1. Distant Vision - Samsung SC-X21OWL, $680, www.samsung.com
The sport-centric Samsung SC-X210WL camcorder goes where others can't. Palm-size, lightweight, and tapeless, it records high-quality MPEG4 video to its 1GB internal memory or an SD card. What makes the SC-X210WL indispensable outdoors is its wireless, water-resistant wearable mini-lens, which transmits video to the main camera from up to 15 feet (6 meters) away.
2. Radio Wave Savior - Etón American Red Cross FR400, $60, www.etoncorp.com
The Etón American Red Cross FR400 radio is an essential piece of emergency gear. Give the crank on the side a minute of elbow grease and get about 30 minutes of AM/FM broadcast or TV-VHF (audio only). It also has an LED flashlight, a siren, and a built-in cell-phone charger. Plus, Etón donates 70 cents of each sale to the American Red Cross.
3. Sun Spot - Solio Solar Charger, $100, www.solio.com
The Solio Solar Charger can fuel up virtually any low-voltage portable directly from the sun. Or you can charge its internal battery to have power on hand when the sun sets. It takes about eight hours to fully juice and comes with a range of adapter tips (including a mini-USB) for phones, PDAs, and similar devices.
4. Map Master - Magellan Explorist 500LE, $250, www.magellangps.com
The difference between getting home safely and foraging for grubs may be a dependable GPS. The updated Magellan eXplorist 500LE gps unit comes preloaded with North American maps and can upload hiking, fishing, and kayaking topos via the Web or an SD card. It also runs on a rechargeable battery or standard AAA cells if a wall socket isn't available.
5. Waterproof Eye - Pentax Optio W20, $300, www.pentax.com
The standout seven-megapixel Pentax Optio W20 camera snaps great pics on land and at sea. With a maximum depth of five feet in the drink for up to 30 minutes, a blur-reduction mode boosts the artificial ISO to 1,600 for low-light situations or moving subjects, and a macro mode allows for sharp images of subjects less than an inch away.
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