Outdoor Gear | Gear Diary

News & Features September 28, 2015

LuminAID PackLite 16 Will Enlighten Your Travels

I first saw LuminAID’s products on Shark Tank. I was impressed by the presentation, the product, and the ways it can be of real use in an emergency. I didn’t order one but was thrilled to get a review sample. I was sent the LuminAID PackLite 16. It’s “the new and improved version of our original LuminAID solar light!” From the company: “The new PackLite 16 has double the LEDs (2X the wattage), is made out of a thicker, more durable TPU (PVC-free) material, and has an additional flashing setting for emergencies. The PackLite 16 provides up to 16 hours…

Reviews September 6, 2015

Denon’s HEOS 1 and Go Pack Make for a Fine Wireless Speaker

The Denon HEOS 1 Wireless Speaker is an attractive network and Wi-Fi connected speaker that delivers good sound anywhere in your house for $199.99. With the HEOS app, you can stream music to the speaker using a few different music services. The HEOS 1 Go Pack adds Bluetooth connectivity, splash proofing, and a 6-hour battery for $99.

Reviews September 6, 2015

The SKEYE Mini Drone by TRNDlabs is 4 Times the Excitement!

TRNDlabs has a winner on it’s hands with its new SKEYE Mini Drone. This quad-motored drone is simple to use and can be flown by a beginner in less than 5 minutes. It’s got an onboard 2MP 720p camera and comes with a microSD card for capturing your flight. It sells for $99 and you’ll be flying in no time!

Reviews August 31, 2015

Screwpop Tools, Pliers, and Utility Knife-Everyday Items in Convenient Portable Form

I love small multi-tools. You never know when you’ll need a tool on hand for a small job. Screwpop takes the multi-tool in a new direction, offering various focused tools in keyring form and tossing in a bottle opener for good measure. I looked at the Screwpop Tools Pliers and Utility Knife; are they worth space on your keyring?

Reviews August 12, 2015

ProtectorXT Review: A Biometric Quick Access Gun Rack

As an avid owner and user of firearms and father of two young sons, safety is always on my mind. Whether it is protecting my family from intruders or keeping weapons out of the hands of my children, the safety of my firearms is important. The ProtectorXT ($359) is a biometric, quick open gun rack with both issues in mind.

Reviews, Travel August 6, 2015

The Scrubba Wash Bag Will Make Your Clothes Appear Clean, but ARE They?

Over the past month, I’ve been doing a ton of traveling, and with that came the need to keep my clothing clean. Luckily I had a super portable wash bag that I could use to quickly wash the smaller things in my bag that needed to be cleaned.

News & Features August 4, 2015

TRNDlabs Announces the SKEYE Mini Drone with HD Camera

TRNDlabs has announced it’s new SKEYE Mini Drone with HD Camera is now on sale! It’s a nicely designed mini drone with built-in LED lights for night flying. It packs a 2 megapixel HD camera to capture in-flight video and the driver can easily perform trick maneuvers like flips. The SKEYE Mini Drone is on-sale now for $99.

Reviews August 3, 2015

The Braven BRV-X Serves Up Music Outside and In

August has just begun, and that means there’s still plenty of outside time left before the cold arrives. If you want to bring your music with you into the great outdoors, you owe it to yourself to check out the weather-ready Braven BRV-X Bluetooth speaker. It’s designed to serve up great music no matter where you are, inside or out.

Gear Bits July 23, 2015

PF Flyers Made in the USA Center HI: These Ain’t Your Daddy’s HiTops #ad

This is a sponsored post; we received compensation from PF Flyers, but all opinions are the authors. When we were first contacted about taking a look at the PF Flyers Made in the USA Center Hi custom sneakers, I was immediately interested. I love products made stateside, and it had been years since I had a pair of hi-top sneakers.

Outdoors, Reviews July 18, 2015

Traveling Breeze Fan-Cooled Camping Chair Is the Future in Outdoor Relaxation

Imagine the most comfortable camping chair in which you’ve ever relaxed. Now, imagine that camping chair has built-in air conditioning. Now you’ll have an idea of how awesome the Traveling Breeze is. This portable chair has two quiet, high flow fans built-in to cool your back, neck and shoulders while you rest in its embrace and it’s available for $69.99.

Reviews July 12, 2015

Thermacell Repellent Camp Lantern: Must-Have for a Mosquito Summer

Summer is in full swing and around here we call that “mosquito season.” With unusually heavy spring rains the pests have been worse this year than we can remember in some time. Thankfully companies like Thermacell are ready to assist repelling the pesky bugs, while also helping to avoid more serious threats like West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes.

Outdoors, Reviews July 12, 2015

Minus Sunblock, the Chawel Is the Only Accessory You Need to Take to the Beach

I’ve been waiting for over a month to use it because weather back home is pretty terrible, between it raining and the pools closing, to having pools be closed until Memorial Day, I was legit stoked when I was sent my Chawel towel to review.

Health and Fitness, Outdoors, Reviews, Yum Log July 6, 2015

Stay Hydrated With the Vapur Element Anti-Water Bottle!

Proper summer hydration is must. That’s especially true if, like me, you are headed to Israel and Greece in a few weeks. And while Raina and I both tend to carry a Nalgene Water Bottle with us everywhere, the thought of traveling with a big, bulky water bottle doesn’t appeal to me. That’s where the Vapur Element Anti-Bottle comes in. Unlike a traditional water bottle, the Vapur Element is collapsible, packable, and clippable. It has an unusual design that makes it ideal for long trips but will also work just fine as your daily go-to hydration system. The company explains…

News & Features July 2, 2015

Edyn Garden Sensor Now Available Exclusively at Home Depot

Edyn, the connected garden sensor, announced on July 1st that they struck an exclusive retail partnership with The Home Depot. This smart garden device is solar-powered, Wi-Fi enabled, and water and fertilizer resistant. Plus, you can use the Edyn iOS app to find out how to maximize your garden’s health! The Edyn Garden Sensor is available now for $99.97.

Outdoors, Reviews June 8, 2015

Lems Boulder Boots Are Begging to Be Your New Travel Companion

During high school and college I spent a good deal of time in Israel, much of that time was spent walking and hiking. A pair of heavy leather boots were my constant companion. The need to travel light, along with airline baggage limits, means the days of traveling with heavy boots is over. That’s where Lems Boulder Boots come in.

News & Features, Outdoors May 20, 2015

Timbuk2 Teams Up with Bianchi for Limited Edition Pack, Announces Giveaway

With May being National Bike Month, and record high temperatures in full effect, this means a lot of folks are commuting and heading to work on their fixies, or whichever two bikes they see fit. The commuting aspect is easy, but unlike having a passenger seat to throw your bag or purse onto, you’ll need a means of putting your gear as well as extra clothes into something. So it only makes sense that Timbuk2, who’s infamous for making quality bags teamed up with Bianchi to celebrate their 130th anniversary. Not only introducing the beautiful Limited Edition Prospect Pack, the…

News & Features May 19, 2015

LucidBrake Is Donating 20% of Smart Bike Break Sales to Help Fight HIV/AIDS

LucidBrake, the creators of the first smart wireless bike brake light announced today that they will be giving 20% of all pre-order sales of their LucidBrake wireless bike break light for HIV/AIDs awareness and research. Starting today, and finishing up in July, LucidBrake will donate 20% of every pre-order to AIDS/Lifecycle: Ride to End AIDS, the annual seven day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money and awareness of HIV/AIDS, which is held on May31st until June 6th this year. LucidBrake, the press-on wireless biking brake light, successfully completed their Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns earlier this…

Reviews May 7, 2015

OLIVERS All Over Shorts Are Gym Shorts Re-Envisioned

If you balk at the idea of a $68 pair of athletic shorts you can stop reading this review right now. Yes, the OLIVERS All Over Shorts are gym shorts re-envisioned from the thread up. The result is a pair of shorts that are pricey but may very well be worth the price. Here’s a quick look.

Reviews May 2, 2015

Goal Zero Switch 10 Multi-tool Kit Review

I have become a huge fan of solar technology. Since I spend considerable time in the outdoors off-grid, solar products allow me to keep my devices connected. I have several solar products and jumped at the chance to review the Goal Zero Switch 10 Mutli-tool Kit. The $119.95 kit is an all-in-one solution for a pack or on the go.

Reviews April 10, 2015

The UWaterX3 Waterproof Wireless Action Speaker Is Ready for Anything

Fitness Technologies, Inc.’s UWaterX3 Wireless Action Speaker is a unique waterproof Bluetooth speaker that is ready for almost anything. This monster truck tire-looking speaker feels completely solid and indestructible. The UWaterX3 creates great sound with its 50mm driver and directional subwoofer. This speaker comes with a number of mounting options for many different types of activities and retails for $130.

Outdoors, Reviews, Yum Log April 3, 2015

The BBQ Dragon Gets You Hot All Over

Finally, the weather has warmed up enough where we can officially declare the beginning of grilling season, and with it a plethora of new BBQ tools and gadgets to try out. I recently experimented with a new device that purports to get you grilling even faster, The BBQ Dragon; read along to see if it lives up to the hype.