Aside from increasing luminosity and battery life, there is seemingly little room for innovation in headlamp design—the essential utility piece for camping, backpacking and adventures of the like. Leave it to Japan’s purveyor of intelligent outdoor products ); return…
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Spring has come to the northern hemisphere and it’s almost time to escape the dim lights, step away from the radiator and get outside. Call us crazy, but there are better places to spend your time, and thanks to the power of telecommuting you can bring the social aspect…
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by Sabine Zetteler Five years ago, East London was blessed with Jo Sindle and Kyle Stewart’s hybrid clothing store and creative space, in Hoxton’s quiet little Coronet Street. Today, their Goodhood Store provides the primary reason to walk down that way, and the tiny shop has nurtured quite a following,…
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Coffee for design-minded gourmet campers
Coffee snobs don’t have many options when it comes to camping, a hobby dominated by single-serving packs of less-than-tasty instant brews. For those unwiling to sacrifice fresh brewed flavor on mountain treks (not to mention superior design), Snow Peak and Nau have teamed up to produce a limited edition collection of titanium café ware. Included in the upscale camping set are a lightweight French press, milk foamer and stacking mug—everything you need for a fireside cup of joe. Plus, the durable titanium will resist rusting, making this a generational investment that is sure to remain landfill-free.
Joining the French press, frother and mug is a stainless steel Japanese knife and wooden case, which opens to form a handy travel cutting board. Staying true to their northwestern roots, the brands have also brought in Stumptown Roasters to supply a bag of Organic Holler Mountain Blend, an international combination of South and Central American coffees with earthier Indonesian beans.
The Café Luxe Kit sells from Nau for $125.
Snow Peak’s latest outdoor light uses gravity to determine its illuminated focal length
Always a step ahead of the rest in the niche outdoor tech industry, Snow Peak makes intuitive and aesthetically focused backpacking gear and adventure-driven accessories. Building on the strength of products like their titanium iphone case, the Tulip Lantern brings a new level of intelligence to portable lighting with a simple design.
Much like the SnowMiner headlamp, the Tulip Lantern can produce a focused or broad stream of light, but in this case, the variation is controlled by gravity. The lantern automatically changes from a narrow beam when hanging to a more ambient glow when placed upright. The pliable, snake-like stem can be adjusted to produce both settings in both positions, making for a perfectly lit camp site.
Producing up to 250 lumens with more than 100 hours of battery life (when set on low), the powerful little lantern will be available 9 March, 2012 from Snow Peak online for $150.
Snow Peak’s latest camping innovation melds headlamp and lantern in one compact design
Snow Peak has just launched the SnowMiner headlamp, another top-tier camping accessory constructed with the brand’s typical intuitive design and minimalist aesthetic. With enough power to last 140 hours, the compact direct-beam headlamp transforms into a dome-light lantern with a soft pinch of the silicone lens.
When pressed into the concave headlamp position, the lens focuses all 80 lumens of the LED light at one source, offering a concentrated beam of direct light for trekking. Pop out the lens from direct light-source contact, and the SnowMiner becomes a dome lantern, giving off ambient light to illuminate a tent or camp site when hung by the oversized rubber hook accessory.
The adjustable light with four settings—including a strobe—allows the user a wide range of lighting options from one portable source. The SnowMiner is available now from Snow Peak online for $50.
Snow Peak’s minimalist iPhone case solution
Having tried a few different iPhone cases, I was skeptical that any could offer protection without majorly detracting from the sleek form of the phone itself—much less one designed by a camping gear brand. But after shattering my second iPhone, it was time to get serious. The minimalist design of Snow Peak’s cover seemed to fit the bill.
Made from a single piece of titanium, it adds negligible weight and bulk, while incorporating a clip-in lanyard. The ability to hang your phone around your neck might seem like a nerd-level accessory (I’m also guilty of sporting eyeglasses chains on occassion), but the usefulness it lends, from biking with it to cooking and grocery shopping, makes it undeniably chic.
Most importantly, the clean design of Snow Peak’s case most closely matches the iPhone’s aesthetic. Though mine has suffered a few dings and scratches in the weeks I’ve been using it, the case looks like a seamless extension of the silver sides of the phone. For the logo-averse, it conceals the Apple logo, though it does mean I can’t check my lipstick in its mirrored surface.
Limited to an edition of 300 and on sale as of today, the case sells from Snow Peak for $120 each—no, titanium does not come cheap.
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