Woods Solar-Powered EZ-Tent

by Willy Volk on

Gone are the days are drooling all over that flashlight jammed in your mouth as you rifle through your bag in search of your toothbrush. Woods’ Solar-Powered EZ-Tent features a removable, 7-inch solar panel on the top of the tent’s hub; 4-6 hours of direct light yields 2-4 hours of tent light. The energy stored can be used to operate the tent’s integrated LED rope lights; to operate the removable hand-held flashlight that hangs from the center of the tent; or to charge a completely separate set of batteries.

Glampers can even choose to use the auto-on function that tells the lights to turn on as the sun sets, creating a nice mood for dusk. Despite all the sand you’ve tracked in, the place sure feels homey. The tents come in either 4-person ($206) or 6-person models ($250).

Related:
* Glamping with the N!ergy Tent
* Solar Backpack
* Sollight Water Bottle and Lamp
* Solio Lets you Charge Your Gadgets From the Sun
* Solar Cooled Pith Helmet

Easy, Portable Bug Chaser

by Willy Volk on

When I lived in Zambia, keeping mosquitoes at bay was a challenge. The Peace Corps gave us DEET so heavy-duty that it melted everything it touched, which made slathering it on my legs pretty unappealing.

Soon, I began burning mosquito coils. Cheap and effective, after 3 years, I had little burn marks all over my home from where I had balanced them, forgotten them, and discovered them after they had branded every flat surface from my desk to my short wave. While I prided myself in simple, creative solutions while in Africa, for some reason, figuring out a better way to use these coils evaded me.

Alaska Outdoor Journal has brainstormed an obvious solution: hang the coil inside a metal screen. By cutting a 5″ x 12″ piece of metal screen and folding it in half, you can create a mosquito coil “sleeve,” which you can suspend from just about anything. For only a few cents, you can easily make some of these prior to your next camping trip.

Duh. Why didn’t I think of this?

The Daiquiri Whacker Is A Gas Powered Blender

by Willy Volk on

Attention, glampers!

How many times have you felt the need for a frozen daiquiri while in the woods? How often have you wished you could cut through all that silence so you could crush some ice and mix it with alcohol right from the bed of your truck? Well, now you can!

The Daiquiri Whacker is a gas-powered, go-anywhere party starter. Portable and powerful, the unit’s twist throttle gives you precise RPM control — so you can let everyone in the campground know exactly what you’re up to.

The $299 set comes complete with one unbreakable blender jar; one Mountain Safety Research aluminum fuel bottle; and enough two stroke oil to to treat one gallon of gas. All you have to do is bring mixers and booze — and the daiquiri glasses.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of May 5

by Adrienne Wilson on

This week I’m bouncing all over the place with a wide range of random picks from the contributors here. From gear to moo-moo’s to Daft Punk – look below to find what you may have missed.

5. Movie Posters from Belarus:
Fun! Who doesn’t enjoy looking at posters and prints from around the globe? The focus of this set here is Belarus for the most part, but still so cool!

4. Yurts: Comfort in the Great Outdoors:
Love the outdoors, but hate the discomfort? Problem solved! Check into a yurt on your next go in some of America’s state parks.

3. Cool Outdoor Gear Made From Recycle Materials:
Here is a cool way to be green and good to the earth. Willy points us to the perfect spot to learn more about sustainable gear to get you all ready for your summer backpacking tours be it through the suburbs, the park, or across Europe.

2. Cow Tourism:
This one is very random, but when I read it I fell in love with it. First it was Neil’s account on the first time he’d ever met a girl wild enough to steal a cow bell and how he later found out the importance of those bells. If only all travel romance tales could happen a little more like this, but with your twist I guess. Anyways, aren’t cows the greatest?

1. Gadling’s Massively Huge 2007 Summer Music Festival Roundup:
Pardon me if I seem a bit tuned out. Chances are I’m mentally at one of the music festivals found here in Gadling’s largest guide to the summer sound circuit ever and physically preparing to go!!! Thanks to Justin you can tune in too and later tune out, but I must apologize as we won’t be providing the tickets. You’re on your own there

Trackstick II & Google Earth: Plot Your Travels Precisely, Follow Your Ex Surreptitiously

by Willy Volk on

Designed specifically for integration with Google Earth, Trackstick II is a GPS device that lets you “keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations.” With Trackstick II, anglers can mark bountiful catch-spots. Campers can remember how to reach hidden gems. Globe-trekkers can let friends and family follow them as they wander through, for example, Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Um, on second thought…

Powered by 2 AAA batteries, the unit’s 1Mb flash memory can log months of travel histories. Later, Trackstick II’s data can be downloaded to your (Windows-only) computer via USB and viewed on Google Earth’s 3D model of the planet.

Google Earth Store sells the units for $169. However, if you’re creepy, you might want to think about upgrading to the Super Trackstick. With its magnetic mount, you can surreptitiously attach it to that hot barrista’s Vespa and find out what she does when she’s not making your foam froth.