Category: Outdoors

The Tough Touchscreen GPS

GPS is popular in the car, but it really likes the outdoors. The new Montana, a GPS handheld from Garmin, gives you a ruggedized device with touchscreen functionality. The Montana goes far beyond the state it was named after. It supports a wide range of Garmin cartography with its dual orientation and screen layout options. It has a barometric altimeter for elevation profiling and the ability to profile the route ahead using a worldwide elevation model. The device has a 3-axis compass that provides a heading while standing still, on the move or even when the Montana isn’t held level.

The ruggedized device has a 4-inch touchscreen and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera. Several features make the Montana useful for more than just directions. Two battery options keep your device powered during remote, outdoor adventures. The rechargeable, lithium ion battery pack is said to last up to 16 hours. You can substitute three AA batteries for an additional six hours of battery life when you can’t plug in your handheld.

The Montana supports geocaching GPX files for downloading geocaches and details straight to the unit. It stores key information including location, terrain, difficulty, hints and descriptions.

Official Garmin website

Scape Let’s You Run Without Running Into Your Eyes

Summer is just about here, and that means time to get out for a run or ride. The problem is that the sun can be very harsh, so it is advisable to cover up with sunblock. But most sun screens don’t mix well with sweat, and this can be a stinging feeling when the lotion hits the eyes.

Dr. Nic Marten devised a solution. As a lifelong enthusiast of action sports including surfing, windsurfing, snowboarding and mountain biking, he personally learned the all too hard way that sweat makes sun block run. He worked to create SCAPE Athlete Sunblock, which promises to be five times more waterproof and sweatproof than a leading sport sunblock, but more importantly provides amongst the highest levels of UVA protection.

The SCAPE Athlete Sunblock will not rub off as it features a Polyplex Polymer technology that was developed in vitro to better adhere to the skin, forming an almost Gore-Tex like barrier, yet it is breathable and keeps body temperature down. It won’t clog pores, allowing runners and other athletes to work up that good sweat. It is even loaded with vitamin E and other antioxidants to protect and nourish the skin.

It has us wanting a nice sunny day so we can sweat it up!

SCAPE Official Website

Excursion Bags to “Adventure-Proof” Electronics

Nothing beats getting away, and if you’re the kind of traveler who likes an adventure you know that can mean roughing it or it can mean the conditions can be a bit rough. Either way that’s not good for your electronics, which remain all too fragile. And while there is no shortage of shoulder bags, few are designed to handle the great outdoors and protect your electronics.

But Briggs & Riley have introduced a line of bags for your off the grid trips. The Excursion Field Bag and Excursion Messenger Bag will provide safe and secure storage for your tablets, netbooks and other electronics.

These provide a pull system for easy retrieval and plenty of storage for USB drives, mobile phones, business cards and more. These offer water resistant zippers and are well padded, but still lightweight so you won’t need a team of Sherpas for that hike in the woods.

Briggs & Riley Official Website

Yurbuds for Your Ear

Going for a long run often means getting away from it all, but unless you’re in the middle of nowhere your run probably doesn’t get you away from everything. But Yurbuds could just take you away, even if you’re just on a treadmill.

These in-ear headphones were developed by athletes for athletes and officially launched this week with the new Ironman Series earphones. The earbuds were designed by company CEO and Ironman triathlete Seth Burgett while he was training. The result is an earbud that won’t fall out, even when taking part in grueling training regimes.

The sport earphone was developed to match the contour of the human ear without creating any pain points – because if the earbud is uncomfortable who is going to ever want to wear it. The Yurbuds Ironman Series feature an ultra-soft comfort fit and use the company’s patented “TwistLock” technology to provide the wear with exceptional sound by channeling the audio straight to the ear via the patented funnel shape.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Yurbuds for Your Ear

Let’s Rollors

While there is increasing concern of the increasing size of children today, and there is no doubt that childhood obesity is on the rise, the truth is that many outdoor activities have fallen out of vogue. Worse still, old favorites like lawn darts have actually been banned for sale in the United States.

It is true, this type of “nanny state” that tries to protect children, actually has taken some of the fun out of playing on the lawn. But now a new game called “Rollors” could bring a return to the grass. Played with wooden disks that are basically like over-sized hockey pucks, the game promises to get things rolling. Players try to aim at a colored coded goal, thus the game takes traditional yard games and dare we say puts a new spin on it! Let the good times Rollors.

Rollors Official Website

A Better “Mouse Trap?”

As long as bicycle racing events have been occurring, riders have been using a number of containers to hold water or other liquid nutrients on their bikes. Aluminum canteens, glass bottles, plastic bottles and more recently hydration backpacks, worn on the rider, have been used. Bottles have been mounted or carried on the handlebars, down tube, seat tube, behind the seat or in a jersey pocket.

Hydration backpacks have been worn on the back or as a fanny pack, but usually mounted to the body with the liquid being delivered to the rider’s mouth using a tube. Now the Portland, Oregon company, Shower Pass, is looking to merge the bike mounted bottle with the convenience of the hydration pack delivery system into one unique system.  (Video after the jump) Continue reading A Better “Mouse Trap?”

Electric Bike Tour Hits Wales

This weekend saw an important cycling tour kick off. Not the Giro d’Italia, which is of course a big race in its own right, but this was the far less well known Tour de Presteigne 2011, which took place in Wales. What makes this one noteworthy is that it isn’t a Tour in the race sense, but rather a ride for the average cyclists and more importantly it is about the electric bike.

This event was hailed as the first event to see new bikes from Storck, the brainchild of German build Markus Storck, who is working to create some of the most efficient electric bikes the world has yet seen. The event also promised to introduce a prototype hydrogen fuel cell city car designed by River Simple Company, along with other innovative autos including the Nissian Leaf and the Tesla Roadster.

The event included a 50 mile ride around Wales on Saturday and a bike show on Sunday. We’re hoping to hear more of the events happenings, but we have already heard that the mood was electric thanks to the innovative bikes.

Tour of Presteigne Electric Bike Rally Official Website

Hands On: Hi-Tech Wool Socks

“Wool is warm and stays warm even when it is even wet.” At least this is the type of statement that we heard throughout high school while participating in a Lifetime Activities outdoor program. Instead of playing baseball and football as our sports; we would bike, hike, canoe, go spelunking and rock climb all around Western Pennsylvania, the East Coast and sometimes out even West.

It was often cold and sometimes damp during these activities which is why our instructors insisted on a wool wardrobe for each of us. We would use old wool button down shirts and wool Army surplus pants along with heavy calf-high wool hiking socks. These garments would certainly keep us warm, even when wet, but there was one major drawback – they were itchy! Continue reading Hands On: Hi-Tech Wool Socks

Wiley X Marks the Spot With Made in USA Tactical Eyewear

Wiley X marks the spot, as the eyewear maker announces that its Wiley X PT-1 tactical glasses are now being produced in the United States. The veteran-owned company says this is the first example of an ongoing initiative that will see more tactical eyewear products built in America.

“We have long endeavored to provide our brave soldiers in the field with the vision protection they need and deserve,” said Wiley X Eyewear Co-Owner Myles Freeman, Jr. “Meeting the highest possible standards of quality and performance has always been something we take quite seriously. Manufacturing key tactical products like the PT-1 here in America will help us raise the bar even further — and we plan to expand on this important initiative in the future.” Continue reading Wiley X Marks the Spot With Made in USA Tactical Eyewear

Hydromax – The End of the Water Boy?

We may soon mark the end of the end of the era in football. Over the years there have been many changes to the game, the introduction of helmets and pads, the change of the grid field and even rules in scoring. But soon, the once proud water boy maybe out of a job thanks to a new wearable water supply system.

In truth, this could actually solve an increasingly worrisome problem. Dehydration remains an issue for many players, especially in southern states and on those sunny and warm fall days. The Hydromax system could just be the key to keeping athletes hydrated for those times when water remains on the sidelines – so close and yet so very far away. Continue reading Hydromax – The End of the Water Boy?

New Titanium Bike Lock Design

 

We’ve seen some new designs for bike locks. One new design from TiGr uses a flexible strip of titanium with a lock mechanism. Titanium is a strong metal composite and will likely stand up to the needs of any cyclist. A video on the TiGr web site shows the inventor using a hacksaw to cut through a typical U-Lock, and then the same with a strip of titanium. It took 1:26 to cut through the U-lock, compared to 2:36 and more huffing and puffing to cut through the titanium strip. Continue reading New Titanium Bike Lock Design

Reversing the Harmful Effects of Sunscreen

These days everyone preaches about sunscreen. Don’t go outside without it. You may even need it indoors if you’re near a window. But then there’s also bad news that comes from sunscreen.

Chemical sunblock using ingredients such as oxybenzone can be bad for you. Oxybenzone is found to increase the production of dangerous free radicals in the skin. It’s been found to harm or alter DNA, affect hormone balance and the production of thyroid hormones, cause early puberty in children, cause male infertility and potentially lead to breast cancer and skin cancers. Isn’t skin cancer what we’re trying to avoid with sunblock in the first place? Continue reading Reversing the Harmful Effects of Sunscreen

Bike is “Slow-Moving Vehicle”

Bike safety is promoted on the LAPD Website

This week Sgt. David Krumer of the Los Angeles Police Department in a presentation admitted that even members of the LAPD are “not well-versed in the Vehicle Code as it pertains to cyclists.” Krumer, who serves as the department’s liaison to the cycling community, analyzed sections of the California Vehicle Code, which identifies bicycles as “slow-moving vehicles.”

This in itself is not innovative, but it should help make the road friendly for riders overtime as it could create better understanding between riders and drivers. Some of the key points of California traffic law that were discussed:

• Cyclists may ride in the middle of a lane as long as their speed does not impede traffic flow.
• To avoid the “door zone”—the space occupied by an open door from a vehicle parked curbside—cyclists must ride three feet from parked cars.
• Riding side-by-side, also called “two abreast,” instead of in a more lane-space-efficient single file line is legal if there is more than one lane in the direction in which the cyclists are traveling that motorists can use to pass on the left.
• A cyclist is impeding traffic if followed by five or more motor vehicles. The law requires a turnout to the right in such an instance.
• Cyclists in crosswalks are a very gray area and for the most part left to an individual officer’s judgment as to whether a citable offense has occurred.
• Traveling the wrong way on a street is never legal for a bike rider, but it is sometimes permissible when riding on the sidewalk, which cyclists are allowed to do.

So will this help ensure that drivers share the road? Maybe, but knowledge can go a long way.

[Via Sherman Oaks Patch.com: Law Defines a Bicycle as a ‘Slow-Moving Vehicle’]