Category: Equipment

SIA: Bluetooth Comes to Googles

If you’re having a working vacation on the slopes, or just think you can do serious multitasking, the Recon ski goggles with Bluetooth might be for you. The company has added the wireless technology to its latest line of Transcend GPS-powered alpine goggles, and these can connect with a smartphone to access playlists, caller ID or even to read text messages.

The new goggles, which were shown last week at the SIA (Snowsports Industries of America) trade show in Denver, can also connect to a video camera, with the LCD screen within the eyewear lens acting as a viewfinder. These Transcend goggles further feature a navigation system with buddy-tracking and even integrated trail maps.

Pricing and availability haven’t been announced, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for these.

Recon Official Website

SIA: Snow Sports is Big Business

The snow sports market is big business, and according to numbers from last week’s Snowsports Industries America trade show, which took place in Denver, more than $1 billion (with a B) worth of equipment apparel alone, and reached $2.1 billion season-to-date.

So while the evening news may be complaining about the falling snow, and cities on the East Coast continue to dig out, this has been a boom time for those who partake in winter sports. This is also the first time that in history that snow sport sales have topped a billion dollars for sales in a single month. Sales this season are also 16 percent higher than last year, suggesting that despite a still sluggish economy winter sports are taking on the winter blues. Continue reading SIA: Snow Sports is Big Business

SHOT Show: SOG Shows Its Edge In The Contractor Series

Doing the job right starts with using the right tool, and at last week’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas, SOG Knives introduced four tools for the Contractor series, and these are designed specifically for tradesman and those who know that knives are more for just cutting stuff. The company’s line also included the Nautical precision multi-tool, which is geared for underwater digging, prying and scraping, as well as the Force, a nearly foot-long knife for long-duration uses.

In the Contractor series the company builds on its nearly 25 years of experience as the supplier of knives and tools for industrial, contractor and DIY markets, and this year’s four knives are ideal for those who like a bit of adventure as well. These four knives feature multi-bladed lockback, holes/notches for stripping wire and G10 or aluminum grips as well as razor sharp blades. The line will be out in spring of this year. Here are the highlights:

The Contractor I (MSRP: $48.00) will feature notches for stripping wire, one handed opening and aluminum grips.
The Contractor II (MSRP: $48.00) offers a lockback design, sheepsfoot blade shape, G10 grips and one handed opening.
The Contractor III (MSRP: $55.00) is a multi-bladed lockback with G10 grips and one handed opening.
The Contractor IV (MSRP: $55.00) has a lockback design with hooked blade shape, G10 grips and one handed opening.

SOG Specialty Knives & Tools New Products For 2011 Official Site

Chris Del Bosco Lights Up Africa From Ski Slopes

This week Nokero International Ltd., maker of the world’s only solar light bulb, announced an interesting partnership with Olympian  and X Games Ski Cross defending gold medalist Chris Del Bosco to provide light for those in Kenya. This is part of a new program called Ski 4 Light, which will be launched at the ESPN Winter X Games 15 in Aspen, Colorado.

Del Bosco will be wearing a Nokero-enhanced helmet outfitted with an LCD display and solar panel when he competes Friday, January 28 and Sunday, January 30. The skier is doing this to bring attention to the 1.6 billion people who live daily without electricity across the globe and often burn kerosene for light. Del Bosco, a Colorado native, is looking to use his talents and exposure in the sports world to spread the word and help bring light to those who need it most.

“I believe in setting goals and going after them,” said Del Bosco. “My goal is to help raise $20,000 in donations, translating into 1,000 Nokero bulbs for the people of Kenya.”

The Nokero bulb is already being used in over 70 countries that have limited, intermittent or no electricity such as Haiti, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Ghana and Chile. The Ski 4 Light project’s aim is to directly help the people in Kenya, who live with no electricity and use dangerous fuel-based lanterns. With each $20 donation, a Nokero solar light bulb will be delivered to Kenyan.

Del Bosco and Nokero have further pledged to give 1,000 bulbs to impoverished people in Kenya if he can win the Winter X Games 15 Skier X competition.

Nokero Official Website

SHOT Show: Universal Combat Shirt

This shirt is strong enough for soldiers on the front line, so while it is a bit pricier than other base layers, you know it is going to stand up to some true extremes. Massif has been producing the US Army issue Army Combat Shirt, and now the company has introduced the commercial Universal Combat Shirt, which is based on the ACS.

The UCS is designed for wear under armor – should you require armor that is – and it even provides flame protection, making this ideal for search and rescue teams, and others that might find themselves in such hazardous conditions. It features FR stretch fabrics that are still lightweight, breathable and even highly wicking to keep the sweat off you.

So what is the big difference between this and the ACS? For one the new shirts are available in a wider range of colors, including tan, OD and MultiCam – sorry, it is still military styled so you’re going to get those military colors. But it still features the low-profile shoulder pockets to provide easy access to gear, with durable mesh pocket bags to increase ventilation and flat seams that won’t chafe under armor or other layers.

UCS at Massif.com

SHOT Show: Get Your Sidekick and Wingman

As any good adventurer knows, it is good to have a sidekick for your journey. Likewise, a wingman comes in handy for so much more than just cruising the bars. A sidekick and a wingman should be reliable through thick and thin, and now you can actually buy one of each – of the multi-tool variety that is.

At last week’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Leatherman introduced the Sidekick and Wingman – two new tools that feature contemporary design for the first-time multi-tool buyers. Both tools will be made from 420 stainless steel and feature Leatherman’s popular outside-accessibility-to-tools design, including a saw, knife, scissors, screwdriver, pliers, bottle/can opener, serrated knife and much more.

While meant for the price-conscience buyer – the Sidekick will retail for $29.99 and the Wingman at $39.99 – when they arrive in September of this year, as with other Leatherman products these products still feature the company’s industry-leading, no-hassle, 25 year warranty.  Move over Swiss Army Knife, we’d rather have the American-made Sidekick or Wingman with us on our next journey.

Leatherman Official Website

Browse While Getting Your Workout

Last year we saw a few goofy ideas like the treadmill desk, which is something we praised but in all truthfulness knew was a crazy idea. But yet, every time we hit the gym somewhere we see people checking e-mail, looking at apps or even trying to surf the Web on their mobile smartphones.

So with that in mind, we love the idea of the newly announced ProForm TrailRunner 4.0 treadmill, which features a 10-inch touch screen monitor with Web browser powered by Android. This allows users to put in the distance while still watching news, sports highlights or accessing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Users can further check and send e-mail while treading the time away. Continue reading Browse While Getting Your Workout

Signal Snowboard Makes Boombox Snowboard

There are headphones you can use while riding the slopes, and there are even snowboarding helmets with built in speakers. But how about taking a snowboard and combining it with a 1980’s era boombox? That’s what the gang from Every Third Thursday did. Introducing the Boombox from Signal Snowboard:

 

While most of the electronics are much smaller than those from the 1980s, the result is a board that can be still be ridden. Now that’s a new way to bring music to your ride.

SHOT Show: ESS Offers Superior Suppressor Eyeshields

You know this new eyewear is no joke it the maker calls them “eyeshields” and offers the brand name “Suppressor” for the frames. But when it comes from ESS, you also know this is going to be serious eye protection too.

The company is introducing its new line of hunting and shooting eyeshields at the SHOT Show this week, and these are the world’s first to be specifically engineered to function under ear cup hearing protection, comms devices and even helmets. This ensures that what protects the eyes doesn’t give the wearer a headache in the process.

The soreness and hotspots that is typically endured while wearing eyewear beneath the various headborne gear is now a thank of past, as ESS turns eye pro safety on its ear.

ESS Eye Pro Official Site

TRX Offers Sponsorship for Fitness Goals

It’s still time of New Year’s resolutions to get fit or any other number of goals. Fitness Anywhere is offering a sponsorship program through its TRX Suspension bands. The goal is to pick a compelling training goal, create and submit a video to TRX’s YouTube page, and get the most views to win cash and training to support your goal. The intro video, “TRX Get with the Movement” shows people with goals from winning an iron man to simply running more or fitting into a bikini before swim season. There’s no goal too trivial if it gets you in better shape.

TRX is a suspension training system. It’s got straps that hook into the ceiling, door jam or other sturdy structure, and leverages your body weight to create exercise. The TRX straps boasts users have the ability to perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility and prevent injuries. It is a resistance program that has a lot of possibilities, provided you have somewhere to hang your straps.

To enter for consideration to get sponsorship from TRX there are a few steps. Make a 30-second video describing your training goal for 2011 and how TRX will help you achieve the goal. Upload your video to YouTube. Promote your video entry via Facebook, Twitter and any other social or personal networking you can leverage to get more page views. The contest runs from the start of the year to April 30, 2011. Ten winners will be chosen through the course of the contest. Five winners will be selected in February, and five more in April.

The prize includes a $1,000 sponsorship to be applied towards event entry costs, travel, lodging and gear. The prize also includes a TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack; a FLIP camera for the winner to share his goal progress and TRX training; and a customized TRX training program. Good Luck!

TRX Training System

TRX YouTube Page

TRX Sponsors You details

CES Recap: Panasonic Gets in the Game

At the Consumer Electronics Show Panasonic had many things to highlight, but missing from the buzz was their new line of in-the-ear clip earphones with remote controller and microphone. The new RP-HSC200 headphones are compatible with the latest iPod products as well as the iPhone. Best of all these ‘phones are water resistant for active workouts. These include soft, comfort fit elastomer hanger to ensure that the earphones stay in place so you can do your thing without the worry that these will fall out. Ear pieces are also included in small, medium and large sizes to help you get a snug fit.

These sports headphones give users the ability to control the volume and music, including play/pause/forward and ability to skip tracks, from the cord of the right earpiece. The remote also includes a built-in microphone when used with the iPhone. The earphones feature side mounted 12.4mm speakers and boast a frequency response of 10Hz – 22kHz. The RP-HSC200 sports earphones will be available in March for $59.99.

Panasonic Official Website

CES 2011 Recap: The Open Range EV

If you’re going to take it off road, do so in style and do it while still being eco-friendly we say. That’s sort of the idea behind the Ranger EV, the first ever electric, off-road capable utility vehicle from Polaris. The Ranger EV rolled into Las Vegas for the Showstoppers press event during last week’s Consumer Electronics Show and it certainly turned heads.

The Ranger EV features the longest battery pack in the industry, and thus offers the longest range of any electric midsize vehicle. It is powered by an exclusive 48-volt, AC induction motor, and can cruise with a top speed of 25 mph. It has a range of 50 miles and comes with a 500 pound cargo box, plus can tow up to 1,250 pounds, while offering a 1,000 total payload capacity. In other words, this green machine – which isn’t actually the color green – is up for the off-road and so much more.

Polaris Official Website

Koyono Pushes Biking to Work

As a former resident of New York City, I’ve had the occasion to be bike to work from time to time, and apart from the traffic, there are issues of staying clean and not showing up a big sweaty mess. Fortunately I had a place to change, and a safe place to stash my bike.

But one issue remained, if I had to bring work home – or ever needed to bring a laptop, it meant trouble. I was a commuter not a bike messenger, and thus I didn’t have the right gear. How the times have changed. Koyono is one of several retailers offering new bike friendly accessories.

We had seen some of the new offerings – such as Timbuk2’s line of cycle friendly bags – at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show. All this makes almost makes me wish I could commute to work (instead of being one of those work from home types), but only almost!

Check out the commuter friendly gear at Koyono.com