GearScout Spring Preview Extra- Gadgets
August 16th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Surefire M300 Mini Scout Light
N/A, $N/A
Details are admittedly sketchy on this one. Surefire gave us a look at this little burner while we were at the ADS Warrior Expo in July. It’s half the size of the popular M600 Scout Light, runs at about 80 lumens for 1.3 hours on a single CR123. That’s enough light for tactical use and a more-than-respectable runtime. But the reduced weight may not be worth half the performance of the already svelte M600. We’re sure this is an issue Surefire is investigating as they gauge reaction to the light at military industry shows. The M300 could be out within a year, or that prototype could just as easily end up a paperweight on Dr. John Matthews’ desk.
Leupold RX1000
Summer 2009, $429
At 4″ long, Leupold’s newest compact rangefinder delivers 6x magnification with 1000 yard max range and a trick variable brightness OLED display that you can adjust like an Aimpoint to prevent the display from overpowering the predawn light. The unit offers a choice of three reticles and has a continuous measure mode that displays the distance as you scan a scene. It’s also pretty tough, as it’s made from a single block of billet aluminum. The only downside, and it’s minor, is the battery. It uses a CR2, which is a little harder to find than CR123 or AA/AAA cells.
Black Diamond Titan Lantern
Fall 2009, $79.95
BD’s smaller lanterns racked up a few accolades from the backpacking magazines last year with their personal sized Orbit and Apollo lanterns. So, their latest battery lantern should rate a strong buy if you are in the market for a camp lantern that reaches a 45 ft diameter area.
- 250 lumens (max setting) and frosted globe produces a bright, ambient light
- Dual reflector system captures and maximizes light output
- Power meter displays battery level of 4D alkalines
- adjustable brightness
- Folds to 200mm (7.9 in)
- extended height is 250mm (9.8 in)
- Collapsible hang loop
Garmin Foretrex 401 – Exclusive Gear Recon
June 9th, 2009 | Product Announcement Review | Posted by Rob Curtis
The first-generation wrist-mounted GPS were all about recreation, and if you used one in the field or on missions, you noticed they came up a bit short. But now Garmin has taken the original and slimmed it down into sleeker, more powerful tool. GearScout got a final prototype to play with weeks before its release.
New Garmin Oregon 550 Brings CameraGPS
May 10th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Garmin just announced their new top of the line Oregon 550t handheld GPS unit. $600 buys a 3.2 megapixel camera (slightly better than cellphone quality), a 3D compass that display a direction without having to hold the unit level and a new sunlight-readable display. Other than that, you get the usual Oregon touch screen, preloaded 100k scale US topographic map set, yadayada.
I don’t know if the Best Buy crowd is too excited about the 3.2mp camera –especially when point and shoot cameras are hitting 14.7mp. BUT- a small, waterproof unit that has the ability to PID a target or an area of interest with a geotagged photo may be interesting to ground guys and secret squirrels.
On the flip-side of the geotagging coin is the Nikon Coolpix P6000, a 13.5mp camera that will geotag your images. The camera won’t do navgation and it’s a more delicate device, but it will take far more useable photographs.
Still, if you regularly carry a GPS into the field anyway, a cameraGPS is better than nothing. It takes up less space and weighs less than a separate camera and is one less battery charger you have to keep around.
Shot 09 – Sparkie and Wet Fire demonstrated
January 18th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Sheila
Shot 09 – Knight’s “Bullet Flight” video
January 18th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Sheila
Shot 09- Highgear in High Gear for Military Market
January 16th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Highgear’s new Axis watch is clearly aimed for you, dear active-lifestyle military person. If it’s coyote color doesn’t grab you, the feature list will. It combines standard watch functions with four sensors in a low profile package with a negative LCD and a user changeable battery for $160.
The watch sports an acrylic window and a poly-carbonate case, which keeps the weight down and gave Highgear a few more bucks to add in the altimeter, barometer, digital compass, and thermometer. Specs after the break.
Shot 09 – Killer iPhone App
January 16th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Matthew Cox
Knights Manufacturing Company has figured out how the iPhone can help snipers become more efficient at their deadly art.
Yep. The ingenious iPhone, which can play videos, display pictures and text can now help snipers calculate their long range shots on the hightech touch screen.
Universal Battery Pack Keeps You From Getting Bored, Ever
October 9th, 2008 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Brunton’s new Solo “Personal Power Plants” can keep you gadgets running for days on a single charge. Just plug it in for a few hours to fill it up, then plug your iPod in using the USB port, insert toothpicks in your eyelids and watch all of the Star Wars movies, twice, without interruption (except for Jar-jar).
The Solo 3.4 is a little smaller than a pack of smokes, weighs about as much and comes with an array of adapters that should get the most popular gadgets in on the marathon for about $60. It charged up my Blackberry in about 40 minutes. It has two bigger brothers, the Solo 7.5 and 15, that add, size, weight and power for $200 and $400, respectively.