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Tag Archives: Outdoors

Toro’s Lawn Striping ‘System’

By Andrew Liszewski on 07/15/11 • Leave a comment!

Toro's Lawn Striping System (Image courtesy Toro)
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 ]

Bergmönch Backpack Scooter Makes Descents More Entertaining, Ascents More Gruelling

By Andrew Liszewski on 07/12/11 • Leave a comment!

Bergmönch Backpack Scooter (Images courtesy Koga B.V.)
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 ]

Military Supplier Unveils Zombie Killer Knives

By David Campisi on 06/28/11 • Leave a comment!


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 ]

Rifle Umbrella Is Just A Terrible, Terrible Idea

By Andrew Liszewski on 06/23/11 • 2 Comments

Rifle Umbrella (Images courtesy Gadget.brando.com)
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 ]

Power Snorkel

By Andrew Liszewski on 06/22/11 • 2 Comments

Powerdive Power Snorkel (Images courtesy Powerdive)
By Andrew Liszewski

While scuba diving means you don’t have to loiter near the water’s surface in order to breathe like with snorkeling, it also requires you to wear a substantial amount of gear, including an air tank, which can be cumbersome. So the Power Snorkel serves as a compromise between the two underwater activities. It’s basically a floating air pump that not only frees you from having to wear a tank, but also allows you to stay under longer than when snorkeling.

A 20 foot hose leads from the Power Snorkel’s floating air tank to a Y-divider below, which then splits off into 2 additional 20 foot hoses ending in regulators, allowing 2 people to buddy dive while still enjoying some measure of freedom to explore where they want. On a single charge the Power Snorkel allows for dives about 50 to 70 minutes long, and a flag sticking out of the top makes it easy to spot where the divers are if the pump has drifted away from its original location. It does however run $2,495 making it a little expensive for a weekend at the cottage, but ideal for tropical resorts.

[ Powerdive Power Snorkel ] VIA [ Fancy ]

Umbrella Chair Brings Ultimate Comfort Outside.

By David Campisi on 06/21/11 • Leave a comment!


By David Campisi

It’s summer time again, and that big ball of nuclear fusion has unleashed its horrific fury on us in full force. Fitness experts, scientists, and moms have always preached the benefits of fresh air, but the summer sun has long deterred geeks from stepping foot outside. Fortunately, Hammacher Schlemmer has designed a chair that brings all the luxuries of indoors outdoors, so maybe it’s time we geeks give this “outside” another chance.

This monster of a chair is what you get when you cross cooler, coffee table, and chair DNA into a glorious hybrid. Providing ample shade is a 4′ diameter umbrella that can pivot to any angle to deny the sun’s fiery gaze. Each armrest sports a cupholder (in case, for some reason, you like to go akimbo with your drinking), and inside each armrest lies an insulated compartment that can keep an extra 6 canned drinks cold. Another non-insulated compartment rests under the seat to store reading materials, sunblock, etc. The footrest can also detach and function as an endtable or lapdesk. The chair is made of a breathable, soft mesh and even features an adjustable pillow to kick the comfort level up a notch.

This whole thing folds up into a rollable suitcase style rig, but it also features shoulder straps should you prefer to carry it like a real outdoorsman. The chair runs at $300, but there is also a scaled-back sports-style model offered for $75.

[ Hammacher Schlemmer ] VIA [ Technabob ]

FishEyes Rod & Reel Puts A Camera Right Above Your Bait

By Andrew Liszewski on 06/20/11 • 1 Comment

FishEyes Rod & Reel (Image courtesy NextSport Inc.)
By Andrew Liszewski

Unless you’re casting into a well-stocked pond, fishing can be incredibly boring while you wait for something to take your bait. In fact I think it just serves as a plausible excuse for spending countless hours drifting on a lake in a canoe. But the makers of the FishEyes promise to take the boredom out of waiting because they’ve created a rod and reel that features an integrated wide-angle video camera at the end of the line, sitting just above your bait.

The live video feed is sent to a color LCD display built into the handle, so you can see the fish as they swim by. But it doesn’t do anything to actually encourage fish to take a nibble. In fact, I’m pretty sure the built-in LED lights it uses to illuminate your bait underwater would probably serve to scare the fish away. And if the fish aren’t biting, seeing a murky live feed of nothing happening underwater isn’t any more exciting than sitting and waiting. Finally, according to this incredibly cliched infomercial, the FishEyes only has a little over 25 feet of line, which could make fishing off a tall dock pretty much impossible.

Get it from Amazon for $79.99.

[ FishEyes Rod & Reel ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

Stylish Cricket Camping Trailer Designed By A NASA Architect

By Andrew Liszewski on 06/10/11 • 4 Comments

Cricket Camping Trailer (Images courtesy Cricket)
By Andrew Liszewski

While probably outnumbered by scientists, engineers and even pilots, there’s apparently still a place at NASA for architects. And before turning his focus to more terrestrial endeavors, the designer of the Cricket camping trailer, Garrett Finney, actually worked on the habitation module for the International Space Station. So when it comes to designing small spaces that are as functional as possible, I can’t think of someone more qualified.

Each Cricket trailer is built to custom order, so customers get only what they want and/or need, and apparently range in price from about $10,000 up to $17,000. Amenities include a very compact stove and sink, equally compact shower and toilet, a tiny dining table and a couch that folds flat providing sleep space for a couple of people. The hard shell exterior is also strong enough to allow a couple of hammocks to be strung up inside for extra sleeping space for kids. The Cricket trailer is even light enough to be towed by some 4-cylinder cars since it weighs in at around 1,300 lbs before packed with provisions. And it takes just 20 seconds to set up once you’ve arrived at camp, which basically involves popping up the roof which is made extra easy with the assistance of automatic gas pistons.

[ Cricket Camping Trailer ] VIA [ Fancy ]

Jacko Steps Turn Your Backyard Into A Michael Jackson Music Video

By Andrew Liszewski on 05/24/11 • Leave a comment!

Jacko Steps (Images courtesy Roberto Paoli)
By Andrew Liszewski

Inspired by the music video for Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, designer Roberto Paoli created these faux backyard stepping stones that are lit from within. Their soft glow can be used to illuminate or draw attention to a garden area, or simply make it easier for someone to navigate your backyard in the dead of night. Unfortunately unlike the magical tiles in Michael Jackson’s video these steps don’t specifically light up when stepped or danced on, but they are a slick alternative to the more traditional individual lights that landscapers often use to illuminate walkways. As for pricing and availability? According to Ballerhouse you should be able to get them from Serralunga, an Italian design shop, but I haven’t had much luck finding them on their site.

[ Robert Paoli - Jacko Steps ] VIA [ Ballerhouse ]

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