LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk | Gear We Use About Gear We Use Micro Brew Superstore! By: Editorial Staff As a general rule, we only review gear that we have used in the field over a period time, allowing us to give you honest, relavant and valuable feedback based on everyday, and sometimes hard use. All of us here at LOCALadk get out quite a bit, whether it be a quick hike, a serious local rock climb or an epic journey halfway around the world. We like things that are reliable, work well, and get the job done. Here's two we like. ProTac (PT) 2L A palm sized, affordable powerhouse, that turns night into day... I've personally owned one of these lights for 18 months now, and it's literally been everywhere. The outdoor enthusiast no longer needs to burden themselves with a big, heavy, unreliable, battery hog of a flashlight. Here at LOCALadk, we enjoy real-life usage statistics, so we don't sit inside, press the "on" switch, and wait for the batteries to run out. Used normally and at will, for everything from taking the dogs for a nightly walk to backcountry camping, I have replaced the batteries only twice in 18 months, which seems to be a good indicator of longevity, and I rarely use the light in a constant-on, low power setting. At full power, this little light is blinding, throwing off a rated 180 lumens, only seeming to dim slightly as the batteries wear until they are depleted. Carrying a spare set of batteries is almost unnoticiable in your pack, as they are so light. I've droped it, stepped on it, lost it in the water, and it just keeps going. The outer casing is so tough, after 18 months, it looks nearly new. It also comes with a strong, spring-steel clip for hands fee use. Combine this perforance with an average price on Amazon.com of $41, and the PT 2L is very hard to beat. It's one of those small things I never leave home without. Streamlight Specs: Length: 4.68 in (11.89 cm) Barrel Diameter: 0.77 in. (1.96 cm) Weight: 2.8 oz (79 grams) with battery Lens: Tempered glass lens, o-ring sealed. Light Source: Ultra-Bright C4® LED technology, impervious to shock with a 50,000 hour lifetime. Light Output: High - 180 Lumens for 2h 30 min Low - 10 Lumnes for 50h Strobe - 6h The Nikon AW100 A Fusion Market 111 River St Saranac Lake, NY FusionMarketSL.com 518 - 891 - 2095 On/Off: Multi-function, push-button tactical tailswitch. One handed operation of momentary, variable intensity or strobe mode. Battery: Two (2) 3 Volt CR123A Lithium batteries. **CR123A batteries have a shelf life of 10 years Waterproof: To 1 meter for 30 minutes. Lifetime Limited Warranty Average price on Amazon.com: $41.00 relatively new offering from Nikon that we thought would fit in perfectly with our active lifestyle here at LOCALadk Magazine. We're starting a long-term review of this little camera, so look for our follow-up story in the summer issue. Right away, it looks and feels right. It's small enough to take anywhere, even on a reasonably tough trad climbing route, and packs a16 mega-pixel CMOS sensor, plenty to deliver stunning photos, along with 1080p resolution video and sound. It's Waterproof, shockproof, has built-in GPS and looks cool in orange. The AW100 also has a brilliant, 460k pixel TFT-LCD rear screen that makes picture taking in broad daylight a breeze. And with a price around $225, What's not to like? But, how does it stand up to the day to day of serious use? We don't know, but we're about to find out. We're going to take this little camera on some serious adventures as spring gets underway, maybe drop it in the water a few times, and let you know what we find. We'll do some side to side photo comparisons for you as well, with some pics taken by bigger DSLR equipment. Stay tuned. Adventure travel for women of all ages find us on facebook AdventuresInGoodCompany.com 877-439-4042 LOCALadk Magazine Spring 2013 37

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