Posts Tagged biking gear
GoPro HD Helmet HERO Waterproof, Wearable Video Camera
How to be the coolest mom ever? 1.) Get ahold of one of GoPro’s super-cool, sporty, durable video cameras. 2.) Strap it to your kid while he’s skiing, sledding or mountain biking. Voila! Not only will your child be on the receiving end of all sorts of “ooohs” and “ahhhs,” from all those who spot him and covet the sleek little camera, but you’ll have a blast together looking over all of the fun (often funny) footage he’s captured while enjoying some favorite activities.
The friendly folks at GoPro sent me the HD Helmet HERO last month specifically to take with me on my family’s Disney Dream cruise. While I wore the camera strapped to my head, I recorded a ride — with my son — down the cruise ship’s first-in-the-industry top-deck water coaster. I think the footage is hysterical.
Since then, we’ve also mounted the camera to my son’s helmet so he could film his skier’s-eye-view while skiing the rails in the terrain park at Buttermilk, our local Aspen/Snowmass ski hill in Colorado. My daughter wore it mounted to a head strap while flying head first down the tubing hill at Vail’s Adventure Ridge. If you can’t make it out the words, that’s her shouting, “Suuuuper-man!”
Indeed, this tiny camera is a ton of fun. Housed in its waterproof shell, it’s safe underwater to 180 feet. As my colleague John pointed out, when he reviewed a wearable camera in 2009, the mounting options for GoPros are excellent. You can attach mounts with adhesive to ski or bike helmets (either flat or curved surfaces). You can purchase special mounts for bike seats or handlebars, as well as surfboards. There’s a “waterproof wrist housing,” I’m guessing for snorkeling or diving adventures, and a chest mount (to capture running trails, perhaps?). Plus, we have the head strap that I wore on the Disney Dream water coaster ride above.
The camera doesn’t only film video, but it also takes still photos. You can set it every “x” seconds for time-lapse mode, or just snap a single picture. The fish-eye lens results in some really cool images. I took this one just outside my sunny, snowy front door; even shooting directly into the sunlight, a pretty clear photo resulted:
You can use the GoPro HD Helmet HERO with an SD card up to 32GB capacity. The camera comes with the waterproof housing and also a USB cable for downloading images or charging the battery. Note that the camera does not come with an LCD screen, so unlike most digital cameras you cannot “see” what you are shooting. I recommend purchasing the screen ($80), just so you can see what you’re photographing if you are using the Helmet HERO as a still camera. The light, detachable screen also allows you to play back videos directly on the camera, as opposed to plugging it in or removing the SD card to view on a computer screen.
Instructions for the GoPro HD Helmet HERO are straightforward. Even this non-techy type figured out how to shoot video and take still photos within minutes.
My son can’t wait to use our GoPro for capturing his mountain-biking adventures this summer. I’m planning on bringing it to Lanai, Hawaii, to test its quality while snorkeling in the local bay. This camera is hardly cheap: it retails for $299; check for lower prices on Amazon.com. Indeed, it’s certainly not one of the most practical travel items I’ve reviewed on Practical Travel Gear, but it sure has provided a heck of a lot of fun for this family.
Get the GoPro HD Helmet HERO at Backcountry.com
Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family on February 15th, 2011
Don’t Call It a Fanny Pack: Eagle Creek Tailfeather
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love fanny packs and those who don’t. I’m firmly in the latter category, but my mother is not, so I let her do the honors in trying out this Eagle Creek Tailfeather in the real world.
I do recall one instance where I wore something like this around, however. I spent a few days at Red Mountain Spa in Utah for a big 10th wedding anniversary vacation and they gave us a waist pack with two water bottle pouches. I used it on a few desert hikes there and one mountain bike ride. Hey, I didn’t know anyone there who was going to tell me I looked like a dork and it was just sitting around my room anyway…
I do understand the utility of this, hands free and nothing making your back sweat. And if I were the type who liked to have my belongings strapped around my waist on a regular basis, I can’t imagine a better one to strap on than this.
It’s got the two water bottle holsters, two separate zippered compartments, mesh facing the body, and a strong adjustable strap. Even a carrying loop on the top for when you take it off—or don’t want to wear it.
And it’s made by Eagle Creek, a company I’ve been trusting with my money and my belongings for close to two decades now. They make great, functional products that deliver and keep on delivering.
My sixties mom tester liked this larger version of the venerable fanny pack and plans to take it with her on future trips. She likes how it holds pretty much everything she needs for the day—money, camera, smokes (haven’t managed to get her to quit), credit cards, lip balm, and sunscreen. She’s the type that constantly leaves her keys or money in odd places and has trouble finding them, so this Tailfeather solves that problem when traveling. Everything in one place.
You’re either going to love this item or recoil at the very thought of it. If you’re the former, get it here:
Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on November 11th, 2010
I-Beam Mini Fold-up Bike Repair Tool
We don’t review all that much bicycle gear on here because most travelers are moving around by other means and there are plenty of specialist cyclist blogs out there for bike gear. When I am on the move with my own bicycle though, like when I rode more than 100 miles off-road on Missouri’s Katy Trail this past spring, I start wondering what’s going to happen if something goes wrong. Who wants to be stuck walking a bike for 15 miles if there’s a mechanical problem?
So a while back I bought this I-Beam Mini IB3 Fold-up with Chain Tool so I’d at least have some prayer or fixing what ails my bike when I’m out in the middle of the wilderness somewhere. All the various tools fold up into what looks like an oversized Swiss Army Knife, so it fits easily into one of those little pouches that goes under the seat.
This is the part of the review where I normally tell you how the item performs in real world use, but apparently my bike is either well-maintained or charmed, because I’ve now put about 250 miles on it since purchasing the I-beam tool without ever pulling it out. I can tell you it feels really solid and well-made, but with a weight of less than seven ounces.
Here’s what it has though:
- 8 different hex screwdriver sizes
- T25 star driver
- screwdriver
- tire lever
- two spoke wrenches in different sizes
- chain tool
I paid $27 for the IB3 repair tool at a bike shop, which seemed like a fair price for “don’t leave me stranded” insurance. You can find it for around $20 online some places though, including at Amazon. The road bike geeks out there who routinely ride 40 or 50 miles at a time may have something they like better than this, but Park Tool items have a good reputation and are easy to find in shops.
You can find photos, instructions and even a video demo at this link.
Get the IB-3 at Amazon.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on September 29th, 2010
Camelbak’s Podium Chill Insulated Water Bottle
I have probably tried out a dozen different water bottles this year, but this Podium Chill one from Camelbak is my new favorite. (The Podium Ice model is newer and maybe better, but harder to find as of yet.) I can’t say it’s a 10 out of 10 when it comes to the marketing pitch of keeping the liquid inside cold for a long time, but if you consider that part gravy, this is a good all-around choice for staying hydrated on the move.
Camelbak knows plenty about hydration, with their bladder packs in use by triathaletes, mountaineers,the armed forces, and anyone else with no time to stop and pull out a container. For us less hard-core mortals, they make an extensive line of BPA-free water bottles. This newest one has pretty much everything I want:
- a wide mouth for use with a Steripen purifier
- a lock at the top that effectively keeps it from leaking
- a 21-ounce capacity in a standard shape
- a durable material that won’t scratch or dent
Sure, I like steel water bottles too, like the handy Vite Plus from Innate I reviewed before. But they get scratched up on a bicycle and they start dented up after two or three travel trips. Plus if you fill them with really cold water, they sweat with condensation. None of these things are deal-breakers—and they get positive points for being recyclable—but given a choice I’ll reach for the plastic before heading out the door.
The big marketing push for this particular Camelback bottle is that it will keep your cold drink cold longer. In this case, “longer” is a vague and relative term. The marketing materials say “Keeps beverages cool for hours,” but that claim didn’t hold up in my tests. I found that even when I filled the bottle with ice and topped it off with water, it seldom took much longer than an hour to reach room temperature. The only time I came anywhere close to two hours was when I was in a frigid movie theater. More like 30 minutes in the Florida sun. If you really want real insulation that will last for hours, you need some kind of vacuum bottle, not just this extra layer of plastic.
There’s a newer Podium Ice version that says, “keeps water cool 4 times longer than standard bike bottles,” and that’s probably closer to reality. Let’s say it take 20 minutes on a sunny ride to reach room temperature with a regular plastic water bottle. This one, with “Zeroloft insulation,” would then take 80 minutes, which sounds about right.
Better than a regular bottle though, at roughly the same price—$12-$14 for the older Chill model, around $20 for the newer Ice one. The real benefit of the extra layer, however, is it cuts down on condensation. So even loaded up with ice, it won’t sweat in your hand (or in your water bottle caddy) on a hot and humid day. Plus the valve on this Camelbak bottle is reason enough to buy it: it truly shuts off completely with a twist, then two other settings allow sipping or gulping.
Overall, this is a water bottle I can heartily recommend for travel. I’ve been using it non-stop for weeks in traveling and on bike rides and it still looks new. See more at Camelbak.com and buy it at your local gear store or online here:
CamelBak Podium Chill Bottle at REI
Podium Ice water bottle at REI
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 1st, 2010
Live From Gore-tex
I got invited up to the Gore-tex headquarters for a few days in Delaware with some other gear experts and I landed not really knowing what to expect. Now that I’ve peeked under the microscope a bit, I see that this is more than just a brand label plunked on fabric that turns into a jacket from North Face or Marmot or ski gloves from Spyder. There is some serious research going into this stuff.
First of all, I realize now that I didn’t even understand the fabric itself. It’s made from woven polymers that are manipulated (under heat) to to provide different qualities depending on need. The Gore-tex outerwear division is just part of the business. This company makes medical stents, naval ropes, spacesuits, and parts for fuel cells—just for starters. There are some serious science geeks in the building. They’ve got parts on Mars from the first mission landing that are still functioning.
The photo at the top is just a random sampling of fibers in their different form—fibers whose main raw material ingredient is flouride. Who knew? They also developed Glide dental floss.
The shots at the bottom are just a few items that use material from Gore. Combat, space, mountain biking, whatever. This is not just fancy marketing. I’ll give the tried-out lowdown on some specific products later. Stay tuned by subscribing to our blog feed.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on October 29th, 2009
