There’s no shortage of rechargeable LED lights on the market these days. The LOFTEK 15W Portable Floodlight is a two-in-one cordless, rechargeable floodlight which also serves as a battery-charging power bank. It’s rugged design makes it stand out among other rechargeable lights, and it’s powerful light and and adjustable positioning makes it equally as useful in the garage as in the campsite.

The LOFTEK portable floodlight is the most solidly built light I’ve seen yet. Most portable lights have entirely plastic housings, but the LOFTEK is made of durable iron and aluminum with a plexiglass window. This beast will stand up to abuse that would leave some of those cheaper LED lanterns in pieces.

Of course the metal housing increases the weight – the LOFTEK weighs in at a little over 1.5 lbs. You’ll definitely want to reserve this for your car camping exploits and stick with a lighter weight option when backpacking.

It comes with three settings: max brightness, power saving mode, and SOS mode. At max brightness, the LOFTEK puts out 650 lumens, and 380 lumens in power saving mode. SOS mode consists of a flashing red and blue light which is guaranteed to draw attention. This light would be extremely handy in a vehicle emergency kit in case you break down on a sketchy mountain road after dark.

The attached metal stand helps you position the light optimally for whatever activity or task you’re doing. If you’ve ever arrived to your campsite late at night and had to set up your tent in the dark, you’ll appreciate the LOFTEK’s bright, directional beam and how easy it is to position.

And once camp is set up, the LOFTEK provides ample illumination for all your other campsite activities – preparing dinner, cleaning up, or playing games.

Tools that do double duty are great when travelling so you have fewer things to pack and carry around. The LOFTEK flood light also functions as a power bank so you can charge your cell phone or other portable electronic devices.

So if you’re searching for a tough LED that will stand up to abuse both around the house and in the outdoors, check out LOFTEK.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a LOFTEK 15W portable floodlight for free from LOFTEK in consideration for a gear review.

The Fenix CL30R camping lantern is more than just a light source. The lantern can also be used as a power source to charge your USB powered devices, including cell phones, tablets, and MP3 players. Just connect your device to the lantern’s USB output port and press the power button to charge your device. You can even use the light while your device is charging, although this will obviously consume your batteries faster. I love having items that serve multiple uses, especially for camping when I don’t want to haul around more stuff than is absolutely necessary.

While the CL30R isn’t well-suited to backpacking (it weighs nearly 20 ounces with all 3 batteries installed), it is a fantastic addition to your car-camping equipment. I love the fact that it runs on rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries so I don’t need to buy expensive and environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. The Li-ion batteries can be charged within the lantern itself so you don’t need a separate charger (although you can get one if you want).

It uses a standard mini USB cable (one is included with the lantern), which was perfect for us as it’s the same cable that our Android cell phones use. We were able to use all our existing cables and car chargers with the lantern and not need to worry about managing additional cables. An LED indicator on top of the lantern shows you the lantern’s current charge.

The lantern has 5 different brightness levels, ranging from the low “eco” mode, perfect for finding your way to the bathroom in the dark without tripping over a log, to the powerful “turbo” mode, which emits a supernova-like 650 lumens with a 115-feet illumination diameter. Seriously, turbo mode is like broad daylight. I think you could safely guide ships into harbor with this thing.

In addition to the 5 output levels, there’s a “flash” setting that can be used to signal for help in case of emergency. Outside of camping, the lantern would be a valuable addition to your car or home emergency kit if you keep it charged.

The Fenix CL30R camping lantern is solidly built with a rugged, plastic exterior that will stand up to dirt and abuse while camping. It is also highly water resistant and cold-resistant so it can be used in all manner of weather conditions. It has a handy metal handle that can be used for hanging the lantern inside your tent, as well as a tripod mount so you can have steady light when needed.

For me, one of the best parts about camping is that I get away from all the electronic gadgets that clutter up modern life so I can focus on enjoying nature. But its nice to keep my phone charged for emergencies, and we always need a light source now and then. The Fenix CL30R camping lantern conveniently and reliably provides both these functions with one simple device. And for me, less stuff means more enjoyment.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the CL30R camping lantern for free from Fenix in consideration for a gear review.

Our beloved monsters, Khan and Apollo, recently got the opportunity to test out the Seattle Sports Treat-N-Toyz GoBowl. While it was hard and grueling work, they took the GoBowl on several hikes, to the beach, and to flyball practice to put it through its paces.

Seattle Sports Treat-N-Toyz GoBowl combines a water bowl, food bowl, and flexible flying disc into a single, easy to transport package. The disc and food bowl nest within the larger water bowl, which then zips closed to keep all of your essential gear together. There’s a convenient carrying loop on the outside, so you can use a carabiner to clip it on to your pack for easy access.

As avid day hikers, we got the most use out of the water bowl. We liked that the soft material was lightweight and pliable, meaning we could easily roll it or squish it up to cram into our daypacks and it suffered no adverse effects. The zipper was extremely rugged with wide teeth, so even after getting dirty and sandy from our adventuring, it was still easy to open and close. The top is also removable, so if you prefer you can just leave it at home. We liked having it though because once the dog was done drinking and we emptied out the excess water, closing the top meant no remaining drops leaked into our packs and got over our other stuff. Khan and Apollo liked that the bowl was both wide and sturdy which made it easy for them to drink from.

The food bowl is made of the same flexible, lightweight material, and would be perfect if you take your dog camping or backpacking with you since it doesn’t weigh much and can pack down small.

If you and your dog participate in dog sports like flyball or agility, the water bowl and food bowl combo would be great for long trial days when you’re not going to be home in time for dinner. Just throw your dog’s kibble into a resealable bag, place it and the food bowl into the water bowl and zip it all together for a convenient and portable dinner anywhere.

And of course we gave the flexible flying disc a go! We liked that it’s made of soft material rather than hard plastic since it’s easier on the dog’s teeth. Both Khan and Apollo had a great time at the park and Fiesta Island playing with the disc.

After a long day of hiking and playing, we were happy to find that all of the parts were easy to clean. By the time we got home, the bowls and disc were full of dirt, sand, and dog slobber. A little hot, soapy water and a quick wipe with the sponge took care of the mess, and after drying overnight, everything was ready for another outing in the morning.

Overall we really liked the Treat-N-Toyz GoBowl. We found it to be both convenient and durable in a variety of situations and look forward to using it on many adventures to come. No matter what kind of outdoor activities you and your canine companions do, Seattle Sports Treat-N-Toyz GoBowl will be a useful addition to your gear.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Treat-N-Toyz GoBowl for free from Seattle Sports Company in consideration for a gear review.

All right Hikers, today we’re going to discuss one of the less glamorous aspects of hiking: chafing. More importantly, we’re going to talk about a great product for avoiding it: 2Toms Butt Shield.

When you mix sweat-inducing physical exertion and constant motion, it’s not uncommon for patches of skin, particularly in unpleasantly sensitive areas, to be rubbed completely raw. Chafing frequently occurs between the thighs as they rub together, butt cheeks, underarms, feet, and places where clothing seams come in contact with the skin. I’ve even had problems on my ankles where the cuffs of my socks rub against the skin. Continue reading Product Review: 2Toms Butt Shield →