A laptop or briefcase doesn’t have to look ready for business, sometimes the right bag can look ready for the wilds and still evoke some style. The Jack Spade Swedish M90 Camo Bag has a military sounding name and look, and it is made of rugged Cordura, features the Swedish Army’s splinter camouflage pattern and offers a reinforced bottom to protect your gear. While it can bring your laptop and files to work, this is the briefcase that you’d want to take to a warzone!
Author: Peter Suciu
BMW’s Cool Runnings
While the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games won’t be another 15 months the US Bobsled Team can look forward to making their cool runnings in luxury style as they’ll be using BMW-made sleds. While there was much of an uproar about where some Olympic equipment used by the U.S. team at the recent summer games was made, in this case the BMW DesignworksUSA group is responsible for creating the bobsled.
In fact the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Federation called in BMW since the Americans haven’t won a gold medal in the sport since 1936, when the team won in the two-man event. Ironically that was when the games were held in the German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen , located in Bavaria – the home of BMW no less! Perhaps the USBSF sees the irony as well.
No actual bobsled has been demonstrated yet, but reportedly the prototype features “lightweight materials, optimized aerodynamic and chassis dynamics to leverage the energy output of the two-man team, increasing overall sport performance.” Press release after the jump
Ski Dubai Looks to Go Green With DGRADE
Building a ski resort in the desert isn’t exactly the “greenest” thing we can think of, as it takes a lot of energy to make the snow, cool the slope and run Ski Dubai. In fact the facility is actually fairly green in its own right as it was build used green building techniques and has implemented a number of green policies and practices including effective waste management, energy saving initiatives, recycling and advanced refrigeration and insulation systems. But now Ski Dubai is looking to take this a step further to reduce its carbon footprint.
Ski Dubai announced recently that it will be carrying a special range of environmentally friendly clothing manufactured by DGRADE, a company that specializes in the development of clothing using recycled plastic bottles. This includes the roll out of a new line of sweaters – yes, sweaters in the desert – that are created using up to 30 recycled plastic bottles per garment. Continue reading Ski Dubai Looks to Go Green With DGRADE
Election Signs Keep the Mud Down
This recent election was known for a lot of mudslinging but hopefully one bicycle advocate will use the political signs to keep the mud from flying. Kent Peterson has taking leftover political signs and created bicycle fenders. Not a bad use for all those political yard signs.
Kudos to Ken for keeping the signs – from the winners or losers – out of the landfill.
Two Way Chameleon Camera
Earlier this week we heard about the Spectacam, a “two-directional” that could be mounted on the helmet. The idea of that one was to record information in case of an accident. But Oregon Scientific have a similar camera system in mind, except that this concept is for getting two different perspectives at once, and merging it into a split screen display.
The ATC Chameleon features two 170-degree lenses, which are located at opposite ends of the camera body. Each one can be rotated by hand up to 180 degrees, so one could pan horizontally when the other tilts vertically. The processor combines the information from each 720p resolution camera. The information can be divided either vertically or horizontally as selected by the user. Each camera lens features frame rate of 30fps, and the device can run for up to two hours on a charge. The footage is saved directly to a MicroSD memory card as well. Video after the jump
Billboards Become Surfboard Bags
They blend into the landscape and even if we notice them, many think they’re eyesores. We’re talking about billboards. But here is something most of us never think about: what happens to the materials after the ad campaign is over? What becomes of the billboard?
Alec Avedissian clearly wondered exactly that, because he and two fellow surfers, Ryan Judy and Sho Rust, got together and formed Rareform, a business venture that takes the vinyl material from old billboards and creats durable, water-proof, mildew proof surfboard cases. Given the number of billboards in his native Los Angeles it isn’t hard to see that Rareform could have an endless supply of material! Continue reading Billboards Become Surfboard Bags
Military-Spec Material Goes Civvies
As we’ve noted from time to time technology developed for the military has a way to trickle down to the consumer market. Without military research we wouldn’t have things such as radar or GPS. But military research also looks for advances in outdoor equipment and clothing. And soon some technology developed to keep our Special Forces warm will be available in civvies as well.
The Polartec Alpha is insulation that was developed by Polartec LLC for the U.S. Special Operations Forces, and will make its way to the company’s outdoor brand next year. The Polarfleece fabric is a polyester-based material that is spun to specifications at the company’s Lawrence, Mass. factory. Made in America it is. Continue reading Military-Spec Material Goes Civvies
Automatic Shifting Via an App
There are cycling apps that allow riders to track distance, speed, calories and much more, but now the UK-based Cambridge Consultants are looking to allow an app to do the shifting for you. In essence this app, when paired with electronic shifters such as Shimano’s Di2 will great an automatic transmission.
The data is reported transmitted by the sensors using low-power Bluetooth Smart and then processed by an algorithm on the handset. This does some quick math, determines the rider’s current pedaling speed to preferred cadence and then instructs the Di2 to shift according. Continue reading Automatic Shifting Via an App
High-end “Commuter Bike”
When we think of a commuter bike we think of something that you don’t mind locking up all day while you’re at your desk. We think of something that can take a beating, something that you ride to work and back but a bike that likely sits next to something at home that you ride on the weekends or after work.
Needless to say the Rizoma 77/011 is not such a bike. This carbon fiber commuting bike is a high-end bicycle from Italy and it evokes style, functionality and design. Priced at $4,700 it features custom components including an interchangeable rear cog that allows it to be ridden as either a single-speed or fixie. It utilizes the Gates Carbon-Drive belt system instead of a traditional chain, so no worries about grease on the legs.
Because at this price the Rizoma 77/011 is a bike you might opt to ride in an Italian suit. Video after the jump
Composite Repair Coming to Hockey Sticks
A good hockey stick – especially one made of composite materials – isn’t cheap, and unfortunately it isn’t the sort of the thing that is treated with the utmost care and respect. It is in fact a tool that can be beat around pretty hard, and this in turn can get expensive when it breaks. One-piece composite sticks, made of layers of carbon fiber, can cost $300 or more, so not exactly cheap to replace.
But Randy Langille of Vancouver just sees this as an opportunity. He’s been repairing composite sticks since 2009 and now has 23 locations across Canada. His company Integral Hockey has adopted a process and special tools used in the manufacture of aerospace components to repair composite hockey sticks. Continue reading Composite Repair Coming to Hockey Sticks
Sunice Looks to Get an Edge in Style
Having an edge in golf is what the game is all about, but soon you might be able to wear that edge, or at least wear the new Sunice Edge collection of golf apparel, which promises a trimmer fit, sleek style and one packed with cool details.
The Sunice Edge is made of a range of garments that will let golfers get in the swing in layers. The outerwear is made from GORE-TEX with Paclite technology, delivering the lightest, most package of Gore’s waterproof membranes, whilst the mid-layers utilize Windstopper technology that lives up to its name. This offers breathability to offer comfort while blocking the wind for everyday play. Continue reading Sunice Looks to Get an Edge in Style
Pump Up Jacket
Utah-based Klymit is full of air, not necessarily hot air but air none the less. The company introduced an inflatable sleeping pad for campers a couple of years ago, and now the company is looking to bring out an inflatable windbreaker. This jacket has a valve in the hand pocket, which can be used to pump up the jacket’s air chambers, which makes it go tight against the body to add insulation. Video after the jump
Hands On: Lumbar Backpack Packs it In
For a day’s hike in the woods there is still much to bring – but hardly the right bag for the job. Many large packs are overkill, and the smaller packs still mean jamming things in the pockets or worse having the hands filled!
Mountainsmith might have a solid solution with its Lumbar-Recycled Series Day TSL R. It is bigger than the usual waist-sized pack but smaller than a backpack – in other words just the right size for those who are going on a trek but not a serious adventure. We see it could come in handy on a trek during an adventure as well. Continue reading Hands On: Lumbar Backpack Packs it In