July 18, 2014

Mas Design Bauhaus Titanium Keychain / Key Carabiner Review

July 18, 2014/ The Alt Team

When a small company by the name of Mas Design set out to re-create the common carabiner, it restricted itself to design a carabiner that would have a distinct and elegant look that is unfamiliar in the world of carabiners, yet still be just as functional as every single one of them. Bauhaus is a series of titanium-made carabiners made using a single piece of EDM machined high-quality grade 5 titanium alloy with a clean and minimalist design influenced by what is known as Bauhaus styling. Mas Design's small and lightweight Bauhaus carabiners were created for the sole purpose of carrying essential items like your keys and/or other small accessories you'd be carrying with you on a daily basis using a keychain. And apparently, these were a huge success when Mas Design used Kickstarter to help fund the Bauhaus project.

October 31, 2012

GearPods Survival Pro Kit Hands-On

October 31, 2012/ The Alt Team

There is one thing you should never leave home without when venturing out into the wild, and that's survival gear. It really goes without saying, and there are plenty of options and survival gear out there for you to pick and choose from. One company stood out to us however, and that's GearPods. This is a company that takes all of the required survival tools and creates various types of kits which come in modular pods. Not just any pods though, GearPods are extremely tough, durable and lightweight pipe containers made from transparent polycarbonate - available in different sizes and colors that feature a waterproof design and easy-to-twist grippable end caps also known as GearPods' Terminators.

October 21, 2012

Triple Aught Design Ranger Hoodie Hands-On

October 21, 2012/ The Alt Team

Do you feel that? It's getting cold, real freezing cold. Winter is upon us and quite frankly we don't feel like freezing our asses off out in the cold. Our Californian weather is insanely unpredictable and we don't think we're alone on that front. So a good backup plan is to always have the right type of gear to pick from that closet of yours. It's that time of year where you look for something fresh to replace your old clothes that have seen quite a few harsh winters and admirable use.

Triple Aught Design or TAD for short, is one of those brand names which are hard to come by and that offers really amazing apparel that easily matches if not surpasses some of the big-time and well known brand names in the outdoor outfitting arena. The company is famous amongst military personal as well as the tactical oriented crowed, and for good reason. Triple Aught Design is stationed in San Francisco where it makes all of its outdoor, tactical and adventure oriented clothing and gear designed for people who appreciate quality, well thought-out stuff.

Triple Aught Design's $219 Ranger Hoodie is one of the outfitter's best selling jacket that's available for men in four colors, while the slightly more expensive $235 Valkyrie Hoodie is the women's equivalent. The Ranger Hoodie is not a typical hoodlum hoodie you'd find at your local retailer. Far from it in fact. It features a modern-cut designed with tactical aspects and a seam-less design using a Polartec WindPro material that's coated with DWR for superior rain-resistance, a zippered design, six strategically placed YKK zippered chest and arm storage pockets with D-rings inside for secure tethering of your small essential gear and two side arm patch Velcro areas for customization.

October 04, 2012

Sigg Sport Bottles With Active Top Hands-On

October 04, 2012/ The Alt Team

Since the time we got our hands on Bobble's active filtering plastic-made water bottles, Sigg has introduced its new aluminum made, durable water bottles featuring a new smart drinking system Sigg calls Active Top. If you ever considered getting yourself a reusable water bottle, suffice to say you're familiar with this Swiss household name. Sigg has started the metal bottle revolution with its original aluminum bottles that featured the iconic screw-in loop bottle top designed in a way that lets hikers and mountain climbers attach their bottle to the rest of their gear using a secure carabineer clip. The new Active Top equipped Sigg bottles bring an even easier and secure way of drinking while at the gym, work and out in the great outdoors without taking your eyes off the prize.

September 17, 2011

Exotac nanoStriker & Matchcap Hands-On

September 17, 2011/ The Alt Team

More often than not we tend to pass on survival gear as if they aren't necessary every day carry items. We dislike most survival gear because of their inconvenient, boring and tasteless design that we would never want to carry around on a daily basis. Luckily there are companies out there like Exotac that take design very seriously as if they weren't making survival gear at all, but instead each and every one of Exotac's products have an intriguing smart designs anyone would mistake them for something they aren't. Exotec's fire starters look oh so good, but do they really work when put to the test?

Starting with Exotac's most wanted fire starter, the nanoStriker, we're presented with a well put together package that's stocked with a few extras like extra orange rubber O-rings, a metal keychain ring adapter as well as a nice long wrist lanyard paracord you can use to attach the nanoStriker to various objects instead of attaching it to your keys. There are two holes at both ends that will fit both methods of attachments that fit your needs. Very smart of Exotac to put these small features that make the nanoStriker all that more useful and comfortable to carry around with you. The nanoStriker comes in a few different anodized aluminum colors that have a refined texture and finish that really looks sharp. It'll run you only $26.95, however the quality screams a whole lot more.