We just hit August, so I thought I would talk about some of my most invaluable gear this summer. Of course, some of this is specific to my situation, but I am making this list long enough, so that it may give some an idea even if they aren't in my exact situation. Of course, some of the items are great in all of the seasons, so this should not always be considered mutually exclusive.
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post
AirPods Pro 2 - I jumped on the bandwagon when these came down in price during Amazon Prime sales. My wife is a bird lover, so I usually don’t listen to my outdoor speakers when we are both out because she prefers hearing the birds chirp. Anyone else have a significant other that will all the sudden say, "I hear a Chickadee"? This happened in a Sprouts parking lot, recently. Personally, I like listening to music, but the transparent mode makes it easy to carry on a conversation as my music plays. In other words, she can listen to birds and I can listen to Byrds.
Roll n' Jack Jeep top removal - I bought this while it was still available. It seems to disappear for months on end. In my opinion, this is safer and more flexible than a hoist. I should know because I had a hoist installed by a local carpenter and it was great for a year. All of a sudden, I was pulling down my jeep top onto the Jeep and the screw anchoring it came out of the wall! Luckily, I wasn't hurt, but it left a small dent on my Jeep as a reminder. This device isn't leaving anything to chance.
Clearly Filtered Pitcher - Who knows the contaminants we are putting in our bodies by drinking water from the tap? Also, I don’t like adding to the plastic in the world, so this served two purposes. The water is cleaner and I don't have a need to carry around plastic bottles. I also added a LARQ bottle to carry around when we leave the house.
Apple Watch Ultra - obviously this works great with AirPods (I mentioned above), but it is also nice in the pool since it works with laps and it even tells you the temperature of the water… in addition to all the other features use on a daily basis.
Kindle Paperwhite - great little reader I can take anywhere.
Pool float - This is a necessity for my pool time. This was the least expensive model I have seen, but still does the same job as those costing $50 more.
Morning coffee - there is just something perfect about morning coffee on the deck before the day gets too hot! The photo below is from a trip. At home, we use a Breville Espresso Machine.
Ninja Blender - smoothies! Yum!
Alpine outdoor speakers - when out in the pool, these add some nice ambiance.
Canon Selphy Printer - so much fun to take photos and print them out as keepsakes.
Misting outdoor fan - too hot, this offers some relief!
Dolphin Pool cleaner - this makes the pool so easy to clean.
Salt water - softer water with no red eyes!
CRKT Squid Knife with Blade Assist - I often need a knife for opening salt bags, dirt bags, and many other things out in the yard. Love the easy action on this little fella.
Crocs/Birkenstocks - My at home shoe combo. When doing normal stuff around the house, I like the Birkenstocks and outside, especially in rain or when in the pool, I wear the always fashionable Crocs.
iPod classic 160gb - when I want to completely unplug and chill. I usually use with Ety ER4P earbuds or a pair of Grado SR60s with my 160GB iPod filled with Apple Lossless files.
Weber Spirit S-315/Big Green Egg - the combo of a gas grill and smoker is awesome!
iPhone - the camera alone is worth the price of admission. However, music, video, communication, etc. Around here, even the flashlight comes in handy.
Sony camera/Rokinon - I thought about adding a smaller camera this year, but went with a smaller, 35mm f2.8 lens instead. Love this combo for walking around during the summer.
Good Bags - for work, I carry a backpack. For other stuff, I carry a Billlingham Hadley 2020 Pro camera bag. I remove the insert if I am not carrying my camera.
Projector for movies - we have a projector for outdoors (below), but usually watch the 100 inch screen indoors. Summer movie nights are fun.
Butcherbox - for the grill, it’s a pleasure to have good quality meat and seafood. More food than gear, but its a necessity.
iPad 13 inch M4 - more vibrant than ever and easier to get stuff done outdoors. The pencil is great for photography edits and notes, as well.
Sunglasses - When I have my contacts in, my two main sunglasses are probably 20 years old. A pair of Raybans that wrap around the ears (great for bumpy Jeep rides, especially for hot days when the top is off) and below a pair of Persol sunglasses ( actually I have two pair - house and car).
Oakley glasses- when my contacts are out, I like having a pair of glasses that go indoors and out. These have progeressive lenses, so covered without needing a pair of prescription sunglasses (though I have a pair from the Shaq line I keep in the Jeep for a possible emergency situation..I also keep a pair of past year's subscription glasses). I need to be able to drive home if my glasses break or I lose a contact.
Cuisinart ice cream - make your own with less ingredients.
Fuji film camera - I have a film camera from 1965 that my dad handed down to me. I have never used it, but I have a roll of film on the way, so looking forwarded to seeing if it it works. I have a more recent Canon P&S film camera here if the Fujika is a bust. For summer, I always like to try something new and this year, one of those things is film.
Adidas - These are probably my perfect summer shoe for leaving the house. I bought a pair of Greats, that are better leather, but I still just prefer the iconic looks and the fit&feel of the Adidas.
Game Controller - I am not a big gamer or anything, but with all the retro games coming to iOS and iPad OS, I was happy to have a controller that would fit my iPhone (in case) and my iPad (via an augmentation to the controller).
Pets and wife - Summer isn't the same without my little companions.
I am sure I left something off this list. If I missed an essential, please let me know. Enjoy your final days of summer!
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post
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