#campingeek

The weekly outdoor gadget wrap up is my promise to you, to deliver fresh outdoor gadget news from around the world in one easy to digest package.

In this weeks episode we've got: Dog power, iPhone solar power dock, the "ZBoard" and the JetFlow hydration system.

ok, let's go!

  Ruff Wear’s Omnijore System

Does your dog pull on the leash? Don’t let all that energy go to waste. Harness the 1 "dog power" with the Ruff Wear’s Omnijore System ($150). The system includes a dog harness, human hipbelt and a towline, this turns any trail, cross-country ski terrain or mountain into a fun, safe way to move under canine power. Dog sold separately….

Check out the Ruff Wear’s Omnijore System

  A-Solar iOS Solar Power Dock

A-Solar has launched a new phone dock called, very imaginatively the "A-Solar iOS Solar Power Dock". This device is fitted with a powerful 6000mAh battery that can be charged using the integrated solar panel. The A-Solar iOS Power Dock will charge any Apple iOS device and is fitted with a LED status indicator and test button so you can keep updated on just how much battery power is remaining in the dock

According to A-Solar "The iOS Power dock is capable of re-charging an iPhone from flat to full in around 3-4 hours, and in around 12-16 hours using the solar panel and sunlight". Something to check out if your out and about all the time.

See the new A-Solar Power Dock

  ZBoard

You've probably heard of motorised skateboards before, however this one promises to be the simplest design yet. The ZBoard is the world's first weight-sensing electric skateboard. Simply lean forward to go then lean back to stop. It's that easy!

According to maker "You can cruise at a walking pace, or zoom all the way up to a top speed of around 17 miles per hour." This sounds very cool, it's what's called a "kick starter project", so basically you help fund the project and make it happen.

Take a look at the Zboard

  JetFlow hydration system

The JetFlow hydration widget means you can pull the dirty, moldy, bacteria-ridden hydration bladder out of your backpack and replace it with a good old-fashioned water bottle which you can keep clean using the dishwasher. The JetFlow system allows a water bottle to function like a hydration bladder. The simple nozzle screws to the top of your water bottle, holds it upside down and delivers water through tubing. You get the same function of a hydration bladder, only with a water bottle. Now, that's a camping gadget!

Discover the JetFlow hydration system

  Hope you enjoyed this weeks "Gadget Wrap up"

Cheers,

Justin Mountford

Head Geek,

I've been totally hanging out to stock Leatherman and now finally it's happened. 

I believe that Leatherman products are really the ultimate camping gadget.

I've had my Leatherman for over 10 years and it's an incredible tool. I've repaired my old Toyota 60 series and recently my Toyota Bundy with it, i've cut down trees, i've fixed hundreds of things around the house with it, I've cut up food, cut paper.... it's usefulness is endless. 

Leatherman have expanded the range to cover all needs and budgets, there's something for everyone!

Check the ultimate camping gadget below

All Leatherman tools sold through Campingeek.com are backed by a full warranty and competitively priced.

Leatherman Style CS

The handy Style CS is one unique clip-on multi-tool. With spring-action scissors, a file, knife, tweezers, bottle opener and mini-screwdriver, you'll never be without your most necessary tools. Fits in a pocket or clips on your pack or bag for easy portability.

Click here for more info on the Style CS

Leatherman Juice C2

The Leatherman Juice C2 is an extremely handy little devil with fiery red anodised aluminium handles. The C2 is well equipped with pliers, wire cutters, and four screwdrivers. The Juice C2 is the slimmest of the Juice models, but still has a corkscrew for those who travel light. 

Click here for more info on the Juice C2

Leatherman Skeletool CX

The sleek new Leatherman Skeletool CX gets goes back to basics... very awesome basics. The Skeletool CX has only the most necessary of multi-tool features, because sometimes that's all you need. With a 154CM stainless steel blade, pliers, bit driver, pocket clip and carabiner/bottle opener, you're set. 

Click here for more info on the Skeletool CS

Leatherman Wave

This is the most polar Leatherman EVER. The Leatherman Wave multi-tool is made famous by its outside-accessible blades that can be deployed with just one hand. When redesigned 2004, Leatherman man upgraded the Wave with larger knives, stronger pliers, longer wire cutters, and all-locking blades. Perfect for any job, adventure, or everyday task, the Wave multi-tool is an international best-seller 

Click here for more info on the Wave

The Leatherman Charge

The Leatherman Charge ALX has an aggressive cutting hook on the back of the serrated blade. Rip through tough materials like seat belts, linoleum and leather with no problem. Get your hands around the Charge ALX's unbeatable ergonomic grip, outside-accessible blades and premium materials like 154CM and 6061-T6, anodised aluminium Leatherman MUT 

Click here for more info on the Charge ALX

EOD Military Multi Tool

This is it, this is the BAD BOY - Every tool you need, any time you need it. From cap crimpers, a beefy field blade, and fuse-wire cutters, to a carbon scraper, bolt override tool and a replaceable C4 punch, the Leatherman MUT EOD has everything you need in an easy-access configuration for your specialised line of work. 

Accomplish your mission, maintain your field gear and lighten up your kit. All in a day's work. 

Now does that sound Campingeek or what! 

Click here for more info on the EOD

At Campingeek.com You can checkout more pictures and see what tool each unique Leatherman offers.

Cheers,

Justin Mountford

Head Geek,

The weekly outdoor gadget wrap up is my promise to you to deliver fresh outdoor gadget news from around the world in one easy to digest package.

** Don't forget i'm still running my free GLOW STICK promotion over at Campingeek.com, why would you sign up? 

Other than keeping you up to date with the industry, I only send great offers, discounts and coupons to Campingeeks!  

Ok, onto the fun.

In this weeks episode we've got a new type of powerful portable solar charger, a pet tracker, tripod mount for the iPhone and a new Camelbak product the All Clear UV Water Bottle.

Let's go!

Joos Orange Portable Solar Power

  Joos claim their portable solar power charger is "the most powerful and durable portable solar charger you can buy". A big claim for sure. The charger works in real-world light conditions like low light, in the shade and even light rain. they say it charges at least 3.5x faster than any other portable solar charger at the same price. 

Checkout the Joos Orange Portable Solar Power

  Tagg Pet Tracker

If you've ever had a dog bolt out the open gate or attempt a Steve McQueen great escape you'll know the pure terror and worry that you go through trying to find them. There have been GPS trackers on the market for people for a while, now they are finding their way into the pet world. Checkout the latest version the "tagg pet tracker"

Find out how to tag your beloved pooch here. 

  Glif for iPhone 4/4S

  This handy little device is basically a adapter mount. The Glif lets you mount your iPhone onto a tripod for better photos and movies or use a gorilla grip style tripod to put your phone into weird and interesting angles. Made from recycled rubberised plastic it won't mark or damage the iPhone. 

Read more about the Glif here.

  Camelbak All Clear UV Water Bottle

The All Clear water bottle from Camelbak has a UV light in the cap that purifies water in 60 seconds.  Simply fill the bottle from a river or tap pop on the cap and turn on the UV light. The proven UV technology effectively neutralises the microbiological contaminants.  The lamp is protected inside an impact and weather-resistant cap.  It’s powered by a rechargeable battery that can purify 80 cycles (or 16 gallons) of water between charges.

Checkout the Camelbak range here

  Enjoy.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks "Gadget Wrap up"

Cheers,

Justin Mountford

Head Geek,

I'd like to start this review with a true story.

I decided one Friday evening to head down to Mt Disappointment (a camping area in Victoria, Australia). I pre packed the car, slaved away at work, then took off from the city at about 5p. 

We entered the forest area and got about 20mins down the track towards our favourite camping area. As we rounded a bend I skidded to a sudden stop. A big tree had fallen completely across the track in one of the most inconvenient places. What's worse is that it had fallen only a few km's short of our destination camp site. 

Usually, this wouldn't be too much of a problem, I'd fire up the chainsaw, have the track cleared in 10mins and be on my way, both having done a service to other drivers and crowned myself a bit of a hero. Only this time I forgot to pack the chainsaw, the tree was to big to move by hand so I couldn't clear the track, no hero status for me then….. 

The only alternative was to back up a long thin track, find a place to turn around and go in another (more lengthy) way, which ended up taking an additional 2 hrs. Painful. 

There is a way I could have cut and moved that tree without a petrol chain saw, or axe or drag chain. In fact I could have cut and moved it off the track with something that fits in the glove box…

Enter the Pocket Chain Saw

I'll admit when I first heard about the pocket ChainSaw I was a sceptical. How could something that fits in a pocket (or glovebox) possibly cut down a tree. Turns out it can, and depending on the size of the tree it can do it quite quickly.

Fits in your glove box

There are three primary parts to the pocket chainsaw, the two handles and the chain. The chain packs into a metal tin thats fits in the palm of your hand. The handles don't pack into the tin however they are lightweight and easy to store. The whole lot fits easily into a car glovebox or door storage pocket. It's almost a no brainer to keep with your camping kit or vehicle for emergencies.

Construction

The Pocket ChainSaw is made of high strength, heat-treated steel and is coated for rust resistance. It's over 70cm long when uncoiled and uses 124 bi-directional teeth.

Cutting Power

The whole lot assembles very quickly and easily and is ready for cutting in about 20 seconds. The manufacturer claims it "Cuts 90mm diameter branch in less than 10 seconds", and it does! It easily cuts firewood, clears a trail, trims branches, clears heavy brush, removes tree roots, cuts in corners and can even cut under fences. I can see why it's a popular part of the SAS field equipment. 

There are limits

Of course there are limits. It requires a bit of human effort and you wouldn't want to try cutting down an entire forest with the thing. For emergencies and clearing fallen trees it's perfect, for every day use I'd consider a petrol saw! I'd say anything tree beyond 20cm is pushing it, it could be done but your arms would probably give out first.

I keep mine in my camping kit bag which joins me on all my adventures. I think it's a great tool to have around. If I ever encounter a fallen tree again i'm totally prepared!

Put a Pocket Chain Saw in your camping kit, checkout the discounted Pocket Chainsaw at Campingeek

  Review By Justin Mountford

Hey everyone, Justin from Campingeek.com here. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a self confessed geek who loves to take tech outside whenever I go camping. I’ve taken some crazy gadgets camping before and some have been total rubbish. However some of the gadgets I take camping are actually quite useful, and in some cases life saving. 

I want to show you 4 of my super useful “must have” camping gadgets! 

Lighting

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a deep-rooted hatred for batteries. 

I hate buying batteries

I hate that battery technology is stuck in the 1980s

I hate that rechargeable batteries seem to run out quickly

I hate that forgotten batteries leak some mega toxic goo all over everything

That’s where LED wind-up technology comes in. Torches like the Freeplay Sherpa Xray LED Wind up Torch completely eliminate batteries altogether! You never need to worry about toxic goo and you’ll always have light when you need it, no matter what. An LED wind-up torch is definitely an essential camping gadget.

Emergency

Not everyone has the space or resources to cart around a petrol chainsaw on every camping trip. While a petrol chainsaw definitely helps you cut down half the forest, what happens if you need to cut or move a large tree and you have no petrol chainsaw? Well, you could use the axe however an axe is inefficient and also a difficult item to carry around. 

This is where an innovative thing called a Pocket Chain Saw comes in. Used by Special Forces (already cool), the pocket chainsaw is designed to cut through the hardest wood and is also extremely flexible. The best bit is that the pocket chainsaw packs away into a small super portable package, perfect for large fallen trees blocking the way!

Tools

When it comes to camping tools there is clearly one MUST have camping tool the Leatherman. The Leatherman is recognised and used by everyone from elite soldiers, to mountaineers to adventurers, pilots and Justin (yea, I should be included in that list!). 

I’ve had the original Leatherman for about 10 years and they have just released the Leatherman Super Tool 300. This thing has every major tool covered. I’ve used mine for almost every camping task possible from cutting up food to repairing a Toyota Landcruser (many times), the Leatherman is and will always be an essential camping gadget.

Comfort

It’s not usually a problem to start a fire when camping, everyone has matches or a lighter. Only, what happens if no one has a lighter and the matches get wet in a torrential downpour? Yes, this has happened to me, quiet a few times. 

One of my favorite gadgets to get a fire started is the Swedish FireSteel flint fire starter. The FireSteel was originally developed for the Swedish Department of Defense and is the original fire starter. The FireSteel creates 3,000°C sparks, and is the foolproof way to light camping fires.

These are just a few of my essential camping gadgets what are yours? 

  About Justin Mountford

Geek, camper, animal lover, gadget freak! I'm the founder of campingeek.com a place where geeks, gadgets and the great outdoors coexist.

Hey Campingeeks,

Justin here, just letting you know I've started a Tumblr blog.... I mean, if you're already on Tumblr you know this, if your not, you do now!!!

I'll be posting gadget reviews, ramblings from inside my ecommerce world, frustrations, joys and news!