Week In Review ~ 6 December

A wallet that’s also a portable charger, new releases to tempt leather enthusiasts, plus a versatile way to protect your camera without restricting access. Discover more in our Week In Review…

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Luscious leather for work and the weekend

Sleekly beautiful, hard-wearing and ages gracefully…it’s easy to love leather – and the folks at Whipping Post would agree. The durable material features across a range of handsome WP pieces, and three smart new additions are ready to take their place in the leather-loving lineup. The Whipping Post Standard Tote features a whole lot of full-grain leather in a versatile and easily accessible form that can carry your work tools and weekend shopping alike. Also making its debut is the Zip-Top Briefcase, available in four colorways. This attractive full-grain leather bag can be carried using top handles or a detachable shoulder strap. The briefcase offers exterior storage space for quick-access items, while internally it’s large enough for a laptop, work tools or other daily carry. Plus there are also new colorways for the Vintage Tote in drool-worthy vegetable-tanned leather, including gray, tan, blue and brown.

Helping GORUCK ladies go the extra mile

The GR1 is a bit of a legend in its own right…but no pack is perfect. You see, though it’s well-loved, it doesn’t get as much love from the ladies as it could due to the fit not quite complementing many women’s body shapes. However, GORUCK have set out to combat this with a new modified version of the pack specifically aimed at women that features curved shoulder straps for a better fit. The modified design underwent over two years of testing and tweaking courtesy of female GORUCK Challenge participants and still packs all of the rugged GORUCK punch, with the benefit of enhanced user comfort.

Carry for creatives

Knitting needles, paintbrushes, notebook and pen, circuit boards…no matter what your particular passion is and what tools you use, you share a bond with fellow makers. You love to create things and the new Tom Bihn Maker’s Bag loves to carry your creative tools. Designed with oodles of organization, you’ll find a pocket or attachment point for all your bits and pieces in this versatile bag that can be carried as a messenger bag or briefcase. There’s also a stabilizer strap if you want to swap out walking for cycling. If you need to carry tech, the bag fits up to a 13-inch laptop, with a back pocket that accommodates up to an 11-inch tablet or laptop. The Maker’s Bag is available in either 1050D ballistic nylon or 400D Dyneema/420D ripstop nylon and is self-standing for easier access to the contents.

Streamlined shelter for your camera

There are many good camera bags that protect your precious photography gear, but often that protection comes with the drawbacks of cumbersome access and weighty designs. The Peak Design Shell is a sleek and lightweight alternative that protects your camera from the elements and abrasion while still allowing quick access so you don’t miss that great shot. The Shell is constructed out of a DWR-coated stretchy fabric with a waterproof membrane and comes in three sizes to suit different cameras. It offers variable cinching on either end and provides the flexibility of completely covering the lens or leaving it exposed for snapping photos while still protecting your camera from the likes of rain or snow. This ultralight protective cover can be used for carrying a camera in a bag, as well as with any Peak Design strap or the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip. As an added bonus, it stuffs compactly into its own inbuilt pocket when not in use. See it in action here.

Packing power in your pocket

You carry a phone and wallet every day, but you might not carry a portable charger. So if your phone battery dies when you’re out and about, you’re scuppered. The Phorce Pocket provides a simple solution that doesn’t involve having to carry a separate charger in addition to your usual EDC. This slim wallet holds six cards internally, with exterior space for an additional card and cash. But it also includes an inbuilt battery with integrated Lightning and Micro-USB cables. The wallet features spring-loaded technology for easy access to cards and can charge two devices simultaneously, from your phone to wireless headphones. Check out the Phorce Pocket Kickstarter campaign to learn more.

Looptworks takes upcycling to new heights

Maintenance sometimes requires replacing things, as with the case of Horizon Air, the regional carrier for Alaska Airlines, replacing its leather seat covers. But rather than letting all that leather go to waste, the airline wanted to give it a new lease of life. So they teamed up with Looptworks to create the Carry-On Collection. Available to pre-order now, the collection features a wallet, laptop sleeve, tote, crossbody and messenger bag, all constructed out of upcycled seat leather. Versatile enough for both the office and non-work use, these pieces help this quality leather avoid a landfill and instead set it on a new course for journeys as your carry companions.