Rugged is the name of the game this season with point-and-shoot digital cameras and Sony isn’t going to be left behind. The company announced last week a new line of Cyber-shot cameras, including the rugged DSC-TX20. It can get wet and wild and be submerged up to five meters in water and dropped from 1.5 meters, while also being dustproof and freeze proof. Continue reading Sony Gets Rugged
Category: Outdoors
Ski Helmet Doubles as Solar Charger
While there has been an increased focus on the protection that helmets can provide to the wearer, engineers at the Frauenhofer Institute are also considering how a helmet can also help provide some power for personal electronics. The team has developed a flexible solar panel that is durable enough to be mounted on helmets, and can optimize Bluetooth in the process.
The result is a helmet that can include speakers for a mobile device or music player and use solar cells to get juiced up by the sun, while a battery can ensure that collected power can be saved for those times when the sun might not be shining. The helmets still in prototype but should be arriving later this year.
[Via Ubergizmo: Solar Ski helmet keeps your gadgets charged]
New Rules for Bats Take Effect
Baseball season is about to see opening day and this year the game, at least for youth players, will be a little different as runs for bats have chanted. The National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted a new standard for baseball bats.
This switch involves bats that are less springy and will have a smaller “sweet spot,” and is a result of bats changing from aluminum to metal. This is part of the Batter-Ball Coefficient of Restitution, with the idea to create balls that come off the bats more slowly to reduce the potential for injury. Continue reading New Rules for Bats Take Effect
ParkStart: A Program to Design Bike Parks
Skate parks get all the attention, and funding. That’s according to Alpine Bike Parks, a company that just launched ParkStart, a design tool package for planning and building bike parks. The program helps park planners come up with a plan and budget to take to City Hall, or other authority, for approval.
No Axe to Grind From Baden
Sporting goods maker Baden Sports is looking to shake things up this spring with the new line of Axe baseball and softball bats. The big change is in the new patented handle design that helps guide a player’s hand into the proper hitting position at contact.This reportedly means more power and more solid contact. While this year will see new changes for bats, the Axe line has been certified and approved for use at all levels of play in 2012 – from Little League to high school, the NCAA and even the pros.
Eleven (11) models will hit the diamond this season for both baseball and softball, and for professional players, the Pro Ash and Pro Maple Series Axe bats are manufactured in Wisconsin, using the hardest ash and maple grown in North America. All strictly adhere to professional league specifications, and are also oriented so that the wood grain is aligned perfectly with the hitting surface for maximum performance and less breakage. Continue reading No Axe to Grind From Baden
Made in America: Kifaru International
Backpacking and backcountry snow sports can be an excellent way to stay active and enjoy nature. Whether it is a day trip or multi-day adventure, some gear will be required. Food, water, a tent and a stove are just a few of the items that might be needed. Start piling up the gear and it is not inconceivable that your backpack could weigh over 50-pounds. It doesn’t sound like much, but after hours on the trail, that 50-pounds might as well be 1,000-pounds. Lightening the load can be done by reducing the amount of gear and supplies, or reducing the weight could be achieved by starting off with lighter weight gear. There are certainly a number of companies producing lightweight backpacking gear; just most of them have left the U.S. to manufacture their product line overseas. Kifaru International of Wheat Ridge, Colorado produces an assortment of lightweight backpacking gear and unlike their competition, they are still manufacturing their product line on U.S. soil. Continue reading Made in America: Kifaru International
Get On My Back
Earlier today we noted exercises that can damage the back, so what about carrying a child? Toddlers often like the idea of hiking – at least in the beginning, but eventually they’ll need to be carried, and it seems most end up getting a piggyback ride as well. It is might be good for the rider, but it can be a pain in the neck and back.
Brothers Wayne and Jonny Lifshitsz had another idea, namely the Piggyback Rider, which provides an easier way to carry a child on your back. Functioning much like a backpack with a shoulder-mounted foot-bar to distribute the child’s weight at your core, it enables a more natural and upright walking posture, while the child stands safely on the wide textured foot-bar and can hold onto integrated shoulder handles. This harness system won the “Best New Product” award at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show last year and this year will see new expansion of the line with a system that even allows for a bit of storage too. Continue reading Get On My Back
Light Up Your Workouts with LED Shoelaces
Although these LED shoelaces might make you look like an extra out of Tron, they can be incredibly helpful from a safety standpoint. If you’re working out in situations where visibility is poor, such as nighttime, these shoelaces make you stand out, similar to reflective clothing.
Known as the Hikaru LED Kutsuhimo, they light up in three patterns and are powered by a small battery attached to the tongue of the shoe. They’re also perfect for raves. (Do people still go to raves, or are we dating ourselves?)
[Via Ubergizmo: LED shoelaces perfect for night time jogging]
The Boombox Returns: Eco Terra
Sometimes outdoor time requires blaring music, and headphones don’t apply. For those occasions you might want to secure your smartphone, iPhone or mp3 player in a waterproof case to be sure the elements don’t get into those sensitive areas. For times like this, Grace Digital just released the Eco Terra Boombox, a 100 percent waterproof dock and speakers that you can fully submerge under water.
New All Weather Binoculars
Even if the conditions reduce visibility, the Oceana 7×50 binocular from Celestron will help aid what you can see as these are specially designed for marine and land based observations in all weather conditions. These feature nitrogen purging for waterproof and fogproof use, while rubber coating provides added protection and offers a firm grip. Continue reading New All Weather Binoculars
FINIS Hydro Tracker GPS Helps Open-Water Swimmers Track Location, Progress
When you’re in a pool, swimming from point A to B is a no-brainer. Out in open water, however, tracking your performance and location is a bit more difficult. The new Hydro Tracker GPS from FINIS is a fitness device designed for open water swimmers that tracks, maps, and records performance.
“We created the Hydro Tracker GPS to meet the needs of open water swimmers and fitness enthusiasts,” says John Mix, President of FINIS. “Our Hydro Tracker GPS and free Streamline Log allows swimmers to dig deeper into their key workout stats, providing them with invaluable ongoing feedback. This new GPS system will help maximize anyone’s results.”
The Hydro Tracker GPS can be attached to goggle straps or an included neoprene armband, and doesn’t require GPS calibration. It tracks the swimmer’s course and important, in-depth performance data, which users can review after their swim. Using the free online FINIS Streamline Training Log, “swimmers can set goals and analyze stats including splits, speed, distance, accumulated time, and elevation,” according to FINIS. Data can be shared via CSV or Google Earth files, or through Facebook and Twitter. The device can also be used for other sports, too, such as running, walking, biking, skiing, hiking, etc.
The device sells for $130, available now. Check out FINIS’s website for additional specs.
Protecting the Package with Kevlar
There is underwear that might be fun to wear, underwear that is meant to entice and then there is the “Blast Boxers,” underwear developed by the British military to offer special protection down there! The U.S. Army apparently liked what it saw and has developed the Pelvic Protection System or “Kevlar boxers” or “combat underpants.”
The underwear might not reduce chafing or provide better support, but rather is designed to help dismounted soldiers from the devastating effects of improvised explosive devices. According to the U.S. Army, “Soldiers who stepped on an IED might suffer injuries that required amputations which didn’t leave enough of a limb for a prosthetic leg, for instance. But those Soldiers were also suffering extensive damage to the perineum region, the part of the body that includes the anus and reproductive organs.” Continue reading Protecting the Package with Kevlar
Don’t Change the Boots – Change the Soles
Being surefooted in the winter can be tricky. What works on ice might not work so well in slush or deep snow. Instead of changing the boots you can now change the soles with the Korkers , wading boots that can do double duty in a variety of winter conditions. Continue reading Don’t Change the Boots – Change the Soles