Remember the various Audobon Nature Guides? The books that detailed every type of bird, mammal, tree, or flower? Well, the Audobon Society has went and gone mobile. Now you can just whip out your iPhone to be one with nature. Not only can you access the most comprehensive information about the natural world right at your fingertips, you can take advantage of the the iPhone’s GPS and interactive features to make the most of your outings — and share the experience with friends and family.

The next time you go for a hike or take the kids camping, you can whip out your iPhone to drop some nature-knowledge. Since it’s coming from your iPhone, it’ll also earn the “cool” factor. Interested? Hit the jump to see more app details and the full press release.

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This USB Hurricane Lamp plugs directly into one of your computer’s spare USB ports.  It does not require batteries to operate or special drives to install.

Once it’s connected and powered the lamp will illuminate your surroundings as it cycles through seven different colors.

The lamp uses LED bulbs which draw less power from your computer.

It’s available from uxsight.com for $9.69 by clicking here.

I was a big fan of SCOTTEVEST’s technology enabled clothing long before I began writing for tech sites. It just appealed to my inner geek. I got one of their classic vests, as well as their mid-weight jackets, long before most people had heard of the company and wore them for years.

Those jackets were among some of the earlier designs Scott and Co. offered but were already highly functional. I had not, however, seen any of the more recent designs other than through occasionally browsing the online catalog and posting news on Gear Diary.

Judie was sent one of their more current jackets, the Evolution Travel Jacket in a Small, but she thought it was a little snug. I had long had my eye on this design, but unfortunately I am a size medium. Fortunately Elana (my wife) is a size small, and while she doesn’t carry a lot of gear, she usually has enough with her that this seemed like it might be a good fit for her. Judie was kind enough to send it to Elana, and it arrived today. While Elana hasn’t seen it yet, I have no doubt she is going to like it… a lot. For my part it let me see and appreciate how SCOTTEVEST’s products have evolved over the years. What do I think??

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According to the press release the Freehands Gloves for Techies were created after their designer grew tired of answering his iPhone with his nose. This year the company has added models of gloves that look trendy and you won’t be embarrassed to wear. There are 7 men’s styles and 5 women’s to choose from. Each glove is insulated for winter wear. Pricing ranges from $18 to $40.

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There are adventures, and then there are great adventures, those usually described to friends and family as “trip of a lifetime” or the like.

And while you do your best to describe every detail, words rarely do an adequate job. Sights and sounds are needed at this point, and that is where VholdR steps in.

Video captured in high definition will bear witness to your tales and the folks at VholdR offer not only a choice of HD wearable camcorders but also a platform to share your adventures with the rest of the world.

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Not all flashlights are created equal.  Back in 1979, Anthony Maglica created Maglite.   Maglite is the bar where all flashlights are measured, for me.  Almost nothing could top it back then.  Well, Paul Kim, the designer of the Icon Rogue series of flashlights may be the new Anthony Maglica.  The Icon Rogue 2 is the best flashlight I have come across in all of my LED flashlight reviews I have done.   It is that good. Continue Reading

This orange stake looks like any other tent peg. Look closer and you’ll find that there’s a white LED lamp built into the side. Powered by 4 LR41 batteries (included) this peg will help you survive those hurried late night tent setups by illuminating the ground. The manufacturer claims the light will run for up to 5 hours on one set of batteries.

Lighted Tent Peg – $3.72

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. Continue Reading

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.  Continue Reading

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 to cut the tags off one of my daughter’s new toys or to free a trapped victim from a seatbelt.

This year I picked up a few new items during my stop over in Freeport and my favorite of the lot is the Spyderco Native.

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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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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 steel. And finally with its powerful jaws, outside-accessible blade, and removable pocket clip, you can use it like a pocket knife, or a multi-tool. And while those last features aren’t really “materials,” we think you’ll agree flexibility and adaptability are pretty much priceless any way you look at it.

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It’s May, which mean’s 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.  One thing we always pick up is 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 come up with 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.

The water bottle is available in an assortment of colors.

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Some products are timeless.  Although they might change in design over the years to adapt, their overall functionality remains the same.  The Timex watch, the Ford Mustang, and of course the Swiss Army Soldier’s Knife.

The knife that has been issued to every Swiss Army recruit since 1961 has received its first upgrade in almost 50 years.  This marks only the fourth time in the knife’s 120 year history that the design has been altered.

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Coghlan’s has long been a favorite brand of little camping accessories.  New for this camping season is the Camper’s Kit in a Bottle.

Inside the Lexan bottle is a Emergency Poncho, a simple first aid kit, a flashlight and a small multi-tool.

It is available now for $12.88 from Walmart.com.