Welcome to Deals of Note, where Gear Patrol captures all the best deals of the day. You can also follow all our deal posts in the Deals section. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at deals@gearpatrol.com.
Stanley One Hand Vacuum Mug
Save 32%: There’s something understated about a travel mug; it doesn’t have the flair of a martini glass or the classic appeal of a French Picardie tumbler or even the familiar hominess of an open-top ceramic mug. And yet, the travel mug is judged harsher than any of these vessels and upon a much more rigorous set of standards.
Heat retention, cold retention, leak-resistance, cup holder compatibility, in-hand ergonomics and ease of cleaning are all must-have properties, and insufficiency in any one can be cause for abandonment. Plus, it should be durable enough to last years.
Stanley’s classic One Hand Vacuum Mug is a humble and competent contender for the best travel mug available. I discovered this as the pre-dawn cold of Wyoming — not the shiver-inducing type of cold but the kind that kills the nerve endings inside your nostrils with every inhale — prompted me to undertake a search for a container that could maintain its internal heat better than my own body. The One Hand Vacuum Mug does that almost too well; once safely indoors I often remove the mug’s lid to bring my drink down to tastebud-friendly temperatures.
That this mug can also be operated with one hand is a boon to frozen fingers everywhere, and it’s never let loose a single drop of fluid (even after a sufficient jostling inside my backpack). Given the amount of use it’ll undoubtedly see, it’s an easy way to spend $28. Right now though you can get one for just $19 — even better. — Tanner Bowden
Cole Haan Leather Bags
Save up to 75%: If you want to upgrade your current bags, consider investing in understated leather styles. Leather’s a classic choice that is both tasteful and durable, albeit expensive. For some affordable options, head over to Nordstrom Rack where a range of leather bags from Cole Haan are currently up to 75 percent off. Pick from staple styles like backpacks, messenger bags, duffel bags and more — prices start at just $100. — John Zientek
Barebones Living Cast-Iron Cookware
Save 15%: Barebones Living is a Utah-based maker of many outdoor products that all have one thing in common — stellar looks — and its cast-iron cookware may very well be the best example.
The brand’s cast iron catalog is not meant for kitchens so much as it is the campsite. It skips the practice of machining the cooking surface smooth in favor of a nice and heavy body, big hand grips and handles that rise a bit more than usual (in case you’re grabbing it from the fire). Its Dutch oven even sports “legs,” which are essentially there to lift it up enough to put coals under it.
On top of that, the brand’s standing Dutch oven, skillet and crock set and the standalone crock are all moderately discounted right now. — Will Price
J.Crew Summer Essentials Sale
Save up to 70%: Now at J.Crew you can save up to 70 percent of a range of reliable wardrobe basics for summer. Peruse everything from socks and shorts to shirts and shoes — you’re bound to find something you like. Prices start at just $1 (for socks), so you’ll be able to score a few necessities without breaking the bank. — John Zientek
BioLite BaseLantern XL
Save 15%: On a recent night in Brooklyn, a group of friends took advantage of the warmer weather and gathered in a rare parcel of lawn amongst the brownstone and brick for a cookout. As the sun set behind the skyscrapers to the west and details of their cheeseburgers and spare ribs became less-perceivable, the hostess brought out a geometric lantern that looked nothing like the old Colemans her family used to take camping Upstate.
The group was immediately impressed. The light — BioLite’s BaseLantern XL — illuminated the assembly and urged the feast to continue. Once the plates were replaced with a few additional bottles and cans, the hostess marked the shift and simultaneously awed her guests by adjusting the lantern’s settings to emit a constantly-changing rainbow spectrum of LED. That, she was able to accomplish from an app in her phone, which, for the record, was refilling its battery via a USB port in the lantern’s casing.
When the crowd finally succumbed to the lateness of the hour and the persistent flocks of mosquitos, she brought the lantern back inside and extinguished one of its sides to reserve battery and direct its radius for use as a bedside reading lamp.
Its versatility was as undeniable as its value; which normally sits at $130. Right now though, in preparation for the upcoming Independence Day holiday, BioLite is offering a 15 percent discount that can be accessed by entering the code FIREWORKS at checkout. The code works for BioLites other products like its wood-fueled pizza oven — see the full offering here but note that some new items aren’t included in the sale. — Tanner Bowden
