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Gear Expert: Stephen Regenold : February 20, 2008

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Adventure Lights

Posted by Stephen Regenold Feb 20, 2008


Adventure Lights of Beaconsfield, Quebec, (www.adventurelights.com)
makes lights for all type of flashing, signaling, attention-getting
needs, including lights and L.E.D. models for law enforcement,
search-and-rescue, the military, and public safety. This is a quick
look at three outdoors-oriented models I’ve been testing as of late. . .


The VIP Signal Light
is the company’s pinnacle product, an emergency L.E.D. that has been
tested “in deserts, the Arctic, in the stratosphere and hundreds of
feet below the sea,” according to the company’s press material. The
result is an emergency beacon light that holds up in almost any extreme
environmental condition, including 330 feet under water and in temps
ranging from 120 to minus-40 F.

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1383.jpg

The product (+pictured above+) can be used as a
flashlight, an emergency flasher and an SOS beacon. Twist the face dial
to toggle between these functions. I tested the VIP Standard Yellow Case
model, an $81 light that has a focused amber/orange L.E.D.—a color
optimized to enhance visibility and help penetrate smoke and fog,
according to Adventure Lights. Seemed to do the trick when I tried it,
pulsing bright and strong. The product is strangely shaped but
functional, with a belt clip and included zip-ties to secure the light
permanently to a backpack, life preserver, or other object. It runs on
a lithium battery (included) for a quoted 350 hours. Measures about 3×2
x 1.25 inches. Weight is 4 ounces.

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1386.jpg

Made to use in lieu of chemical glow sticks, the Lazer Stik Powergrip AA
looks like a children’s toy at first glance. But these steady-on light
sticks have a million uses—dangle them from a pack while biking, tether
to your PFD, keep them in the car for road beacons in an emergency.


The
company says the red light—which measure about 1 inch around by 6
inches long—can be seen from more than 2 kilometers away. They are
quoted to provide more than 50 hours of light using common AA
batteries. They are waterproof and fairly rugged. Attach them via
zip-ties to just about anything. Weight is 1.2 ounces apiece. Price:
$17.40.

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1385.jpg

The all-purpose Guardian L.E.D. is a simple white
flasher for signal and visibility use. It weighs less than 1 ounce and
can attach to anything via its integrated clip. The company quotes the
light for visibility up to 1 mile, and a single battery lasts for about
250 hours. Dual function of flashing and steady-on mode. Waterproof to
300 feet. Price: $14.


Company contact: Adventure Lights, www.adventurelights.com

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Kelty Packs, 2008

Posted by Stephen Regenold Feb 20, 2008


It’s been 55 years since Dick Kelty first put a backpack on the
market, welding aluminum tubes together in his garage while his wife,
Nena, sewed and fit the fabric onto the frame. The result was an
innovation for its time, and at $24 each Kelty’s packs sold like proverbial hotcakes.


Fast forward to 2008 and Dick Kelty’s eponymous company
is still going strong, this spring debuting a new line of backcountry
packs that promise “a blend of new materials, innovative ventilation,
and unique suspension systems” never before seen from Kelty. Here’s a quick run-through of the new wares. Warning: They now do cost more than $24 a pop. . .

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1378.jpg

The Radii 27 model (+pictured above+) is a
1,650-cubic-inch pack with Kelty’s “AeroFly suspension system,” which
keeps your body ventilated with a breathable waist-belt, shoulder
straps, and a mesh backpanel that allows air to circulate freely. It
will cost $120. Zippered waist-belt pockets and a 2 lb. 7 oz. weight
make the Radii nice for fast-and-light feats, though with enough
support to carry loads up to 30 pounds.


Kelty’s Locus 40 (+pictured below+)
is a supportive 2,500-cubic-inch model I have in testing right now.
Like the other models, the Locus 40 incorporates a light internal frame
and a meshy back panel area—the “four-way ventilated AeroFly suspension
system”—to keep your mid-spinal region in contact not with nylon but
mostly with air. The top-loading pack has an adjustable torso length to
accommodate different size hikers, an easily-accessible “shove-it”
pocket for on-the-move stowage, hydration-system compatibility, and
highly water-resistant construction. Weight is 3 lb., 5 oz. Available
in a men’s and women’s model for $150.

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1379.jpg

For overnight trips with a bit more gear, the Span 60 (+not pictured+)
has 3,650 cubic inches of storage and a separate sleeping bag
compartment. A secondary low-profile hood provides volume-changing
versatility, and the AeroFly suspension system (again) can help keep
you cool. Adjustable torso length. Available in men’s and women’s
models for $180.


The men’s Slider 65 and women’s Arch 65 (+pictured below+)
are 4,000-cubic-inch packs made for long trips into the backcountry.
They have a ventilated back, torso adjustment, and meshy three-layer
shoulder straps to add padding. Constructed with stretchy PU laminate
panels, these packs can expand to accommodate larger loads. The side
pockets are waterproof. MSRP: $230

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1380.jpg

Finally, the biggest of the big (+pictured below+) are Kelty’s men’s Beam 82 and women’s Course 82,
packs with a cavernous 5,000 cubic inches of storage space. As with the
Span 60, these models have a low-profile hood configuration for
reducing volume when all that space is overkill. Stretch fabric in the
front and side pockets accommodates bulky items while still keeping
them handy on the go. MSRP: $250

http://thegearjunkie.com/images/1381.jpg

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Stephen Regenold

Member since: Jun 27, 2007

Stephen Regenold, a nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist, writes The Gear Junkie column for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Albuquerque Journal, Greensboro News-Record, Billings Gazette, and several other publications.

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