This article was produced in partnership with 5.11 Tactical
Byron Rodgers spent four years as a squad leader in the United States Marine Corps, completing two tours of duty in Iraq. Now he works in executive protection, serving as a bodyguard for high-net-worth clients around the world. Rodgers has never had much margin for error in his job. After all, in his work, he has a lot more on the line than a paycheck.
So, Rodgers has put a premium on clothing and gear that lets him react quickly to whatever might come. Being prepared for anything is an essential component of his work. And so is the purpose-built gear from 5.11 Tactical, the Irvine, California-based company that has long supplied a range of gear and apparel for service members, first responders, front-line warriors, as well as outdoor enthusiasts.
The company’s products have become a mainstay for Rodgers, who demands reliability. He needs to—spending his career in jobs where the slightest trip up can have unthinkable consequences.
When Rodgers isn’t in those situations, he’s preparing for them. As he returned to the civilian world after his military service, he found that 5.11 was just as critical to not only his training, but his everyday life. A pocket on 5.11 jeans that once held a weapon magazine turned out to be a perfect place to put a phone or a wallet. A weight pack once filled with sand became a mobile gym. That pack is part of the company’s PT-R (Physical Training-Ready) Fitness Collection, which serves Rodgers in a few ways.
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“I get the tactical durability along with the civilian look, which is what I need to blend in in public,” says Rodgers. “That’s what caused me to choose their workout apparel.”
Even more importantly, he knows he can trust it.
“I know this is for us, by us,” he says. “5.11 has never let us down.”
With the PT-R fitness line, the company has pointed its tactical reliability and multi-functionality at a broader market—not just toward security professionals and others like Rodgers, but anyone who wants to be ready for life’s unpredictable moments.
“It just outperforms everything,” Rodgers says.
The company’s hallmark—”Always Be Ready”—applies to a lot of situations. To hear 5.11 tell it, the fitness line is about “a lifestyle of feeling prepared,” and effective training is an essential part of that preparedness.
It could mean doing work like Rodgers, being as fit as possible to take care of your kids, or maxing out in the weight room.
Whatever it might be, the ultimate goal of the PT-R line is to help a person be ready for life’s challenges. In the company’s thinking, if a person can clear their own hurdles where they are, they can do more for the people around them. The fitness line is about providing that toolkit: Take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Help yourself so you can help the world.
The line has worked wonders for Matt Dawson, a decorated mountain climber who’s summited Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Denali, among many more. He recently rowed 3,100 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in 51 days. Dawson wore two pairs of the line’s Havoc Shorts as he made his way across. He’s found more relaxing uses for the line, too. The duds have become a uniform of sorts.
“As I’m sitting here at my home office working, I’m wearing 5.11 running pants and a 5.11 T-shirt.”
Both are components of the PT-R fitness line. You can see flourishes of the company’s “Always Be Ready” ethos scattered throughout the collection—thoughtful features that make 5.11’s offerings ideal for just about any element of personal fitness and preparedness.
“Nearly everything in that product line, I can integrate into some portion of what I do, because it’s just so well done,” Dawson says. “I know it’s gonna last, so I try to utilize it every chance I get.”
Those chances abound for anyone with a passion for fitness, even if they aren’t climbing 20,000-some feet above sea level or powering through waves in the middle of the Atlantic.
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PT-R Weight Kit
The PT-R Weight Kit stands out for its customizability. Think of it like a mobile weight room that allows the user to choose not just how much weight (via bags of sand) they’re lifting, but how they’re lifting it. It can function like a bar, free weight, or simply a giant bag to haul around to simulate high-intensity military training. The kit comes in 50- and 100-pound varieties and, quite literally, facilitates weight training for people of all skill levels trying to get different kinds of workouts in. It comes with eight non-slip handles that are easy enough on the hands and ensure the kit stays in place throughout a session.
The line’s TacTec® Trainer Weight Vest naturally has tactical features throughout, like a compartment meant to hold a hydration pack and internal retaining straps that keep it as snug as the wearer needs. When you wear it, you can see why it’s a popular choice of servicemembers at work. But it works just as well as a fitness piece for anyone who craves a test, with breathable mesh to provide comfort and plate holders to provide, well, discomfort. It’s easy to add weight to the vest and create an incredibly grueling, sculpting workout or run.
The collection’s various workout shorts and PT-R Condition Knit Joggers have extra zippered pockets for wallets, keys, phones, or cash, just slightly offset from the main pockets on each hip. We tested each on long runs and found they eliminated one of the more frustrating parts of any workout: keys either falling out of a pocket, jingling around a lot, or jabbing into the thigh. These zippered compartments complement rather than replace a standard pocket, making the shorts and joggers ideal for casual use—just with some thoughtful, tactical detailing. The fabrics also proved effective at keeping the lower body cool on a hot, humid day.
An unsung hero of the line is its A/T Trainer. It’s essentially a running shoe, gym shoe, and hiking boot rolled into one. Its supportive soles give it the forgiving feel of a top-of-market running shoe, while its flexible but firm outer shell keeps the foot in place like a training shoe for a weight room, and its hardened toe and grippy bottom make it suitable for rough terrain.
Even 5.11’s ankle socks have a unique place. Compression zones and high-performing polyester make it a good workout layer for any fitness routine. Plus, 5.11’s branding is on the toe, rather than the ankle, so you could even get away with it as part of a more formal outfit.
It all traces back to the same idea—that we don’t know what the next minute will bring, so all we can do is be ready for whatever comes next. 5.11 designed the line with a high threshold of performance and durability, but also with what comes across as a maniacal desire to put as many functions as possible into a collection of high-performing fitness gear. If it works at extreme altitude or in the middle of an ocean, it’ll provide a strong foundation for everything else.
“I’ve taken that stuff out and beat the crap out of it in every way you can imagine—all kinds of different scenarios,” Dawson says. “The lines on the stuff, the shape of it, the attention to detail, the quality…It’s just exactly what I would expect, and it carried over.”
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Airbnb is making it a little easier to find that cabin, camper, or even windmill of your vacation dreams. Along with a free protection plan and the ability to split a stay among two homes, the company added Airbnb Categories that organize homes on style, location, or proximity to travel activities. Want to stay in a historic French chateau or spend some time in the Norwegian Arctic? They have you covered. Or perhaps you want a California winery vacation or a Colorado ski-in/ski-out home. The search to find somewhere unique is simpler than ever.
And, by the way, simple is good when it comes to vacation rentals. Consider for a moment that there are 4 million Airbnb properties in 100,000 cities and town around the world.
Among Airbnb’s 56 categories, you’ll find “Amazing Views,” “Vineyards,” and “Castles.” There are also “Towers,” “Houseboats,” and “Shepherd’s Huts.” Unique properties seem to be in high demand, according to the top 10 most wishlisted U.S. Airbnb properties for summer 2022. On the list, you’ll find an underground home, an earthship, and more than a few treehouses.
10 Most Wishlisted Domestic Airbnb Rentals of Summer 2022
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10. Crystal Peak Lookout
Formerly a fire lookout in Washington, the Crystal Peak Lookout was moved to Northern Idaho. Remodeled in 2018, this tower is surrounded by 13 acres of cedar and tamarack trees. And, after a day exploring the woods, there’s a wood-burning sauna underneath the lookout. If you want to book a stay in winter, a vintage 1960’s Thiokol Snowcat can take you up to the tower.
Ricky Gervais, the comedy icon and creator/star of After Life returns to the stage with his latest Netflix stand-up special, SuperNature—which shouldn’t be taken too literally. We sat down with the actor to get the low-down on life lately, but first, some rapid-fire questions:
One wish?: An animal sanctuary.
Money or fame?: Money is real. Fame is what again? Random people waving at you?
If God exists…: He’s doing a horrible fucking job.
Epitaph?: He had a laugh, then found a lump.
Men’s Journal: SuperNature sounds even more ambitious than 2018’s Humanity, which began with you telling your audience “I prefer animals.” Can we assume the new title is ironic, you’ll be in a stained black T-shirt and drinking beer out of a can again?
Ricky Gervais: And very likely wearing bad jeans. I don’t believe anything is “supernatural.” If something exists, it’s natural and explainable—if not now, then eventually. I do explain irony at the start of SuperNature. I say, “That was irony. There’ll be more of it in the show. See if you can spot it.”
What draws you back to stand-up between your series work?
Initially, it was just the other thing I did and enjoyed. Now I realize it’s my favorite thing of all. My revelation with stage time is its efficiency. You can write for hours and never predict how it’ll go. With stand-up, you have your answer in seconds.
After Life is in its third and final season. What prompted you to relax your usual two-season-max rule with earlier shows like The Office [U.K.], Extras and Derek?
It’s a bigger world this time with more drama and characters to explore. I do think it’s funny, though, that people make a big deal of me doing a third [six-episode] season—when that doesn’t amount to a single U.S. season. I could’ve very happily done more.
Why not? It’s called After Life. It could’ve gone on forever, right?
Everything points that I should carry on. It hurts me to stop this. It’s stupid to stop this. But I already blurted it out, and I think it’s the right decision. At least this way I’m not canceled. I’ve never been canceled because I always cancel myself first.
Speaking of which, if you were starting out today would you pursue a comedy career in the “cancel culture” era?
I would because there’s always cancel culture. Once upon a time, it was the middle- aged Christian right who were the gatekeepers. Now it’s 20-year-olds on social media. You’ve just gotta ignore it all. A comic bemoaning cancel culture is like a sailor griping about waves.
What comes more naturally to you, insulting others or self-deprecation?
Self-deprecation usually wins. There’s a sneaky bit of it hiding in the insults too, tucked behind all of that faux arrogance, right? I also think it’s important to distinguish an actual insult from just teasing someone about what everyone already knows.
Your scene with David Bowie in Extras is the yardstick of televised humiliation. What was it like to be shredded in song by a music legend?
Amazing. People still don’t realize I wrote those words for him. It wasn’t a documentary.
Did he write the music for that “chubby little loser” scene?
I sent him the lyrics and asked, “Can you give me something sort of retro for this—like, ‘Life on Mars’?” He goes, “Sure, I’ll just knock off a quick fucking ‘Life on Mars’ for you.” That was amazing, too.
Does life make any sense or is it just a series of arbitrary events?
I assure you, the latter. The universe doesn’t give a shit about us. It doesn’t even know us. So we better just try and enjoy the ride.
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Summertime is ripe for sipping beer from afternoon to after sunset. And while we adore session IPAs, they’re hardly the end-all, be-all to daytime boozing. To provide drinkers with flavorful lower-alcohol options, breweries have embraced the refreshing potential of the shandy, a blend of beer (often a lager or wheat beer) and fruit juice or soda. When it comes to the best shandy beers, though you want to eschew overly saccharine brews for the right balance.
Many credit the drink’s origins to Britain, a drinking land that’s long loved mixed beverages, be it a black and tan (Guinness and Bass) or snakebite (lager and cider). By the 20th century the shandy was a common potable in both Britain and in Germany, where the blend is known as a radler.
No matter the moniker, the beer cocktail had a major moment in America—and it hasn’t slowed since. Though numerous radlers and shandies crowd shelves, few nail that bull’s eye of flavor and refreshment. To find out which ones hit the mark, we put our taste buds to the test. From Austrian lagers doctored with grapefruit to Missouri wheat beers spiked with ginger, here are 20 of the best radlers and shandy beers to sip all summer.
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