Literally the only axe joke I could think of.

I love tools.  They’re kind of the original gadgets.  The problem is most of their designs have been around for centuries, and in many cases have seen little improvement.

So I’m always a little excited when I find an ancient tool with a new design.  The Spax from Ontario Knife Company is a firefighting/rescue axe with a uniquely compact design.  The cutout in the middle can be used to operate fire hydrants and gas valves.

Materials are about what you’d expect.  Ridiculously tough 1095 carbon steel blade, and a KA-BAR-esque Kraton handle.

Available for around $100 from Ontario Knife with a sweet MOLLE-compatible sheath, or a bit less if you shop around.

There are a few futuristic looking products that always seem to show up in sci-fi.  The G36, the P90, the Cx4, Bombo bar stools.  A perennial favorite of mine is the Boblbee Megalopolis.  So popular in movies that they even mention it in the product description.

Sure the design is a little over-the-top, but it’s a great looking pack, and certainly effective at protecting its contents.  The problem with a lot of hard shell backpacks is that the’re basically a rectangular waterproof case with straps.  Boblbee avoids that with a slickly designed shell that has plenty of mounting points, and is allegedly even aerodynamic.  

Adding a level of functionality and badassery, it’s also certified as a Level 2 back protector for motorcycling.  Though that makes me wonder what will happen to your laptop if you slide into the pavement back-first at freeway speeds.

Downsides are about what you’d expect.  Interior space is limited and inflexible and the weight is a little high (4.6lbs).  Pricing reaches a mildly astronomical $500 for the carbon fiber version, though it will save you half a pound on weight.  For the non-carbon versions, pricing is fairly middle-of-the-road for a technical pack.

Various Boblbee packs are available direct from the company for $220 to $500.

At a friend’s suggestion, I started looking into solar chargers a couple of weeks ago.  When I was growing up on a boat, we used solar panels to top off our batteries, and they worked great.  As a fan of both gadgets and a free energy, I’ve always wanted to try solar power again.  While I’ll probably be writing about that at some point, I didn’t really find any solar chargers that made the must-have list.  It comes down to this — portable, powerful, affordable — pick two.  Plus most of them take 8+ hours of direct sunlight to charge a phone.  And that much sun just isn’t available here more than a couple of months a year.  

But we do have a lot of stuff to burn. 

The BioLite CampStove is the first of its kind that I’ve seen. It’s a small wood burning stove attached to a thermoelectric device using the Seebeck effect to convert heat into electricity.  It outputs as a standard 5v USB outlet, capable of charging phones and other devices, or directly powering an LED light.  And since it runs on any flammable material, our perennial lack of sunlight isn’t an issue.  Score.

The BioLite isn’t out yet, but will reportedly ship in time for the 2012 camping season.  I’m looking forward to trying one out in person.  Even if I’m not charging a phone, it would still be handy to have some wood-powered lighting in camp.

Available for preorder from BioLite for $129.  A larger home version intended for third world countries is also in production, but with no mention of a price or release date.

So I got a kayak.

Naturally, it required a few pieces of gear before I could venture out into the harsh northwestern winter.

First on the list was a spray skirt.  Not so much for spray as to ensure that my kayak doesn’t simply fill with water when it rains.  It rains a lot here, you know.

Ok, so it’s not the one I posted about before.  But I needed a PFD, and decided to go with the more middle-of-the-road (and budget-conscious) Stohlquist TREKKer.  So far so good, but I’m still considering an upgrade if I start paddling on a regular basis.

Some O’Neill wetsuit.  Got it at a garage sale, no idea how old or what model.  It’s been great, but it’s starting to die.  Time to start looking for a replacement.

Sealskinz waterproof socks.  These have been great - I layer them with a normal, thin pair of socks, and tuck them into my wetsuit.  Unfortunately I haven’t had occasion to test them very thoroughly.  

These NRS Natural gloves are not fully waterproof, nor are they advertised as such.  But they are incredibly comfortable and fit great.  And they certainly have kept my hands warm.  The curved shape certainly takes some of the work out of holding a paddle - fighting neoprene is never fun.

I needed a paddle, and grabbed the nearest one.  This is a Carlisle Polypro.  It’s working alright so far, but I think it may be too short for me.

Since I’ve been skirting twilight almost every time I’ve been out, I’ve been carrying my Petzl Tactikka XP.  It’s not quite an official navigation light, but it’s enough to let people know I’m out there.

Now I just need to figure out a safe way to bring my camera along.

I’ve always been fascinated by kayaks, and their versatility as an adventure vehicle.  From long-range oceangoing expedition kayaks to the sportier whitewater versions, they’re available in an incredible range of sizes and styles.  But I live in an apartment, and don’t really have space for one.

Inflatable kayaks have been around for years, but never seemed to be able to find a sweet spot between expensive professional models and pool toys.  

Advanced Elements seems to have established a solid middle ground, with a model that uses the inflatable portion as a frame under a tough nylon skin.  The bow and stern are reenforced with aluminum, and it includes a couple of fins on the bottom to improve tracking.  A metal “backbone” can also be added for extra rigidity.

As luck would have it, an Advanced Elements AE1012-R showed up under the tree this year.  I’ve taken it out twice so far, once in a snowstorm.  I’ve been pretty happy with its performance characteristics, and am looking forward to additional testing.  Kayak gear post to follow!

Ok, so Seattle has a little snow.  It’s not much, but I’m excited.  I have a chance to use stuff!

Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters.  I picked these up for hiking St. Helens, and haven’t had much other opportunity to use them this winter.  Is the snow deep enough to justify them? No comment.

Khul Renegade soft shell pants.  I love these.  They’re ridiculously stretchy and comfortable, and even water resistant to a point.  Certainly enough to get me to work and back.

The Marmot Variant makes another appearance, and is still going strong.  I love this thing.  I’ve come to really appreciate the extra insulation on the core of this.  It makes for great layering without unnecessary bulk in the arms.  Plus thumbholes in the cuffs.

And finally, something I don’t have yet, but am seriously considering.  I like my gloves to be waterproof, but I’m not a fan of bulky, insulated skiing gloves.  Naturally, to find the most badass of gloves, one must go to that most badass of sports.

Ice climbing.

The Outdoor Research Warrant gloves are waterproof, while maintaining dexterity and durability thanks to a soft shell and leather construction.  They also look pretty badass.

So maybe I’m jumping the gun a little on gear, considering we’ve only gotten three inches of snow so far.  But if it keeps up I may need something extreme.

No, not mine (that’s coming up soon though, I think).  My friend Jenny’s blog Figure Mommy is a year old as of yesterday.  She blogs about everything from fitness and nutrition, to parenting, and even gear once in awhile.  Usually with more thoroughness and enthusiasm than I can manage.

So here’s to a year of making me feel bad every time I decide to eat half a pizza and play video games instead of working out.  May there be many more to come.

Ahh…tactical gear and Christmas.  If you find yourself in a war zone this Christmas, or just want the most badass stocking over the fireplace, this is pretty much awesome.

Oddly enough, there are actually several different tactical stockings out there.  But these are my favorite.  Maybe it’s the drag handle.

A rather affordable $12.00 from LA Police Gear.

Three months ago I wrote about the then-unannounced Kindle Fire, and speculated as to what some of its weaknesses may be.  It’s been out for a few weeks now, and reviews seem to be mixed.  I’d like to revisit that analysis and see how it panned out.

Lack of Buttons is an issue that was actually mentioned in several reviews.  Apparently changing the volume is something of a hassle because the on-screen menu is not responsive enough.  In a similar vein, there’s been some grumbling about the placement of the power button and headphone jack.  I’m not sure if this is because the bottom of the device is actually a bad place for them, or if people just don’t like it because it’s different from the iPad.

Screen Size also turned out to be an issue.  Both in usability and its ability to display non-book reading content.  In both instances, although the size gets the blame, the problem really appears to be software-based.  I still think 7” tablets are a good size, ergonomically.  

The Interface seems to be the biggest problem.  With Android hitting a new high in usability and polish, going back two major revisions to a pre-tablet version of the OS, and then throwing their own homebrew skin over the top was a big risk.  The Cover Flow-esque main menu moves at a great framerate, but this is countered by its slow loading art on other screens, and stuttering page turns.  Were they so inclined, this would be a good place to start the process of improving the Fire.

The Google-Free Experience is causing some concern among developers who dislike the Amazon App Store experience, and see this as Amazon’s attempt to break into the wider Android app market.  While it’s entirely possible to sideload apps, or hack the Fire to use Google’s app store, I doubt your average consumer will know this.

I was wrong on my last point - that it would sell well enough to cause outages of its related services.  If there have been any huge upticks in the usage of Amazon’s services, they’ve been handled smoothly.  Though it’s not Christmas yet.  Ironically, the opposite problem cropped up.  Early reviews of Silk were mediocre, prompting a statement from Amazon that it would get faster as more people used it.  If Apple gets a pass for Siri’s occasionally mediocre performance based on the excuse that the system is “learning,” I’m inclined to give Amazon the same benefit of the doubt.  This is somewhat new territory, and I’ll be interested to see if the Fire’s browser speed issues clear up in the coming months.

And me? I just grabbed an original Galaxy Tab from Woot.  What can I say, it seemed more my style.

I’m having domain/hosting issues.  Eligear will be fully functional again shortly!