Outdoor Electronics

Recent Electronic Reviews

Gaia GPS Hiking, Offroad Maps App

The more they "develop" it, the worse it performs... I have been a Gaia GPS user since the app was first launched (using it for wildland fire fighting) and continue to use it to this day (for hiking and boondocking). While the app still has utility, each update and upgrade has made it more difficult to use, bloated and buggy. Downloading maps has always been a major downfall and is even worse now - often requiring multiple restarts of the app over extended periods of time. I just downloaded a map,… Full review

NiteCore NU43

Comfortable for wearing it an entire night. Fishing, Ultrarunning, Speedhiking, Trail Work, Mountain rescue. Plastic main case, with aluminium housing for the light bulbs. Protected battery, what is a plus. USB C, what is also a plus. Technical Specifications:     LED: White Light, Red Light     Maximum Brightness: 1400 lumens     Maximum Beam Distance: 142 meters     Battery: 3400 mAh / 3.6V     IP rating: IP68     Shock Resistance: 2 meters Brightness Outputs:White:     Turbo:… Full review

UCO Original Candle Lantern

Packs down fairly small, not too heavy, great option for any camper, if you have young children you will need to teach them not to play with this lantern. Overall I think this is still a good candle lantern. I have an original that was made in the U.S.A. that I've owned for 7 years and this review is for the new one I bought last year that is made in China. Sadly all of the UCO lanterns are made in China now and the quality is just not what it was. Also I think these lanterns are overpriced for… Full review

Fenix HM70R

Rugged, long run time, waterproof headlamp   When doing anything, especially when I will be away from civilization where potential help if is far away if needed, I like to be as prepared as possible.  You will notice that this headlamp is not light by any means at almost half a pound. Then again, its not marketed as a backpacking light. What you get for this weight though is serious ruggedness, waterproofness, various choices in light output along with run time.  You also get something where… Full review

Black Diamond Spot 400-R

Everything you might need in a hiking headlamp and then some. As most of us know, there are some who REALLY get in to headlamps and can take crazy deep dives. That's not me, but I do night hike a lot and know the features I need/like so, when comparison shopping, it's a matter of maybe giving something up to get something else. And the Black Diamond Spot 400-R ticked almost every box for me. I've only had it for about six months but the other BD lamps I've had have all shown excellent durability… Full review

Petzl NAO+

Don’t bother. To control profiles it links to the app!! The app that won’t connect! Waste of money As stated above don’t bother.  Full review

Suunto Core

Three Suunto Core watches died on me in rapid succession. I had three Suunto Core watches in 2010. The first one lasted about six months then crashed. I returned it to the store where I had originally bought it and they replaced it with a new one. It lasted about a month then stopped working. I returned it to the same store. They gave me another new one. A few weeks later this third one died. The store took it back but only gave me an in store credit which I used over the following few months. I… Full review

Sierra Madre Hot Pocket

Used it first time it was great no problems. Used 2nd time it did not work. Light cycles and flashes purple. Out of warranty but still.. one use for $250? Please. They offered half off a new one. No thanks. How about backing your product? As stated above, I only got to use it one time which was great. Unit is defective. Will not turn on even though battery is fully charged. light cycles from red to blue then to purple, then shuts off. Called customer service they said that was an internal failure… Full review

Ledlenser P7.2

Great flashlight, when it works, but it has quality issues and it does not support rechargable batteries. Not for daily use. Great flashlight, when it works, but after 3 years it started flickering and now, after 5 years it stopped working altogether. The battery holder is sort of falling apart, the contacts in it are corroded, the on/off selection button is  having troubles. Oh, it has no usb recharging possibility, but it also does not support recharcheable batteries. I don't mind taking the… Full review