If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actor Cole Sprouse — who’s starring in the recently released movie Moonshot — about his personal photo-journal camera, the knife that made him fall in love with cooking, and the coffee he can’t live without.
This is my little manual film camera. It was introduced to me as a student’s camera and was my first manual camera when I started learning film. It’s not a point-and-shoot, so I had to put the work in. I used it for my first portfolio, so it’s got that special sentimental place in my heart. Now I don’t use it for professional shoots, but it is my personal photo-journal camera. I take it everywhere. It’s cheap, at least in relation to other film cameras, and the lenses are also on the cheaper side. You don’t have to be too precious with it since it can take a beating. And it just takes beautiful, quality shots.
[Editor’s note: This camera is only available renewed at the link below or used on Amazon for about $200 less.]
There’s almost always a shortage of this somewhere because it’s on the cheaper side of film and does everything you need it to. I love the tones in it. The colors are warm and saturated. It’s the standard ISO for a nicer, sunnier day. I was doing a lot of work in California in the deserts and in the California landscape, and we had the luxury of a lot of sunny days, so it was perfect for that.
[This film is currently out of stock, but B&H Photo and Video says there’s more on the way. You can sign up on its site to get notifications on the stock.]
I’ve been drinking this for around two years. I found it at Revolver in Vancouver, which is my favorite little coffee shop. It has a chocolaty flavor and is on the lighter side, instead of that dense, bitter taste some coffees have. I grind my own beans, do a French press, and drink it black. It legitimately doesn’t need anything with it; it’s subtle, beautiful, and sweet. My friends and I take coffee very seriously and have a group chat. It’s not supposed to be funny, but because we all take it so incredibly seriously, it ends up being funny.
On my Jeep, I have a Tepui rooftop tent. It’s foldable and comes with a sleeping mattress already installed. I leave my sleeping bag and pillows in there and simply fold it back up. It’s a five-minute setup and five-minute takedown. It’s on the top of my car, so I’m elevated away from the critters, which helps if I’m going camping with anyone. It’s super-versatile and super-easy to get in and out of the campsite. This revolutionized for me the lifestyle and enjoyment I have when I go out into the wilderness. I do a lot of photography out in the woods and out in the landscape, so this was the best way of getting out there.
I have a two-door 2005 Jeep Wrangler. It was made back when they had a wonderful six engine that’s just a little monster. It’s got a ton of get-up-and-go. After 2005, Jeep ended up changing the engine, and it just didn’t have the same power. My father and I basically constructed the thing right after I graduated from college. We wrapped it in a matte-green color to mimic the old Willys Jeepster. I like to go camping in this and with my Tepui at least four times a year. I try to go for three or four days at minimum, mainly in the greater California area.
I love my multi-tool. I use it for everything. It has a lot of versatility — it’s a knife, screwdriver, wire cutter, whatever you need. It’s in the same vein as the Swiss Army knife but a little bit sturdier. The screwdriver has helped me with repairing my glasses and tightening screws on my camera when I’m out shooting. I find I use it a lot more than I would have anticipated.
Any day I’m in my kitchen, I’m using this knife. I think getting a quality, versatile kitchen knife will change your entire relationship to cooking. Any chef will tell you that, and I couldn’t agree more. Once I had a tool that worked as an extension of my hand, I fell in love with cooking. My father always kicked me out of the kitchen because he’s such a good cook, so I basically taught myself how to cook. Funnily enough, I bought this to prep a fish soup during quarantine. I had to skin salmon steaks, which can be a tad difficult, and this changed the game. It doesn’t matter the dish, though — as long as I have to cut something, this is what I use.
I use this every time I’m home. I got it for myself last year and fell in love with smoking. It’s a really high-tech piece of equipment; it’s airtight, and if you outfit it yourself, you can find a way to cold-smoke. It’s even attached to an app so I can check the temperature virtually if I have other things cooking around the house. I can find the pellets this uses at a lot of stores, which is nice because I can just grab them and go as opposed to ordering them. And the pellets come in different varieties, which is nice for getting different flavors in what I smoke. This took my hosting game up two notches. In California, we do a lot of pool parties, and I enjoy barbecues. A big fan favorite for my dinner parties is smoked cream cheese. I stole this from my buddy, so kudos to Casey Cott for showing me this. Basically, I get a small cast-iron skillet, put in some cream cheese, and sprinkle it with a honey rub, like a seasoning I would put on smoked meats. Then ten minutes before it’s done smoking, I put some red-pepper–bacon jam right on top and smoke it for the remainder of the time. It’s perfect with any chip or nice cracker. Everyone’s fanatical about it.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
