I liked the Rogue 2 flashlight I reviewed a while back.  Well, Icon has brought out 2 more LED flashlights that are along the same lines, but have polymer bodies versus the milled aluminum bodies of the Rouge 1 and 2.  They have the 1 cell version called the Modus 1 and the 2 cell is the Modus 2.  They are also waterproof like the Rouge line as well.   The Modus 2 is on Amazon.com for $36.99.  The Modus 1 is $29.99 plus shipping from Radio Shack.

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Allow me to set the scene. You’re sitting on the beach in a faraway tropical location sipping on a fancy frozen drink, while listening to tunes streaming from your iPod touch which is resting gently on your towel. Looks good right? That is until the family of six comes marching by with a horde of beach toys, chairs, karts, umbrellas etc. kicking sand all over your precious Apple product along the way.

Pelican has been in the business of protecting gizmos and gadgets for over 20 years. Their heavy-duty cases our industry known as ones that offer the maximum amount of protection your gadgets both need and deserve.

During CES I visited the Pelican booth and was given their new i1015 iPod touch and iPhone case for review.

How does the i1015 stack up against other heavy-duty cases I’ve reviewed? Read on to find out.

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Tom Bihn is a company I have been following for a while now, ever since Judie reviewed the Aeronaut when she was still at The Gadgeteer.  Tom Bihn is not only based right here in the United States, they make their bags in the US, which is a rarity among bag manufacturers.  When Tom Bihn let me know about their new Synapse backpack, I jumped at a chance to review it.

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So there you are, outside in the winter in the northern latitudes, playing in the snow, having a good time.  And then what do you have?

Frozen friggin’ hands, that’s what you got.

So after fun times are over, and you want to warm up your poor abused digits but don’t want to go inside, what do you do?  Well, you shove ‘em in your pockets.  And it’s even better if you have something snuggly and warm in there to help.  And the ezGear people think they have the help you’re looking for:  their $29.99 rechargeable hand warmer.

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I really liked the Flint Striker from Coghlan’s I reviewed in September.  It works really well but sometimes you need a little more.  The Magnesium Firestarter from Coghlan’s not only gets the spark you need, but also provides you some tinder that burns a little hotter than dryer lint. Continue Reading

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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