High Adventures in the Great Outdoors - Ridge

Traveling internationally and the daily humdrum that comes with it, especially when it comes to packing and organising one’s essentials can be a chore. I like traveling light yet need sturdy gear to rely on, so the more valuable electronics do not get battered in transit.

After a lot of trial of error with gear – some gear looked fantastic but was not functional and did a less than mediocre job – I came across the fine folks at Ridge following a recommendation from the ever industrious Jamey Jasta, one that roams the world and aims to streamline what he lugs around.

A first transition I did was using their front pocket wallet for personable valuables.

Again, been trying lots of different models throughout ever since I was lucky enough to have money on me, most of which filled up quickly resulting in an overstuffed lump comprised of spare change, receipts, rubbers, etc cetera, that materialized in the back of my pants interfering with my ability to sit straight, let alone fashion faux-pas like baggy pants and the wallet chain thang of the 90ies.

Given that most transactions these days can be conducted without any cash, Ridge Wallet’s capacity of holding up to fifteen cards along with the feature of RFID Blocking (hashtag “Wireless Identify theft”) are ideal. The wallet comes with the feature of either a money clip or a cash strap, so you Americans can still cling a wad of strip club currency to it if need be. Fans of coinage beware – you are out of luck.

The Ridge wallet does not look like a wallet, which at least for me is part of the appeal. You slide your cards by pushing an indentation, which slightly exposes the cards already in the wallet.

This makes it easier to insert the additional card into the top tapered groove.

Same goes for access e.g. middle cards which separate accordingly and spread out nicely with the push of a borderline non-existent button.

Now, after the wallet proved to do a fairly good job, I ventured further into Ridge territory and got myself one of their waterproof backpacks, which I mainly use for commuting.

The beauty of the thing is that it comes with a built-in USB charging port and a shockproof compartment for laptops, bottle holders, an RFID-blocking hidden pouch and looks great as well. Form follows function par excellence without any gimmicks.

Eventually, I also got one of their phone cases. Now, while the wallet and the backpack do not look bad, the phone cases are veritable things of beauty as they not only hold cards but come in oil waxed grain leather that develops a nice patina the longer you use it. As a matter of fact, the more battered it gets, the cooler it looks.

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Photos courtesy of Ridge

T • February 21, 2019