Travel video news

Every once in awhile I come across a new product that is so cool and useful, and yet so simple, you wonder why no one has thought if it before. Such is the case with the Heroclip , a unique and clever spin on the tried and true carabiner that will leave you scrambling to replace all of the older carabiners that you have in your outdoor gear closet. On the surface, the Heroclip looks a lot like most other carabiners on the market. It has the classic "C" shaped design and includes a sturdy gate that quickly and easily opens with the push of finger or thumb. That gate smoothly snaps back into place as well, allowing you to connect the Heroclip to just about anything, including belt loops, backpacks, zippers, and so on. As far as carabiners go, this one behaves exactly as you would expect, which is kind of the point. But what separates the Heroclip from most other carabiners is the hidden functionality that it offers. You see, this carabiner has a built-in hook attached to its fr...

Just in time for the arrival of cooler weather, the team at Backpacker magazine have revealed their selections for the best new gear for winter 2018-2019 . As usual, the list consists of some of the best new jackets, packs, boots, and sleeping bags to keep us comfortable in the colder months ahead, when the weather doesn't dissuade us from going outside but just presents some new opportunities to enjoy our favorite activities.  All told, there are 16 different pieces of gear that make the cut this year, including the new Ortovox Swisswool Tec Stretch Zebru Jacket and the Therm-A-Rest Polar Ranger -20�F sleeping bag. Both products are perfect for those winter outings where temperatures could take a serious plunge. You'll also find Backpacker's  picks for the best ski bindings and boots, as well as a set of gloves from Outdoor Research and boots from Merrell.   I won't spoil the rest of the list because half the fun of these kinds of gear awards is discovering what th...

If you're in need of new gear to keep you warm, dry, and moving during the cold months of winter, then you'll definitely want to head on over to Outside Online , the website for Outside magazine  A few days back the publication posted its 2019 Winter Gear Buyers Guide , and as usual it offers a cornucopia of new products to sift through as we inch closer to that season here in North America. This time out, the team at Outside  sifted through hundreds of pieces of outdoor gear to narrow down their buyers guide to a mere 331 items. They've conveniently broken down those products into a few broad categories to make it easier for the rest of us to pour over. For instance, readers will find a Ski & Snowboard section that is further subdivided not only into the actual skies and snowboards themselves, but also boots, bindings, poles, helmets, goggles, and more. Similarly, there is a Layers section that contains jackets, base and mid-layers, ski pants, and even a category for...

If you read this blog with any regularity, you probably already know that Jackery makes some of my favorite portable battery packs and power stations for keeping our devices charged on the go. In fact, I reviewed the company's Explorer 240  back in June and found it to be one of the lightest, toughest, and most versatile chargers around. But just when I thought they couldn't make a more appealing portable power station, along comes the new Explorer 160 , an even smaller and more affordable option that doesn't compromise on performance. I first got a look at the Explorer 160 at the Outdoor Retailer show back in August. When I laid eyes on it the first thought I had was "its so small!" At first glance, the Explorer 160 looks a lot like the Explorer 240, and that's by design. Jackery is creating a family of products that share many of the same features and capabilities, but in varying degrees of sizes and batteries. To that end, the 160 weighs in at just 3.7 poun...