lunes, 1 de julio de 2013

Go Camping Like James Bond With This Crazy Tech Gear

Camping and espionage go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or — scratch that — like peanut butter and something completely unrelated to peanut butter. But with the right tech, you can change that.

Many people choose camping as a means to escape from technology. Not you. You're the person who plans ahead, who always expects the unexpected. You won't buy a watch unless it's also a heart monitor. You don't understand why your friends don't always carry a Swiss Army knife, or why their phones don't also double as a hadron collider. When you're camping out this summer, you want your pack to reflect that.

We've searched the Internet, looking for the best and craziest camping spy gear your money can buy, and the results will blow you away.

1. The Inflatable Geodesic Dome Tent

The Cave HeimplanetImage courtesy of Heimplanet

Price: The Cave: €549 (~$715), The Wedge: €449 (~$580)

James Bond's gadgets are sleek, smart and sexy. Typically, tents are not — that is, until now. Made by Heimplanet, The Cave and The Wedge are tents without poles. You lay out the tent, pump up the inflatable diamond structure and the process is complete. They're easy, durable and they look like bouncy castles from Tron.

Both tents are able to withstand winds up to 75 miles per hour — more than adequate for the typical family campground and the exotic locations in which MI6 will have you sleuthing.

2. The PowerPot

Price: $169

James Bond didn't rely on the sun. He didn't rely on anything, except maybe intellect and his jaw line. If you're going camping, you can't really rely on anything either, but the PowerPot helps.

The steps are simple: Fill the pot with liquid, place it over a heat source, plug in your USB device and marvel at the future of renewable soup energy. No plugs, batteries or sunshine required.

3. Casio Multi-Function Pathfinder Watch

Casio PathfinderImage courtesy of Casio

Price: ~$290

There's a point at which something stops being a watch and starts being a missile silo attached to your arm. This Casio Pathfinder watch blew past that point about seven features ago.

Aside from telling the time, this watch is also: an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a timer, a barometer and an altimeter. It's also water-resistant up to 660 feet, in case your "camping trip" involves any deep-water reconnaissance.

4. Black Diamond Icon Headlamp

Price: $79.95

Whether you're sneaking into a heavily guarded military base under cover of darkness or you just like to read before bed, this headlamp is for you. It's waterproof and durable, making it perfect for all climates and terrains. It also has a red-light night setting, great for terrifying your enemies or seeing things in red.

5. CGear Sand-Free Mat

CGear MultiMatImage courtesy of CGear Sand-Free

Price: $49.99 to $74.99

Welcome to the blanket of the future. The "dual-layer mesh technology" in this mat allows sand and dirt to fall through it from the top, but blocks any particles on the ground, making cleanup a breeze. Have you ever seen James Bond covered in dirt when he didn't want to be? We didn't think so.

5. Scorpion


Price: $49.99

This all-in-one tool from Etón is a solar- and crank-powered USB charging device, a digital clock, an LED flashlight, an AM/FM radio and an audio speaker. It weighs under one pound and it's splashproof.

It's also cryptically named after a tiny predatory death bug, fulfilling just about every requirement on the "cool spy stuff" checklist.

6. The SteriPEN

SteriPEN water purifierImage courtesy of SteriPEN

Price: $89.95

If you're truly trying to get the full 007 camping experience, you'll have already planned ahead and packed a few gallons of shaken martinis. That said, you'll still need to down some water to stay hydrated.

The SteriPEN is a portable UV lamp that purifies any water after just a few stirs. It can also be used as an LED flashlight, if the whole "purifies all freshwater in the entire world" thing wasn't enough of a convincer.

7. The Helio Pressure Shower

Helio Pressure ShowerImage courtesy of Nemo Equipment

Price: $99.95

If you're anything like James Bond, you probably get plenty dirty throughout the day:

James Bond JumpsImage courtesy of JamesBondBrasil.com

Whether you're doing crazy spy crap or you just fall down a lot while hiking, your pack is in dire need of a portable shower. Unlike most portable showers, the Helio does not need to be hung from anything during operation. Using a foot pump, you pressurize the water and clean yourself up after a long hike.

The container can be warmed in the sun, or hot water can be added to it. Weighing in at under two pounds, this shower is a must have for campers and super spies.

Have you come across any crazy spy gear for campers? Tell us about it in the comments.

Mashable composite: images via iStockphoto, mstay; heather_mcgrath.

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