From the guys who brought you the incredibly popular iPhone camera app, Hipstamatic, comes this nifty little case that completes the iPhone into a camera trend that’s going on right now. With a small mount for your tripod you can even use this to shoot with your iPhone in low light.

Protection wise there’s not much there however, it consists of not much more then a simple hard plastic backing and some retro style. Plus the tripod mount isn’t anything but a small thin piece of plastic, meaning you’ll be waiting for it to stop wiggling before taking any photos. Great idea Hipstamatic, but it need more work for this price iPhone users can do better. This is about the same as the $10 incase Walmart special, yet it costs 4 times as much. We give it style points, but like we said, you can do better and we expect more from this crew. This ones for hardcore Hipstamatic lovers only. 5/10.  $40. NC

Want to win a get away and something awesome from a great brand? Well here’s your shot. Nau is giving you some time in the Ace Hotel and a free Nau piece, that is they’ll give it to you if you win. Enter free, without buying anything here. NC

A fantastic local brand, partnering with a fantastic local brand? We’re in. Our friends over at Surf Ohio have got a nice partnership lined up with the team at Homage, and the results are some great styles we know you’ll love. NC

As we all know one of the keys to survival is the ability to make fire.  Fire was revolutionary when it was discovered and allows man to cook, provides life saving heat, helps to keep wild animals at bay, and perhaps most importantly has the mysterious ability to encourage us.  While lighters and matches are more common fire starters these days, they are not always reliable under extreme conditions.

The people at Exotac have come up with a clever way to carry a ferrocerium based firestarter in a slim, waterproof package that you can carry in your bag or on your key chain, the nanoSTRIKER.  The way the nanoSTRIKER works is the individual uses the enclosed striker at a 45 degree angle and presses firmly on the downward angle to create a spark shower into your dry tinder.  I just purchased a unit to test so once I get it I will update this with my thoughts. They are available in a variety of colors and have the unique ability to replace the starter rod as it wears. $26.95 NC

Trevor Zantos is awesome. He’s also a trusted outdoorsmen, and current columnist for NC

“Made from seven denier fabric, the lightest fabric ever used in The North Face® Summit Series..”

Well that about says it all, light, strong and highly wind and water resistant. We had some water leakage after about 10 min of submersion and held up pretty nice against winds. This may not be the most rugged jacket out there, but the

Pertex

Quantum fabric is still pretty strong and will survive some serious trail time. Read more »

Looking to step up from your standard cotton hoodie? This is a surefire way to get that upgrade you’re shopping for. Designed for some of the toughest abusive adventures you can think of. Polartec Wind Pro fabric and DWR water protection provide protection that no ordinary hoodie will, and it’s loaded with 6 pockets  and the hoodie packs away easily packing flat to take up minimum room. Tough, well fitted, and awesome design.

Plus the price puts in line with simaler products from brands like Arc’teryx, which in our opinion is still a little high, but mean they’re aiming in the right direction. 8/10. $215-220. NC

Minimalism at it’s finest, this little multi-tool packs a big punch in a tiny package. Prying, opening, screwing and scraping, it’s all here. Made from tough 6AL-4V Titanium Billet and featuring 3 holes just for lashing or keychain hanging. A tiny bit over priced though, which keep them from getting a higher rating. Get that price down guys, until then you’ll be stuck with mid range rating. Still, this thing is pretty sweet. 6/10. $99. NC

For a pair of gloves that’ll handle the next adventure, you should be looking for a tough as nails, rugged, and perfectly fitted glove that’ll handle abuse, and protect your hands while still being capable of activities like rappelling. Look no more. These are what you seek.

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So lets say you’re not sure if the adventure ahead will bring you into an abandoned building, underground or through rocky trails that go into the deepest woods. Teva, one of our favorite collaborators here at Necessary Cool, has your feet covered with these awesome kicks. Tough tread patterns dig in to almost any terrain, plus with eVent these shoes are water proof. They look cool enough to be worn around town, and they’re capable enough off road to keep you moving forward. These are our stand out choice for one shoe to do it all. 10/10. $110. NC

Shock-resistant and waterproof to 65 ft, a on board sensor for detecting things like the force of gravity during acceleration and deceleration, hang time and more, then of course the variety of mounting options that come with these kinds of cameras, this is a ultra rugged 1080p HD video capture device for any adventure.

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