The BoostSolar splash-proof solar-powered backup battery pack from Etón provides power to hand-held devices with its interchangeable, rechargeable lithium battery (5000 mAh). The BoostSolar features an LED battery charge indicator, rugged rubberized and IPX-4-rated splash-proof exterior in addition to fastener holes and straps to hook to a backpack for portability. This solar charger can be fully [...]
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Charger,
solar charger
If you dislike the greasy, sticky fingers that go along with eating BBQ ribs, wings, corn on the cob and other foods, consider using a pair of Trongs next time. Trongs are made of food-safe polypropylene and have been designed to help you grab food with your fingers, without actually touching it. These one-size-fits-all flexible [...]
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eating out
Imagine gliding across the water, peering down into the crystal-clear depths directly below you without anything in your way. Instead of having to crowd on a glass-bottomed boat, pushing and shoving other people for a better view, what if you were able to recreate that magic in your very own canoe? Oceans aside, I watched [...]
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canoe,
kayak
I work in a corporate office (Cummins Inc.) with 100′s of other people. It was once common to see people carrying around soft drink bottles to and from their meetings. But in the last few years, soda has mostly been replaced by water. Where people once carried around Coke, Pepsi and Mt. Dew bottles, now [...]
Tagged as:
Beverage,
Water Bottle
One of the perks of a charcoal grill is the charred taste that comes from the searing heat of the coals. The most annoying part of a charcoal grill is waiting for the coals to heat up. With the BBQ Dragon, your wait time is reduced to a mere ten minutes. The BBQ Dragon clips [...]
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Grilling,
Outdoor Gear
The sCharger-12 USB Solar Charger from SunTactics isn’t like most solar chargers on the market. It uses “mono-crystalline solar cells, the most efficient solar cell technology of the 21st century” instead of the plastic panels and weak solar cells used in other chargers. It doesn’t charge up a battery, because those will quickly die after [...]
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Emergency preparedness,
solar charger
The YP-9304 CREE 5-Mode White Diving Flashlight will laugh at any rainstorm you find yourself in, because this flashlight has been designed to operate up to 40 meters underwater! It has a black anodized aluminum body, one XM-L cool-white emitter, and produces 500 lumens. Operating modes are high, medium, low, slow strobe, and SOS. A [...]
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Diving,
LED flashlight
When you need to travel with a clean shirt or suit – whether it be by bike, walking or airplane – the big problem is keeping your clothes neat and pressed. Whether I’ve folded them into a carry bag or put them into a traditional suit bag, my first job when I get to my [...]
Tagged as:
Bag,
Travel gear
The folks who brought us the Fish Bone knotless gear tie are at it again, this time with a new and improved knotless gear tie called the Piranha. The Piranha is a new design using all the feedback that the creator of the Fish Bone (Brent Garcia) received from that project. Instead of tying a [...]
Tagged as:
EDC,
Gear Tie,
Paracord
I may have mentioned before that I am fringe Paracord junkie. I like Paracord survival bracelets, but could never find a cool clasp so I never made one. The Knottology Expedition Clasps may have just changed that for me. Unlike a lot of Paracord clasps the Expedition clasps are dual functional. The Expeditions come in four [...]
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Compass,
EDC,
Emergency preparedness,
Paracord
Several years ago, Julie reviewed the Fenix LD20 LED flashlight (see related links) which, for the most part, received a positive review. The only negative comment she gave involved how Fenix engineered its brightness/mode switching feature. With the LD20, you had to twist the cap to switch between modes. Well, it looks like their designers listened [...]
Tagged as:
LED flashlight
Unless I’m in the car, I don’t listen to terrestrial, broadcast radio anymore. At work I have satellite radio, and at home it’s an iPod in a dock. I haven’t had a dedicated “AM/FM” radio in ages, but since I live in earthquake country (San Francisco Bay Area), I’m overdue. Thank goodness the Eton FRX3 [...]
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emergency radio; cell phone charger
Leatherman has released another tool in their Military/EMT-aimed multi-tools. The 16-tool OHT is designed so that both the blades AND the pliers can be operated with one hand. The OHT has both needle-nose and regular pliers with wire cutters, 4 blades including a strap cutter, saw, can opener, bottle opener, screwdrivers, threaded attachment for #8-32 Cleaning Rod, and O2 bottle wrench. It [...]
Tagged as:
Multi-tool,
pocket tools
If you have a few thousand dollars laying around and an outdoor living space crying out for a big, LED TV, check out the line of all-weather outdoor televisions offered by SunBriteTV. They have a variety of HD models from 22″ to 65″, designed for residential or business applications. Some models have vertical orientation, some [...]
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HDTV,
Outdoor television
Out camping and need that espresso fix, but can’t find a coffee shop? Nomad, The Go Everywhere Espresso Machine, a Kickstarter project from UniTerra, can solve that problem. Nomad is a portable hand-pumped espresso machine that is small and sturdy enough to carry almost anywhere. To use the Nomad, you add hot water to the water [...]
Tagged as:
Coffee Brewer,
espresso
Here’s an umbrella for those of you that won’t stop texting even long enough to get in from rain… The Brolly Umbrella looks and works like a standard compact umbrella, but the ergonomic handle has 4 finger holes. These rubber lined holes provide a more comfortable grip and allow you to hold your phone as [...]
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Outdoors
POV cameras are great, but one of the weak spots tends to be the mounting hardware. The Video Head Camera Helmet is perfect for sports like bike riding, skate board and similar, where this sort of helmet is appropriate. The built-in camera has a positional camera lens, and controls are built into the side of the [...]
Tagged as:
Helmet accessory,
pov camera
If you have a spare $6300 laying around and a need or desire for underwater exploration, you need the Submarine Camcorder from Hammacher Schlemmer. This little sub measures 19″ L x 14 1/2″ W x 7″ H, and it’s made of water-tight, marine-grade, hydrodynamic ABS. Inside, there’s a HD video camera that takes 1280 X 720 video or [...]
Tagged as:
submarine,
waterproof camcorder,
waterproof camera
As a child of the 70′s energy crisis, I’ve always been fascinated with alternative energy, such as solar power. The SunVolt Power Station from Gomadic caught my eye as a possible solution to a modern problem: How do you charge up your gadgets if you don’t have an outlet? When Gomadic sent the Sun Volt Power [...]
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solar charger
Stash the Golf Swing Recording Camera in your bag, and you’ll have a powerful tool for improving your golf swing at your fingertips. This gadget from Hammacher Schlemmer is about the size of a fairway iron; the 3-ft long shaft ends in a turf spike so it can be easily placed in the tee box [...]
Tagged as:
Golf swing analyzer,
Video Camera