Refillable water bottles have become quite the accessory whether you’re taking one on a workout, a hike or even just a long shopping expedition. CamelBak makes a number of rigid bottles, but one recurring complaint is that to get the water, you have to bite down on a nozzle and then draw the water from a straw. CamelBak has just released Chute, a high-flow bottle that is made with the same durable, rugged body of the existing line, but with a high-flow opening that pours water. Continue reading CamelBak Releases High-Flow Chute
Category: Outdoors
Weekend Reading List (02.15.2014): Olympic Tech, Clowning Around, Pay Day, Keeping Time
Olympic Tech
From TechNewsWorld: Team USA in Sochi: High-Tech Gear Spurs High Hopes
While it takes years of training, determination and really good genes even to get a chance to compete in the Olympic Games, the difference between making the podium or not can come down to milliseconds in some events. At this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, new advances in fabrics, materials and designs are giving the athletes an edge as they go for the gold. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.15.2014): Olympic Tech, Clowning Around, Pay Day, Keeping Time
Heel Spur
A heel spur is something most runners fear but the LightSpur designed by Nathan Sport could be something no runner will want to be without after dark. It clips around the heel of a shoe and grips against it while providing an LED light that can help drivers and even cyclists see you at night. The LightSpurs are fully waterproof and powered by a replaceable CR2031 watch battery that should provide more than 100 hours in flashing mode.
These spurs won’t make you run faster but they’ll help ensure you aren’t run down after dark.
Reinventing the Wheels
Introduced at the ISPO Munich show last month the AeYO looks to reinvent not so much the wheel, but perhaps the way wheels can be used. It is part bicycle, part skates and part scooter. While the feet are placed in in-line skates, it thus allows the legs to move freely and provide forward acceleration but at the same time the handle and front wheels keep the feet stable so there is little chance of falling.
While it again won’t reinvent the wheel it could create a new way to get rolling. Continue reading Reinventing the Wheels
Myth Maker
Gerber has been a company that could rightfully be described at times as being somewhat “legendary” but now it is looking to get downright mythical. It has introduced the Gerber Myth Kit, which includes a dozen on-the-go tools for camping, hunting and just getting away from it all. This case includes numerous knives and blades, as well as a Gerber Field Dress Kit, Gerber Pocket Folder, Gerber Folding Saw, Gerber Cap Light, Gerber Shotgun Multi-Tool, Gerber Canvas Bag, Gerber Spotlight and a whole lot more. This is the one kit that truly has it all.
Taking Covert
Nike Golf looks to have golfers covered this season with the VRS Covert Forged Irons, which the company claims will provide provide high-speed performance in a premium design. Nike Golf’s engineers incorporated a NexCOR face, Nike’s proprietary variable face thickness technology to deliver faster ball speed for greater distance.
In addition the new irons also offer a high-speed cavity back design with a lower, deeper center of gravity that can help golfers make longer and straighter shots.
“We focused on improving distance and off-center hit performance with the VRS Covert Forged irons,” explained Chris Savage, Nike Golf irons innovation engineer. “It’s the first time we designed a forged iron with a high-speed NexCOR face, and engineering the variable thickness really amplifies the trampoline effect off the face. We further enhanced the performance with balanced perimeter weighting via a deep, engineered cavity back design. In our testing, the VRS Covert Forged irons delivered up to seven additional yards in distance compared to last year’s product.”
“Our research shows that more than 80 percent of player impact is between the center and the toe side of an iron,” Savage added. “So another key focus on this product was to shift the center of gravity to the center of the face. By moving the true sweet spot to the area where most people hit the ball, we enhanced the iron’s feel and improved off center performance by as much as 17 percent.”
These clubs made their debut at the end of last month.
Blow Up Boat
We’ve seen a variety of fold up boats over the years, but the DinghyGo takes a different approach. The DinghyGo 2 is actually an inflatable sail boat that the company claims is lighter, cheaper and quicker to set up than most other “portable” boats.
It comes with a sailing kit that includes a 43 square feet sail, as well as pump and repair kit. The boat isn’t exactly cheap and at $3,525 there are likely other and more affordable options for those looking to go sailing. But the DinghyGo 2 is certainly a compact boat – which is good for those who don’t exactly spend every weekend on the water. Continue reading Blow Up Boat
Voombox Brings the Noise
A boombox will let you get “the party started,” but the Divoom Voombox Outdoor speak might just let you take it on the go. This 15w water resistant Bluetooth speaker is designed specifically for rugged conditions while offering a 12-hour battery life. It features a durable, water resistant design and can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0.
The speaker offers twin two-inch drivers along with one tweeter and two passive radiators – enough to fill a room or outdoor area with the tunes. Continue reading Voombox Brings the Noise
Weekend Reading List (02.08.2014): Sochi Goes for the Cold, Gold Prices, Bike Crowded Miami
Sochi Goes for the Cold
From The Verge: Freezing Sochi: how Russia turned a subtropical beach into a Winter Olympics wonderland
Sochi is not the most obvious place to host the Winter Olympics.
The Russian resort, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, is humid and subtropical. Temperatures average out at about 52 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, and 75 degrees in the summer. Palm trees line the streets, and it’s the only part of Russia warm enough to grow tea leaves. In other words, it’s a lovely spot if you’re planning a beach holiday — Stalin had his favorite summer house there — but it wouldn’t be most people’s first choice for a ski trip. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.08.2014): Sochi Goes for the Cold, Gold Prices, Bike Crowded Miami
Kross’ing Guard
It is hard to get the barefoot running experience this time of the year. For one the temperatures are so cold you probably wouldn’t want to run barefoot and second running on snow and ice probably is never a good idea. The Kross M Winter shoe from Lizard Footwear lets runners get the feel of minimalist running in the winter.
This lightweight, flexible shoe still provides protection from the cold and features a Vibram IceTrek outsole to grip mud, rocks and wet terrain. The upper is made of Schoeller tight fabric or leather and ClimaSkin membrane that makes the shoe water resistant. The Primaloft padding also insulates the feet from cold, which is something we’ve had just about enough of this winter!
On the Go Book
GammaTech has introduced the latest addition to its Durabook line of rugged mobile computers, the semi-rugged S15H notebook. This is designed to provide a more cost-effective solution that still meets Military 810G standards for drops, shock and spills. It also includes an optical disk-tray lock, double-protection smart battery circuitry and smart battery calibration. This notebook features an Intel Haswell CPU, 15.6-inch high definition LED display and two dual-channel DDR III SOMIMM slots. Since it could be used in places off the grid the S15H includes multiple security features such as TPM 1.2 technology, a Kensington Lock connector and administrator password/Boot password. Continue reading On the Go Book
The Baladeo Goes Retro
The Swiss Army Knife isn’t the only name in blades. The Baladeo Le Retro Knife evokes the knives that the company made in France in the early 1950s, and as the name suggests it has a true retro look but is far from light on features. It includes two blades, a saw, a can opener, a punch, a corkscrew, a piercing tool, and, of course, a bottle opener, along with a stainless steel body and true blonde horn handle. Thus it truly mixes form and function like a good knife should.
Board to Bike
Cyclists might be getting a little “bored” of riding on the trainer, but let’s face it winter isn’t going anywhere just yet. If you can’t beat it then board up. The BikeBoards, which were unveiled at the recent Outdoor Retailer Show Winter Market, basically transforms a mountain bike into more than a snow bike. It puts front ski on the tire and allows the bike to better navigate through the white stuff.
Designed to fit tires with widths between two and five inches it can be mounted in three positions based on the snow and conditions. It features a full steel edge with a sidecut and curved tips that provide float in deep snow, as well as grip and carving on harder snow and ice. All we can say is hop on board.