After the wild success of the iTP A3 flashlight, the H01 headlamp from them has been hotly anticipated. The H01 shipment just landed at the store a couple of days ago, so I spent some time this weekend making a video review showing the light in action.
My verdict is that the light is hard to beat at $29.95. It is one of the only single AAA lights on the market, meaning that it is small and light while still having a tough hard anodized aluminum body like the A3. The headband and holder are super comfortable, and the soft rubber holder holds the light very securely. The H01 has three brightnesses, starting with a low low, then going to a medium and finally high as you turn it off and on to switch modes.
The H01 also comes with a pocket clip, for those of you that prefer to have the light attached somewhere other than your head. I actually prefer my lights this way, since having it down at my chest or waist level creates better shadows on the trail at night, giving me better depth perception.
One of the big benefits of having a retail store is that we can pick up some premium brands that were previously unavailable to us. You have already seen me mention a few of them, but the big one we have been waiting for was Surefire.
We picked up about 25 of their items to start out with, including flashlights (of course), batteries, headlamps, and pens. Yes, Surefire makes pens, and some awfully nice ones at that. We plan on carrying their entire line before the end of the summer, including their knives, so just drop me a line through the store or comments if you have any questions or want something that we do not stock quite yet.
Surefire has been busy updating their line with new lights and new LEDs to make their existing lights brighter and more powerful. My personal favorite that they have right now is the LX2.  It has a two stage switch, so you press softly for the low level and a little harder for the high level. The high level is right at 200 lumens. Considering that Surefire measures their lumens by doing something like leaving the light running for 10 minutes and then measuring the brightness at a meter away, 200 lumens is quite bright. Most companies use the theoretical lumens that are coming out of the LED based on the current and voltage going to it, so take that into consideration when you start thinking that 200 lumens is low compared to some of the other lights we offer.
I’m working on videos for all of the new lights and hope to have them up in the next few days. Keep an eye on the blog and youtube page for updates.
I’m trying to beef up my selection of items to the point where you can buy everything in the store that you would need on a camping trip other than apparel, and sleeping bags were a big hole in my product selection. A huge shipment of Snugpak products just came in to fill that hole.
For those of you not familiar with Snugpak, they are an English brand known for making roomy and comfortable synthetic sleeping bags that can still pack down to a tiny size. We have a healthy selection of their warm weather (32 F+) bags and will pick up some of the colder weather bags in the coming months for those of you that live in a climate where it actually gets below 32 F. Living in Georgia, I forget that other people actually remember what snow looks like.
They also make some cool packs, and we picked up a few of them to gauge interest. As with anything else we sell, if there is something from them that you want that we do not stock, just let me know and I will get it.
For those of you in the Atlanta area, we will be having our store’s grand opening this Saturday at 7 PM. We will have food, drinks, and will be giving away a LOT of free stuff. Right now we have a pile worth about $1500. A Surefire rep will be here if you want to pick his brain, along with maybe some other companies’ reps if they can make it.
Our store’s location:
4480 S Cobb Dr Ste U
Smyrna, GA 30080
We are in the Publix shopping center at the corner of East West Connector and S Cobb Dr. We are to the right of Publix, next to Great Clips. Our neon sign is not up yet, so look for the only store with a banner above it
One of the biggest misconceptions of camping or being outdoors is that you will constantly be dirty. Of course, there is some inherent lack of hygiene, but a basic level of cleanliness can still be maintained. With a variety of products, one should not have to worry about coming home with 2 inches of dirt, and teeth that haven’t been brushed for days. Here are some must haves to keep the flies away, and your friends complaint free:
Ultralight Fingertip Tooth Brush – This is my favorite because it can fit anywhere, easy to maintain and clean, and simple to use.
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap – This soap has over 18 different claimed uses. It can be used to wash your body, hair, dishes, clothes, act as a deodorant, as well as a mirage of others things. It is also biodegradable. This small, portable bottle offers nearly everything a dirty camper needs to get clean.
Fresh Bath Body Wipes – With just one wipe, you can clean your whole body. Great for camping or people on the move. It is like a bath in towelette form.
Sea to Summit Tek Towel – This is ideal if you will be spending any time near or in water. This small, portable towel soaks up tons, but dries very quickly. It can even double up as a small blanket or pillow.
Starting with the post below, you will start seeing some new names here at Going Prepared. I said that I would start posting more and that was a giant failure, so instead I am suckering in some friends to help out. They are not Going Gear employees, meaning you will see more posts about other companies’ gear, skills, and the outdoors in general. I will still post about new Going Gear products and events every now and then.
I also realized that I had turned off new user registrations a while back, so people have not been able to register and comment. Sorry about that! New registrations are turned back on, as of now. I’m sure the spammers will be happy…
While the North Face draws some scorn from some in the outdoor community (I’ll admit, me included) because of their pervasiveness at the mall and the local high school these days, you have to admit: they do have a way with their design. Â And clearly, they do make quality products.
One in particular caught my eye recently. The North Face Docking Station. It sounds like it belongs in outer space, and with the customizability behind it, you might think it was designed by a future society.
The Docking Station, open for business.
I’m perpetually on the hunt for quality family camping shelters. I don’t really have a family to put in them yet, but I know I will some day and I want to BE PREPARED for that day. Clearly I like the comfort they afford too. And the problem you often run into is, how big, how many people, what if my family grows, what if we invite friends?
The Docking Station appears to answer those questions.
Going Gear will be at Blade 2010! I’ve been working on this for a few weeks, but didn’t want to say anything until we were going to be there for sure. We will be in booth 42, in the back left corner. Stop by and see what we have if you are attending the show.  We won’t be able to bring everything in the store, but most of the flashlights, Maxpedition packs, and survival products will be there. If you want to see something in particular, drop me a line through the store’s contact page and I will make sure I bring it.
If you do want to see our full selection, our store is only a short drive away from the show’s location.
