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Essential Everyday Carry Gear for the Outdoorsy Guy

Is your everyday carry ready to go off-road? When you get a last-minute invite for an adventure, can you hit the trail with what you’ve got in your pack?

If your gear is anything like these outdoorsy essentials, you’ll be ready for almost anything.

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Leatherman Skeletool KBX Pocket Knife – $25
Leatherman Skeletool KBX Knife
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Part of the just-released Coyote Tan collection of Leatherman tools, the Skeletal KBX knife is strong, minimal, and above all, useful. It’s coated in the new tan Cerakote finish, a ceramic composite often used on firearms that improves abrasion and corrosion resistances, impacting strength and hardness. The 2.6-inch long blade is made from 420HC stainless steel for extra durability and easy sharpening.

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Rite in the Rain Memo Book – $6
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Phones, tablets, and laptops are insanely powerful these days, but there’s something freeing about good old-fashioned pen and paper. There’s just one catch: You can’t use them in the rain.

With Rite in the Rain waterproof books, however, rain can be coming down sideways and you can still be taking notes, writing your next novel, or sketching a business plan. The small size and soft cover of these memo books help them fit perfectly in a pocket for easy access. The books are available in hardcover and coil bound versions as well. They are best used with pencils or the brand’s special pens.

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Alchemy Goods Franklin Wallet – $34
Alchemy Goods Franklin Wallet
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The Franklin Wallet from Alchemy Goods is a slim billfold made from old rubber tubes. Inside are four card slots and one long bill slot; the stitching comes in a handful of different colors. On the corner of every Alchemy Goods logo is the percentage by weight of upcycled material. The Washington-based brand strives to hit the highest number it can.

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Suunto Core Watch – $370
suunto core watch ultimate black
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Why do you need a watch if your smartphone can tell time? Just like with pen and paper, there’s something satisfying about having a nice timepiece on your wrist. Suunto’s aren’t your classic Rolex, but they’ll be a lot more useful off-road. The Suunto Core with its altimeter, barometer, and compass is what you need on the trail to keep you safe and headed in the right direction. Take the temperature for notes in your trip journal. The built-in storm alarm will let you know when it’s time to head home. The brushed steel colorway is eye-catching but can go with any wardrobe.

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Moment Battery Photo Case – $100
Moment Camera Case iPhone
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No pics, it didn’t happen. Right? But who has space to carry a whole extra camera with them these days? With the camera quality on phones these days, you don’t need to. Just use your phone and some tiny Moment lenses, which snap right on to the brand’s phone case (complete with extra battery power) and give you wide angle, telephoto or macro powers with just your iPhone 7, 8 or X. The case also protects from bumps and drops, which are bound to happen outdoors. “It’ll be the most durable ribbed, rubber product you’ve ever bought,” Moment says.

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Boundary Supply Errant Pack – Preorder for $100
Boundary Supply Errant Pack
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You’re not going far without a bag to carry all this. The new Boundary Errant can do triple duty as a sleek bag for work, an organized pack for travel, and a durable hauler for weekend gear.

The DuraMax Kodra material is water resistant thanks to Boundary Supply’s Barricade DWR coating. The top flap keeps things dry with either magnetic snaps or a waterproof zipper (or both). If you need to see everything quickly, unzip the back panel, which opens up the whole pack. Interior pockets organize everything from 17-inch laptops down to chargers, notebooks, and phones.

A separate waterproof compartment in the bottom can hold a pair of shoes or a six-pack. Boundary Supply also has modular packing cells and camera modules if you are escaping for the weekend or need to keep your drone accessories organized. All materials are sustainably sourced and blue-sign approved.

After a highly successful Indiegogo campaign, the Errant Pack is scheduled to ship in October.

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Ross Collicutt
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ross is an outdoor adventure writer, amateur photographer, and computer programmer based on Vancouver Island, British…
From setup to swing: A closer look at the Carl’s Place C-Series Pro Golf Simulator
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Golf simulators are the way to go when you want to practice away from the course and fine-tune your performance. Maybe it’s time for something more sturdy and immersive than a simple golf net; that’s where the best high-tech golf simulators come in. Imagine coming home to your personal golf zone, where you can practice your swings. In the digital age, sometimes we all feel overwhelmed by the options and the cluttered Internet. You might have questions about costs, installation, and whether you could assemble an at-home golf simulator enclosure yourself. 

The Manual's Dan Gaul put together and enjoyed practicing with the Carl’s Place C-Series Pro Golf Simulator Enclosure Kit, which is specially designed for professionals and serious golfers to improve performance. It’s used for commercial purposes, professional golf lessons, basements, and, of course, high-end man caves. In this video, Dan walks you through every step of the assembly process, from assembling the frame to hitting his first shot. He also shares his tips and tricks and answers to common questions, so you know what to expect with this impressive pro equipment, featuring the BenQ LK936ST projector and the .
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Starting May 23, 2025, Rocky Mountain National Park is resuming its timed entry reservation system. Last year, there were two types of reservations available: the timed entry and the timed entry plus Bear Lake Road, which offered visitors access to all the destinations along the Bear Lake Road Corridor, including Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, and more. Rocky Mountain National Park will continue these reservation packages into 2025.
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Visit Yosemite’s Firefall in 2025 — without a reservation
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Every February, Yosemite National Park experiences a Firefall, a natural phenomenon that appears at Horsetail Fall (and one of the reasons winter is a great time to visit). When conditions align, the waterfall glows in vivid orange and red hues at sunset, making it look like the water is on fire. Yosemite needs clear skies, sufficient water flow, and the proper sun angle for this to happen. With this extraordinary event taking place next month, Yosemite National Park is once again implementing a reservation system during the weeks ahead to manage the influx of visitors and protect the park's resources.

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