Arc’teryx Arro 22

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Canadian-based brand Arc’teryx first made its mark in the climbing world with its Vapor technology that utilised thermolamination to strengthen and secure multiple gear components together. Initially developed for rock climbing harnesses, the technology was subsequently also employed in backpacks and other outdoor equipment.

The Arro 22 is a lightweight waterproof backpack with 22 litres of capacity. The size is perfect for day hikes and it offers enough storage for an overnight stay. Using it while hiking through the Swiss Oberalp region, it surprised me with its comfort and ease of use. The height is easily adjustable through the two fastener cords and the structured padded straps cushion the load on the shoulders with an almost ‘floating’ character. The side pocket fits my 27oz Klean Kanteen snugly and a vertical front zip allows ease of access to smaller items in the front compartment.

While the Arro was developed to cope with the strain of outdoor activity, the compact design also performs well in an urban setting. The water bladder sleeve in the main compartment can be adapted to fit a laptop and its sleek design is well-proportioned for urban commutes, be it on a bicycle or a packed train. Overall, the Arro 22’s versatility and functionality provides a compelling option for anyone looking for a reliable backpack suited for both regular daily use and the occasional outdoor adventure.

Nike Flyknit Racer

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Nike’s quest to create a lightweight form-fitting shoe culminated in 2012 with the introduction of the Flyknit Racer. The new Flyknit technology did away with conventional shoe construction techniques that required multiple components to be glued together and instead simplified the upper layer to a single piece of seamless fabric. Flyknit has since gone on to be used in shoes made for all sorts of activities, from football boots to golfing shoes. However, the original racers started it all.

The shoe’s essentials-only fundamentals are immediately apparent to the wearer. It is amazingly light, weighing a total of 160g (the fabric upper weighs just 34 grams). The netted material provides breathability and flexibility during runs and the sock-like Flyknit material fits like a second skin. By using a single piece of fabric for the upper, Nike also reduces waste by eliminating the need for multiple material cuts.

There is a simplicity to the Flyknit Racer that is seldom found among today’s over-engineered chunky running shoes. This stealthy triple-black colourway flies even deeper under the radar among today’s ubiquitous neon-flavoured footwear.

MUJI Aluminium Clock

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MUJI designer Naoto Fukasawa often speaks of his aspiration towards ‘super-normal’ design, referring to products that fit naturally into their environment, with no actual need to learn how to use them. Initially, he worried that some of his productions were ‘too normal’, but as he matured in his career, he saw the value of the principle and centred his work around it.

The MUJI aluminium clock’s design is immediately familiar. Black Arabic numerals mark the hours and thin stick markers indicate the minutes. Time is easily legible and the smooth sweeping second hand operates without the cacophony of ticks. In line with its industrial design, the cylindrical silver frame looks more like a repurposed factory valve than something specifically designed for a clock. The timepiece can be hung on a wall or placed on a desk, made possible by a simple clip-stand that prevents it rolling sideways.

Ultimately, the aluminium clock turns out to be one of those items in a home that is seldom noticed and commented on. It operates silently in the background, ever ready to be called upon when needed.

Klean Kanteen 27oz

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Klean Kanteen was started in 2002 by Robert Seals with a single goal: provide people with a better option than plastic and lined aluminium bottles. In 2004, Seals introduced the silver 27oz bottle, a flask moulded out of a single piece of BPA-free stainless steel.

The classic 27oz is a versatile bottle that fits the requirements of a range of activities. The uncomplicated single-walled chassis is lightweight and sturdy enough to bring on a hike, yet still sleek enough so it doesn’t look out of place on an office desk. Its slim profile is comfortable to grip and there is no metallic aftertaste from the stainless steel. The opening’s rounded rim also provides a comfortable drinking experience, unlike the coarse openings often found on other metal canisters, such as SIGG bottles.

Overall, the 27oz Klean Kanteen is a good value-for-money option for anyone looking for a non-plastic reusable bottle. It is highly functional and  its industrial, metal-wood design will only get better with age.

Bowers & Wilkins 685 S2

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For about the past five years now, I’ve known that bookshelf speakers would be an essential component of my living space. The stereo output, with good separation of left and right sound, is tailored to our binaural hearing. I leave the more elaborate 5.1 speaker configurations to complex home cinema setups. To me, there is a purity to a two-piece bookshelf speaker format.

The 685 S2’s deliver the classic B&W sound: sibilant clarity, excellent dynamics, and punchy, but unoverwhelming, bass. Each unit is equipped with a decoupled reinforced dome tweeter and kevlar drivers – all packed into its compact rectangular body. Its black wooden exterior calls no unnecessary attention to itself. Instead, the speaker focuses on simply being an effective medium for music.

I have found myself losing track of time in the listening experience with these speakers. When I first got them, I was astonished by their immersive sound. Today, two years on, I still find myself enamoured on lazy afternoons, as they swiftly deliver rhythm and tone. 

Supreme Camp Cap

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After helping his friend Shawn Stüssy open the first Stüssy store in New York, James Jebbia set out to develop his own open-minded vision of skatewear in 1994. He opened a small skate shop on a quiet street in SoHo next to some secluded antique stores. The company has since come a long way from its humble beginnings on Lafayette Street. Supreme’s collaborations with brands across the fashion spectrum, from Japanese label Comme des Garçons to luxury brand Louis Vuitton, reflects its cross-cultural status in society today.

The brand’s product catalogue began with a few simple cotton t-shirts and hoodies. Next came the camp cap. Initially released in only black and camo, the fitted cap bore the classic Supreme box logo and catered to customers’ desire for something familiar, yet unique. The simple 5-panel headwear grew into a timeless staple of the brand’s streetwear collection. I like the solid-coloured black variant which keeps things subtle, yet still leans on the heritage of the brand.

Supreme keeps advertising to a minimum and even when it does advertise, it typically features skaters who are real friends of the brand. Its authenticity and alacrity is a whiff of fresh air amidst the mercenary enterprises of today’s fashion industry.

MUJI Ash Wood Tissue Box

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MUJI was born as an antithesis to today’s consumerist society. In place of excessive design for the sake of commercialism, the Japanese manufacturer focuses on what is essential to a product. The result is a certain coherency in material, function, and form.

This simple tissue box’s body is constructed out of six flat pieces of inexpensive ash wood MDF. The MDF’s uniformity and rigidity supplies it with a smooth surface and firm structure. It is resilient to knocks and effortless to use. The falling lid acts as a weight for the tissue pieces beneath and ensures that tissue layers stay springy till the very last sheet. 

MUJI’s creative director, Kenya Hara, expresses the brand’s design philosophy in one word – emptiness. The brand preserves a singular focus on what is pure and natural, aiming to create plain objects that do not impose themselves on users, but instead strive to formlessly fit all. This is strangely embodied by this ordinary tissue box, which begins its existence as an empty receptacle ready to conform to its contents. 

The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old

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Balvenie’s malt master David Stewart awed the whisky world when he introduced the first double matured scotch in the 1980s. What is today known as ‘finishing’, he matured the whisky in two different casts made of different types of wood. This creative technique gave birth to a whole new breed of whiskies to tickle the tastebuds of whisky lovers all over.

Today, the 12 Year Balvenie Doublewood is an archetypal produce of this maturation method. The scotch is first matured for 10 years in bourbon casts before being transferred to Spanish sherry casks for the remaining 2 years. Balvenie has a rich heritage and remains one of the few Speyside distilleries that owns every part of the whisky making process. From farming the barley to making casks in their cooperage, everything is done in-house. Even their malting floor is the same one used since 1929.

The scotch tastes smooth and creamy with notes of cinnamon and honey. The Sherry cast gives it a deep fruity zest that complements the bourbon’s buttery flavour well. Inexpensive and accessible, one would be hard pressed to find a better everyday whisky that consistently delivers such complex flavours.

Fujifilm X100

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There is design that is good by measure of its intuitiveness and effortlessness in usage (this might be well exemplified by the inevitable curve of a spoon), but the Fujifilm X100 is a child birthed from design of a different measure.

In 2010, Fujifilm released the X100 to much fanfare, but also frustration. The camera descends from multiple photographic lineages. The APS-C sensor is standard for an SLR, but it works mirrorlessly like a rangefinder. A quirky reverse Galilean viewfinder makes it possible for the contraptions to work together within its compact body.

The X100’s distinctive body style was a pleasant surprise to the photography community. It has a lightweight magnesium build with solid metal top controls and dials. The traditional analog inputs are reminiscent of the halcyon days of film.

Yet despite its beauty, using the camera is hardly intuitive. Its many quirks make spontaneously shooting a picture just about impossible at first. Each photographic outcome requires active thoughtfulness and an overall sense of deliberateness. Odd as it may sound, this turns out to be a somewhat noble pursuit. After all, it results in each individual photograph having more human and less machine put into it. And is that not wonderful? 

HALIOS Seaforth

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Modesty is a virtue for some and clearly not all. To a few, there is the quiet appeal of things that are exceptional, but yet not victims of widespread recognition. One of the most humble and affordable watches that exemplifies this fittingly is the HALIOS Seaforth.

Released in 2017, the Seaforth was made available in three small production runs. Due to the limited scale of the small brand’s manufacture, the wait between placing an order and receiving the watch was almost a full year. However, when I finally received it and held it in the flesh, it was clear that waiting was no mistake.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The appropriately named Abyss Blue dial is a perfect coalescence of the very best shades of deep and dark blue. Pictures fail to do it justice, with the hue unavoidably appearing either too dark or too light. This elusiveness only seems, however, to add to its charm. The Seaforth’s time-only configuration provides a back-to-basics aesthetic, while still hinting at its quality through its beautiful polished hour markers. Equipped with a screw-down crown and two hundred meters of water resistance, this makes a perfect go-anywhere, do-anything field watch.