Cool Summer Camping Gadgets for 2009

Garmin® Dakota™ 10

garmin-dakotaThe new Dakota 10 ($299.99) is a new touchscreen GPS receiver similar to the Oregon® line in a slightly smaller (2.2” W x 3.9” L x 1.3” D) package with a 2.6-inch display. The Dakota features a 25% longer battery life on its two AA batteries, at 20 hours, than the Oregon, which is probably attributable to the smaller display (the Oregon has a 3-inch display). The Dakota 10 does not have an expansion slot (the $349.99 Dakota 20 does), but it does have 850MB of internal storage.

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Best Waterproof Bag. Period.

Outdoor Research Window Dry Sack

One of the most functional pieces of gear I own is this Window Dry Sack™ from Outdoor Research, in Seattle, WA. It is constructed of thick nylon, with taped seams and a big urethane window that lets you find what you are looking for, so that you don’t have to dump everything out. Like all Outdoor Research products, it’s guaranteed forever.

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How to Clean a Hydration Bladder

Somehow, Father’s Day ended up being maintenance day around the house, but since it was my day, I decided to prioritize a little maintenance on the gear before I took on the yard. One of my primary pieces of gear is my CamelBak® hydration pack, which provides the family with water, snacks, and usually a lunch on our hikes. This pack is admittedly overkill for light use, but it came with a prior job assignment so the price was right and unlike a nylon daypack, I don’t have to worry about wear and tear. I thought I’d snap some pictures while I cleaned the hydration bladder, so that you could all participate in a little maintenance with me!

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Anatomy of a Really Bad Tent

I was thumbing through the Friday newspaper ads and our local sporting goods store was advertising some $20 tents, which left me to wonder what you really get for that kind of money. Dimensionally, the tent is in pretty good shape, with a 9×9 foot floor and a 72-inch vertical center-height. The walls are fairly vertical, so much of this floor-space is usable, though the ceiling tapers over quickly so most of the vertical height is really about five feet – which is still not bad.

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