Blogpost: High Adventures in the Great Outdoors – Part 5

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Accessories and Traveling

Traveling internationally and the daily humdrum that comes with it, especially when it comes to packing and organising one’s essentials can be a chore. I like traveling light yet need sturdy gear to rely on, so the more valuable electronics do not get battered in transit.

After a lot of trial of error with gear – some gear looked fantastic but was not functional and did a less than mediocre job – I came across the fine folks at Ridge following a  recommendation from the ever industrious Jamey Jasta, one that roams the world and aims to streamline what he lugs around.

A first transition I did was using their front pocket wallet for personable valuables.

Again, been trying lots of different models throughout ever since I was lucky enough to have money on me, most of which filled up quickly resulting in an overstuffed lump comprised of spare change, receipts, rubbers, etc cetera, that materialized in the back of my pants interfering with my ability to sit straight, let alone fashion faux-pas like baggy pants and the wallet chain thang of the 90ies.

Given that most transactions these days can be conducted without any cash, Ridge Wallet’s capacity of holding up to fifteen cards along with the feature of RFID Blocking (hashtag “Wireless Identify theft”) are ideal. The wallet comes with the feature of either a money clip or a cash strap, so you Americans can still cling a wad of strip club currency to it if need be. Fans of coinage beware – you are out of luck.

The Ridge wallet does not look like a wallet, which at least for me is part of the appeal. You slide your cards by pushing an indentation, which slightly exposes the cards already in the wallet.

This makes it easier to insert the additional card into the top tapered groove.

Same goes for access e.g. middle cards which separate accordingly and spread out nicely with the push of a borderline non-existent button.

Now, after the wallet proved to do a fairly good job, I ventured further into Ridge territory and got myself one of their waterproof backpacks, which I mainly use for commuting.

The beauty of the thing is that it comes with a built-in USB charging port and a shockproof compartment for laptops, bottle holders, an RFID-blocking hidden pouch and looks great as well. Form follows function par excellence without any gimmicks.

Eventually, I also got one of their phone cases. Now, while the wallet and the backpack do not look bad, the phone cases are veritable things of beauty as they not only hold cards but come in oil waxed grain leather that develops a nice patina the longer you use it. As a matter of fact, the more battered it gets, the cooler it looks.

Now, let’s consider accessorizing.

Traveling a lot and need to dress smart casual every now and then but would not consider yourself the ineptest luminary when it comes to fashion?

Yeah, I hear you - there are tons of curated services out there that are pretty much useless when it comes to offering quality.

If you like easy access and do not only not mind but prefer for the curation to be done for you, an offering by the name of Menlo’s Club could be what you’ve been looking for.

The premise is straight forward: You fill in a questionnaire about your style preferences, sizing and other info that help them pick the gear for you and they will put together a monthly curated package drawing from the illustrious collections of menswear, athleisure wear), or New Republic by Mark McNairy (foot gear) products, with each month being different.

What I like about them is that they are flexible with their offerings as sizes can easily be exchanged, there is free shipping and membership can be cancelled any time.

Taking it a step further is another curated accessory service going under the name of Sprezzabox.

If you sign up for their monthly curated package you receive a box the contents of which are comprised of a neckwear item, i.e. tie, socks, pocket square, a tie clip or cuff links, a lifestyle item, e.g. something to assist with you imbibing habits and a grooming item. In essence, a departure from your Sid Vicious and Crass buttons to more gentlemanly accessories that assist in looking dapper and not the worst way to keep your look fresh and dynamic without having to overhaul your entire wardrobe.

Aight, going deeper – as in Steel Panther territory - Balls out!

Let’s delve into the neither regions of your corpse and not beat around the “bush” any longer, shan’t we? Punny, innit?

Not sure what your regimen is when it comes to the grooming of the private parts, e.g. if you are an aficionado of the 70s, but chances are you are using an off the shelf body wash containing an array of chemicals that merely masks instead of something that eradicates odours.

I tend to travel quite a bit through hot and humid territories and that’s where Ballwash ( https://ballwash.com/ ) comes in handy.

Sounds like a novelty thing? Well, it surely sounds like it but it ain’t – there is more to it than a mere marketing ploy.

In a nutshell, the objective of ridding funk off your junk is achieved by combining natural ingredients with activated charcoal, the benefits of which assist in eliminating your bodily excretions, rid your corpse of toxins and neutralize bacterial remnants and other nasties from the surface of your beloved skin.

Best thing is that the whole shebang comes in a neat “trifecta” box with the main product, i.e. Ballwash (nut, butt and body wash), a Nut Rub Solid Cologne and to round things out, and a “Sack Spray”, which delivers a refreshing pH balanced blast to the nuts that neutralizes odour while helping deodorize, sooth and moisture your most prized possessions.

Sick of the puns and allusions? I hear you.

Bottomline is that if you are looking for garbage free chemicals, devoid of sulphates and parabens, it sure is a nice alternative that does its job and has both an edge and a nice fragrance to it as well.

Read previous installments of High Adventures in the Great Outdoors here.

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Lead photo from Ridge website, other photos by T