Last Updated on 27-08-2023
This page is an attempt to document the tools, apps, gadgets, gear, and other stuff I use regularly. This is quite an extensive list, and I’ve tried my best to categorize them to the best of my abilities. Everything listed on this page is what I use. The things I no longer use are moved to the Graveyard section at the bottom with justification. Some of the links below contain affiliate tags that allow me to earn some income if you make purchases using the links. It does not cost you anything extra and supports my work. If you have any better suggestions for the items listed below, please let me know.
A list of things that I plan to buy in the future can be found on the ‘Future Stack’ page.
Gadgets
Computer: I use an 6-year old Asus Zenbook UX310UQ as my personal computer. It is quite old, but hasn’t lagged much. I might upgrade to a Macbook sometime in next 2 years. I do not use any external mouse or other accessories with my laptop.
Smartphone:My 5.4 inch iPhone 13 Mini is the greatest phone I’ve ever owned. It’s small, light, compact, yet powerful. It’s such a shame that Apple and other manufactures have stopped making compact phones. It has served me great and I wish it lasted forever. Since the battery on this phone is not that great, I also use an Ambrane 20,000mAh powerbank along with it.
E-Reader: I own a Kindle Paperwhite 2017 edition and it’s unarguable the best purchase of my life. I use it before going to bed, while traveling, during hikes, toilet and everywhere you can imagine. It has survived well over the years and have zero complaints. Paired with a ReadWise account , all my highlights from books are synced the cloud and I get an email everyday morning with 10 highlights from Readwise. If you are into e-books, then definitely checkout Readwise(Free!) .
Audio: In terms of Audio, I recently purchased Oneplus’s Nord Buds 2 , that are great value for money with ANC upto 25 dB, but not the best. Apart from these, I use the classic Apple wired EarPods with lightning connector. They sound awesome for the price and even with couple of accidental washes, they still work fine. The only downside is how messy they tangle while in pocket or in bag. I also use a pair of Anker Soundcore neckband headphones while running & cycling. They sound terrible and I’m looking for an alternative.
Camera: I also own a Canon 700D/Rebel T5i crop sensor DSLR camera since 2015. I pair it with a [Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM] or a Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens . These are great prime lenses and I love the extra sharpness and the creatve limitness due to the lack of zoom. It also came with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II and EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 lenses, but I rarely use them as the lenses have aged and I prefer prime lenses over zoom.
Fitness
Fitness Tracker: I use Amazfit T-Rex Pro as my fitness tracker. It tracks my cycling, running and swimming workouts. The accuracy is pretty decent for the price and heart rate values are comparable to Apple Watch. It’s rugged and battery life is awesome. The only downside for me is that it doesn’t measure heart rate while swimming and also doesn’t allow to pair any external sensors. All my activities are recorded via this and is synced to Strava .
Cycling: I’ve been using a Triban RC 100 road bike for last 2 years now. It’s a decent bike and I’ve clocked close to 10,000 kms so far. The one I have does not have drop bar shifters and came with 1x7 configuration. I’ve upgraded the bike with a Shimano FC-R2000 Claris Crankset and a Shimano Claris Front Derailleur . I wear these Endura Xtract Gel Shorts II for my long rides and I’ve wore them over 400kms in one-go. I also use these Endura Aerogel Mitt gloves for long endurance rides. I use these these CateEye Omni 5 rear LEDs that are battery powered and also these rechargable cheap front lights that can be charged using a power bank. For lubing the chain, I use Squirt Lube , for punctures on the go, I use the Park Tool’s VP-1 patch kit alongwith the Giyo GM-71 Hand Pump . All other accessories like spare tubes, multitool, bags, jerseys,helmet,rain covers etc are from Decathlon. I use [Strava].( https://www.strava.com/athletes/67526871 ) for recording my rides and if the rides are longer (>200kms), I usually split it into multiple records and combine them using GOTOES
Running: My primary running shoe is Hoka Mach 5 . These are great shoes as they offer quite cushioning and are light. I also own a pair of Hoka Rinon 3 . I bought since I got it at a very good deal. These are not as premium as the Mach 5, but still very light and fast. I use these and these pair of shorts by Decathlon for running. My training app of choice for running is TrainAsOne , an AI based training app that adapts with your performance.
Nutrition: I do not take much supplements apart from whey Protein and fish oil. For whey protein, I prefer Nutrabox 100% Whey Protein as it has performed well in multiple tests . I also take Swisse High Strength Odourless Wild Fish Oil as a supplement since I feel that my fish intake has been low ever since I moved to Delhi. I’m not 100% convinced on its benefits, but you can read some studies on it here . I use these FAST&UP effervescent tablets and also there energy gels while running and cycling.
Strength & Recovery: My current training plan can be read here . I mainly use Strong app for tracking my workouts. At the end of the workout, I usually copy the exercises and the reps to my Strava workout as a backup. At times, I also use StrenghtLevel for checking my strength level and see how I compare with others. My go to resource for workouts and stretching is MuscleWiki . I also use the Recover app for doing stretching especially after my cardio workouts or when I’m nusring an injury. Other than this, I use this weird Shiatsu Massager after my runs and also foam roll ocassionally. For my calves, knees and shin, I use this cold gel pack for easy recovery.
Meditation: My goto app for meditation is Waking Up and I try to meditate listening to the daily meditations everyday. At times when I don’t need a guided meditation, I use the Oak for creating a custom meditation with background noise.
Diet: I try to be on calorie deficit on most of the days and use HealthifyMe for tracking. I prefer it over MyFitnessPal since lot of the dishes I eat in Kerala cuisine is not available on MyFitnessPal. I occasionally do fasting and I prefer Zero to track these. I use Libra for tracking my weight manually using a scale. I also use MeThreeSixty app for determining my body fat composition. Lately the app has been performing quite buggy, so not really happy about that.
Misc: For treking I use the Decathlon’s Forclaz Trek 100 shoes.
Graveyard
- GoPro Hero 5 : I do not use it anymore. It’s one of the worst purchase decisions of my life.
- Montra MadRock : Upgraded to Triban RC100
- Kalenji Run Support : I do not run in these anymore.
- Optimum Nutrition : ON is a great brand outside India, but a recent protein project showed some traces of metals in ON powders in India.