We are hunting high and low for the best portable audio on the planet. From headphones to portable speakers, we are testing everything we can get our hands on, so you don't have to.
21st century hide-and-go-seek, or information age treasure hunting are both apt descriptions of what geocaching is. Long story short is that there are roughly 1.25 million locations around the world where other geocachers have stashed a prize and/or marked its location via GPS. Geocaching.com houses THE database of geocache locations, a basic membership is free with an premium option for only $30 a year. Each eXplorist GC comes with a free 30-day trial of the premium membership.
Find geocache locations near you for a quick hunt, or preload locations from around the world, either way the eXplorist GC will guide you right to them. Loaded from the factory with ample geocache locations, you can simply power on and head out the door. The bright screen is easily readable in any lighting conditions and even rookie GPS users will find the navigation of this unit to be no problem. You can easily; locate, navigate, find, record and share all of your geocaching adventures.
So, if you want to hunt for hidden caches and share the adventure online with your friends, the eXplorist GC is a perfect tool. Plus, if you find yourself off the beaten path and maybe even a little lost, it will help you find your way home too.
Ultra portable digital video cameras are all the rage. The thought of being able to take quality video without lugging around a camcorder the size of the NYC phone book is intriguing to say the least. Several of the latest models even boast "Full HD" video quality along with other usability and durability promises. We took the GE DV1 out for a spin, here's the low-down.
What really sold us on the concept of this little HD video camera was it's claims of extraordinary ruggedness. Waterproof down to 15 feet, drop-proof from about 5 feet and dust proof, so it should survive just about any back-country journey, unlike most digital electronics out there. We found all of these claims to be true, even to the extent of taking several videos underwater. Plus, it works well as a 5 Mega pixel still camera, taking clear print quality pics in several lighting conditions.
The video quality wasn't motion picture quality however. The "HD" label may be slightly misleading. I found that the video output was great for web viewing, so if you want to post the videos to your website or a social media outlet like Facebook, this camera will do a great job. Plugging it into a 50" plasma proved to be a little more than it could handle however. This is not to say the video quality was bad, just not equivalent to that of full size HD cameras.
At an MSRP of $129, you really are getting a great camera for the money. As long as you know what you are getting, you will be more than pleased with the product. Fast action shots and playing the video on your HD TV are not this camera's forte. But, if you want a rugged multi-purpose camera you can throw in your beach bag, whip out and catch the kids building sand castles or splashing in the pool, this is an ideal option.
I am pretty much a music nut and being able to bring it with me everywhere is getting easier and easier. Bringing tunes into the back-country has always been a challenge though. Electronics plus dirt and water never mix well. So I encase my iPhone in a weatherproof, bombproof plastic fortress to protect it. But this does make listening to The Black Keys while I paddle a bit tough, until now.
The Bluetooth Tags from Outdoor Technology are the solve to my situation. I can hit play on my iPod, lock the thing up tight, stow it away in my pack and listen "wirelessly" from up to 45 feet from the source. I say "wirelessly" because even thought the ear buds are not tethered to the iPod with a wire, the two buds themselves are connected to each other by a wire. That said, they literally change how you think about headphones. With the wire running around the back of my neck while in use, the odds of getting tangled in it is nearly zero. With controls for volume and playback as well as a microphone and call answering capabilities, taking the actual iPod outta my pocket is almost never necessary.
Whether you are mowing the grass, shredding a mountain or putting miles on your bike, the benefits of being able to stash your phone/iPod anywhere and still use it just plain rules. The sound quality is really good. We are not talking DJ headphone quality, but they will rival just about any buds I have ever tried. They come with three different pairs of pads for the tips of the buds, so you can tailor them to fit your ear. They stay in place well, and add in the over-the-ear sport clips and they are going nowhere.
On the downside, you do kinda look like "Mr. Bluetooth Guy" waiting for the power conference call while you are in line for the chairlift. But once I got past that, I was back in love with these things. When not in use the tags hang around your neck and resemble a pair of dog tags, thus the name. I have to admit, I wear them like this all the time and I never seem to lose them, which is NOT NORMAL.
I get about 5 hours of life out of each charge, I just wish I could find more days to actually get to listen to tunes for 5 straight hours. That'd be nice...
I am a bit of a music junkie too. My tastes are varied and maybe even a little odd to some people. From Bluegrass to Electronica, my iPod is a veritable buffet of tunes. A life long love of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix demonstrate an affinity for ripping guitar, but a thumping base line is not gonna scare me off either. As summer time rolls around, having a quality pair of headphones is a minimum requirement. Enter the House of Marley, one of the legacies of Bob himself and their recently launched line of performance headphones.
I have had the chance to test out the Zion Earphones over the course of the last few months, and these things are just plain sweet in every respect. What got me from the start was the looks. The rasta colored fabric covered 52" cord feels top quality and is plenty long for whatever activity you may be into. The natural maple wood and recycled aluminum body of the bud make for an incredibly slick package. They come with 5 different sized pairs of rubber tips, so you can find the ones that fit your ear perfectly. When not in use they stow away neatly in the included canvas snap pouch. Throw in an inline 3 button volume control and mic and I never need to dig my phone outta my pocket, even to answer calls.
Beyond looking sweet, these things pound. Traditionally, I thought you needed to go with on-ear or over-the-ear headphones to get quality sound. I was wrong. I don't claim to understand what a 9 millimeter moving coil driver is, but it works apparently. Hooked up to my iPhone, these put out plenty of sound, to the point that max volume is bordering on painful.... Ha ha, sweet. Mowing the lawn is no longer an issue, the good ole snapper mower has nothing on these.
While wondering the halls of the Outdoor Retailer show some months ago, I ran into a display that was nothing short of amazing. A guy had a brand new iPhone 4 in a slick little black case and he was absolutely abusing it. Dunking it in water, whacking it with a hammer, dropping it on the floor and covering it in super fine sand, any of which would have rendered a naked phone immediately worthless. The banner behind him read LifeProof, and that is exactly what this case is.
Now, I was a little skeptical when I got one of these things in my hand. It didn't seem like it was beefy enough to do all the things it claimed it could do. It's no thicker than a normal case, unlike the chunky Otter Box case that has been the standard in rugged iPhone protection. The screen cover seemed uber-thin; and how was water not going to get through the slot over the speaker???
Once I watched the "Installation Video", put the case on and played with it for a few minutes, I was ready to put it through the paces. I reluctantly went to the driveway and dropped it from about shoulder height to the concrete, no problem, whew. Next, off to the shower to see how it handles a little water, note that I wasn't ready to submerge this thing just yet. Not a problem... So the next big test was to bring this thing with to the BWCA for a few days in the woods. I walked around with my phone in my pocket the whole time, went for a swim, not a problem at all, but that isn't what impressed me. What did is this little story.
Dinner time by the campfire, sun was down and it was dark, I mean "can"t see your feet" dark. I am sitting on a log cutting my steak (yeah we eat pretty well up there). I had several pieces cut up so as I usually do I went to stab my knife in the log next to me and when I jammed it down I didn't hit wood. I knew immediately what I had done, I just stabbed my razor sharp camp knife into the face of my iPhone, the screen was going to be toast for sure, right. To my utter amazement the case saved it. Not only did it save it but the knife only dented the case, it is STILL waterproof and works as well as the day it came out of the box.
All in all, I am amazed by this case. If you play outside and have an iPhone 4, this will be the best $79.99 you've ever spent!
Here is one of LifeProof's videos of the case underwater snorkeling... Thought it was pretty cool.
