Misc Gear

The Minimalist, Ugly Bullet Journal Is My Favorite Gear

I have always had dreadful handwriting. Most of my elementary school memories are of teachers trying all kinds of techniques to improve it, from handwriting drills to those funny triangle holders on my pencils. Nothing worked, and I sought out digital writing and typing as soon as technology and school allowed.











Brewing Beer with the PicoBrew Pico: Set-Up and Fermentation

I’m married to a man who enjoys brewing his own beer; Kev has a shop with a section dedicated to the equipment needed for mixing, brewing, proofing, and serving homebrew, and he has invested plenty of dollars and copious amounts of time into his hobby. I fully expected snark when I started reviewing the PicoBrew Pico, because it’s cheating, right?




Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer Review: Liquid Filtration Makes It Smoother

We’ve looked at several styles of loose-leaf vaporizers on Gear Diary, but this is the first one I’ve seen that uses water, reminiscent of your college roommate’s favorite water pipe. The Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer is a sleek, futuristic-looking rechargeable vaporizer that promises “cleaner and smoother inhalation with no additional attachments or setup.” Okay then, let’s check it out!


Logitech POP Is a Simple Way to Make Your Smart Home Smarter

I love having a home that is increasingly “smart-enabled.” We have two fans with light kits, a Thermostat and an increasingly large number lights that are “smart.” All of it connects and is controlled through our Amazon Echo, but there are times when you don’t want to use your smartphone or voice for control. Enter the fantastic Logitech POP.


Click & Grow Creates an Affordable DIY Indoor Garden

If you like the Click & Grow way of doing things, but you aren’t sure if you want to invest in their Herb Garden, then you might want to check out their new DIY Indoor Garden. At $29.99, it’s a great way to get started with indoor gardening! What do you get for $29.99? The kit includes “9 plant cups with a wick that draws the exact right amount of water into the cup when submerged.” You can use the materials of your choice to hold the plant cups — anything from LEGOs, to jars, to coffee cans, to egg cartons. You’ll need…


Ardbeg Uigeadail: One Fantastic Scotch Whisky

Now that I’ve turned 30, I’m embracing the fact that my vodka days are long behind me. A few of my Twitter followers suggested that I brush up on my knowledge of fancy spirits, with one being the ever-present Scotch.



MyManu Announces the First In-Ear Translating Earphones at MWC 2017

If you a frequent traveler, or just want to break the language barrier wherever you are, you should check out MyManu’s CLIK — the World’s first language recognition and live translation in-ear earphones. Being the first to do something isn’t always necessarily a bad thing, and Mymanu knows this, as they took Barcelona by storm this week by announcing that their CLIK not only give users the ability to listen to their favorite tunes normally on both iOS and Android devices, on top of being able to answer and phone calls and responding to text, but the highlight being the…


ThruNite TN12 Brings 1100 Lumens of Greatness

My wife always jokes that anytime someone wants to get me something, they cannot go wrong with either a flashlight or pocket knife. This is true; I absolutely love really bright, tactical flashlights. The ThruNite TN12 ($49.95) brings a strong, tactical design along with a super bright 1100 lumen Cree LED light. Let’s take a closer look!


Ticwatch 2 Active Review: A Refreshingly Sleek and Streamlined Smartwatch

One of the complaints I’ve heard many times about smartwatches is that they’re too thick, too large, or they look too masculine. That’s understandable, especially when the one complaining isn’t a larger person. Options have been somewhat limited for those who’d prefer a less massive watch with smart features, but now there’s Ticwatch, and it’s surprisingly impressive.