We here at Daily Hiker have had a lot of smaller items sitting around waiting for review ever since we got back from Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Rather than wait for a spot to open up in the review schedule, we figured that we’d do a review roundup. Read more for our review of waterproof cases, squishy bowls, and a portable weather station.
Aquapac waterproof iPhone case & headphones
While I don’t usually go boating, I like to make sure my phone stays dry on a backpacking trip in case we get hit by a sudden downpour. The last thing you want is to have your expensive phone get waterlogged. I was pretty impressed by the Aquapac case. I could pretty easily navigate the iPhone’s menu system while the phone was in the case and listen to music on the included waterproof ear buds. While the ear buds weren’t the best I’ve ever heard, they were pretty good for being waterproof.
Getting the phone into the case takes a bit getting used to since you have to plug in the headphone adapter and slide the phone through the fairly sticky plastic the case is composed of. Once the phone is in the case however, I could safely dunk it underwater and still listen to music. At $85, it’s not cheap, but it does come with the headphones. The company makes a case without the headphones for a mere $30 should you not want to listen to music while the phone is in the case.
Aquapac waterproof SLR case
In addition to iPhone cases, Aquapac also makes a case for your SLR. No longer do you have to be afraid of getting your camera out near a waterfall or in a downpour. At $130, this is one of the cheapest waterproof cases on the market for an SLR.
Shooting with the case takes a bit to get used to since adjustments must be made through a layer of plastic, but once you’re used to them operating the camera isn’t terribly difficult. My only complaint is that the section for the lens barrel isn’t wide enough for a canon L series lens. Other than that, this is a great value for anyone with an SLR that wants to get wet.
Guyot Designs Squishy Bowls
We had previously featured squishy bowls as a cool product of the day so I was extremely happy to give these a try on a backpacking trip. We found that they tended to be the universal cooking utensil on our trip.
We used the bowls for everything from measuring liquids for cooking, ladling boiling water from the stove, as a cup, or as a bowl to eat from. Once we were done, they were extremely easy to clean out and packed down to almost nothing.
At $15.95 for the pair, these are a steal. Skip on the titanium spork if you have to, these will get more use.
Highgear TerraPod
Already have a watch you like to bring hiking? Don’t like the small screens on traditional altimeter watches? You might want to take a look at the TerraPod.
Marketed partially as a weather station, the TerraPod does a bit more. It will of course tell you the coming weather, but it also has all the functions of a normal altimeter watch. A handy built-in stand allows it to be clipped to a backpack or stood up on the floor of your tent. While we had quite a few other altimeter watches along while testing, we found it was quite a bit easier to look at the large screen of the TerraPod in the middle of the night. Another major plus was that since you’re not wearing the TerraPod on your wrist, the temperature is actually accurate.
The TerraPod retails for $70 and can be found at your local outdoor store.
