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Kraig Becker

Kraig Becker

Former Contributor
Author/Co-Author of 535 articles

Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other activity that gets him outside. An avid adventure traveler and self-confessed gadget-nerd, he believes that technology can play a crucial role in your enjoyment of the outdoors.

Onak 2.0 is an origami-inspired folding canoe for waterborne adventures

Onak 2.0 is an origami-inspired folding canoe that has launched on Kickstarter, giving outdoor enthusiasts an easy to store, easy to assemble plastic canoe that they can take with them anywhere. The canoe weighs just 33 pounds, but when assembled is 15 feet in length and can safely carry multiple passengers weighing up to 550 pounds.
Fluid Inside's Fox Racing Helmet

Forget foam. This fluid-filled helmet mimics your brain to protect your head

The Fluid Inside head protection system is designed to not just protect an athletes skull, but the brain as well, by mimicking the fluids that protect us from repeated impacts and sudden, jarring hits. The system is more than the sum of its parts however, strategically placing the fluid pods to prevent the most common sport injuries.
Trek Bontrager WaveCel Helmet

Inside the high-tech lab that makes the world’s safest bike helmet

Trek and Bontrager have developed a new cycling helmet technology that looks to dramatically improve performance and safety. Dubbed WaveCel, the new tech uses three processes – flex, crumple, and glide – to disperse the energy absorbed on contact in an accident, providing up to 48 times more protection against head injury.
Brett Rheeder | Red Bull Rampage 2018

How bike tech lets Red Bull Rampage riders flirt with death, and survive

Red Bull Rampage riders take big chances in their quest for glory, fortunately they have some great bike technology to keep them safe in this wild event.
The Tipoon camping pod

Tipoon is a tiny pop-up camper that triples in size

The Tipoon is a tiny camping trailer that can expand to more than three times its size when it reaches the campsite, providing a surprising amount of space in a small package that is easily pulled behind a car and can set up in minutes at the push of a button.
BioLite FirePit

Biolite’s head engineer explains the wizardry behind its smokeless fire pit

BioLite's new FirePit uses an innovative design and integrated fan to remove all of the smoke from a backyard bonfire. FirePit incorporates these newly developed design elements in a way that is meant to drastically improve the humble campfire. The crowdfunded product is available now for $199.
sCarabane

Go glamping in style with this amazing, collapsible, transforming trailer

The sCarabane camper's solar panels and wind generator make it the perfect choice for living off the grid.
Keen Uneekbot robot close

Watch the 'Uneekbot' shoe-making robot stitch sandals on demand

Keen Footwear brings its Uneekbot robot to Tokyo to create custom versions of its Uneek shoes in a fraction of the typical time.
lumo cycling jacket led frontcu 1

Lumo cycling jacket is loaded with lights to keep you more visible on evening rides

The Lumo cycling jacket is both stylish and safe. It uses embedded LED lights to make the wearer more visible out on the road.
sparkr plasma lighter and mini

Carry a Tesla coil in your pocket with Sparkr, a plasma lighter and flashlight

The Sparkr and Sparkr Mini plasma lighters use electricity rather than a flame to help quickly and easily start a fire both at home or your campsite.
dryguy boot warmer 0

DryGuy keeps your boots warm and dry during the winter

Thanks to a company called DryGuy, hikers and others who love the outdoors no longer have to head outside with wet shoes.
Hammock V

Hammock campers now have a sleeping pad made just for them

A company called Klymit has a sleeping pad called the Hammock V that was built specifically to meet the needs of hammock campers.
katadyn befree water bottle 3

The Katadyn BeFree water bottle provides clean drinking water on the go

The Katadyn BeFree water bottles come with built-in water filtration system that removes microorganisms and other harmful elements.
scarpa maestrale ski boot 1

One of the most popular ski boots in the world gets an upgrade

The popular Scarpa Maestrale ski boot gets an upgrade by shaving 5 ounces off of each boot and increasing its flexibility.
matador beast28 backpack feat

Meet the Matador Beast28, a technical daypack built to go with you anywhere

The Beast28 is a rugged packable backpack that is designed to fit neatly into your luggage and expand to full capacity when needed.
yeti rambler jugs jug 2

Yeti Rambler Jugs keep your favorite beverages hot or cold for hours

The Rambler line adds the new Yeti Rambler Jugs, significantly increasing the amount of liquid we can take with us when we hit the road.
yeti hopper two 1

Yeti's soft-sided Hopper cooler got even better with improved zipper

The Yeti Hopper Two improves on the original by adding an improved zipper while retaining the same level of performance and durability.
pelican storm case drone hard cases im2275

Keep your drone, camera gear, and other equipment safe with a Pelican Storm Case

The Pelican Storm Case is designed to carry your drone, camera, or other important, fragile equipment with you without worrying about damage.
quickblade smart paddle qb 1

Improve your stand-up paddleboarding with the Smart Paddle from Quickblade

The Quickblade Smart Paddle uses sensors and tracking technology to provide real-time feedback on a stand-up paddler's technique and more.
rossignol piq connected ski 1

Rossignol and PIQ Sport Intelligence create world’s first ‘connected ski’

Rossignol and PIQ Sport Intelligence teamed up to create the connected ski, which provides real-time feedback on performance on the slopes.
renogy phoenix solar briefcase 1

The Renogy Phoenix is a complete solar generator built into a briefcase

The Renogy Phoenix is an all-in-one solar charging solution that features two solar panels, a 16Ah battery, and multiple ports for charging.
kelty camp cabin 1

Kelty’s latest tent is your portable family-style cabin in the woods

The Kelty Camp Cabin is a spacious and comfortable tent that can easily sleep four people and is designed for use in three seasons.
osprey hydration packs

Fluid form: Hit the trail this spring with new hydration packs from Osprey

Osprey launched a new line of hydration packs, offering lightweight designs, plenty of carrying capacity, and large water reservoirs.
yeti lithium power stations station 2

Goal Zero's new Yeti Power Stations are half the weight of their predecessors

When designing this new generation of power station, Goal Zero decided to make the jump from lead-acid batteries to Lithium energy cells.
laidback memory foam sleeping pad pads 2

Sleep under the stars in comfort with the memory foam-backed LaidBack Pad

Designed with comfort in mind, the LaidBack Pad allows casual campers the ability to avoid the aches and pains of sleeping outside.
on running cloudventure peak trail shoes 1

These trail running shoes offer exceptional performance both up and downhill

The Cloudventure Peak trail running shoe from On Running provides exceptional grip and stability on a wide variety of terrains.
izip e3 peak ds bike 4

IZIP tempts mountain bikers into going electric with full-suspension ebike

iZip's new E3 Peak DS electric mountain bike is a full-suspension model designed for a comfortable ride on the trail.
biolite solarpanel10 charge series  4

BioLite's new SolarPanel and USB chargers bring portable power to campsites

BioLite expanded its options for keeping mobile gadgets charged while on the go by adding the new SolarPanel 10+ to its lineup.
board vs video red paddle company 1

Red Paddle Co. pushes its inflatable SUP boards to the limit in new video

Thanks to a new video from Red Paddle Co., we can get a first hand look at just how tough an inflatable paddleboard truly is.
biolite nanogrid expands 1

Biolite brings its customizable Nanogrid lighting system to the campsite

Biolite expanded its Nanogrid modular camp lighting system to include the new Baselantern, Baselantern XL, Sitelight Mini, and Sitelight XL.
burly minnow bike trailer 1

This bike trailer folds flat so you can store it almost anywhere

the new Burly Minnow incorporates a fold-flat design that promises to make it a breeze to stash just about anywhere.
kelly sltater 360 video slater vr

Catch a virtual wave with pro surfer Kelly Slater in a 360-degree video

Teton Gravity Research has released another 360-degree video from its surf film Proximity, this time allowing viewers to watch Kelly Slater.
polar v800 gopro stryd oakland down town

The Polar V800 GPS watch is updated with GoPro and Stryd support

Polar updated its V800 watch, adding support for remotely controlling the GoPro Hero 5 action camera as well as compatibility with Stryd.
specialized diverge bike specilized gravel

The Diverge bike is built for go-anywhere, do-anything adventures

Specialized Bikes has unveiled the Diverge, an "adventure bike" designed for both on and off road performance. The Diverge is built to be ightweight and fast, yet durable enough to withstand the rigors of the trail too.