Line
  • The M16™ Line
  • The M21™ Line
  • The PAZODA™ Line

We cannot get enough of Columbia River’s major lines that seriously continue to improve, and only become greater each time they add more to them. They are often made with nearly indestructible blades. This only makes them more valuable.

They are perfect for hunting, fishing, and everyday activity. Overall, we see these knives all over the place and it is for good reason. They’re simply too difficult to kill and that adds value that cannot be overlooked.

Price Range:

We know that the CRKT knives are impressive, but did you know they are insanely well-priced too? It’s true. The company is actually under the median normal price range among pocket knife brands.

You’ll pay anywhere between $25 and $300 here. Nearly all are under $100, which makes the knives very affordable for everyone. This is perfect for fishermen and hunters who do not like overspending. The newer the knife, the higher the knife’s price is at CRKT.

The brand offers free shipping for any orders over $100. They even have a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all of their knives too. To find out what it does and does not cover, click here.

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Gerber Knives have been huge in the last few years. They have developed key partnerships with impressive people, like Survivalist and TV Presenter Bear Grylls alone. Heck, he even has his own knife with them.

Their Gator Grip knife is known by many to be among the best knives in the world, full stop. Yet when you’re trying to think of the best pocket knife brands, Gerber continues to rank highly. It is hard to overlook them mostly because they make incredibly popular knives.

The respect they have earned and the popularity they have managed to get over the last few years is clearly giving them an edge in the market right now. While they may be known for their hunting and fishing knives, their pocket knife listing is downright massive.

Let’s examine those knives and explain why they’re so well-liked.

Gerber Pocket Knives 

The Gerber line of knives is massive, but the biggest collection they have is clearly in their pocket knife section. They have dozens that can all be considered top tier. Most feel the biggest issue Gerber has is that their selection is so hard to choose from.

Happily, unlike some other knife brands, they don’t have a bunch of the same knife. They have multiple different types that can all be used for different things. These are a few that you should keep your eye on:

  • HINDERER RESCUE – SERRATED, SHEATH
  • HINDERER CLS
  • EAB POCKET KNIFE
  • GERBER EDGE
  • VITAL POCKET FOLDER
  • POCKET SQUARE – ALUMINUM HANDLE
  • COVERT FAST – BLACK, SERRATED
  • PROPEL AO
  • PROPEL DOWNRANGE AO
  • US-ASSIST S30V
  • HAUL
  • ANSWER F.A.S.T. SM, DROP POINT, FINE EDGE
  • SWAGGER AO

They have several automatic open knives too. These do not technically count as switchblades, but they can be considered similar. Some states in the United States ban auto-open, so we won’t highlight those here.

Of course, they also partner up with survival experts and military personnel too. The BEAR GRYLLS SCOUT and BEAR GRYLLS FOLDING SHEATH are spectacular, top-rated knives. Meanwhile, they have a serrated option called the SHARKBELLY that has been tested and used in disaster relief efforts.

Overall, Gerber gets it done every time with their work. They even do it at fair prices. Speaking of those.

Price Range:

The Gerber prices are actually quite impressive. They are actually on the low end of prices compared to other pocket knife brands from what we can tell.  At Gerber, you’ll spend anywhere between $25 and $225.

Almost all of the major pocket knives are less than $100 too, making even their specialty knives completely affordable.

While not all of their products are made in the United States, a large number of them are. This could be why there is a price difference on those compared to the other knives, however, it is not by much.

Gerber has one of the best warranties you’ll find among pocket knife brands too. They have a Limited Lifetime Warranty on their products for customers in North America only. For those outside the continent, they have a 25-year warranty. This is pretty impressive, we think.

Not everything is covered by Gerber, but a lot is. To know what the company does and does not cover, click here. They also have knife sharpening covered within this warranty, which often costs more elsewhere.

If you think you might buy a lot from the Gerber brand, and who can blame you, why not save some money while you do it? Gerber has a Pro Program that provides exclusive offers to get their products at reduced prices. To find out more about the program, click here.

5SOG Flash II Serrated

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SOG might be known as a tactical company, yet they are masters when it comes to knives overall. It’s quite clear that they can make just about any type of knife they want, including pocket knives, and rank high on any list.

Since they have a large selection of pocket knives, it should come as no surprise that people love SOG for their work in this department. In fact, one might say that SOG really made their name on the backs of their pocket knives.

They are specially made, each and every single one. This is why, even if they have a knife line, all of those knives end up being different. Whether it’s the handle, the blade, the style, etc. It really does not matter, as they will continue to differ.

Let’s go over some of SOG’s biggest and most well-liked knives of today to prove this.

SOG Pocket Knives 

SOG has a lot of smaller knives, but not all of them fold up to count in our pocket knife category we established at the start. This is why we only counted the folded versions of their knives, whether they were part of a line or a special solo version knife.

Here are some to keep your eye on:

  • The Flash II Line
  • The Twitch II Line
  • Trident
  • Kiku Assisted
  • Kiku Folding
  • SOG-TAC Line
  • Strat Ops Auto
  • Traction Tanto
  • Aegis
  • Slimjim Line
  • X-Ray Vision
  • Zoom Mini
  • Flashback-Black Tini
  • Vulcan Tanto Mini
  • Terminus
  • Salute Mini-Beaded Blast
  • Ultra C-Ti
  • Kilowatt

Overall, the company has all sorts of knives. The ones that are folded or assisted open are listed here, but not their automatic types. Again, we wanted to avoid any that are considered illegal for any state in the United States.

The SOG brand has been known to vary their knives and you can tell the differences in all of these we highlighted above. This is the key thing we feel makes everything better for them. They put their hard work to good use and made everything better in the end.

Price Range:

The prices for SOG knives are relatively industry standard. Here you’ll pay between $50 and $300 with most knives coming under $200.

SOG also has a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all of their knives. To learn more about what they do or do not cover, click here.

Overview Of The Best Pocket Knife Brands

As you clearly noticed from our list, the premier pocket knife brands are those that know their customers. While some knives may be used only for hunting, tactical, fishing, etc., it really does not matter. Pocket knives can be used for a lot of different things, and the right brands will know this.

That is why they may separate them out for what a knife might be perfect at, but they won’t hold them back either. They won’t tell a hunter that he cannot use a certain pocket knife for something, even though they may guide them to better-equipped versions.

This is essential, we feel, to making a good knife. When you can do just about anything with it, regardless of its original design, that is a great thing. Proper pocket knife brands will have knives that may include a lot of extra material beyond the normal blade. The infamous Swiss Army Knives often have several tool attachments, for example.

Yet the proper pocket knife will be one that, well, fits in the pocket. The Swiss are great at making those it appears. To us, it comes down to the fit at the end of the day. Some blade are bigger than others, and some are straight over serrated. In the end, none of that matters as long as it fits the job you needed the knife for.

These pocket knife brands seem to deliver what you need each time. If you’re getting the opinion of Men’s Gear, that is what one must deem most important in a brand. When they can deliver, no matter what, they have done the job you need. These brands just so happen to be the best at it in this category.

Buyer’s Guide To The Best Tactical Pens

Would you like to have a pocket knife but need something more covert? Why not try out a tactical pen? They double as a real pen that also works as a knife. This is better than Janice from Accounting trying to use her letter opener, right? Check these tactical pens out and keep yourself protected at the office or anywhere else you may end up.

CLICK HERE

July 25, 2021 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Pocket Knife Brands Of 2021
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Phone Case Brands

One of the most common things we all have is dropping our phones. No matter how well we take care of them usually, something always tends to happen. A proper case to protect them can be useful for sure. The best phone case brands will know how to protect your phone well, while also adding useful features.

Some of these features may include water resistance, dust resistance, and much more. The iPhone is likely the most common phone that people buy cases for these days.

Overall, the iPhone is quite expensive and cases are heavily needed to protect that investment.

A lot of the time, the best phone case brands make their cases similar to things like wallets or holders and cases for business. Meanwhile, others make them similar to what you might see in leather portfolios. Truly, the design and use of each case can differ.

They are specifically designed for protection above all else. That means that any single case you might come across from these phone case brands will all be perfectly suited to protect your iPhone or Android device. That said, let’s go over those brands and explain why they are so good at their job.

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The Spigen company stands out among phone case brands for multiple reasons. One of the main reasons for this is that they seem to cover every phone one might have today. They even have cases for older phones out of circulation.

Of course, not every single phone from the past is covered here. They mostly have cases for those that they know people will have today.

However, every time there is a new phone, they also make a case to fit it. Whether it’s the future Galaxy 43 or the iPhone 59, they will have a case that perfectly fits.

The real struggle is how to pick among the phone cases they have. When it comes to the phone you own, it is easy to narrow down the choices for this. Yet for some phones, Spigen has a major list of cases you’ll need to decide on.

Spigen Cases

The list of Spigen cases is quite vast, as they have a lot of phones that they cover. The main list of these cases is similar for each phone. They are merely altered to fit the phone they are protecting.

Not all case lines will be involved in each phone, but they usually tend to be. These are the current types you can view with them:

  • Hybrid
  • Ultra Hybrid
  • Neo Hybrid
  • Hybrid Crystal
  • Rugged Armor
  • Thin Fit
  • Case Wallet
  • Liquid Air
  • Liquid Crystal
  • Slim Armor
  • Tough Armor
  • Slim Armor Crystal
  • Crystal Shell
  • Screen Protector Full Cover
  • Jet White™ Fit
  • Jet Black™ Fit
  • Capsule Capella

There are many others beyond those, but they are mere variations of the versions of them. They are all well made as well. The main situation between them has to do with Android and the iPhone.

Each version made for the iPhone contains the Apple logo on the back of the case. This logo is viewable too, so you know it is for the iPhone. They also have multiple cases made mostly for Android or mostly for iPhone.

However, many like the liquid crystal drift from phone to phone. They are all water resistant on the back and some involve screen protectors on top of it to make full water or dust resistance possible.

Price Range:

The price range for each case from Spigen is all reasonable and industry standard among other phone case brands. You’ll usually spend somewhere around $25. However, the price range drifts between $15 and $40, and somewhere in between.

Each case also comes with a 2-year Warranty. This usually covers most any issue the case . might have. However, it won’t cover every single thing. To learn more about what the warranty covers, click here.

The company also offers free shipping on all domestic orders. This is the United States only, of course. To learn more about how this works, special considerations, and much more, you can click here to see the shipping information.

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Incipio happens to be an award-winning phone case brand that clearly does well with their products. They actually make several different protectors beyond phone cases. They also make protective cases for the Tablet and iPad.

One of the things we love with Incipio is their absolutely terrific case appearances. They do their best to make sure everything looks good, no matter what case you choose.

They cover a ton of phones. Every newer phone is covered, of course. However, they go back all the way to the iPhone 5 versions as well as the Samsung Galaxy S8 versions too. They also have several other types of cases for the Blackberry, Motorola, and many more.

The Incipio Case Lines

The case lines for Incipio are already considered impressive. However, they do seem to offer a lot of newer case types too. While the colors are quite vast for them, they also have specific cases made for specific needs. These are the current lines:

  • Core Series
  • Esquire Series
  • Design Series
  • Oh Joy!
  • TheMintGardener
  • Essential

Meanwhile, they also have some categorized by the finish of the case too. Those are:

  • Fabric
  • Soft Touch
  • Grip
  • Scratch Resistant

Of course, the finish determines the specific features their phone cases have. Meanwhile, the type and series they are will mostly concern the design of the case. Both are relatively self-explanatory in what they can do.

Price Range:

The prices for Incipio are relatively standard among other phone case brands. With this brand, you’ll spend somewhere between $15 to $50. The average between these two is $30 and $40.

Each case has a guaranteed 1-year Warranty. If you want to find out about what the warranty covers, you can click here to do so.

They do not offer free shipping, but if you want to see what the prices are for shipping, you can click here to do so. The price differences as well as how long it takes to get a case sent to you will be determined mostly on the country you live in and how far it is from where the item is shipped from.

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Lifeproof cases are some of the most popular in the world today. The name of the company truly describes their products perfectly. They protect your phone’s life better than most. Due to their products becoming so popular, they have developed several different types of cases.

Lifeproof cases do not really have a line set only for Android or iPhone. This means the case lines cover each version, with some phones not covered by specific lines. The case lines are all useful, but like others on this list, the lines offer something different in their features.

While they offer cases for just about every newer phone on the market, they completely cover the iPhone and Samsung market the most. They cover all the way back to the iPhone 5 while they cover the Samsung Galaxy all the way back to the Galaxy S6.

What are the main case lines the company has? Let’s go over them.

Lifeproof Case Lines

The Lifeproof brand has several case lines, but not all of the lines cover every single phone one might come across. The newer iPhones and Galaxy devices seem to, but they are among the few. The lines at Lifeproof are:

  • FRĒ
  • NËXT
  • SLAM
  • ALPHA GLASS

A few offer a waterproof case for your phone. Meanwhile, others offer mostly scratch resistance. Each is quite useful and they’re perfect for any phone you might have.

Price Range:

The average prices for Lifeproof cases are a bit higher than the industry standard among phone case brands. You’ll spend anywhere between $40 and $90 for a proper case with the Lifeproof brand.

They offer a warranty for your case but it depends on where you bought it from, how long ago you bought it, and the type of issue you might have on your phone. If you’d like to look into this further, you can click here to do so.

Shipping differs depending on where you’re from. All on the mainland United States are given free shipping on the cases. Any outside of the country will be charged shipping costs that are priced depending on how far the package needs to be sent.

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Mophie is a well-known battery brand that makes various types of power banks. In fact, there is not a phone still in circulation that Mophie does not make some sort of charger for. This is quite amazing.

However, Mophie began to step out in the last year with their decision to go toward cases for both Android and iPhone devices. This is pretty important, as they very well could begin to make even more in the coming years.

For now, it’s only one type of case. However, it is such an important case that it needs to be recognized for its extreme usefulness.

Mophie Juice Pack

The Mophie Juice Pack Series is among the very best phone cases in the world right now. It has the ability to charge your phone for you while it is inside the case. You power the battery inside the case before you might use it.

Once this is done, you’ll be capable of charging your phone on the go regardless of where you are. This case not only charges the iPhone or Android devices, but it’s also durable and nearly impossible to break.

There are different variations to the Juice Pack as well. One being called the Juice Pack Air, with another being called the Juice Pack Access. This equals out to three technical Juice Pack types. They also have “base cases” that are nothing special but protect the phone a bit as well.

Price Range:

The price range for all the Juice Pack cases sits around $100. This is a bit higher than the industry standard in phone case brands. However, you’re going to get one of the best phone cases in the world right now.

They added a warranty as well, which currently sits at 2 Years for the phone cases. If you want to learn more about how the warranty works and what it covers, click here to do so.

The shipping can vary in price as well as how long it takes to get a phone case from Mophie depending on how far you are from the United States. Typically it takes a few days to get any product from them. However, it may take a week or two if you’re much further out.

Currently, shipping in the U.S. is free.

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The Otterbox brand is known as one of the very best phone case brands on the planet today. It is hard not to pick them over several others, mostly because they are an exciting brand who can nearly do no wrong.

Their cases are legendarily perfect at protecting your phone. They can be considered waterproof or water resistant, scratch resistant, as well as dust resistant. The type you might see tends to be based on the Otterbox you choose.

Certain features may not be seen in all phones, of course. The Otterbox series list is quite vast, as they have both regular and special made products. We’ll be separating those so you know which is which.

The Otterbox Collection

As mentioned, Otterbox has a vast collection of phone cases. They’re all well made, but each series offers something different. This may be different on design or what it can do. The collection breaks down like this:

  • Defender Series
  • Commuter Series
  • Symmetry Series
  • Strada Series
  • Statement Series
  • Statement Series Modern
  • Pursuit Series
  • Defender Pro Series
  • Traction Series
  • Vue Series
  • Figura Series
  • Otter+Pop Defender Series
  • Otter+Pop Symmetry Series
  • Otterbox
  • Alpha Glass
  • Amplify

While these are the main types of cases you’ll come across, they do have special cases too. These are typically based only on design, however. The brands they have collections on include:

  • Marvel
  • Disney
  • Star Wars
  • Pixar
  • Pop Sockets
  • Style Collection

The Marvel ones break down mostly to Avengers, Spider-Man & Venom, Deadpool, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The Pixar version includes the Incredibles and Toy Story. Meanwhile, the Disney portion includes Mickey’s 90th, Princess Power, Classics, and Totally Disney.

They are incredibly well made and hardened to where they will keep your phone safe and out of harm’s way.

Price Range:

The prices you’ll pay for Otterbox phone cases are pretty reasonable. They are sort of mid-range compared to other phone case brands. Here you’ll spend anywhere between $20 and $70. It appears that the special design cases are sold for more than the regular at times.

The Otterbox brand offers free shipping to all customers inside the United States. If you’re outside the country, they charge for shipping depending on how far out you might be.

Like the Lifeproof cases, Otterbox has a warranty on their cases. However, you have to search into it depending on the phone and where you buy it from. To check into that more, you can click here.

Overview Of The Best Phone Case Brands

As you noticed from this spectacular list of phone case brands, every single one make cases built to protect. The concept of any brand in this field is to do just that. However, some like to go above and beyond in this department. This leads to several cases that protect while also adding other features.

The ability to help phones become nearly waterproof and completely dust resistant is impressive for sure. However, it is even cooler to see those that act as battery packs as well. How cool is it that you can just place a phone in a case and it charges the entire time, avoiding the need to lug around a charger?

Some of today’s phone case brands have developed those. While some mainly protect against drops or random falls, this should not be considered less than. After all, the concept of a case is simply to protect with other features being nice add-ons. The best thing is that you even get to pick the appearance for most of them too.

While we’re certain you’ll love these phone case brands, we’re even more certain you’ll love their collection of cases too. That said, we recommend you check into all of them and find the best case at the best price for you today!

Buyer’s Guide For The Best iPhone XR Cases

iPhone XR Cases

The iPhone XR is one of the best phones out there, but it’s also quite expensive. Protect your investment in one of these amazing cases from our buyer’s guide. You can thank us later!

CLICK HERE

June 29, 2021 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Phone Case Brands
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Hydration Gear Brands

An important thing that seems to often be forgotten is that we need to remain hydrated. The human body has a massive need for it even over food. You can live for around 3 weeks without food but only up to 3 days without any water. This is why hydration is so important. The best hydration gear brands know this and have created the right products to help.

One of the key things people look for is backpacks for camping, hiking, or climbing. While a great waterproof backpack could be massively important, this is not exactly hydration gear. What you truly need to look for is hydration packs, often referred to as hydration sleeves, bladders, etc.

These can be complete backpacks that can hold water, often up to 3 to 5L with ease. Meanwhile, the sleeves can be added to the backpacks and hold at least 1L. However, this is not where hydration gear brands stop their usefulness. Several also make gear that you can use to purify the water.

A very important invention known as the LifeStraw. It is a personal purifier that will let you drink from normally unsafe springs, ponds, and other freshwater sources. They’re supposed to remove parasites and bacteria. Multiple outdoor brands sell something like it or the exact thing.

Other cool camping gear and gadgets aside, anything you can use to keep hydrated is good for you. With that said, why not use the best hydration gear brands in order to accomplish this?

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Source Tactical has been around since 1989, which means for 30 years they have been growing and climbing the ladder of success in the world of hydration gear. They are naturally a tactical company, which means their products are truly made for use in certain areas.

Most of the time, the use is for people involved in the Armed Forces or possibly certain police forces. Really, they make their gear possible to use for anyone but the design is quite clear from the start.

The company currently owns the rights to several different patents and inventions in the world of hydration gear. That said, it can really be difficult to beat a company that has so much going for it.

The cool thing is that the gear is designed by former military members. They also take ideas in from what current military and elite services recommend, which is truly smart. Let’s find out more about their gear itself.

Source Tactical’s Battle Tested Hydration Gear

You may not see many companies out there that can actually say that their products are battle tested by military members. Yet the Source Tactical team can because they have been used by several different Armed Forces members for years now.

They learn from each and every issue and success that people have with their products. This is the hallmark of great hydration gear brands to us. When you learn from mistakes, you can only become better as human beings and businessmen and women.

The company has 3 different forms of hydration gear that they currently make. Those are:

  • Hydration Packs
  • Bladders
  • CBRN Hydration

These three are joined by multiple different types of hydration accessories. Thankfully, these can be bought separately, which allows you to save money as the consumer.

First, let’s explain what the main three are and why Source Tactical does things a bit differently. The biggest thing is that all of their gear was designed by them with exclusive patents on most, that includes most of the products from those lines.

CBRN Hydration Systems are forms of gear that allow you to connect your gas mask right to your main pack. Of course, for those unaware, CBRN stands for Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense. That means they’re going to be wearing literal lifesaving gear and will need hydration.

These systems made by Source Tactical allow them to do to have the much-needed water without needing to readjust or remove anything. They have all been lab-tested and approved from ALL the environments a CBRN specialist might encounter. All of this was done with pure Source Hydration Tech as well.

Up next are the bladders. These are smaller contraptions that can be similar to that of a water bottle. The major difference is how they are made and how much they can hold. Source makes them attachable to their backpacks as well as others. They also hold 1 to 3 liters of liquid.

They made attachments to them that allows you to drink from a small straw-like device that can be rigged to your backpack. This allows you to move and drink at the same time. Then you can just take them out to refill them.

Hydration packs are brilliantly made by Source too. They look like normal backpacks, because for the most part, well, they are! The difference between them and others is that they include a clip-on attachment, usually a bladder of sorts, that can be added to the inside of the backpack.

From here, you have a rig set up that takes your straw and mouthpiece and puts them into every possibly smart place within the pack itself. You then just fill the detachable bladder when you want more water.

The backpacks themselves can hold a lot of products and they’re made for long-term carry. This results in comfort straps as well as a comfortable back to avoid discomfort. The technology made by Source Tactical used in this pack are:

  • Glass-Like™
  • Care-Free
  • Grunge Guard™
  • Taste-Free™
  • Widepac Closure

To learn more about each one, click here.

Price Range:

The prices for the Source Tactical brand seem pretty reasonable based on what we’ve seen as the industry standard. For bladders, you’ll spend between $30 and $50. For CBRN model equipment, you’ll spend an unknown amount sadly.

Due to what these are made for, they ask you to contact them to learn about the product more. This includes the price for them too. Sadly, we cannot know exactly why this is, but we have one big guess.

They may need to make them special to fit the gear you’re using currently. Since this can differ off and on, they may need you to inform them more so they can quote an accurate price.

As for the Hydration Packs, they’re among the industry standard when speaking on prices from other hydration gear brands. They cost between $90 and $400. The cost goes up or down depending on the size of the bag it appears.

As for the accessories they sell, it appears most of these have to do with products you already see on the products they sell. So this is merely replacement material, which is cool of them to sell. A lot of brands want you to buy an entirely new product from them when you really never needed to go that far.

Source Tactical selling these major accessories separately is a classy move by the company. You’ll spend under $40 for every single thing here, with the highest being a replacement Convertube and a Hydration Upgrade Kit.

Of course, this is not even mentioning their other impressive tactical gear.

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Like most people who know about them, we’re big fans of the USWE-Sports brand. They have some of the best products for the outdoors that you will ever find. However, they are one of the best hydration gear brands on top of this.

Sure, they sell a lot of great things you can use on a climb, hike, or camping. Many great outdoor brands do, of course. Yet they really stand out in the hydration genre due to the impressive gear they have made.

They really stand out with hydration backpacks. These are unique to them, not the genre, but the style of the bags. To top it off, they have several things they invented that no one else really sells.

Let’s examine the cool things that make them stand out.

USWE-Sports Hydration Gear

As mentioned, the brand has tons of impressive hydration products. The bulk of them may be things related to backpacks. However, they have others as well. Here are some of them:

  • Shape-shift™
  • Ultraflask™ 600
  • Disposable™ hydration system
  • Disposable™ cap adaptor
  • Sp™ handsfree
  • The Zulo 2L Race Belt
  • Zulo 2L Summer
  • Zulo 2L Winter
  • The Zulo™ 2
  • ELITE™ WITH HYDRAFUSION TUBE
  • Rr1™ hydro 500
  • Helmet handsfree kit™

You’ll quickly notice a few patterns. One of them concerns the name Disposable™ while the other goes by the name of Zulo™. The first revolves around an invention by USWE-Sports team that allows you to use a, well, disposable hydration system meant for short-term use.

The concept is that you need the cleanest product possible to avoid problematic bacteria and what not getting into your water. Unlike other bladders, it remains clean for a short period of time and will ensure a lack of issues that normal bladders may have after long-term use.

The Zulo™ line is merely a water holder in the form of a bladder that you can wear on your waist like a fanny pack.

Another highlight is the Helmet handsfree kit™ that is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a helmet you can wear that has a water connection to it, allowing you to drink on the go. This is perfect for those like to bike. The others are things you might see go with these as well as their own stand-alone invention.

As for the hydration packs, these are the versions they sell:

  • A2™ challenger
  • Airborne™ 2
  • Junior Version Airborne™ 2 
  • The Airborne™ 3
  • Airborne™ 3L with accessible phone pocket
  • Airborne™ 3 junior
  • The Airborne™ 9
  • Airborne™ 9L with accessible phone pocket
  • The Airborne™ 15
  • Airborne™ 15L with accessible phone pocket
  • The Outlander™ 2L
  • Outlander™ 3L
  • Outlander™ 4L
  • The Outlander™ 9L
  • The Vertical™ 4
  • Vertical™ 10
  • The Ranger™ 3
  • Ranger™ 4
  • Ranger™ 9
  • The Patriot™ 9
  • Patriot™ 15
  • Patriot™ 15L With CE-Certified Back Protector
  • Pace™ 12
  • H1™ racer
  • Lizard™ 16
  • Lizard™ 16 junior
  • Xc™ elite
  • Xc™ junior
  • Prime™ 26
  • Explorer™ 26
  • Tanker™ 16
  • Scrambler™ 16

As you’ll see, the Airborne™ line is their most common type. This is the prime one that they have focused on for the last number of years. Although they have other lines like Outlander™ and Patriot™ lines, with others on top of these. Of course, they have two or few in the line.

You’ll note from them that several have an “L” for liter in the name. This is how much the backpack can hold. The biggest is clearly the Prime™ 26 and Explorer™ 26 as they both hold 26L of contents. This makes them the deepest bags and the most expensive.

While some do not have the “L” in the name, you just need to go by the number to see how many liters it equals out to.

Price Range:

Considering there are many companies who get involved in hydration gear, we were impressed with USWE-Sports and their prices. Among all the hydration gear brands that we have looked into, their prices seem to be the most affordable.

While their main line of products outside the packs are great, they do not exceed $60 from what we can find. Meanwhile, their hydration packs look pretty good price wise too. You’ll spend anywhere from $50 to $130 on them.

Of course, the bigger the bag the more likely the price will be a bit higher. Currently, they have sales going on. So you’ll be able to buy some of these for reduced prices.

They also offer very fast shipping on ALL orders too.

The brand also has a warranty on most of their products as well. This breaks down to a 2-Year Limited Warranty. Disposable hydration bags are not counted in the warranty for obvious reasons. To learn more about the warranty, click here.

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IceMule are as their name sounds. They are veterans at keeping things cold. This is why they are mostly known for things like coolers. You can think of them like that of brands like Yeti, for example.

Temperature control is essential for these guys. However, IceMule’s biggest thing that they do is often overlooked due to their impressive work elsewhere. They’re actually a great hydration gear brand!

They have a unique set of gear that you need to see to believe. However, the most important thing is that they’re doing what others are…but in a completely different way. They are absolutely amazing!

Let’s give into the gear!

IceMule Hydration Gear

When we think of the best hydration gear brands, we have to consider why we should put them on the list. Are they better, truly, than others in this genre? Do they do things no one else can? Perhaps, they do things no one else has even attempted yet.

That is where is IceMule falls in. They have gear that we love but not for the same reasons you’d us loving other hydration gear brands. It seems like they stumbled across something due to how effortlessly they managed to do what they do.

They have a few products you should concern yourself with. First up is something known as THE ICEMULE CLASSIC™. They have a few different versions of it, those are known as THE ICEMULE CLASSIC™….

  • Mini
  • Small
  • Medium
  • Large

Next up is The ICEMULE PRO™, which also has different variations, like the:

  • Large
  • X-Large
  • XX-Large

Finally, they have something known as THE ICEMULE BOSS™.

What are they? All of them are backpacks, technically speaking. They are capable of carrying water in each version. However, they are all 100% waterproof too. The Boss version is the only technical backpack/hydration pack among them, however.

To top all of this off, they are also designed to keep everything cold. That means you could be in the middle of nowhere and whatever the temp something was when it went on the bag, it should remain once you re-open it.

The technology used in the packs include:

  • PolarLayer XT™ Insulation
  • IM AirValve™
  • Tri-Fold DriTop™ 
  • PakShield™ zippers
  • MuleSkin™ fabric
  • MuleSkinEV™

Overall, this is just so much but each thing is absolutely tremendous. They all do things for the backpacks or packs that you may not notice right off. But after hours outdoors, you’ll see how important this technology truly is.

Price Range:

The prices for these items are all fair and they’re about even with other hydration gear brands from what we can tell.

The IceMule Classic goes for $45 to $70. Their IceMule Pro option goes for $100 to $140. Meanwhile, the Boss model goes for $300. Other than the newer Boss option, they all come with around 4 color options.

They do have a warranty at IceMule. It goes for 90-days and they like to call it “The IceMule Guarantee.” You can return any of their items in these 90 days if you’re not satisfied for any reason, whatsoever. You can read more on it by clicking here.

They also have free standard shipping to the mainland United States of America. So Hawaii and Alaska, as well as any territory the U.S. owns have to pay for shipping. This is also in play for Canada and Mexico as well as any other country that orders.

Only the U.S. gets the free shipping option. They also seem to offer a code for all that use the site that has a 10% off option.

If you’d like to be an Ambassador for IceMule, you can. They are also in the market for Interns seemingly on a constant basis. Both of these come with perks like 25% to 40% off of their products.

If you want to find out about how you can be part of either one of these, as well as all the requirements to do so, click here.

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One of the greatest brands for the outdoors on the planet is the brilliant Patagonia company. It is truly one of our favorites because they have literally anything you’d want. The best part is that, due to this, they have a ton of hydration related gear.

On top of this, they have a ton of other impressive products we cannot get enough of. Let’s stick with the hydration material for now, however. What makes them one of the best hydration gear brands in the world?

Likely their variety of products. Let’s examine them and tell you all you need to know.

Patagonia’s Hydration Gear

As we mentioned beforehand, the variety here is quite impressive. The first thing that needs to be examined is their impressive wetsuits. They have quite a lot of them but the amount isn’t of concern. It’s what they can do that makes them special.

They have those one might use for cave diving as well as those that are needed in colder water. Here are the types they currently sell:

  • R1® Lite (65-75°F)
  • R1® Full (60-65°F)
  • R2® (55-60°F)
  • R3® (48-55°F)
  • R4® (38-48°F)
  • R5® (32-38°F)
  • Big Wave Gear

They also teamed up with the Danner brand to make waterproof boots, perfect for those in the water consistently. On top of this, they have wading gear. This is something you’d use if you’re going to go into the water for work or remain in it consistently. They may also be perfect for simply wet environments like a Rainforest.

Both pants and a jacket come with this gear. They also make water containers known as the MiiR® Fitz. This is their water bottle line. Meanwhile, their line of MiiR® GPIW Badge Camp Cups are also quite impressive. They can be held over intense heat and even keep things warm or cool for a good period of time.

Most of their backpacks are hydration gear approved. They can hold any sort of sleeve you might want to add to them. They’re all also TSA approved. The main line of backpacks is the W’s and Black Hole® lines.

They’re sized up to fit anyone’s specifications.

Best of all, most of their backpacks and other gear are made out of a great deal of recycled material. They’re also all Fair Trade Certified™ too. They even promote something they call The Footprint Chronicles® as well. This is something they use to be up-front with their customers about where their products are made.

The idea of The Footprint Chronicles® is to show how they promote both safe and fair practices at their factories. They pay fairly based on our income scale and hold themselves accountable in promoting and realizing a great environmental responsibility. This is why they use so many recycled materials in their products.

Price Range:

Depending on what you’re looking for, the prices can really vary. For the wetsuits, you’re going to be spending a minimum of $180. However, none surpass the $600 mark, which is pretty fair for a wetsuit that can handle different forms of temperature.

For gloves and boots in the wetsuit department, you’ll spend $30 to $100 depending on the product. The backpacks are also fairly priced for what they do. Depending on the model and how big they are, you’ll spend anywhere between $100 and $600.

The water bottles are usually less than $40 while the boots in partnership with Danner are priced around $500 to $600. They are made by Danner after all, so that is not a bad partner to have yet it does mean the cost will be a bit higher.

Patagonia offers free shipping on orders over $75 and even have a brilliant warranty. They call it the Patagonia Iron Clad Guarantee. The company believes in their products so much that they will replace or repair them for any reason, as long as it does not have to do with normal wear and tear.

To learn more about this, click here.

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The Arc’teryx brand is a Canadian based company from Vancouver, British Columbia. Due to where they’re located, it should come as no surprise that they know a lot about the outdoors. They specialize in this area, but their hydration gear is something incredibly special.

They sell gear of all types as here. The Arc’teryx brand likes to call their backpacks “day bags.” Don’t be thrown off by that or anything. This is not the only place they shine, as it seems like they can’t help but be great in every department.

Since they are an outdoor company, they know what to expect. That means they’ll want to make products they’d want in the field. Clearly, they have spent a lot of time around water. All of these products seem to fit. Let’s go over them.

Arc’teryx Can’t Be Stopped

They have several different hydration products that we really enjoy. That includes things like hydration vests that they call the Norvan 7 & Norvan 14. They also have gloves that are great for use in the water as well. Both are insulted and capable of working with touchscreen phones while you wear them.

They can even stand up to severally cold and very hot conditions. The Arc’teryx brand also has what they call “Shell Jackets.” They use names for the jackets that fall under what you might see at a frat or sorority.

You’ll see names under Alpha, Beta, Zeta, Sigma, and more. Many are specially designed to handle their own water sleeve and have a connected mouthpiece allowing you to drink water as you’re moving. They’ll keep you warm as well. Not only are they perfectly insulted but they’re also as waterproof as it can get.

Now we move on to the backpacks that are all impressive. The bags are laminated and incredibly 100% waterproof. That means if a rainstorm comes or you fall into a creek, river, etc. then your bag’s contents won’t get wet.

This can be essential when storing things like maps or possible fire-making equipment. The bag is equipped with various webbing on the outside to allow custom attachments. This is where you can employ some creativity.

The webbing is incredibly strong, so you can store quite a lot.

The bags come with N400-AC² pack fabric for the inside. The shoulder straps are amazingly comfortable, allowing you to avoid needing extra padding. It comes with N400r-AC² nylon 6 ripstop, Burly™ Double Weave fabric, and HyPUR-cel™ foam.

This backpack also employs RollTop™ tech to seal the bag. It can hold up to 45L in contents, or about 11G worth.

All of their bags seem to be like this, each offering their own unique tech and greatness. Some are smaller than this, while some can be slightly bigger. Overall, this particular bag just shows their amazing camping/climbing backpacks.

Price Range:

The price range for the Arc’teryx backpacks is considered to be relatively industry-standard. We cannot claim that all of their bags will fit our average, as they come in a wide variety. However, the average price for the camping bags is between $150 to $200.

Despite this, they have just a few bags they are below this as well as a few above it. The jackets vary as well, but you’ll usually spend no more than $400 here. Most in-between the smallest and biggest charge. This has them going for $100 to $300 most of the time.

The vests go for the same amount. Meanwhile, the gloves are mostly under $200. Many are less than $100, in fact.

The Arc’teryx brand offers free express shipping on their items, which is great to see. This puts them in a good spot among camping backpack brands, as many offer a version of free shipping. However, some tend to do it on the size of the order.

They also have a 60-day return policy on any item. The company has a technical lifetime warranty on several products, but it’s a “limited warranty” they claim. They say in their section regarding the warranty that an item “will be replaced or repaired at the discretion of Arc’teryx for the practical product lifespan.”

Since this is something good to mention about them, the Arc’teryx brand has a tremendous sustainability program that deserves merit. If you want to find out more about this, click here.

Overview Of The Best Hydration Gear Brands

It is quite important to have the best of the best when it comes down to life or death situations. You don’t want to skimp on paying for a better product because a lesser one was cheaper. When it comes down to it, the best hydration gear brands are often priced well, as you’ll see above.

While some warranties may differ as well as the size or make of them, they’re all quite simply the best at what they do. Some have even created products that can keep your water warm and cold respectively. In fact, there are products that can heat up water to remove pathogens, bacteria, and parasites without any need for a fire.

At the end of the day, these amazing hydration gear brands are looking out for the customer. Many are quite experienced with the outdoors and know the world incredibly well. This means they are prepared for all the things the elements may throw at someone.

This is why they have created products that are tough and capable of handling the rigors of outdoor travel. None of them can know what you’re using their products for at the time of your purchase. These hydration gear brands just make products that challenge anything you put them up to within reason.

Usually, they come out on top. We highly recommend you look into these brands and find out even more about them than we mentioned above. You’ll be happy you did, and even happier when you realize how affordable they all are.

Buyer’s Guide To The Best Hydration Packs

Regardless of if you’re going on a small hike, climbing a mountain, or simply camping, you need to stay hydrated. It is hard to do that on the move, but these hydration packs will make that much easier. Check them out today and experience what so many others already know…they’re awesome!

CLICK HERE

May 27, 2019 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Hydration Gear Brands
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Tactical Multi-Tool Brands Of 2019

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When you think Victorinox, you obviously are going to think about Swiss Army Knives. It makes sense, as they literally tout how Swiss the company is. They’re amazing at making these knives, no doubt. However, they have taken that same experience to new levels with other gear.

This is especially true of tactical gear. They have some of the best EDC cards you’ll ever see, but they also have some of the best multi-tools in the world. It makes sense for them to, as they’re just bigger versions of a Swiss Army Knife, right?

When you buy from Victorinox, you know you’re going to be getting amazing quality. Since you have this knowledge going in, it’s pretty much just a case of picking your favorite item. We have our favorites for sure.

The Swiss Multi-Tool That Went Above And Beyond

It’s pretty fair to assume that the Victorinox brand should be among the best in the multi-tool department. Swiss Army Knives are a specialty, and they seem to contain some of the most incredible stuff in one little, pocket-sized item.

It was obvious that Victorinox could make a good multi-tool, but could they go above and beyond that many of us expected them to? That was going to be tough to ask for some brands, but not of them.

This is what gave us the brilliant Swiss Tool Spirit XC Plus Ratchet.

This is a multi-tool with 29 attachments and up to 36 different functions. Of course, they had time and knew they could make something incredible. Then they went out there and did just that.

This item includes those essentials we mentioned earlier, which was crucial to making a proper tactical multi-tool. It also includes things such as a corkscrew, can opener, crate opener, bottle opener, scraper, wire bender, wire scraper & stripper, metal & wood saw, metal file, chisel, and more.

This is not including all the smaller bit attachments for the screwdriver and other material. When we say they put a lot into this multi-tool, we aren’t lying.

This item retails from Victorinox at around $150.

Price Range

The average price range for most tactical multi-tool brands is a pretty reasonable rate of $50-$200. However, some of the bigger and better brands may be able to go over this here and there.

When it comes to multi-tools, it is kind of tough to get mad at a company’s price off and on. Of course, a good reason for a price being higher is likely due to how many things it includes.

This also has to do with the quality of the material, how difficult the design was to make, and even where the item is made.

Since we know it’s mostly Switzerland and other European territories for Victorinox, we can rest assured it’s made well and usually at a reasonable price. Their average is pretty much industry standard. Somewhere between $100-$200.

They also have a pretty good warranty. The company has this to say about their warranty:

“Victorinox AG guarantees all knives and tools to be of first class stainless steel and also guarantees a lifetime against any defects in material and workmanship (save for electronic components 2 years). Damage caused by normal wear and tear, misuse or abuse is not covered by this guarantee.”

They also offer free shipping for their items.

Other Interesting Information

If you feel you can contribute to the company with a great product in the knife or multi-tool categories, Victorinox wants to hear from you. You can find out more about that here.

May 26, 2019 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Tactical Multi-Tool Brands Of 2019
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Military Watch Brands Of 2019

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Timex is well-known in the world of watches, as they have been one of the best in this field for a very long time. Interestingly, they have found a way to step out with their military watched in a major way.

This puts them among the best military watch brands out there. In fact, they have a number of watches that are specifically designed to be for military use. However, they can be used for several activities beyond this.

What Timex realized was that, while they can make a line or two straight up for military usage, people will see that and want it for other uses too. Who would not want a great watch for any use that is insanely well protected?

The Affordable Allied Series Is A Great Budget Buy

One of these watch lines happens to be called the Allied series. They’re made pretty well, with all of them having a fabric strap. Now, this is key for those who know anything about survival. When you’re in the middle of nowhere and lost, it is useful to have anything that can double as something else.

The fabric from these watches can be removed and opened up with a knife with ease. It can then be used for a number of things. This is not all, as the fabric only touches one small side of things.

They also have something Timex calls their INDIGLO® Light-Up Watch Dial. It helps to keep the watch visible at all times of the day as well as any conditions you might find yourself in. On top of this, you’ll find that they are water resistant for up to 100 meters too.

They also contain a QuickDate® Feature that presents the proper date, regardless of where you are. So if a place is 12 hours ahead of your normal time at home, this will help you stay on the date you’re currently in.

Most of these watches are under $100 too!

Timex Goes Above & Beyond With MK1 & Timex Command™

The Allied Series is great but the second and third series of military style watches from Timex helps to seal them in for a very long time among the best military watch brands. They’re called the MK1 Aluminum Series and Timex Command™ Shock Series. These are brands that put them on the list of the best military watch brands in the world, in our opinion.

If you thought the Allied line had a lot, wait until you check these out. The Timex Command™ Shock Series has the same INDIGLO® Night-Light that the Allied Series has, but this also comes with a Night-Mode setting.

It also comes with a dual mode alarm for vibration and audio alerts and a stopwatch with a 100-hour Chronograph for the lap and split times as well as a 24-hour countdown timer. This model also comes with three different timezone settings, 24-hour display option, Hydration Alarm, and contains the date via Month & Day.

It’s also shock resistant and water resistant for up to 100 meters. This offers legendary durability that Timex is well-known for. They also come in a ton of camo colors that you can choose from.

Meanwhile, the MK1 Aluminum Series contains much of the same things, minus the shock resistance. It’s made from “aircraft-quality steel” according to Timex, making it extremely durable.

It also comes with a fabric strap that slightly differs from the Allied Series, but can offer much of the same things.

While this might be the extent of their straight-up military watches, they have several sports watches like the Ironman Essential, Ironman Original, Ironman Classic, Ironman Transit, Ironman Sleek, Expedition Camper, Expedition Chrono-Alarm, Expedition 39MM, and Expedition Base-Shock Series of watches.

That is not even discussing the options for women.

Just in case you were wondering, Timex does a great job when it comes to pricing their watches. Most of the models brought up above can be purchased for under $200, as well.

May 10, 2019 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Military Watch Brands Of 2019
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Camping Backpack Brands Of 2019

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It’s hard to find camping backpack brands better than Osprey. For some reason, they think of literally anything one needs to have in a backpack. When you go camping, you want to store items well. However, you truly want to make sure you can walk without any issues.

You want your bag to manage well as you’ll be carrying it for a little while. It must be capable of supplying all major essentials on top of other things you might need to take for your own specific needs.

Osprey delivers this in spades with all of their backpacks. This is especially true of the bags used for camping, backpacking, hiking, and more. When you look up a list for the best backpacks for any of those, Osprey likely tops out the list or you see multiple bags of theirs on it.

It’s simple fact that they know what they’re doing. Like Gregory Backpacks, Osprey wanted to make sure they built a backpack that can have everything you need right there with you. This is pretty essential, as every backpack model should do this.

The question is, what does Osprey provide that Gregory and others may not?

The Rook/Renn Backpack Is The Best Bag Around For Its Price

Osprey has a ton of backpacks, but since our primary concern is camping and outdoor, we wanted to find a backpack that was perfect for this. The Rook 65 is just that.

Keep in mind that the Rook 65 is a male backpack while the Renn 65 is a female backpack. However, they do virtually everything the same. That means you won’t have to deal with assets one bag has that another does not.

As for what these backpacks can do. They are lightweight and have an interesting, new adjustable torso system. That means you can move around the main section of the backpack that uses your back to carry partial points of the weight.

On top of this is The LightWire frame, which helps distribute out the backpack weight even further near the hips.

This only helps it become comfortable to carry all times of the day, in all weather conditions.

On top of this is a mesh, breathable back-mesh to keep you from getting too hot. It also adds a bit of coolness as you walk, instead of built-up warm and sweat.

The Osprey brand also includes a heck of a lot with this backpack.

  • Osprey Daylite compatible with front panel cord loop attachment points
  • Zippered sleeping bag compartment with floating divider
  • Removable sleeping bag pad straps
  • Ventilated AirSpeed Back Panel
  • Internal Hydration Sleeve
  • Integrated, Removable Rain Cover

You read all of that right. This all COMES WITH the backpack. The hydration sleeve is similar to Gregory’s hydro-pack, as it stores water that you can grab out and drink while on the move. The rain cover goes over the backpack effectively giving it waterproof capability too.

The AirSpeed Back Panel looks somewhat like a lumbar rest, but it essentially keeps you from easily touching the backpack with your back, allowing for the sweat build-up not to form.

This is accompanied by soft, edgeless shoulder straps and great hip pads. You can buckle it up with the clips at the torso and hip to keep the backpack from ever coming off. Osprey also includes their Daylite Compatible.

This can easily clip onto the removable panel cord loops, also included.

Of course, inside the backpack itself, you can hold 65L worth of weight and volume. Overall, it can hold about 40lbs without difficulty.

The material that makes up this backpack is 600D Polyester, 450D Polyester, 1000D Nylon Packcloth.

This sells for just $165.

Price Range

It is clear that Osprey gives a lot when they offer a backpack to the world. They don’t like to offer a small bit of something and assume their backpack is all you’ll want or need. They want to include various accessories that can make it worth even more.

This is why their price range, more than most other brands, makes sense. Despite offering so much, they have heavily competitive prices. The average price for an Osprey Backpack ranges from $165 to $375.

Of course, if you thought the model we showed you offered a lot. You should see what the more expensive ones offer.

The Osprey Brand offers a great “All Mighty Guarantee.” This is essentially a lifetime guarantee on their products. Here is what they had to say about their warranty:

“Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it. We proudly stand behind this guarantee, so much so that it bears the signature of company founder and head designer, Mike Pfotenhauer.”

They also offer free shipping on every item but Pro on their ground orders. However, you’ll need to cross by the $40 to $50 range in price. Since most backpacks cross this, you should be fine. They offer expedited shipping, but for more cost.

This differs on international orders. You can see the full shipment information here.

March 20, 2019 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Camping Backpack Brands Of 2019
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Tent Brands Of 2019

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The REI brand, or REI Co-Op, depending on you know them, is one of the better tent brands we’ve seen this year. They’re always great with their tents, but it’s clear that they love to go that extra mile with their tents compared to other brands.

It is uncertain how they continue to come up with more unique ways to make large tents and put them out at great, high-quality. However, we hope they never stop inventing and continue to make wild designs and forms of tents that no one has seen before.

They make us interested, heavily, in what they come up with. REI is one of the best due to the fact that they just know how to get it done each time they put a tent together.

We feel one tent represents the company well, as it shows what they are capable of doing. However, it still does not show all they can do.

Thy Kingdom Come

The REI Co-op Kingdom 8 Tent is very special. While it is obvious that it can fit at least 8 people, you’ll likely find that it can fit a few more if you needed it to do so. It appears that the tent is made for families, as it breaks up into two separate rooms inside.

This is great for parents who want their end of a tent and kids who want their own. The center divider that separates the rooms can be moved around to present different sizes for the rooms.

The vertical walls and rectangular floor offer a pretty large space. This tent was updated to increase possible stability and to make it easier to set-up. The tent uses hubbed pole assemblies, pole clips, and sleeves to offer a freestanding tent.

The color coding on the tent parts helps you put the tent together easier.

This tent has 2 big doors, with 4 zipper sliders. One of the doors has a vestibule, which can be used as a single or double door, well as turned into an awning that requires tarp poles. Those poles are sold separately.

The other door is vertical, which offers a drip-free entry as well as extra room inside.

The paneling mesh, which offers a great view as well as great ventilation. It’s also bugproof. A seam-sealed waterproof polyester rain-floor, as well as cut-in floor, comes with the tent too. Inside the tent will be pockets for extra added storage.

The tent also includes a backpack carry bag with pockets for the poles and stakes. They also include 15 stakes and 8 guylines with tighteners and a pole repair tube.

However, it is not compatible with any Kingdom products sold in 2018 and beyond.

The tent is cleared for up to 3 seasons and can handle rain well with the tarp included. It’s also able to stand up to relatively high winds. With one reviewer saying it held up well against 25mph winds without any trouble.

The price of the tent sits at $550.

Price Range

The REI tents are relatively industry-standard on pricing. For tent brands that specialize in outdoor material or tents in general, it makes sense that they’d charge some higher amounts. REI does seem to offer their tents at a competitive price compared to its competitors, however.

Some 8-person tents we’ve seen as high as $900 and up. The fact they even offer one for under $600 is impressive. Their average price range for their tents is $150-$600, which is relatively fair.

REI also has a membership program that will allow you to save a little on each purchase. Typically it’s 10% off of all purchases. You can read more about their membership here.

They also offer free shipping on orders that are $50 and up. They have a couple of other things you might want to check out regarding the shipping, so we suggest you check that out right here.

REI also offers a limited warranty on all purchases.

March 19, 2019 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Tent Brands Of 2019
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