Buy American, whenever possible, avoid Amazon
Here’s a short list of stuff that I’ve bought, used, and am happy with.
Biking
- GUTR Sweatband - I’m a sweaty beast. This is the only sweatband I’ve ever found that even comes close to working. It’s not perfect - sweat still drips all over my bike, but at least it doesn’t literally go into my eyes and cause stinging. Made in Texas.
- K-EDGE Gravity Top Cap Mount - love this for a clean cockpit. Made in Idaho.
Bikepacking
One thing I appreciate about the relatively new sport of bikepacking is there seems to be some emphasis on building in America.
- Original StrapPad - a neat little mount that fits on your water bottle cage bosses. I use it to hold my titanium cook pot. Handmade in Arizona.
- Original Cargo Net - also from Original Free Range, this cargo net is super handy. I wrap it around my saddle bag both for extra compression in addition to securing small bits and bobs.
- Revelate Tangle frame bag - fits my bike, carries my stuff. Not much more to say. Revelate have a pretty interesting and transparent manufacturing statement. The Tangle still seems to be made in the US, but not all their bags are.
- Voile straps - these straps are the gold standard, and you can never have too many of them. They’re made in Utah.
Camping
- Platypus QuickDraw Microfilter - personal water filter. It’s competitive with the Sawyer Mini, which is also made in the US, so you can’t really go wrong here.
Car Stuff
- etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver - says it was made in the USA. Read more on my campervan page
Household Items
- Vornado Evap40 Humidifier - made in the US of US and imported parts
- Vornado 293 heavy duty fan - I use this to stay cool while exercising indoors
- Twin mattress - for the kid bed
Skiing
- Edgie Wedgie - helps your kid learn how to ski, hand-made in Utah.
Additional Reading
- Tech Companies Slowly Shift Production Away From China - Vietnam seems to be the winner, and the article says that Foxconn is offering $300/month vs $650/month in China. Over 10 years, workers in China have managed to triple their pay to $9300 annually.