Staff Favourites – 4 Things We Loved This Week (August 3, 2026)

Man of Many’s Staff Favourites is back to brighten up your weekend as we celebrate the products, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the week.

We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and curious on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. So we collect them here in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to give your week a lift.

This week features a cult-favourite restaurant, a kids toy, a great pair of running shoes and a blanket, of all things. Here we go!

1. A Sunday Well Spent: Sydney Harbour 10K

Hannah Maher – Sales & Partnerships coordinator

On Sunday morning, I swapped my usual weekend sleep-in for the Sydney Harbour 10K, joining thousands of runners weaving through some of the city’s most iconic streets. There’s something about seeing Sydney before the rest of the city wakes up that never gets old. With the Harbour Bridge towering overhead, the Opera House catching the early morning light, and the harbour sparkling beside us, it was a timely reminder of why this is one of the best places in the world to lace up a pair of running shoes.

The course itself was equal parts scenic and humbling. Starting in the heart of the city, we made our way through Circular Quay, around Barangaroo and along the waterfront, with every turn serving up another postcard-worthy view. Of course, no harbour run would be complete without a few climbs to keep everyone honest, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. From live music and enthusiastic volunteers to the crowds lining the course, there was no shortage of encouragement to keep the legs moving.

For me, the morning was made even sweeter by crossing the finish line in a new personal best of 50 minutes. After months of consistent training, it was incredibly rewarding to see that hard work pay off on one of Australia’s most scenic running courses. Whether you were chasing a PB or simply soaking up the experience, the Sydney Harbour 10K delivered one of those rare mornings that reminds you exercise doesn’t always have to feel like a chore. Sometimes, it’s just an excuse to experience your own city from a completely different perspective.

A big thank you to Bennett PR for the invitation and for giving me the perfect excuse to spend a Sunday morning exploring Sydney on foot.

Favourite Article of the Week: Australia Is Dominating Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

2. Ironclad Fire Set by Lennox Hastie – The $750 Dutch Oven You Should Set an Alarm to Pre-Order

Scott Purcell – Co-Founder

Every summer I promise myself I’m going to get better at cooking over fire, and every summer I prove I’m still the bloke who chars the outside and leaves the middle raw. The gear hasn’t helped my cause. I’ve been through enough cheap cast iron and flimsy camping gear to know that most of it warps, rusts, or quietly ends up in the back of the shed doing nothing but taking up space.

So when Lennox Hastie’s name turns up on a piece of cast iron, I pay attention. He’s the bloke behind Firedoor in Surry Hills, a restaurant that runs entirely on wood with no gas and no electricity anywhere near the cooking. If anyone in this country has earned the right to put their name on fire gear, it’s him.

He’s teamed up with Ironclad Co, the New Zealand cast iron producer, on the Ironclad Fire Set: Universal Dutch Oven. Pre-orders open 30 July, and stock lands in Australia and New Zealand from early September.

The part that got me is that it isn’t just a pot. The lid flips over and becomes a skillet, there’s an iron bale handle so you can hang it over a fire, and the trivet doubles as a smoker. Four pieces, one product, and for someone whose garage is already full of single-use gear, that’s the entire pitch. It’s 3.6L and 4.1kg, which is genuinely light for cast iron at this size. Anyone who has tried to shift a full Dutch oven off a campfire without losing a knuckle will understand why that number matters more than it sounds.

The rest reads well too. Handmade from recycled iron, triple-seasoned by hand and polished to an antique finish, naturally non-stick with none of the forever chemicals, and it’ll run on induction, gas, electric or straight in the coals. Ironclad back it with a Three Generation Guarantee, which is a fairly confident thing to print on anything you sell.

Now the honest part. I haven’t cooked on it. Pre-orders don’t open until tomorrow and nothing ships until September, so this is not a review and I’m not going to dress it up as one. It’s here because it’s the first piece of fire gear in a long time I’ve genuinely wanted to put money down on sight unseen. The $750 made me wince (I’ll admit that freely), but they’re only making 1500, each with a signed and numbered note from Hastie, and if that guarantee holds up then the cost per year gets pretty hard to argue with. Ask me again in September and I’ll tell you whether I’ve already ruined it.

Disclosure: Ironclad and Lennox Hastie’s team offered to supply Man of Many with one of these sets in for the purposes of an honest review.

Favourite Article of the Week: Hamilton Island Race Week: I Finally Scored an Invite to Australia’s Most Exclusive Holiday

Favourite Video of the Week: Tequila in an Old Fashioned?

3. DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

Ben McKimm – Journalist

I’ve spent the past month putting DJI’s latest compact gimbal through its paces, and it’s safe to say the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P has officially taken the crown as my favourite piece of tech this year.

While competitors have leaned into modular screens, DJI doubled down on true cinema-grade image quality with this release, but you can still slip it into your pocket. Tipping the scales at 230 grams, it’s a little heavier and bulkier than the Pocket 4, but this handheld powerhouse introduces a physical dual-camera setup, a sacrifice I’m willing to make. The main 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor utilises LOFIC technology to deliver a staggering 17 stops of dynamic range in 10-bit D-Log 2, taming harsh highlights and deep shadows. Positioned directly above it sits a dedicated 60mm f/1.8 medium-telephoto lens, delivering a natural portrait perspective with rich, organic bokeh.

Factor in industry-first 4K/240fps slow-motion, ActiveTrack 8.0, and 103GB of built-in storage (a blessing in the age of expensive SD cards), and it might just replace my entire travel camera set-up. While max settings can hurt battery run times, the unmatched imaging capability makes this an absolute essential.

Favourite article:  Jerry Seinfeld’s Daytona-Winning 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck Could Fetch $5.5 Million

4. ‘The Knowledge’ by Victor Steffensen

Frank Arthur – Co-founder

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending the book launch for Victor Steffensen’s latest release, The Knowledge, and hearing him speak live was nothing short of inspirational.

Steffensen is an Indigenous land management advocate, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Firesticks Alliance, best known for bringing traditional cultural burning practices back into the national conversation. His new book builds on that vital foundation, exploring how Indigenous wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge can guide us toward a more sustainable and deeply connected future.

In a modern world where so many of us feel increasingly disconnected from the natural environment, Victor’s work is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to protect it. What makes The Knowledge so impactful is its accessibility and unifying power. It serves as a practical, heart-led bridge, helping both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people reconnect with land and Country. Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, Australian history, or simply looking to deepen your relationship with the environment around you, this is essential reading.

Favourite Article: Ted Lasso Season 4 Trailer Gives Him A New Team To Believe In

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Other Things We’re Checking Out This Week

A few more things that landed on our desks this week, from the brands we’re currently working with. Worth a look if any of them are your kind of thing.

• WHOOP: Inside the physiology of Tour de France contenders, straight from the wearable data.
• Dometic: Six fully equipped off-road getaways are up for grabs, gear included.
• CURREX: The insole upgrade professional pickleball players quietly rely on.
• Panasonic Australia: The shaver tech doing the heavy lifting behind a genuinely effortless morning shave.
• Teremana: Dwayne Johnson’s tequila brand turned football fandom into a world record activation.
• Goldfield & Banks: The Australian fragrance house whose best sellers need to be smelled to be believed.
• Fig & Bloom: The design-led florist worth bookmarking before the next occasion sneaks up on you.
• WHOOP: The first wearable-based research on GLP-1 therapies beyond weight loss.
• NAJO: A men’s jewellery range that finally makes Father’s Day gifting straightforward.
• Foot Locker: New season sneakers and apparel, all lined up in one place.
• Temple & Grace: The high-end jewellery route that saves couples thousands on the ring.
• WHOOP: A new member benefit landing WHOOP in the hands of Robinhood cardholders.
• Momcozy UK: The parenting gear modern dads actually swear by.
• Wingman Money: Keep your finances flying in formation with a no-nonsense guide to smarter budgeting for modern blokes.
• Superdry: Retro-inspired streetwear layers up for spring in this sharp edit of urban-ready essentials.
• WHOOP: Level up your training and recovery insights with this performance-tracking wearable on your wrist.
• Omoda Jaecoo Australia: Take a first look at the bold new hybrid SUVs redefining city commutes and weekend escapes.

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