Outdoor Gear | Gear Diary

Coghlan’s Flint Striker Review

From the days of the cave man, starting fires has long been something man has struggled with. The Coghlan’s Flint Striker which is a twist on a fire-starting technology that is almost as old as time. Even with today’s more modern technology, you still might want to use one of these instead of matches or butane lighters. Coghlan’s Flint Striker is a rod made of magnesium with a striker attached with a piece of cord. It is simple to operate. You just take the striker and hold it in one hand with the word UP facing the top of the…

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Life+Gear 6IN1DC Flashlight Review

It never fails. The power goes out in the middle of the night and your flash light is out of batteries. Now that we are getting to the heart of the hurricane season, before the next storm hits maybe you should get your family a Life+Gear 6IN1DC. The 6IN1DC is touted as a quad power device. The device can run on 3 AAA Batteries, a DC Adapter (not included), an AC Adapter (also not included) and backup power.

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Spyderco Native Pocket Knife Review

Every year my family takes a week long vacation to visit my mother at her cabin in Maine. We make it a habit of passing through Freeport, Maine on the way up to her house each year. Freeport is not only is the home of L.L. Bean but it’s also the home to one of my favorite knife shops, the Freeport Knife Co. I am a collector of pocket knives and I carry one almost all the time either in my pants pocket or my turnout gear. It’s a tool I end up using several times a day be it…

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Gorillatorch: Coming to a Dark Room Near You

I am a huge fan of the Joby Gorillapod, a fantastically flexible mini tripod. It is one of my favorite gadgets for my camera. Well, now the good folks at Joby have brought the latest in the Gorilla line, the Gorillatorch. This is an ultra-bright light, mounted atop the same three flexible legs as the Gorillapod. At the end of those legs are magnetic feet, which allow you to position the light wherever you need it most. This would be the perfect solution for workshops, autoshops, and even camping. Hit the jump for the full press release.

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Little Tool That Packs a Big Punch

I’ve been using the Leatherman Skeletool CX for the last year or so. It goes with me everywhere I go. I thought it was light weighing in at a mere 5 ounces. Now Leatherman has one-upped themselves again with the release of the Freestyle CX. This little knife/tool hybrid is packing one heck of a material list. To start, the Leatherman Freestyle CX features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance, making it great for those adventures that really put your gear to the test. Next the premium 154CM knife blade holds its edge three-times as long as traditional stainless…

Outdoors, Reviews

Coghlan’s Camper’s Kit Review

It’s May, which means it’s off to camp soon for my son and me as we had to Camp Pilgrim Hills with my son’s class for an adventure in Nature’s Classroom. We always pick up water bottles, ponchos, and a new first aid kit because we usually have lost or broken the water bottle, torn the poncho, and used the first aid kit. Coghlan’s has developed a unique package that lets me pick up some of the stuff I need in one shot; I am talking about Coghlan’s Camper’s Kit in a Bottle.

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Proporta Beach Buoy Review

The summer travel season is fast coming upon us. In fact, here in Columbus we have a day in the 80’s predicted already! While it’s still not warm enough to go swimming, when you do finally take the plunge you may want to take this with you.

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Kuru Footwear Review

I am a avid walker and hiker. Sometimes I will choose to walk when I would normally drive, even if I have to take a empty backpack along to carry my purchases. Because I walk a lot, I always buy good shoes, which is why I jumped at a chance to check out these interesting shoes. Kuru Footwear gets its name from Kuru, Finland, which is an outdoor destination in Finland known for eco-tourism, environmental conservation, and many other outdoor pursuits. The company was started by a group of young and passionate lovers of the outdoors who wanted to make…

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Review: SmartShield Sunscreen and Insect Repellant

Have you ever had a bug problem and a problem with the sun at the same time? This happens often when you’re on a camping trip or at an amusement park. In the past, you had to slather on sunscreen and then spray some insect repellent. It was a messy and goopy process, and sometimes you would still be swarmed by bugs or burnt to a crisp; not any more. SmartShield isn’t the first combination sunscreen and insect repellent, but it’s one of the best smelling ones I have tried. I have used Sawyer’s SunBlock with insect repellent, and while…

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Review: Coghlan’s LED Clip-On Headlight

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the 0.5 Watt Headlight by Coghlan’s. This one isn’t as powerful, but is still enough to light the night for a whole summer’s worth of camp outs.

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Review: Coghlan’s 0.5 W LED Headlight

After writing the review for the Coghlan’s LED Micro Lantern, Coghlan’s offered to send me 2 new LED headlights to review. Today I am going to take a look at the 0.5 Watt LED Headlight from Coghlan’s. The wattage of this headlight is serious. If you need to be able to see anywhere you point your head at night, then you should get this light.

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Review: Coghlan’s LED Micro Lantern

Back in the day, about 20 years ago when I was in Boy Scouts, options for a lightweight lantern were rare; you either took along a big fluorescent lantern or a propane lantern. Lanterns are better than flashlights because they provide a circle of light around your entire work area instead of just one spot. When car camping, this isn’t a huge issue, but if you’re a backpack-style camper, you’ve probably had to live with a flashlight only…not any more.

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The Don’t Bug Me All Natural Insect Repellent Patch Review

What smells like a vitamin supplement, sticks to you like glue, and may just keep you from becoming a human feast this summer? Well, the Don’t Bug Me Insect Repellent Patch – of course! 😉 According to their press release, the Don’t Bug Me Patch is “now available at major retailers nationwide, the effective and waterproof patch protects against bites from pesky, disease-carrying mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, chiggers, sand fleas and no seeums. The patch doesn’t contain DEET so it’s safe for children too.”