GearFlogger

weBoost Drive Reach Cell Signal Booster

If you have the cell signal blues, you're probably looking at cell signal boosters for your home or vehicle. For any application, weBoost is the place to start looking. From their excellent out-of-the-box experience to their high performance, weBoost boosters set the bar - or bars, in this case. The update Drive Reach is their strongest booster for cars and SUVS with a max gain of 50dB.

As usual with cell boosters, first thing to do is register your device with the FCC. It's free and just takes a minute. Installation is essentially the same with all weBoost boosters: place one antenna inside, one outside, connect both to the booster and the booster to power and you're done. Optimizing the placement to squeeze out every dB of signal boost is a bit more involved but pretty simple and worth the effort. Just move the antenna around and test your signal strength each time. The following sequence will get you there; don't be intimidated by all the codes, just go step-by-step and it will all make sense.

Cell signal is measured from -50dB (perfect signal) to -120dB (dead zone). After installing put your phone in field test mode to see your signal strength in dB, because the bars that supposedly show signal strength really don’t mean jack. On iOS open phone app > dial pad > type in *3001#12345#* > hit send to open a hidden menu. Go to LTE > Serving Cell Meas > look at the rsrp0 number to see the strength of the closest cell tower in dB. On an iPhone this mode used to replace the useless bars with a useful numerical decibel reading where -50dB is a perfect signal and -120dB is a dead zone. However since iOS 11 you now get this funky menu setup that has a lot more information but is difficult to read, not least because the list of data that includes the critical rsrp0 number keeps automatically resorting every second or so. If you’re specifically interested in data up/download speeds get the Speedtest app by Ookla to test your speeds before and after boosting.

Signal strength generally depends on the location and power of the nearest cell tower, which you can find at least roughly with a number of apps and websites. Performance of the booster depends on signal strength: the higher the signal strength, the more you'll gain, it's just the nature of the thing, and weBoost recommends a base signal strength of -100dB to operate.

We rely on weBoost boosters in both our vehicles, and since they both have cigarette lighter adapters in the cargo area it was simple to locate the amplifier in the cargo area and route the interior antenna cable under the rear seat to the back of the center console where we stuck it using the included adhesive pads. The exterior antenna we routed through the hatch to the roof, where it has remained without moving. Signal definitely improves, including in some remote Alaska campgrounds where we need to leave the vehicle accessory power on to use the booster for a usable cell signal. Done and done.

$499.99 at weBoost

Kom Cycling Media Desk

Let's face it, we can't be outside biking every day. Even with fatbikes for crushing it in the winter, there are days where an indoor session is just what the trainer ordered. And with the wide array of training apps available to us, we can use a screen for motivation for a change.

Kom Cycling makes a some uber-cool biking products, including a few aimed at the indoor training sesh. You don't need to take out a second mortgage for a Peloton setup when you've got a perfectly good bike and a fluid trainer. All you need is the pipe in the motivation via a good training app like Zwift, Bkool or Wahoo Systm (formerly Sufferfest, and awesome name, why give that up?).

Kom's media table is a compact, stable and height adjustable table that will hold your screen of choice while you punish yourself for impure thoughts. There are two bottle holders and a wide nonskid rubberized surface for your screen, so even the screams of the damned will not cause your expensive screen to slide off and sacrifice itself to the cycling gods. There is a wide slot that can hold a phone or tablet upright without a separate stand needed, and that's about it - all you need and nothing you don't, it's really a slick design.

The table adjusts from sitting to standing height easily and locks into place. It also swivels freely for quick adjustments. The Kom media desk is lightweight and easily moved, and combined with it's versatile design we found ourselves using the table for a lot of other things besides cycling. It's a great videoconferencing table, standup desk, and music stand for practicing an instrument. It really does multiple duties well, so a big shout-out to whoever designed this thing!

$99.99 at Kom Cycling

Costa Caleta Sunglasses

You can't go wrong with Costa optics, and the Caleta is a head turner with a little something different. The frames, available in black or plum, are a flat finish instead of glossy coated. It makes for a distinctive look, so be prepared to answer questions like, "where did you get those sunglasses?" a lot...

One important thing you need to know up front, especially if you're buying these sight unseen, the Caleta is billed as fitting regular size faces - no problem there - but the frame size is shown as small. This is def not the case, the Caleta is both taller and wider for example than our favorite men's shades, the Costa Spearo, which are billed as having the same regular frame fit but a medium frame size.

Once you've got that piece of information, you're ready to rock the Caleta. The polarized 580G gray Lightwave lenses protect their polarized and mirror layers by sandwiching them between glass on either side, then protecting the glass with a C-Wall molecular bond treatment. No worries about the mirror scratching off for you! And bonus feature, the Caleta is Rx-compatible if you want to step it up with prescription lenses.

Costa knows glass, and they also know they need to lead the way in making products that protect the resources we love. The Caleta frames are made from 97% recycled fishing nets, so you can feel as good as you look wearing them. One last pro tip: pick up some keeper leashes for when you're on the water. We watched the Sheflogger lose a pair of her favorite pre-Caleta shades off a dock on a Caribbean island, when a storm-driven wind tossed them into the ocean never to be seen again. Luckily the Caletas have a plan for that, in the form of leash eyelets at the end of the arms - so protect your investment!

$206.00 at Costa

Royal Robbins Westlands Funnel Neck Merino Pullover

You can't go wrong with merino wool, and in the middle of winter you can't go wrong with a cozy funnel neck pullover, so combine the two and it's win-win-warm.

The Royal Robbins Westlands funnel neck pullover is actually a blend of 60% merino wool and 40% a material new to us, SeaWool - itself a blend of upcycled oyster shells and recycled PET bottles. The shells are from Taiwan, where apparently oyster-crazy Taiwanese were generating millions of kilograms of oyster shells that needed a new home. Oyster shells have natural antimicrobial properties and also minimize static.

We can report the Sheflogger is loving her Westlands pullover, here in Anchorage where it is currently ten below zero. The long cut gives a little extra coverage, and the look is perfect for apres ski at the cabin or Monday morning in the office. The cats in the house appreciate it too, as it does indeed seem to minimize static shocks on their tender little noses.

Just don't call it a turtle neck! The funnel neck is much more relaxed, more of a cowl that provides a stylish bit of warmth around the neck and shoulders. The cut is flattering as well, giving you no reason not to add this to your winter and shoulder season wardrobe! And did we mention it's machine washable?

$85.00 at Royal Robbins