Work in Progress

An inside look at the materials, the process, and the travel destinations that shape and inspire our work.
X-ray lightbox image of Dyneema Composite Fabric showing layered laminate construction with UHMWPE fibers
The Film Between
Dyneema Composite Fabric is fifteen times stronger than steel by weight and fully waterproof. It also delaminates at crease points under sustained use. Here is the honest account of both. Read more...
X-ray of a tall Negroni Sbagliato cocktail glass on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange glass exterior with cobalt blue liquid and ice visible inside
Milan - The Long Aperitivo
The aperitivo is Milan's design specification for the evening, a precise pause the city has been refining for over a century. A curated guide to where to stay, eat, drink,... Read more...
X-ray of a tightly woven cotton fabric swatch on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange fiber weave with cobalt blue internal thread structure visible
Without the Membrane
Before membranes, there was a cotton fabric so tightly woven that its own fibers solved the waterproofing problem. A look at etaProof cotton, the makers who still use it, and... Read more...
Portuguese pastel de nata egg custard tart, x-ray view showing amber-orange caramelised pastry shell and cobalt blue custard layers, on illuminated lightbox
Lisbon - Weight of Light
Seven hills, a river opening to the Atlantic, and afternoon light that changes the quality of a day. Lisbon rewards unhurried movement and specific choices. Read more...
Waterproof breathable membrane fabric cross-section showing layered construction and open-pore structure, x-ray view on illuminated lightbox
What Breathes
Most waterproof membranes breathe best when you're working hard. Polartec NeoShell was built on a different assumption, and the case it makes for travel outerwear still stands. Read more...
Traditional Viennese Einspanner coffee in a tall glass with whipped cream, x-ray view showing amber-orange glass exterior and cobalt blue internal coffee structure on an illuminated lightbox
Vienna - The Long Afternoon
Vienna resists the itinerary. The coffee house has been the city's primary architecture for a reason, and the pace it implies is the most useful way to understand what's worth... Read more...
Cross-section of waterproof fabric showing seam tape bonded to inside surface, x-ray view with amber-orange outer nylon and cobalt blue internal tape and membrane layers on an illuminated lightbox
What the Tape Says
Most buyers of waterproof gear read the membrane spec. But the seam is where performance actually gets tested, and its construction level tells you something honest about what the product... Read more...
X-Pac VX21 diagonal scrim laminate fabric construction, x-ray lightbox
The Diagonal
The crosshatch visible on an X-Pac panel is not a texture choice. It is the surface signature of a structural layer inside the laminate, and the angle of that layer... Read more...
Basque burnt cheesecake, San Sebastián, x-ray lightbox
San Sebastián - One Star Per Kilometre
San Sebastián holds more Michelin stars per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth. Where to stay, where to eat, and how to move through the Parte Vieja. Read more...
X-ray lightbox image of a French Art Deco perfume atomizer bottle in amber-orange and cobalt blue on illuminated lightbox
Paris - The Legible City
A curated guide to Paris for the considered traveller. Where to stay, eat, drink, and shop, based on verified rankings and editorial sources. Read more...
X-ray overhead view of a structured travel backpack showing internal frame, compartments and back panel in amber-orange and cobalt blue
The Shape It Holds
Structure in a bag isn't added; it's designed in or deliberately designed out. The question is what the object needs to do when it's empty. Read more...
Ballistic nylon briefcase document bag x-ray lightbox
The Ballistic Standard
Ballistic nylon was made for military fragmentation protection. It ended up in daily carry bags because the properties that worked in that context turned out to be exactly right for... Read more...