Outdoors

Snowshoeing has long been the poor stepchild of winter sports. It's actually a really fun way of getting out in the snow to exercise and enjoy nature, but it's just not quite as exhilarating as skiing or snowboarding and, in many places, has a secondary status in the grand scheme of winter sports. One German company believes it's time for snowshoeing to step out of the shadows and share that same sense of visceral fun that skiing and snowboarding imbue. Hive (Hike + Drive) has designed a unique pair of snowshoes that double as a sort of short ski or glider. Read More

The Ambit watch is Suunto's latest GPS-enabled watch, following up on the X10. The package is designed to provide outdoor athletes with a suite of tools - GPS, sports computer, heart rate monitor - to train and adventure successfully. The data gathered can then be shared at Suunto's online training community, where there are more tools and features. Read More

Imagine the power of a US$500 outdoor GPS built into a $5 app available on iOS and Android devices. In a nutshell, that's ViewRanger. The advanced mapping GPS app has been around for years in Europe and just launched in the United States. Read More

In addition to two powerful LED lights, the new NAO headlamp from Petzl has a light sensor. The headlamp doesn't just shine light, it measures ambient light to provide the ideal amount of output. It also uses a few other smart design features to give you a high-performing, convenient headlamp. Read More

In the wilderness, few things are as important as a fire. Unfortunately, getting a fire going - even with all the right equipment - isn't always easy. Insta-fire makes it easier. The fire-starting mixture burns hot and long enough to eliminate the need for kindling and possibly even fuel. It's also versatile enough to light in wet conditions. Read More

Outdoor clothing manufacturers are determined to solve the one problem that the world's ultimate insulator has: ineffectiveness when wet. Sierra Designs and Brooks Range are both introducing specially treated down jackets, that they claim work effectively in both wet and dry conditions. Read More

The Decagon Link Station is a modular tent system by Japanese camping firm Logos. The various tents, canopies and tunnels of the Decagon range can be selected and connected as needed for a bespoke tent tailored to the specific needs of the user. Campsite etiquette notwithstanding, there's no theoretical limit to the size and complexity of the final assembly. Read More

Many modern outdoors folk are conflicted beings that live by diametrically opposed principles. On the one hand, they spend top dollar for the newest, lightest gear on the market to keep their muscles and joints moving freely. On the other, they fill up their featherlight packs and jackets with all kinds of single-function, redundant or just plain unnecessary devices in the name of being "prepared." Getting more function out of a single device is the quickest way to resolve this problem and the tw700 from German company Tak Wak achieves this by blending several of your most important outdoor devices - GPS, walkie talkie, camera and tracking system - into one rugged, waterproof, trail-ready package. Read More

Beacons and probes are slow and tedious. Avalanche airbags are large and expensive. The Rotauf MRK5, however, offers some serious avalanche protection advantages in a small package. Read More