Fire is an essential part of camping, and sure there are plenty of ways to start one, but the Vargo Titanium Flint Lighter makes it so easy. It can easily clip to key chains, zipper pulls and even backpack straps, and it is durable enough to provide more than 1,000 lights. The reliable striking mechanism provides a dependable spark in any weather and it utilizes a one-hand operation.
Category: Outdoors
Holiday Gift Guide: The Gift of Light
If you know that special someone who spends too much time in the woods after the sun goes down you might want to ask them why? Or you could just give them the Magnalight HUL-LEDP2X10W Spotlight, a rugged and effective LED spotlight designed to provide users with a powerful, durable, and easy to use source of reliable light.
This spotlight utlitizes a 20 watt LED light head which produces a light beam over 700-feet long. This spotlight includes a detachable 16 foot coil cord with cigarette plug for easy connection to vehicle and equipment power sources.
MagnaLight: High Intensity 20 Watt LED Handheld Spotlight Official Website
Sleep Alite
Even if you are a light sleeper the Alite S.H. Sleeping Bag will offer a soft place to lay your head and body. It is rated to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but more importantly is designed to allow wearers to answer the call of nature so to speak! It has a center crotch zipper, padded feet and built-in fleece slippers so you can actually walk around in this one!
Or if you’re camping with a friend – a friend with benefits we assume – you can even zip two or more “Sexy Hotness” sleeping bags together to make double or triple room
Holiday Gift Guide: Boom to the Box
Outdoor Tech’s Turtle Shell 2.0 outdoor speaker is as rugged as the original, but includes advanced CSR Chip, upgraded drivers, the latest audio codecs and what the company promises is a ridiculously long battery life. It features two speakers and passive bass port to pump out 96 decibels of quality sound, and it is built to withstand dust, water and shock at the IPX6 level– ideal for any action adventure or even the daily adventure of your shower.
Lighting the Way at ZeroHour
There are plenty of options for those looking for a durable tactical flashlight. ZeroHour could however be the first modular tactical battery that doubles as a flashlight when it is needed most. The ZeroHour a 1,000 lumen LED, 10,000mAh of USB backup power for smartphones and tablets; while its modular component design allows for a variety of other uses.
This tactical-grade flashlight, which is now being developed via a Kickstarter campaign, is dust-proof and waterproof up to one meter and features a made in the USA CREE LED with four levels of illumination and two safety modes. Continue reading Lighting the Way at ZeroHour
Every Third Thursday Hits the Sand
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhzVI-hw3S0&feature=share&list=PL34695342B698FC80
Normally we’d expect to see snowboarders hitting the white stuff on the ski slopes not heading to the California desert. But it isn’t every day that is Every Third Thursday, and the guys at Signal Snowboards looked to do something different this month.
The Last Straw?
Clean water can be the final straw between surviving or not in the wilds. While not having enough water during a hike can be a problem, for those who don’t have a reliable source of drinkable water it can mean life or death. The LifeStraw Go by Vestergaard is there to help ensure that most water can be made drinkable.
It features a BPA-free water bottle, which can remove protozoan parasites and turbidity from contaminated water, and leave no aftertaste. It can filter up to 264 gallons of water, and removes 99.9999 percent of waterborne bacteria, as well as 99.9 percent of waterborne protozoan parasites. Continue reading The Last Straw?
Campus Cycling Shines
The League of American Bicyclists announced the second “Platinum” college campus, along with 17 new Bicycle Friendly Universities. Joining Stanford is the University of California-Davis, which is fitting as the City of Davis has been a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community since 2005.
With this latest round of applications and awards, the program has expanded to a total of 75 colleges in 32 states and Washington, D.C.
“As our Bicycle Friendly University program grows, the promise for a more Bicycle Friendly America does, too,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “Colleges and universities propel our leaders of the future, and more and more of those students are choosing bicycles as their transportation option of choice. We commend universities like Bowdoin College; University of California, Davis; and the University of Montana, who are leading the way to a healthier, more sustainable future.”
Current Bicycle Friendly Universities Fall 2013 Official List
Commuter Jeans
For many commuting by bicycle might be in their genes, but it will be the jeans and much more that cover the riders. Levi’s Commuter clothing line has expanded for the fall, and includes new parkas, tees, woven tops and of course jeans. These offer performance features including water resistance, moisture wicking, reflective accents and greater mobility.
The lineup includes the waterproof Type 2 Commuter parka (MSRP $348), which offers high breathability and heat retention, odor protection tech, drop-tail coverage, touring pockets, and elongated cuffs for partial hand coverage. The 504 Straight 5 Pocket Jean ($98) is a meant for riding. It is made of performance stretch fabric and offers a raised rear yolk to prevent back exposure, while reinforced crotch gusset and utility waistband for U-lock storage make it ideal on the bike while still looking good off it.
The Commuter Pocket Tee ($38) provides a causal look that offers comfort as well. It is made from breathable cotton and has extended raglan sleeves and reflective dots on the lower back for visibility. The Commuter Work Shirt ($88) is ideal for those cool but not cold days, as it has water-repelling and perspiration-absorbing properties, extended tail for back coverage and gusseted shoulders for improved mobility.
Under Armour Arms the USA Olympic Bobsled Team
Riding on a track of ice takes skill but it also takes nerves of steel. While the USA Bobsled team won’t be suited up like Ironman they’ll have another kind of armor. Under Armour has signed on to provide the bodysuits that will help reduce drag for the racers. This includes specialty clothing for the bobsled teams and the skeleton – which is probably the only sport that seems even more crazy that the bobsled!
Under Armour Official Website
[Via GearJunkie: Olympic Uniforms From Under Armour]
Recyclable Hydration Pack
A hydration pack can come in quite handy, but what if you really only need one for occasional use? We also know what happens when you put sports drinks in a traditional reservoir – it never really gets clean again.
The Cenote hydration system offers a solution to both problems, as it is a recyclable bladder and it won’t set you back a C-note either. AT just $14.99 for the three liter system, and a dollar less for the two liter version, it can be used a few times and then recycled.
Transformable Jacket
Let’s face taking a jacket in case you get chilly can be a pain. Sure it is nice to have it when you need it, but what if it actually stays warm. Then you’re stuck with a jacket you need to carry around. The Vamoose solves the problem by transforming from a backpack to a jacket, and it includes plenty of pockets so that stuff you were carrying won’t have to be left behind.
Vamoose also makes a poncho that can transform to tarp or sunshade for quick shelter! Video after the jump
Mounted Light
Whether just enjoying the outdoors or hunting, it gets dark early this time of year, and when heading out to the woods, even with an ATV or other off road vehicle some extra light can come in handy. The Larson Electronics BCML-LEDP1X10WRE High Intensity Bar Clamp Mounted LED Light will provide just what is needed when the sun goes down. This powerful LED spotlight features IP68 rated waterproof construction, a post style control handle with bar clamp mount, and a powerful LED emitter producing a tightly focused spot beam reaching 650 feet in length.
It features a rugged construction with a housing formed from extruded aluminum and an unbreakable polycarbonate lens. Sealed against water, dust and dirt, it can withstand temperature extremes of -40 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius.
Larson Electronics High Intensity Bar Clamp Mounted LED Light Official Website