Out Of Doors

By Maryanne Murray Buechner, Lev Grossman and Anita Hamilton Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002
    • The Cutting Edge
    Ever since the advent of the Swiss army knife, mankind has sought to fit more and more tools into smaller and smaller devices. The latest triumph of ingenuity over simplicity is the i-Quip, which puts an extraordinary number of traditional gadgets — and quite a few new ones — into a compact design. The i-Quip is divided into two separate pods: one holds quotidian tools (blades, scissors, screwdrivers, etc.), the other such high-tech necessities as a digital compass, a barometer, a clock, a flashlight and an altimeter.
    INVENTOR Imperial Schrade Corp.
    AVAILABILITY Now, $250
    TO LEARN MORE www.schradeknives.com

    Shore Thing
    Many of us feel the call of the deep, but few of us are willing to face the cold, wet and occasionally shark-infested realities of scuba diving. That's why we need Spyfish, a gadget for divers who aren't quite ready to take the plunge. Spyfish is a battery-powered minisubmarine tricked out with cameras and floodlights and operated by wireless remote control. It trails a slender cable behind it that transmits whatever it sees back to a monitor topside, so you can rummage through Davy Jones' locker while sunning yourself on deck and sipping a mai tai. The product of years of research and testing, Spyfish is elegant and streamlined but rugged enough to withstand depths of 500 ft. and conditions too cold or dangerous for a human diver.
    INVENTOR H2Eye
    AVAILABILITY Late in 2003; around $14,900
    TO LEARN MORE www.h2eye.com


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    Snow Business
    If you're skiing, you're probably on vacation, and if you're on vacation, you're probably tired of using your head. Why not think with your feet for a change? Head's new i.C 300 skis are made from a special material that reacts to physical stress by generating electricity. Each i.C 300 ski has a computer chip in it that monitors its electrical output, thus allowing the ski to make an educated guess about the condition of the snow you're skiing on and how hard you're turning. The chip then feeds that signal back into the ski, which reacts instantly by either relaxing or stiffening. Result: you get more control and a smoother ride.
    INVENTOR Head NV
    AVAILABILITY Now, $750
    TO LEARN MORE www.head.com

    Water Sport
    Scuba divers have always had a soft spot for high-tech accessories. Take, for example, these bizarre-looking fins, designed to let divers fine-tune the position and even the flexibility of their blades. The Oscillating Propulsion System, above right, whips through water like an eel; a little weight inside the tip helps build momentum so you can cover long distances faster without working too hard. The Twin Foils are better for maneuvering in tight spots, reducing the chance that you'll kick the coral. The two fins share a common foot pocket, so you can quickly swap one for the other.
    INVENTOR Bob Evans
    AVAILABILITY Now; $135 for a pair of foot pockets; $150 to $220 for a set of blades
    TO LEARN MORE forcefin.com

    Let's Go Surfin'
    Karl Pope has been searching for the perfect surfboard since he took to the waves in the mid-1950s. In 1964 he introduced the Travelboard, a three-piece model, with partner Tom Morey (who went on to invent the boogie board in 1971). Four years ago, Pope introduced the Bisect, a two-piece board that is even easier to transport; just pull it out of the trunk, snap it together, and head for the water. His latest innovation: the Bisect Hollow Carbon Stealth (as in Stealth fighter). It's pressure-molded out of a carbon-fiber composite — a jet-age fabric woven with graphite and impregnated with epoxy — that's 20% lighter than conventional foam-and-fiber-glass long boards and, Pope claims, "at least 10 times stronger." It's also 125% more expensive.
    INVENTOR Karl Pope
    AVAILABILITY Now, $1,795
    TO LEARN MORE bisect.com