UCO Clarus LED Lantern
My family always has used the good, old, trusty lantern when we go camping. I can remember sitting around the picnic table in the evening and playing in its glow.
A good flashlight should never be out of reach of anyone who is camping either.
So when I saw the new UCO Clarus LED Lantern, I wondered why I didn't think of this idea.
UCO found a way to combine a lantern and flashlight, and made it an LED. I like not having to carry both around and the convenience of having one or the other at my fingertips.
It's compact and light, so I don't think twice about putting it in a coat pocket or day pack.
Turning on the flashlight requires just the push of a button. To turn on the lantern option, pull up on the switch.
The company said the UCO Clarus LED Lantern is the brightest lantern of its size, with 150 lumens of light in a 4-ounce (including battery weight) multi-use package.
UCO products can be found at Gander Mountain, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, among other retailers. This model sells for $19.99.
For more information, and a list of retailers, visit www.industrialrev.com.
Reviewer: Jessica Welshans
SOG Blade Light
"That's some blade you got there," a friend said when he first saw my SOG Blade Light-Fixed knife.
"Yeah, no kidding, but watch this," I said, and showed him how it lights up.
Six LED lights are installed on the blade. They can be activated while the knife is sheathed or not. When the blade is in the sheath, the knife can be used as a flashlight.
The lights are affixed to the handle and cast no shadow while in use.
The blade is fixed and is a little more than 5 inches long. With the sheath, the knife is a little more than 11 inches
The company also said the Blade Light bears an "IPX-7" rating for water resistance to full immersion, which won't affect the switches or circuitry.
Its lumens output is 25.
The lights are powered by one standard AA battery, and two spare batteries come with the knife at purchase.
A removable nylon pouch can be mounted on the front or back of the sheath.
Although it's a little bigger than I like, it's a good, quality piece to have, and kind of neat to show off. But don't get me wrong, the LED lights are most useful.
This knife sells for $115. For more information, see sogknives.com.
Reviewer: Jessica Welshans
iSafe Guardian School Backpack
At first glance, the iSafe Guardian School Backpack looks like an ordinary backpack - but looks can be deceiving.
The backpack is designed for ages 8 and up, but it's not only for young students. It also can be used by college students, hikers or anyone in need of lugging things from one place to another.
It has an alarm built into it, so if a student is out and about after or before school or if hikers on the trail need help, they can activate the alarm to bring others to their location.
The alarm is extremely loud and very easy to set off by pulling an activation pin located on the right strap of the backpack. To stop the alarm, you just have to insert the pin back into its holder on the strap. Along with the loud alarm, LED lights will flash red.
The lights and alarm run off of two 9-volt batteries for up to two hours.
The flashing red lights are pretty bright, which would show up well at night and could help find a lost child or hiker.
The battery pack is very easy to locate within the backpack and just as easy to replace old batteries. But once you remove the battery pack from its elastic holder, it's a bit hard to secure it back into the holder.
The backpack is made of 100 percent durable nylon and weighs about 1.7 pounds with batteries. It is available in four color schemes: black, olive green and tan, pink and black, and blue and grey.
Suggested retail price is $49.99. Products are available at retailers such as Toys-R-Us, websites such as Amazon.com and at the company's website.
For more information or for other iSafe backpack designs and styles, visit www.isafebags.com.
Reviewer: Julie Reppert
