Field Report: Wild Camping With The Gentry Store

I can't get on with organised campsites, I much prefer the freedom afforded by lightweight wild camping. To pitch head headlong into nature and throw up a camp wherever you please is an experience that feels liberatingly old school. I was recently joined by my friends The Gentry Store on a wild camping adventure. Join us for a night under canvas, tall tales round the campfire and some good livin' in the great outdoors.

Filson Down Cruiser

Filson just launched their new Down Cruiser and its everything I've been hoping for and more.  European goose down gives this Cruiser extra warmth without added weight. Soft, water-repellent fabric with abrasion-resistant reinforcement on the shoulders and sleeves protects against branches and rain, while remaining pliable and comfortable. Fitted cuffs and a snap-closure storm flap keep rain out and warmth in. The standing collar is lined with wool for comfort, and a nylon lining allows for easy on/off over layers. Coming in at a cool $635, its definitely an investment piece but given Filson's pedigree it's guaranteed to last you a lifetime.

FEATURES

• Zipper front with snap-closure storm flap
• 4 flap pockets, 1 slotted patch pocket, 2 handwarmer pockets, dual-entry rear map pocket, 1 interior zipper pocket
• Snap-adjustable outer cuffs; hidden rib-knit inner cuffs keep warmth in
• Made with 100% European goose down processed in the USA
• Fully lined with nylon for easy on/off over layers
• Lined handwarmer pockets for comfort
• Shell is abrasion resistant and rain repellent

Made in USA with imported material

www.filson.com

Chasing Light: Switzerland

Chasing Light: Switzerland from Austin Mann on Vimeo.

Photographer Austin Mann shot this incredible video on an iPhone 6s. Hard to believe I know, but this is a perfect example of how far the new iPhone can take you.


See the full iPhone 6s Camera review here:
austinmann.com/trek/iphone-6s-camera-review-switzerland
Music by Sleeping at Last (sleepingatlast.com.)
Created by Austin Mann & Jorby

Reconnaissance #19

Every week, The Listening Post delivers a curated roundup of the past weeks best links. Here's this week's Reconnaissance:

> A Year of Practiculture - Whole Larder Love
> The Most Instagrammed Locations in Every US State - Cool Material
> 150 Years of Faribault Woolen Mills - The Hand & Eye
> Great Moments in Tweed - Kempt
> Searching for the Ghost of Hemingway in Havana - Esquire

Into the Wild

To wander free in the pathless woods and on the shores of wide open lakes is one of life's great pleasures. The great outdoors gives rise to our spirit of adventure, that primal urge to explore which is ingrained in our DNA. The All Night Listening Post has partnered with The Gentry Store to bring you 'Into the Wild', an ongoing series exploring man's affinity with the outdoors through a collection of exclusive essays, images and films that will inspire you to break free of your daily grind, throw caution to wind and begin your own adventure.

  

Trading Stories With The Printers

What will become of traditional printing techniques and technologies? In the age of digital, a handmade impression is a rarity. These men have kept the skills and machines of 20th century printing alive, and are now turning their attention to youngsters who might breathe life back into the Society. 'The Printers' is the culmination of numerous visits and conversations over the course of a year, made in collaboration with photographer Lee Howell as part of his project "Trading Stories".

www.resonate.co.nz

Reconnaissance #18

Every week, The Listening Post delivers a curated roundup of the past weeks best links. Here's this week's Reconnaissance:

> Scenes from the Frontier of Soviet Space Exploration - Calvert Journal
> Japan's Yakuza: Inside the Syndicate - Youtube
> Seven British Menswear Brands You Should Know - Cool Material
> The Front General Store in Brooklyn - Selectism
> A Guide to Fall's Autumn's Best Things - Wall Street Journal

Listen: Tears of Joy by Slow Club

I've always been a fan of Slow Club since their early days. I used to know Charles a good 10 years ago and I figured I'd share one of my favourite songs from their 2014 album Complete Surrender.

www.slowclubband.com

Mamnick Sheffield Steel Bracelet

My hometown is Sheffield, I was born and raised here. I have a real affinity with anything that originates from the Steel City and I recently picked up this bracelet from local brand Mamnick. The bracelet is hand made in Sheffield using stainless steel, its an incredibly simple design but it's a thing of beauty and wearing it reminds me of my roots.

Inside the Best Made Co Tent

If you know me, you know I'm a bit of a Best Made Co obsessive. I've been hooked ever since I saw one of their painted axes almost 4 years ago. Then I visited their store at 36 White in New York City and I held one. Now I own two of them alongside a whole host of other Best Made products. Last week I met up with the team at The Good Life Experience and took a look inside their tent.

Reconnaissance #17

Every week, The Listening Post delivers a curated roundup of the past weeks best links. Here's this week's Reconnaissance:

> An Interview with Master Calligrapher Seb Lester - Booooooom!
> 25 Photographers Shooting the Post-Soviet World - Calvert Journal
> Meditations on Cabin Life - Ball and Buck
> Listen to Ryan Adam's Cover of 1989 - Gothamist
> What Exactly is Nitro Coffee? - Eater
> Demining Bosnia - Roads & Kingdoms

Field Report: The Good Life Experience

When great minds collide, great ideas are born. Take those ideas and transplant them into the Welsh countryside combined with some incredible music and inspirational guests and you've got one hell of a weekend. From musician and BBC 6 Music presenter Cerys Matthews and Charlie & Caroline Gladstone, The Good Life Experience is a three day festival celebrating culture, food and the great outdoors.

Reconnaissance #16

Every week, The Listening Post delivers a curated roundup of the past weeks best links. Here's this week's Reconnaissance:

> Inside Man of the World's new Brooklyn Concept Shop - Selectism

> Grilled Clams with Spiced Paprika Butter - Bon Appetit

> Salvaging Manhattan’s Architectural Treasures - Quartz

> The NoMad Hotel's 'North Sea Oil' Cocktail (a personal favourite) - Supper

> Is the Leica Q the Best Leica Ever? - Gear Patrol

We Were Soldiers - Forgotten Photos of the Vietnam War

Vietnam veteran Christopher Gaynor, now 70, recently opened up a long forgotten shoe box and found a collection of photographs he had taken nearly 50 years ago as a young Artillery Officer serving in the Vietnam war. The images he took capture his unit on the battlefield and at rest, they are among some of the most impressive candid photographs of the Vietnam war I've seen.

Heroes: Flight Director Gene Kranz

Spaceflight; Man's greatest achievement and the final frontier. For over forty years, hundreds of men and women have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of extra terrestrial exploration but one man stands head and shoulders above the rest. Flight Director Gene Kranz.

It was under Kranz's watch that NASA regrouped and restructured itself after the tragedy of Apollo 1 but he is probably best known for his role in directing the successful Mission Control team efforts to save the crew of Apollo 13. In 1969 when NASA achieved its long term goal of a manned lunar landing with Apollo 11, Kranz was in control. There's a lot to be learned about integrity and leadership from the conduct and attributes of Flight Director Gene Kranz