Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry DaypackAs the name suggests, Aussie gear gurus Sea to Summit fit you out with all manner of kit for the wild-beyonds.
Increasingly though, it has focused attention on the tamer close-to-homes with a range of shopping bags and duffles for everyday use with its Ultra-Sil range. The range’s claim to fame? Extreme storability, folding up to fit in pockets and sliding into luggage nooks and crannies like a penny down a sofa back.
The Dry Daypack is particularly useful, stuffing itself down to something so small you could virtually attach it to a key ring. Ultra-Sil bags are made from a siliconised 30 denier Cordura for water resistance and, whereas the range’s existing bags have zips (and so can never be entirely leak-protected), the latest versions come with roll-top closing like proper dry bags.
And with so much attention being paid to only having one bag as an aircraft carry-on, the teeny-weeny space these take up, combined with that water resistance means Sea to Summit has carved out a packable little niche for the lightweight traveller.
Cost: to be confirmed; zipper version on amazon.co.uk from £17 (€19.30).
Icon A5 Light Sport AircraftSure, heading off on your travels towing your dingy, rip or even something a bit more substantial is all very well, but if you really want to take your water sports up a notch, well this may be just what you need. (By "need" I mean of course, want.)
The Icon A5 is an amphibious, light sport airplane which can take off and land on water or terra firma, but with foldable wings, so you can stick it on a trailer and take it with you.
It’s a two-seater, with a range of about 300 nautical miles and a maximum speed of about 120mph.
And all you need to launch or land it is about 200 metres (750ft) of open water. Or ground. It’s even got retractable landing gear which can be removed completely if you want to fly 100 per cent seaplane.
The trailer to tow it is an optional extra, as apparently is a parachute for the complete plane. Hmmm, explaining what that is to your passenger might well add a frisson of excitement to the whole flight.
Cost: $140,000 (€98,000) on iconaircraft.com (for the standard model without parachute).
Black Diamond Magnetron CarabinersCarabiners may be unfamiliar to many, at least as a word, yet someone who has done any climbing will know them intimately: in fact, they may have trusted them with their lives. Carabiners are the metal loops with closable gates that are used with lots of roped leisure activities like climbing or even sailing.
In effect, they’re the nuts and bolts of much outdoor recreation.
Some have lockable gates which always involved a screw or spring-loaded lock. Until now. Black Diamond is introducing a range of carabiners with what it calls “magnetron technology”. Magnets in other words. When the gate is open, powerful little magnets in the lock repel each other keeping it open for ease of roping. Then when it comes to closing, the magnets clip and lock the carabiner shut.
All this can be done with a simple pinch action on each side, like dipping a teabag. It makes these carabiners quickly and securely lockable with just one hand on your left or right side.
Think about using scissors with your weaker hand and you’ll realise why that’s a great leap forward.
And you’re not usually cutting paper while swinging off a cliff face.
Cost: Magnetron GridLock and Magnetron RockLock Carabiners have just been launched, so you'll find them in all good outdoor stores shortly. See blackdiamondequipment.com.