FIELD JOURNAL 33: Huckberry x Citizen, Ralph Lauren Wimbledon Collection, norda Orange Toolbox Duffel
Plus, an outfit with big outdoor energy, hiking two days to The Old Forge Pub, Jung Hoo Lee's GQ Korea cover, and more...
Welcome to the weekly FIELD JOURNAL, the place to get style & gear news, outfits, & inroads for the adventure-seeking man.
LAST SUNDAY, I broke out of my usual routine and spent the entire afternoon at Barton Springs, a natural spring that cuts off from the Colorado River here in Austin, TX.
Barton Springs is like going to the beach for Austin-ites. It’s a scene, both for the old and young. The water averages 69-degrees year-round and feels absolutely amazing, especially on a sweltering day.
I brought my copy of Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour and did a little re-reading (I’m on my second trip through the memoir). This time through, I paid closer attention to the quotes L’Amour drops at the start of each chapter.
I caught this quote from Charles Baudouin—a French psychoanalyst of the 20th century who combined Freudianism with teachings from Carl Jung.
It’s about the power of vision. Believing that any dream can become a reality if you inch towards it every single day.
I’m using this quote to remind myself that no matter how small or trivial a daily action seems, like breaking off for an afternoon to go to the springs, it all goes into the bucket of my vision for living a life on purpose—not by default.
LIVE A LITTLE
STYLE & GEAR NEWS
norda LTD Edition Orange Dyneema Toolbox Duffel
I understand norda duffel bags are pricey. But, norda running shoes are expensive too, and look how many rave reviews those get. (One former co-worker of mine has been traveling the world since last fall, and he only wears norda 001 Trail Sneakers.) This is all to say, consider the specs on the limited edition Oranga norda bag before turning away.
This behemoth holds up to 70L of gear. It’s made entirely from Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular raw materials, which makes it lightweight, indestructible, and eco-friendly. It’s also designed to hold the full range of norda’s “FOOTWEAR SYSTEM”—meaning it will hold the 001, 002, and 003 models. There’s a ton of pocket space, with interior and exterior pockets that are both elasticized and zippered mesh.
But let’s be real, the coolest detail about this limited edition bag is norda found a way to dye the Dyneema® material orange. There’s nothing else on the market like it. Priced at $600.
Huckberry x Citizen Promaster Tough Watch
I’m a fan of Citizen watches. I’ve owned a Promaster Dive for years and wear it often. It’s awesome. So when I heard my work was going to be releasing a collab watch of the Promaster Tough field watch, I volunteered to help with messaging.
My company’s incoming email will have a feature on the Huckberry x Citizen Promaster Tough—written by yours truly. The ironclad watch features a HB logo engraving on the caseback, a custom green dial with white luminous hands and markets, and a limited edition collector’s box.
There’s a ton of lore around the Promaster Tough. Forgive me if I get all the details wrong, but when it first released in 1999, the titanium coated watch quickly became notable when British survivalist and TV host Ray Mears began wearing it. Members of special forces communities soon discovered the field watch—thus leading to adoption by a handful of members in units like the British Royal Marine Commandos.
If you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift, or looking to grab a cool limited edition field watch that you can wear with anything (and will literally last over a decade), then go check this bad boy out. Priced at $525.
Ralph Lauren Wimbledon Collection
Tennis merch is super underrated. It’s also stylish, partly because people like how it conveys the idea that “I know sports, but I’m not obsessive about them.” There’s also the element of old money country club style here—tennis does it better than golf country club style.
Anyways, this is all to say Ralph, the official sponsor for Wimbledon for over 20 years, just released a new collection to honor tournament. There’s a ton of heat here. Most notable including the graphic tees, camp collar shirts, and hats.
There’s even a pair of tortoise shades with green lenses, with a tiny engraving on top of the frame that says “Game Set Match”.
A lot of this stuff is probably going to sell fast. Even if you’re not seriously buying, I recommend giving the collection a look to see how Ralph positions itself in marketing tennis. Pricing varies.
OUTFIT
NANGA Ripstop Field Pant ($155)
Suunto Vertical ($699)
INROADS
GQ Korea Feature of Jung Hoo Lee
One easy way to see what is being talked about around the world is by checking the international issues of popular publications. I like looking at brands like Esquire, GQ, Men’s Health across their UK, Australia, and Asia offices. The latest issue from GQ Korea spotlights a “GQ Heroes” cover series of Koreans that are making a name for themselves globally. One of the individuals featured is Jung Hoo Lee, the outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. He’s been awesome this season, playing above the level everyone expected to see him. I’ve tagged this post to @MLB.Fits on IG so you can see a mix of the photos from the GQ shoot, as well as his play on the ball field. [GQ Korea]
Opus (2025)
Over the weekend, I watched Opus thanks to a $5.99 deal on Prime Video. I’ve been meaning to watch this film but just hadn’t made the time over the months. It’s a fun watch. Unique, but kinda scary. Not exactly my cup of tea for movies, but the reason I wanted to watch was because it was directed by Mark Anthony Green—a former GQ writer and editor for over 13 years. Mark, also known as MAG, grew up in the Kansas City area, and seeing his path from Midwest to the Big Apple was a great inspiration for me to make it as a writer in NYC (I ended up living that dream, cool enough).
When I see someone like MAG now writing and directing movies, I’m inspired to think what other heights I can travel to if I dream big enough—work hard enough. I have a feeling he’ll have many more great movies to come. [A24]
Walking Two Days Into Scottish Mainland for a Pint
The town of Inverie, Scotland is home to just 120 people. It’s in the middle of the country—so remote that it took these explorers two days to hike into town for a pint at The Old Forge, a local watering hole that’s been around since the 1770s. This is a fun travel journal type story with rich photos and first-hand experiences of what it’s like to travel into a town and pub that’s deeply connected on a community level. [National Geographic]
LIVE A LITTLE
READ MORE FROM THE ARCHIVES
The 19 Best Men's Style & Gear Releases in May 2025 is my latest report on the top monthly releases. Lots of cool up-and-coming brands in this issue!
For my latest GEAR CHECK, I interviewed Cameron Weiss of Weiss Watch Company to get the essentials he can’t live without.
Blundstone boots never fail me. FIELD JOURNAL 2 has another easy outfit with a pair of black Blundstones.
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