Cutting-Edge Accessories
The tools and gadgets that made the cut for our second annual celebration of the best in design and technology.
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It looks vintage, but
OLYMPUS
‘s
E-P1
is anything but a throwback. It’s both a 12.3-megapixel DSLR with interchangeable lenses and image stabilization and an HD video camera with live-view autofocus and high-fidelity audio. All of it wrapped in the company’s pocket-friendly, sixties-style PEN housing. $800; getolympus.com
Samsung HMX-R10
It’s not easy to tell when
SAMSUNG
‘s
HMX-R10
is pointing at you. The Cyclops-like lens is canted at a 25-degree angle, for a more natural wrist position. The sleek, ergo videocam shoots full 1080p hi-def video and nine-megapixel stills, features a 5x zoom and a 2.7-inch touchscreen, and records to SDHC cards. $500; samsung.com
Suunto Elementum Terra Steel
Elementum Terra Steel
SUUNTO
‘s
ELEMENTUM TERRA STEEL
is a full-on technical watch, with altimeter, barometer, a 3-D compass that works even when it’s off-level, and a three-line readout for easy viewing. But the Finnish-made watch’s corrosion-resistant case and LCD numerals are as attractive as anything built by those guys in Switzerland, so you can wear it from fourteener to flight lounge. $1,200; suunto.com
Leatherman Damascus Wave
Damascus Wave
LEATHERMAN
‘s limited-edition
DAMASCUS WAVE
twists the knife on average multitools. The two Damascus-steel blades—made with a hot-forged artisan alloy that forms beautiful wave patterns when it cools—have exceptional edge-keeping ability. The 15 other onboard tools come in handy, too. $550; leatherman.com
Black Diamond Octane
Black Diamond Octane
Pivoting waist and shoulder straps aren’t new on packs, but
BLACK DIAMOND
‘s
OCTANE
has the most motion-friendly design we’ve seen. Unlike typical shoulder straps, which are stitched to the base of the pack, the Octane’s pass through the bottom in a continuous loop, so one gets shorter and one longer as the load swings right or left, thus balancing the weight. $140; blackdiamondequipment.com
Pieps Freeride
When you’re skinning uphill in the backcountry, every ounce counts. Thankfully,
PIEPS
‘s new, cell-phone-size
FREERIDE
avalanche transceiver weighs less than four ounces. Designers shrank it by cutting out beginner-friendly directional antennae, but that’s a boon for advanced users, who won’t even notice this beacon until they need it. $200; pieps.com
Mogomoto Alpinist Case
Mogomoto Alpinist Case
At just under six ounces,
MOGOMOTO PROTOTYPE
‘s aircraft-grade aluminum
ALPINIST CASE
is designed to be light and tough, protecting climbers’ cameras from untimely smashings. But the case is so sharp-looking that you’ll want it for less extreme pursuits, too—traveling, hiking, or just jamming into your carry-on for the weekend. From $56; mproto.net
Sleek Audio CT6 Custom Earphones
SLEEK AUDIO
‘s
CT6 CUSTOM EARPHONES
are not only tailor-made for your ears (so they block ambient noise and stay put); they’re also tuned to deliver the ideal sound balance for whatever device you decide to run through them—audio player, laptop, Marshall stack, etc. $350; sleek-audio.com
Cy Fi Wireless Sports Speaker
Wireless Sports Speaker
Cyclists usually have two choices for their in-the-saddle soundtracks: Listen to traffic, or wear earbuds and hope you don’t get KO’d.
CY FI
‘s new
WIRELESS SPORTS SPEAKER
lets you rock out without tuning out. It clips to handlebars and plays tracks transmitted from an iPod or a Bluetooth-equipped phone—and works well off the bike, too. From $149; mycyfi.com