Wearable Sleeping Bag

With heating costs rising people who spend their cold evenings in front on the couch watching TV can curl up in such things as a “Snuggie,” “Snuggler, “Doojo” or “Toasty Wrap.” All the various names equate to the same thing, it is a sleeved blanket.

Maybe this was on Chilean graphic designer Rodrigo Alonso Schramm’s mind or possibly on his body when he came up with the idea of the Selk’Bag or Musuc’Bag, which is essentially a wearable sleeping bag. Whereas the “Snuggie” is basically a blanket with sleeves, the Selk’Bag – named after the nomadic Chilean Selk’nam people – is actually a sleeping bag with arms, legs and hood, as well as nylon soles with anti-slip pads. No doubt it makes answering nature’s call in the middle of the night a little easier too. With this Chilean-designed sleeping bag you’ll never have to be chilly again while camping.

There is even a kid’s model with front kangaroo pocket, a light weight version and one coming soon with detachable feet for those who want to wear boots, or possibly let their feet breathe. It is certainly an interesting concept, but we wonder – if you don’t have to get out of bed while camping how is this going to help. We almost expect to see people hiking in Selk’Bags in the future.

Selk’Bag Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Selk’Bag is a sleeping bag that you wear]

EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

While many video games these days are getting gamers off the couch, one game will likely get gamers dashing to get a pair of athletic fashion shoes. The upcoming racing game Need for Speed The Run, which will arrive this November for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS will feature the iconic adidas Superstar shoes. Additionally the adidas branded apparel which will be available at all adidas Originals stores across the United States. Continue reading EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

Hands On: MuscleDriver USA Speed Chute

Sean Fekete running with the Speed Chute inflated (mid-sprint)

Whether you are jumping out of an airplane or drag racing, a chute is designed to slow you down; but in the case of the Speed Chute, it is designed to actually make you go faster. The Speed Chute, from MuscleDriver USA, is a chute that attaches to your waist and is to be used while running sprints. The concept behind the Speed Chute is that you are building strength through resistance – wind as opposed to weight resistance. Strap the waist band on, face the wind and sprint. It is a pretty simple concept, so we had to give it a try.

Continue reading Hands On: MuscleDriver USA Speed Chute

Dive in With Michael Phelps: Push the Limit

Even if the pool is closed for the season you can still dive in for a swim, at least in the living room. Michael Phelps: Push the Limit, which was developed by developed by Blitz Games and published by 505 Games, has arrived this week for Kinect on the Xbox 360. The game makes a big splash as it offers players the chance to compete against each other as well as against one of the most decorated athletes of all time, Michael Phelps. Fans play in quick matches in single player or local/online multiplayer against friends or immerse themselves in the challenging and fun Career Mode where they swim their way to the podium through some of the most breathtaking locations across the world, finally facing Michael himself in the final. Continue reading Dive in With Michael Phelps: Push the Limit

How Are You Fixed for Blades, Light and Whistle?

When off in the wilds there is always one more thing you could use, but each “thing” means additional weight plus the chances that something will be lost, forgotten or misplaced. But Adventure Medical Kits of Oakland, California has a nifty three-in-one survival tool that is blade, light and whistle. The Core Lite features a short steel blade that is just over two-inches in length, and can be used for “notching and grooving branches, plus a small single LED light. It won’t replace any big flashlight, but the bluish light help offer a little illumination on things. Continue reading How Are You Fixed for Blades, Light and Whistle?

Wave Your Hands in the Air for Bally

httpv://youtu.be/qE1uQdZ5l3M

The popularity of fitness games is influencing gym activities. Bally Total Fitness plans to install video walls with a multi-screen display with a motion-sensing camera. Similar to gesture-based console games on the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect, the video will incorporate user movements such as arm sweeps and jumps to control the activity on the screen. Continue reading Wave Your Hands in the Air for Bally

Fitness Centers to be Powered by the Users

There is some irony in going to the gym to try to burn some calories. It generally means using energy – as in power from the grid – to help users use energy to burn those calories. Shouldn’t there be a way to utilize the latter to help with the former? We’ve seen some gyms devise ways of transforming that burn, and now at least one company is on board to introduce a line of energy-harnessing Green System for exercise facilities and fitness club owners, which will use the energy from exercise to produce electricity for the power grid.

SportsArt Fitness, a manufacturer of high-end cardio and strength products, is introducing its revolutionary Green System with a “pod” of fitness products attached to an inverter that harnesses human-generated power from exercisers -and feeds it back into the power grid as useable energy. Continue reading Fitness Centers to be Powered by the Users

FIT CORE Armband Tracks Your Every Move

Losing weight is easy. It’s keeping yourself motivated that’s hard. Fortunately, there are plenty of gadgets that can help with the latter. Among them is BodyMedia’s FIT CORE Armband, a device that straps onto your arm and tracks your every activity from workouts to sleep.

The new model is 33% smaller than its predecessor and yet it packs all the same features. Just strap it around your arm and the band’s four sensors gather data on the amount of calories you’ve burned, the number of steps you’ve taken, your heart rate, and all other physical activity you’ve performed throughout the day.

Stats are then uploaded to an online Activity Manager where you can track your performance and input your meals using the food log. The revamped Activity Manager now features a FITcoach, which provides personalized feedback based on your stats and goals. The device will even analyze your sleep intake and tell you if you’re getting enough shut eye. If you prefer to receive minute-by-minute updates on your stats, there’s an optional $99 Display, which provides you with a tiny monochrome LCD to view your activity level.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading FIT CORE Armband Tracks Your Every Move

Lose Your Nuts

httpv://youtu.be/8EH-5Ss3R8g

Are you tired of having to grab a wrench each time you need to remove the wheels from your bike since it does not have quick release levers? Would you ride more often if only you could get your bike in the car to take to the park, but it is so inconvenient due to bolt-on wheels? Is your kid’s bike sitting in the garage with a flat tire due to you not being able to remove the wheel?

Coombs Cycling Technologies of Heber, Utah now offers a quick-release option for solid axle wheels: the Axle Release.

(More video after the jump)
Continue reading Lose Your Nuts

Under(wear) Armor

The U.S. Department of Defense is often accused of casting a wide web, and not that include the “Warrior Web.” This isn’t some nefarious program to wage a secret war in some distant land, but instead it could protect those soldiers who do travel to hostile lands in the not too distant future.

Essentially the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) from the U.S. Department of Defense is developing a prototype one-piece suit intended for soldier use, ala a type of armored underwear, or underwear armor. This “Warrior Web” also covers more than the privates, and certainly more than just privates. All soldiers in the field could benefit from this futuristic attire that could protect soldiers from injury, help the wearer actually sustain body energy and even keep track of vital signs, not to mention look pretty cool in the process. Continue reading Under(wear) Armor

Polar Adds New Colors; FT4 Named Top Monitor

Just in time for last month’s New York Fashion Week Polar has introduced new and vibrant color palette for its RCX5, FT4, FT2 and FT1 training computers. While all of these Polar products provide trusted and accurate heart rate based training data, offering clear guidance, feedback and easy-to-use features, the RCX5 includes a slew of new features to meet the demand of today’s triathletes who require the best in training intelligence and tracking capabilities.

Polar also recently announced that the Heart Rate Watch Company, a leading national online fitness electronics retailer, has crowned the Polar FT4 as its top heart rate monitor under $100 for 2011. Citing unique features and fit as the primary reasons for the award the company cited Polar’s four decade commitment to working with personal trainers, gyms and athletes as primary factors for the award.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Polar Adds New Colors; FT4 Named Top Monitor

Made in America: TwentyTwo Designs Telemark Ski Bindings

Named after Wyoming Highway 22, which travels over the 8,431-foot Teton Pass a favorite spot for backcountry skiers, TwentyTwo Designs is dedicated to producing some of the best telemark ski bindings in the world. Started in 2004 by two mechanical engineers, Chris Valiante and Collins Pringle, TwentyTwo Designs inherited the HammerHead binding design from Rainey Designs and continued to improve upon it along with creating their own bindings.

Continue reading Made in America: TwentyTwo Designs Telemark Ski Bindings

[UPDATE] Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame

 

[UPDATE] Moots extended the order deadline on the Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame to November 1, 2011 to accommodate more orders.

While on the subject of snow bikes, it should be mentioned that Moots of Steamboat Springs, Colorado is producing a very limited production run of their own snow bike frame, the FrosTi.

The FrosTi is a titanium frame specifically designed for snow riding. The rear spacing is 170mm, the bottom bracket is 100mm, the cable guides are designed for the shifter cables to be fully enclosed and the frame is made to accommodate a 3.7-inch tire. The geometry of the frame is designed to handle a Salsa Enabler fork and even an 80mm travel 29er fork for use in the summer. Unlike other frames from Moots, the FrosTi has very few custom options. No slider dropouts, no YBB rear suspension and no couplers for traveling… just an additional water bottle mount, rack mounts and different color decals are available. But heck, with only 20 or less being produced how likely is it that you will ever see another FrosTi?

Continue reading [UPDATE] Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame