March 2012
1 post
So I married a Spax murderer
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...
February 2012
2 posts
Backpack of tomorrow
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....
Because we have lots of wood and no sun, that's...
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...
January 2012
4 posts
Staying warm, dry, moving, and floating
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...
Airboats
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...
Snow gear: snowmageddon 2012 edition
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...
Happy Blogiversary
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...
December 2011
2 posts
For your tactical hearth
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.
Android on fire
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...
September 2011
5 posts
Issues
I’m having domain/hosting issues. Eligear will be fully functional again shortly!
3 tags
Transparency
Egg Freckles has a post that reminded me of an old favorite product of mine from Apple.
The 17” Apple Studio Display fits an interesting niche in history, having been launched during the period of time when the term “Apple Tax” was coined. Apple was selling a 15” LCD for $999 and a 20” LCD for $3999 when monitors from other manufacturers were going for less than...
6 tags
Variation
I posted about the Marmot Variant jacket last year when it came out. Mostly I liked the look, but didn’t have an immediate need for it. I just picked one up recently (in the color above) and so far have been very happy with it.
The sleeves and back are Polartec Power Stretch, not softshell. It’s kind of like stretchy, fleece-lined sweatshirt material. This is definitely a...
I'm a Trekkie
I kind of blew off trekking poles as unnecessary for a long time. But after a couple of hikes where I just wanted to claw my way up the last mile, they started to make more sense.
The Black Diamond Ergo Cork Trekking Poles are aluminum. I seriously considered the carbon fiber version. I mean, I love carbon fiber. But after some research, I was convinced that the durability and...
The Amazon tablet: up the creek?
For not having been announced yet, the until-now theoretical Amazon tablet has produced a lot of buzz. The reason for this is basically twofold. Amazon’s aggressive pricing of the Kindle speaks well of their ability to source and competitively price electronics - a necessity in the tablet market. And word was that they would have some significant ways to differentiate their new tablet...
August 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Thunderbird 6's broken attachment pane
I don’t know what it is with email clients. It seems like no one can make a frustration-free one. And that’s just day-to-day use. Ever tried to actually migrate your mailboxes between clients?
Anyway, the latest version of Thunderbird added something I’m hesitant to call a feature. Attachments no longer show up in messages - you just get a box with a toggle at the bottom...
5 tags
A Crippling Titanium Addiction
Jetboil makes pretty much the best camping stoves I’ve seen. They’re lightweight, easy to light, and have none of the hassle of liquid fuel stoves. Besides, the container is (optionally) made of titanium.
Everything pictured fits inside the container, and weighs under a pound, including fuel.
And even though I have no use for it, I really want this awesome hanging kit. You...
November 2010
4 posts
3 tags
Vest joke here
We’ve discussed my love of vests before. Tactical vests are cool, but you can’t wear them in public without people looking at you funny.
The Flight Vest by Ogio is designed to hold tools, goggles, a water bladder and other gear used for motorcycling. They used to market it to photographers, but that doesn’t seem to have worked out. I still want one though. Those front...
3 tags
Curves
This monitor first made the rounds about two years ago, first attributed to Alienware. Of course, Alienware doesn’t actually make hardware, so I did some digging and came up with their source - NEC. I even saw one at CES one year. But then they sort of dropped off the radar.
Alienware never released it, and I don’t know what happened with NEC, but they’re now being sold...
7 tags
I've been adventuring - wrap-up
I’d just like to finish off with a couple of miscellaneous items that came in handy.
The Nexto DI eXtreme is…aggressively unattractive. But it can back up 250gb of photos directly from a memory card, it has an amazing battery life, and they have somehow perfected an interface that only uses one button (using long and short presses to navigate). I drag this along on any trip...
6 tags
I've been adventuring - part 3
Ok, time to talk about camera gear.
Like usual, the D90 made an appearance, and performed as I’ve come to expect. I can see how photographers get attached to their cameras - when you use a tool that often, and rely on it that much, you come to respect it. For its features, its durability, and the things it allows you to create.
Surprisingly though, the fisheye only made it out of the...
October 2010
6 posts
4 tags
I've been adventuring - part 2
We went through several different climates on this trip - from freezing in the passes to needing AC in the flatter areas. There was also extremely limited space in the car, so choice of outerwear was important. I found myself mostly using my Marmot Tempo.
It’s made of a super light soft shell material that’s wind and water resistant, but not too warm. The water resistance was...
I've been adventuring
Last weekend I went on a four day road trip through Wyoming and Yellowstone Park. Needless to say, I used a lot of gear. This will probably be multi-part.
I rely on my phone for directions, but out in the wilds of middle America, I was getting Edge service at best, GPRS some of the time, and frequently no signal at all. Not enough to download maps at any rate. In that case, a standalone...
Yet Another Ultralight Pack
I like gear designed for search and rescue, it tends to be designed by people who are passionate about creating quality equipment for a very specific need. The SR-1 Recon Search and Rescue Pack by Coaxsher is a very specialized piece of equipment, but one that I think might fit into my menagerie of packs somewhere. It has a 700 cubic inch main pack, with a removable 400 cubic inch medical...
The most badass jacket ever
I swear I thought of that title before I started researching this. Turns out everyone else on earth has used it. Though those were usually referring to the Mark I’s sister product, the Mark IV - as seen on Adam Savage. I like the Mark I better though. It’s a little less outrageous, and unless you’re shooting guns, having a recoil pad on your shoulder is kind of tacky. Both...
8 tags
VTOL
The Osprey project has an unfortunate reputation, but it has lead to the first civilian tilt-rotor aircraft - the Bell/Agusta BA609. With a range of 850 miles and a top speed of 315 mph, it can deliver two and a half tons of people or cargo to almost anywhere a helicopter can access, but at the speed of a King Air.
This is an awfully large piece of gear. But it does fulfill most of the...
6 tags
Well, I have been looking for a new tent
Weatherhaven, of Vancouver Canada, makes what I can only describe as the most incredible portable structures I’ve ever seen.
The company started in 1981, when they began by making portable structures for mining operations. They expanded into military hardware a few years later, eventually becoming a supplier to US and Canadian armed forces, and a number of countries conducting Antarctic...
September 2010
9 posts
6 tags
Air to spare
I learned to SCUBA dive when I was eight, using a full-sized 80 cubic foot tank. It was less like I was wearing the tank, and more like it was wearing me.
Over the years, I dove less and less, because honestly, it’s an expensive and time-consuming sport, and it usually consisted of adults dragging me along on their dives. I’d kind of like to try it again some time. Ideally with...
Shoe shopping, Part 1
I hate shopping for shoes. They’re expensive, usually difficult to return, I tend to own them for a long time, and there’s never a “best option” that can be gleaned from reviews. I have to actually try them on myself, and that usually involves a trip to a store. Ugh.
When I started this blog, I intended to talk a little about my shopping process. But then I realized...
6 tags
Man vs Merchandising
I like Man vs Wild; it’s a fun show. Some part of me gets excited whenever another bit of Bear merchandise drops, but yeah, it’s starting to get excessive.
This fall, Gerber will release an entire line of Bear Grylls branded gear, including a bunch of knives, a couple of survival kits, and a machete. Yikes.
Entirely aside from the fact that I don’t buy logo-bedecked tie-in...
7 tags
I was going to make a Top Gun joke
Sure it may not be my usually outdoorsey gear, but I have to sit somewhere and write these posts. This truly awesome office chair is made from an actual F-4 Phantom II ejection seat, slightly modified and reupholstered by MotoArt. They won’t give a price, naturally, but I’m guessing one of these will cost you somewhere between an Aeron and a real F-4 cockpit.
5 tags
Warm and Spacey
I want one of these, really bad. The Marmot Variant jacket is a combination of my favorite outerwear material (soft shell fleece) and synthetic fill insulation. Besides looking distinctly sci-fi, it has thumb holes (a necessity) and a nice fit for layering.
I have an unfortunately small number of slots in my gear inventory for outerwear, but I think a little more research on this one may be...
5 tags
Jetpack!
Ok, everyone else is posting about this, and it certainly meets my excruciatingly high standards for blog content.
Unlike previous and most existing models of jetpack, the Martin Jetpack actually uses ducted turbines for thrust, rather than rockets. This gives it a theoretical flight time of up to 30 minutes. It also incorporates a number of practical features like a roll cage,...
The Yarborough
A friend of mine just got one of these, it’s amazing. Created by Bill Harsey and Chris Reeve Knives for graduates of the United States Army Special Forces Qualification Course - Green Berets. It’s also available (minus some official markings) to civilians.
It’s hard to explain the level of quality that becomes evident when holding one of these. The handle is extremely...
High fiber
The bow-shaped piece of art above is the Hoyt Carbon Matrix. Allegedly the first all-carbon-fiber bow on the market (and I certainly can’t find any others).
It’s beautiful, no doubt, and I’m a sucker for anything made of carbon fiber. Just looking at the specs, it actually gets beat by a couple of other Hoyt bows. The Alphaburner shoots faster, the Turbohawk shoots the same...
4 tags
Science up in here
This picture comes from a great Popular Science article, in which Theo Grey puts his hand in liquid nitrogen, and is unharmed.
I’ve heard of the Leidenfrost effect, but I didn’t know it worked with liquid nitrogen. Crazy. Check out the article for more information and a video.
August 2010
3 posts
5 tags
Ultimate Survival! BlastMatch!
Sounds like the name of a Japanese reality show. It’s actually a neat little fire starting tool from Ultimate Survival Technologies, based in my homeland of Washington State. The BlastMatch is all the usual proofs (water, dust, impact, etc.), produces sparks hotter than a match, and can be opened and operated with one hand. I’ve tried starting fires with more traditional...
Pan-o-rama
(linked to Flickr)
Somebody on Facebook asked how I did this.
Nikon D90 with the following settings: 10 second exposure f/3.5 10mm ISO 200 11 exposures Taken at 9:00 PM, an hour after sunset.
The sky pretty much just looked like that - I got lucky on that one. I also credit this.
A Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens. I love it to death. Found it on Craigslist, and have never regretted...
4 tags
Getting things on your chest
Get it? Because it’s like getting something off your…never mind.
I like harnesses - they leave your hands free to do stuff, and don’t shift around when doing totally extreme things. I have no idea what I’d use the Coaxsher RCP-1 Pro Radio Chest Harness for, but you can be sure it would be totally extreme.
Or it might just be taking pictures of things. This neat little...
June 2010
6 posts
5 tags
Leatherwhat?
My first multi-tool was the original Leatherman. I got it in 1993 before they expanded their factory. It’s been to Mexico and back a few times, and was eventually shelved in favor of my current Gerber Scout. I’ve always wanted to go back to a Leatherman though.
The monster above is the Leatherman MUT EOD. A knife more badass than I could ever hope to be. It’s designed for...
5 tags
Spelunk!
I like Petzl stuff. I have a Taktikka Adapt (it’s awesome), and I’m a big fan of the Grigri belay device. The Petzl Vertex Best Duo (pictured above) is from their professional line of products, used in rescue work and the like. It has a dual bulb system - one halogen and 14 LEDs, and can run for upwards of 30 hours on a charge. Plus, noggin protection! Perfect for caving,...
6 tags
Anatomy of a blogborne rumor
For my readers who occasionally see headlines, then contact me and ask “can someone really hack my car over the internet?” here’s a dissection of the delightfully twisted path that misinformation can take as it winds its way through the network of amateur media.
“No Kidding: OnStar Cars Can Be Hacked, Remotely Controlled”
Thank you, Gizmodo. This article consists...
Camera porn
This gorgeous piece of glass is a Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. Allegedly created for antarctic expeditions, but also used for industrial applications, such as inspection and photography inside of extremely confined spaces (the interior of pipes, tanks, etc.). Seems like a shame to use such an amazing lens for pipe inspection though. It has a 220° field of view (yes, it can see behind...
4 tags
Extreme map reading
I actually had some trouble finding a handlebar-mounted map holder to link to for this post. Maybe I just wasn’t searching for the right keywords (it happens). But a couple of weeks later a friend sent me a link to a site that carried Miry products. Miry is a Czechoslovakian bike orienteering company, and in addition to standard handlebar-mounted map holders, they make a chest-mounted...
May 2010
14 posts
5 tags
My first knife
It wasn’t one of these. This is a SwissChamp XAVT. It has an altimeter. My first knife was the humble Swiss Army Classic. My dad gave it to me for my birthday when I was six, along with a lecture about knife safety, and demonstrations of proper cutting and handling technique. I still carry a Classic on my keychain, and usually have a Camper nearby. Mostly for the corkscrew. I mean,...
6 tags
AT&T's new ETF, and how to circumvent it
After inquiries from the FCC regarding early termination fees charged by carriers, you’d think they would be a little more careful about blatantly ripping off customers. Ha! Just kidding, cell carriers aren’t afraid of the FCC.
AT&T plans to up its early termination fee from $175 to $350 on June 1st.
Coincidentally, that’s right before the new iPhone comes out. There...
6 tags
Booting up
In the early days of my gear obsession, footwear was a recurring interest, possibly because I lived around such rugged and varied terrain. Most of the time I wore Aqua Socks of some variety, but for hiking I wanted some serious boots.
Combat boots always seemed cool to me. They’re used by literally millions of troops, in all sorts of conditions. So presumably they’re both...
3 tags
Half the man (he) used to be
Today’s guest post is by my friend Brian, who’s lost almost a hundred pounds in the last year. He didn’t do it by sitting on his butt, and he didn’t do it with low-tech toys like your mom’s pedometer. Aside from a metric shitload of determination and first-rate personal training, here’s the gear he used to help him go from struggling through a walk, to...
5 tags
Steak!
Step 1
Coat completely in salt. Let sit for 40-60 minutes. Rinse, dry, grill to 130 degrees.
Step 2
Step 3
Slice.
Step 4
Serve!
8 tags
Trip report: whitewater rafting
For my birthday last year, Krysta gave me a coupon for a river rafting trip. Neither of us anticipated how busy our summer would get, and the end of the season rolled around with it still gathering dust on my desk. About a month ago, a friend mentioned that he was putting together a rafting trip, and we jumped at the opportunity.
Our host was Blue Sky Outfitters, a well-known outfit based in...