Toiletry kit bags for men are usually made of leather, but leather can be damaged by water from shaving gear that has to be packed away before it’s had time to dry or from leaking toiletries. With the Black Carbon Fiber Toiletry Kit from RAGGEDedge Gear, water and spills won’t hurt a thing. The bag is made of black carbon fiber laminate sailcloth, so it will repel water and smells and is a cinch to wipe clean.
The folks at RAGGEDedge gear are competitive sailors, and they know that “laminate sailcloths are hard core materials, engineered specifically to perform in a wet environment, very efficiently turn wind into power, and maintain their integrity for the duration of their life as a sail. These materials are essentially the engine of Americas Cup boats, highly competitive one design classes, and other high end yachts.” They knew this material would lend itself to making wallets, gear bags, and other accessories that will hold up to wear.
The bag measures 10” long x 5” tall x 4.5” wide. It has an interior pocket to corral smaller items. The marine-grade zipper won’t corrode, no matter how tough you are on your gear. There’s a grab handle that can also be used to hang the bag.
The Black Carbon Fiber Toiletry Kit is $70.00 at RAGGEDedge Gear.
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I am pretty sure that by now that many of my fellow photographers, and especially macro photographers, are anxiously awaiting the release of the Sigma’s new art lenses. I am referring specifically to the new Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art Lens.
As the first true macro lens in the Sigma Art series, it is designed to prioritize optical performance above all else. This lens is a true 1:1 macro lens, and as a part of the Art series, I am expecting it to be well made, and to provide “crisp” photos with great clarity and sharpness.
The lens is designed with a “focus-by-wire” system that eliminates any direct mechanical contact between the focus ring and the focus drive. According to Sigma, “all of this adds up to a lens capable of razor-sharp, well-delineated focus with beautiful bokeh”.
A new coreless DC motor assists with the task of acquiring focus with minimal noise, while the full-time manual focus remains available during autofocus. The lens is built in a dust and splash proof body, and it is compatible with the Sigma USB Dock that can be purchased separately. The initial release will be for Canon and Sigma mounts, with others to follow.
If you interested in the new Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art Lens, you can preorder one at B&H Photo Video for $569.
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You know the company, LifeProof, who created those insanely durable smartphone cases back in 2013? Well, it turns out there’s a demand for many of the products in our lives to be “life proof” or, protected from water, snow, dirt, and drop damage, including our backpacks! LifeProof has created such a backpack with the Goa 22L Backpack and it is pretty awesome.
What’s in the box?
In the box came the beautiful, black and green LifeProof backpack, alone. I fell in love at first sight.
Design and features
This heavy-duty pack has a multitude of features that set it aside its competition. It’s made from a water-repellent fabric, and even has a sealed, fleeced lined weather-resistant tech pocket that holds up to an iPhone 8 Plus. The tech pocket has a pass-through for cords like headphones and charging cables. If that pocket wasn’t cool enough, there’s also a hydration reservoir pocket that holds up to 3 liters, so you’ll always be hydrated on your adventures. There’s a detachable chest strap for extra comfort, and plenty of convenient smaller pockets on the inside to keep your gear organized. The exterior has 4 side stash pockets for smaller items like passports, wallets, etc. Also found on the outside is a separate reinforced laptop and/or tablet side pocket with padding to keep your electronics safe.
What I like
What I like the most about this pack is the padded laptop pocket, because it’s perfect for me as a traveling student journalist. I adore the ergonomic straps that make the pack completely comfortable, no matter how heavy I make it. The lifeproof-ness is something I particularly favor, also!
What needs to be improved
There isn’t much that I can see needs to be improved with this pack. It comes in 4 sizes, so it can appeal to almost anyone. Though I’m assuming it isn’t 100% waterproof, (I’m not going to soak it in the ocean to find out…) it is water resistant, meaning I can wear it out in the rain, and I plan to! The only thing I can think of is adding the option for more colors or styles. But, this company is pretty on-the-ball, so I’m sure they’ve already considered that.
Final thoughts
This is a greatly anticipated, well designed, nearly flawless backpack and I plan to keep using it for a long time, being as it will last me a very very very long time! Go LifeProof!
Price: $159.99 Where to buy: https://www.lifeproof.com/en-us/backpacks-coming-soon.html Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lifeproof.
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When WaterField wanted to design a laptop for professionals, they went to the pros for input. WaterField designed the Pro with input from a couple thousand of their customers who know what they want in a work bag. The result is a backpack that’s at home in any business setting and loaded with every feature you could need.
The exterior is 1050 denier black ballistic nylon accented with a full-grain leather front panel and grab handle. It measures 13.5″ wide x 16.5″ tall x 7.0″ deep, weighs 2.9 lbs, and has a volume of 25.5 liters. Other features include:
Two main chambers: back chamber zips down to carry laptop or tablet, documents, and the optional Executive Folio. Front chamber is spacious enough to hold other items needed for a day at the office or travel.
Two zip pockets on the front panel to quickly access items when swinging the backpack from the shoulder.
Two large side pockets for water bottle and small items.
Top front pocket that’s deep enough to hold items securely.
Back slot for slipping onto suitcase handles.
Sleek, waterproof zippers throughout.
Comfortable shoulder straps and wicking panels on the back to prevent sweating.
Stands upright when it’s set down and doesn’t sag while you’re wearing it.
The optional Executive Folio fits in the back chamber and can serve as a laptop sleeve. The Folio can be taken out for shot meetings, as it can hold a laptop, note pad, documents, and pens. The leather panel is available in black, chocolate, gray, or crimson leather. The Pro Executive laptop backpack is $349.00. The Executive Folio is sized for a 13″ MacBook or a 15″ MacBook. It’s $89.00, but it can be added to the Pro for an additional $49.00 at the time of original purchase.
You can order the Pro Executive laptop backpack today. Shipping is expected to start June 15. Learn more and order at WaterField’s website.
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I have used many different screen protectors on my phones, watches and digital camera screens over the years. The majority have been the peel and stick type that you apply with a water base. I have used tempered glass screen protectors and a couple of phones and currently on my Garmin Fenix 5s. I do not, however, have a screen protector on my current phone which is a Samsung Galaxy S9. I have been hesitant to put one on because I figured that curved screen would give me issues. Does the new InvisibleShield Glass Curve Elite from ZAGG make this an easy task? Let’s find out!
What is it?
The ZAGG Glass Curve Elite is a tempered glass screen protector. The one I have was made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy S9. They make it for the S9 Plus and several other models of Samsung including the S8, S8 plus and the Note 8.
Hardware Specs
It has a custom curved fit to specifically fit the model of phone it was made for.
It has a built-in shock absorbent layer that helps prevent the impact of an unexpected drop from shattering your phone.
Smooth tempered glass that does not impact the clarity of the screen.
Provides impact and scratch protection
Provides for precision touch sensitivity (you do have to increase the touch sensitivity in your phone settings before installing the protector)
It has a smudge-resistant finish
What is in the box?
The screen protector
A micro fiber cloth
An alcohol wet wipe
Instruction book
Plastic template to help install the protector on your phone
Dust removal sticker
A stiff card with cloth on one end to help set the glass to the phone.
Installation process
First off, and I cannot say how important this is, please be sure you are in the most dust free area in your home. Unlike the peel and stick type protectors, if you get a dust particle under the middle of the protector you will have little to no chance to get it off without breaking the protector. You can pull back the edges pretty easily to fix bubble and remove dust, but to pull it back all the way to the middle really risks cracking the glass. That is essentially what happened to me on the first time I tried to install it. The next time I used the tried and true method of using the bathroom. I ran the hot shower for a few minutes to steam up the room and remove the dust particles from the air. I then followed the next steps of shutting the phone off, wiping it down with the alcohol wipe and then wiping with the micro fiber cloth. I finally used the dust removal sticker and went over the entire screen with it.
The next step was to place the red plastic template over the phone. In the picture above it goes over the top of the phone exactly in that layout. It really does help you to position the protector exactly where it should be on the phone. I then peeled the back sticker off the protector and used the two tabs on the top and bottom of the front of the protector to position the protector. Once in place, I pulled the top sticker off the top of the template holding it in place on the bottom of the screen.
At this point, you take the hard card and using four fingers, slowly slide the cloth side of the protector towards the top of the phone. Once the middle of the protector is set, you flip the hard card over and use the non-cloth covered side to slide up the edges. Watch the video below to see how the installation should work. They certainly make it seem easy!
What I like
I love the idea of having a tempered glass screen that will fit the curve of the newer Galaxy phones. I often find that the peel and stick type protectors leave the screen feeling slightly ‘funny’ and it was really noticeable on my Note phones when I used the stylus. Glass protectors also tend to be much clearer and less susceptible to scratches and ‘dents’ that the plastic type protectors would often get.
What needs to be improved
Unfortunately for me, even with three different tries on installing this protector it just did not work for me. The first time I will totally blame myself. In my excitement, I tried to install the protector in my breakfast area. We have a Shetland sheepdog in our home and he is a walking dust magnet. Even going through the whole alcohol wipe, microfiber wipe, and dust sticker, I still had a ton of dust under the protector. The sides also failed to seat at all and that could have been due to the amount of dust. My second attempt I used the bathroom process described above. I was getting bubbles under the corners and having some difficulty again trying to get the sides of the protector to seat on the phone. Somehow in the process of trying to seal it the screen cracked on the side. You can see a picture of it below.
Third time is a charm, right? Well NO, darn it. Things were really going well this time. I was still having issues trying to get the sides to seal on the phone. I had flipped the card around to the non-cloth covered side and was repeatedly trying to push down and get those sides to de-bubble. I guess I must have been too firm and I got a crack again. You can see where I had bubbles on the sides of the phone on the top right and just above the other crack on the left. For a protector that costs $50 you want to get it right the first time.
Final thoughts
I really wanted this screen protector to work. Even with three attempts, I could not make it work. This screen protector is extremely expensive at $50 and I would have spent $150 and still had no protection on the screen of my phone. The video makes it seem effortless, but I did not find it to be that way at all. I just can’t recommend this protector unless you feel like you have that special touch and really want to try it yourself.
Price: $49.99 Where to buy:ZAGG and Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by ZAGG.
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