By Andrew Liszewski

Having an extra pair of shoes when traveling is a real asset, if you can find the room to pack them. Whether you need to switch to a dry pair, or a different pair altogether when battling blisters, it’s a worthwhile bit of extra weight. And Timberland has just made it a bit easier to toss an extra pair of shoes in your suitcase, or clip them to the outside of your pack, with their new Radler Trail Camp Shoes. They’re a low-cut pair of thick-soled, outdoor-friendly trail shoes that zip into themselves thanks to a compact and thin upper design.

Made from waterproof, ripstop fabric and durable soles composed of 42% recycled rubber, the Radlers might not be ideal for extreme hiking situations given the lack of ankle support, but for light trail walking and life around camp they look pretty rugged. And when zipped shut they can be clipped to the outside of your bag. Personally I think it would be far more ideal if the shoes zipped into themselves the other way, containing the dirty soles so they could be easily thrown in a bag of clothing, but I can still appreciate their space-saving design. And at $65 they’re not terribly expensive either.

[ Timberland Radler Trail Camp Shoes ] VIA [ Acquire ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Since the thought of even spending one precious second of our lives away from our music, possibly having an intellectual and enlightening conversation with another human being, is so scary to us, it seems everything we own will eventually feature a built-in iPod dock. Or at least a way to connect and enjoy our MP3 players. The latest company to provide such a ‘convenience’ is Sea-Doo with this massive inflatable man-made island that allows 4 people to lounge about on a lake, generating sufficient noise pollution to annoy fellow weekenders.

The specifics on what exactly the built-in ‘MP3 system’ is composed of is glossed over in their product description. But in addition to a set of waterproof speakers, it’s probably safe to assume it at least has a line-in cable allowing you to connect any audio source with a headphone jack. And hopefully some means to keep the connected device high and dry. I’m not sure if that’s enough to justify its $299.99 price tag, even with the float’s quadruple air chamber design which keeps it stable no matter what the weight distribution of the occupants is. But it’s a small price to pay if it saves us from having to talk to each other right?

[ Sea-Doo Aqua Lounge 4 Person Inflatable with MP3 System ] VIA [ Fancy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m convinced that 80% of the world’s carabiner production is used by first year college students. But if you’re just using one to hold your dorm room key, student I.D. and meal card, a locking mechanism isn’t necessary. For the remaining 20% which are used to keep mountain climbers securely attached to their safety lines, being able to easily and securely lock and unlock them is an important feature. And that’s what prompted Black Diamond to engineer their new Magnetron auto-locking Carabiner.

On either side of the carabiner’s brightly colored locking ‘arms’ you’ll find a strong magnet that’s attracted to a steel insert, keeping the locking mechanism closed until you depress both sides to open it. And once opened, the opposing magnets actually have the same polarity so they repel each other, keeping the arms held open until the carabiner is closed again. (If my description is making things sound more confusing than they really are, just watch this promotional video from Black Diamond which eventually shows how the new system works.)

Don’t run out to your local outdoor shop just yet to pick one up though. They won’t be available until July 2012 at the earliest, presumably to allow for ample safety testing first.

[ Black Diamond - Magnetron Technology™: The reinvention of the auto-locking carabiner, coming July 2012 ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

When you’re packing for an adventure in the great outdoors, particularly one that involves a lot of hiking and carrying, multi-purpose tools are the only way to go. Axes that double as shovels, spoons that double as forks and even diaries that double as toilet paper will make your trek far more enjoyable. And who says that a sleeping bag has to only be a place to sleep? Not the people at Selk’bags, that’s for sure. While their sleeping bags do provide warmth and comfort while you doze all night, their unique design allows them to be enjoyed when you’re awake as well. In fact, wearing one is kind of like never having to get out of bed!

We had the chance to try out their latest model, the Selk’bag 4G Lite, at the cottage last weekend, and you can check out our full review of it after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

The Boy Scouts of America’s motto is simple: “Be prepared.” And with this folding canoe strapped to their backs, they’ll certainly be one step closer to that goal – at least when it comes to flash floods. Created by Tsor Design’s Ori Levin, the Adhoc canoe (more like a kayak actually) weighs in at just 4.1 kg and can be collapsed into a backpack-sized package that’s easy to carry. It’s made from carbon fiber for the hull and support struts, as well as aramid, a strong, light, heat-resistant synthetic fiber used in body armor and racing sails.

It can be assembled in a mere 5 minutes, and broken down probably even quicker, making it the ideal companion for a portaging adventure. But the slightly exotic materials it’s made from ensure it would definitely be on the pricier side were it to ever go into production.

[ Tsor - industrial design ] VIA [ designboom ]

By Andrew Liszewski

For any of our readers who wished they lived on a golf course or a professionally-groomed baseball field, Toro’s so-called lawn striping ‘system’ will let you pattern and customize the look of your grass, in your front or backyard, making it look like you actually know what you’re doing. And by ‘system’ Toro of course means a $90 accessory which is basically nothing more than a heavy roller that trails behind your lawn mower as you push it around your yard.

All you have to do is attach it using a few simple tools, fill it with dry sand and then decide what pattern you want to leave behind. As it rolls over the grass it simply bends the blades forward, and by changing directions you can create contrasting stripes. You can get standalone lawn rollers too, but if you’ve already got a self-propelled push mower why not let it do all the work?

[ Toro Lawn Striping System ] VIA [ Werd ]

By Andrew Liszewski

When it comes to climbing mountains, contrary to popular belief, getting back down after you’ve reached the summit can actually be more difficult than the ascent. Every step on the way down has to brake and support the entire weight of your body, which eventually takes a toll on the joints in your legs. And that’s where the inspiration for the Bergmönch (which is German for ‘Mountain Monk’) came from. It’s designed to be a collapsible scooter & backpack-in-one that can be carried hands-free up a mountain during your ascent, and ridden back down during your descent.

Now I’m going to assume this isn’t going to work on all mountains – particularly ones where climbing gear is required. But I think it’s a pretty awesome idea for hikers. Not only are you inspired to keep trekking towards the summit where you’ll enjoy an incredible view and a sense of accomplishment. But getting back down is like an exciting thrill ride! Albeit one where the price of admission is $2,150 and a few hours of hard work before you can climb aboard.

[ Bergmönch Backpack Scooter ] VIA [ Gear Patrol ]

By David Campisi

Ka-Bar, a military supplier, has just released a new line of knives created for the sole purpose of fighting off the undead. The manufacturer says that the “ZK knives are designed to perform under the most rigorous, unexpected and apocalyptic situations.” Yep, the zombie movement has reached that level, now. The 5 knife “ZK” line ranges from the 16” machete style Pestilence Chopper Knife, to the stealthy 3” bladed Acheron Skeleton Knife. The knives are shown in bright green handles, but they come with black replacement handles in case you need to sneak up on … zombies?

Ka-Bar’s website doesn’t yet feature these bad boys, but it looks like the kind of website a military weapon supplier would run if it did its own coding.  For the moment, Amazon seems to be the best place to buy them. The knives each run around $40 to $50 but you can get the smaller Skeleton Knife for $8.91.

[ Amazon ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The recent rash of sword-inspired umbrella handles walk the line between being humorous novelty items, and an easy way of getting kicked out of an airport. This Rifle Umbrella takes things to the next level, but manages to be completely devoid of any kind of novelty value. Instead, it’s a sure fire way to get kicked out of any public establishment, from stores to restaurants to even public transit. And I’m fairly certain if you even dare walk into an airport carrying an umbrella with a realistic wood stock handle and rifle barrel tip, you’ll probably be arrested on the spot. It’s available from Brando in two sizes for $19 or $28, but just don’t.

[ Rifle Umbrella ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]