This is going to be a recurring feature here on Iron Rogue, where I share the kind of gear and merchandise that gets me drooling. I was going to use the word ‘booty’ rather than ‘loot’, but I thought it might attract the wrong kind of audience.
noun: booty
- valuable stolen goods, especially those seized in war.
- synonyms: loot, plunder, pillage, haul, prize, trophy, spoils, stolen goods, gains, ill-gotten gains, profits, pickings, takings, winnings, swag, boodle, the goods
N.B. As of this writing, I have no official relationship with these brands.
- IAMRUNBOX – This is the kind of product I have been waiting a long time for. I have commuted by bike, run, inline skate and even cross-country ski. I have since changed jobs, so my work isn’t as close, but as my running mileage increases and the weather improves, there’s a chance I might return to my old mischievous ways. If you want to run with a backpack to work, some of the key issues are:
- Securely keeping a laptop (no bouncing or impact)
- Keeping your clothes from getting too wrinkly
- The pack bouncing up and down and generally hitting and hurting you
This is the first product I’ve seen actually try and address these issues. They don’t seem to have a big North American presence, but they do ship worldwide.
- NAK Fitness Swim Goggles – I first saw these on the Instagram feed of Heather Rose Scott, who I swear is some kind of triathlon/yoga superhero. It’s like, if Wonder Woman devoted herself to the swim/bike/run lifestyle instead of fighting crime.
Anyway, if she endorses it, that would probably be good enough for me. I currently swim my pool workouts with a pair of cheap speedos, and I race with the expensive Sable optics, but those are getting a little old and would probably be wearing down and should probably be retired. These have a nice tint (according to the testimonials) and are on the softer side so that they don’t leave you ‘racoon eyes’
- Smovey – Another exercise gadget?! This one caught my eye somehow – most of the demonstrated exercises seem to address the shoulders – especially in terms of mobility and stability. That’s important to me not only as a swimmer, but as someone who experiences shoulder pain and has issues in and around my thoracic spine.
The device also promises to penetrate “the meridians through the palms of your hands and harmonizes the flow of Qi (energy) through the 3 Yin meridians and the 3 Yang meridians, providing an exceptional healing effect while working out.” Now I’m more on the skeptical side when it comes to non-traditional Western medicine and science, and a full-on debate about Eastern medicine and similar practices is beyond the scope of what I want to talk about here. My rule of thumb is this: if the supposed alternative benefit isn’t at the exclusion of a more mainstream Western medical benefit, why not? The vibration and instability can give the muscles (especially stabilizer muscles) an extra boost of challenge – that’s the cake; any ying/yang benefit to meridians gets to be the icing.
These are also produced in a factory in Austria by people with “mild physical and mental limitations,” – as a special needs parent I can’t help but applaud that.
- Tap2Tag – If you’re out on run or bike, you tend to pack light and you frankly might not have all the ID and emergency contact info you need. This wristband uses NFC technology (a wireless link found on most cellphones – think Bluetooth, only shorter range) to transfer whatever info you need to a first responder’s cellphone at the push of a button.
It’s customizable so if you want to list allergies, or multiple emergency contacts, no problem. We don’t like to think of our exercise pursuits as being risky, but being prepared for a worst case scenario might be something you end up being grateful for. - Niche Wipes – There are several ‘baby wipe’ type products for wiping the sweat off your body when a shower isn’t available, but these are by far my favourite.
Simply put, they smell (a little) manlier and they are also man-sized. My current employer is a small company and there is no shower (nor enough room to avoid co-workers all day) so when I can commute by bike (or whatever as mentioned in point #1), it’s good to be able to wipe the sweat off – and I mean all off. I’ve used competing products and I run out of wipe before I run out of sweaty back, and I appreciate not smelling too feminine. These are actually made for men.
If you want to see me give more of these a test run (or have other suggested gear/products you’re curious about) please send me a big bag of money 😉