Tag Archives: outdoor essentials

Top 5 summer essentials you absolutely need for summer 2023

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Summertime means there is excitement in the air, pina coladas in our hands, and of course beads of sweat on our foreheads. As much as I love and thoroughly enjoy summer, I’m almost always on a mission to beat the heat. I’m all for experiencing summertime to the max, while also ensuring and taking care of my own comfort. And, having a band of summer essentials by our side is always a great idea! From a battery-operated ice maker that you can carry anytime anywhere with you to an AI-powered robotic pool cleaner – these fun yet functional product designs are all you need to be completely prepared for Summer 2023. Have a fun and safe summer!

1. The FLEXTAIL EVO ICER

Meet the ultimate ice maker – the FLEXTAIL EVO ICER ice maker. The innovative ice maker is the world’s first to feature a built-in battery. It promises to tackle all the issues that you could possibly face with traditional portable ice makers, which tend to have slow speeds and annoying power cords.

Why is it noteworthy?

Right off the bat, you can immediately see that the EVO ICER is meant to be carried anywhere. Weighing only 20.9 lbs and smaller than most portable ice coolers, the ice maker can be easily lifted and positioned where you can easily make and grab as much ice as you need.

What we like

  • The 200Wh battery inside means you don’t have to worry about power sockets, and the EVO ICER can run for as long as three hours on a full charge

What we dislike

  • Doesn’t have the option to chill drinks inside if needed

2. AIRROBO PC100

AIRROBO recently unveiled the new PC100 cordless robotic pool cleaner, which promises to deliver stress-free and sweat-free maintenance of pools just in time for summer!

Why is it noteworthy?

The AIRROBO PC100 is a true wonder, with two brushes scrubbing your pool floors and a powerful suction of 55GPM (Gallons Per Minute) that makes short work of leaves, dirt, debris, and even fine sand along its path, ensuring a clean and healthy swim every time.

What we like

  • It can clean walls and waterlines, crawling up walls up to 90 degrees
  • Its large 4L filter basket lets it give the pool a thorough cleaning before you need to pick it up

What we dislike

  • Hefty price tag

3. The Orfo Lounge Chair

Designed by Miray Özlem ER, the Orfo lounge chair and sunbed is quite a quirky and eccentric-looking piece of furniture. The designer drew inspiration from Mother Nature herself while designing the chair.

Why is it noteworthy?

If you look at the chair closely, it may remind you of a leaf or an exotic-looking plant. The woven pattern of the chair and its dusky green color were characteristics that Miray picked up from nature.

What we like

  • The bands were built using a polyester-based technical fabric, and they have a high mechanical resistance to the sun and strong color stability

What we dislike

  • There is no option to fold the chair and stow it away when not in use

4. The Viuu Bottle Opener

It’s high time the traditional bottle opener got a redesign! And this is exactly what YUUE Design Studio did – they revamped the age-old bottle opener. Although the Viuu Bottle opener looks like a decorative piece, it doesn’t compromise on any of the functionality. You can now get your drinks ready in a really unique + effective manner with the Viuu Bottle Opener.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is inspired by window grill patterns, specifically those from classic Chinese architecture. There are three shapes featured: one hexagonal, one rectangular, and one with a semi-circular design. All of them have these patterns that may remind you of windows in old houses if you live in such a place influenced by this kind of architecture. While there are no handles to grip while opening a bottle, the grill design can help you with the grip problem.

What we like

  • Inspired by classic Chinese architecture

What we dislike

  • Tiny items like a bottle opener have a tendency to be lost, and there is no magnetic element that helps us stick it to a noticeable place

5. The Yuanye

Say hello to The Yuanye, a portable outdoor barbecue grilling pan that you NEED on all your outdoor adventures and picnics this summer. The Yuanye looks like a simple old portable projector, but it is, in fact, an extremely functional and useful outdoor kitchen appliance that features a gas tank, fire source, and oil storage module.

Why is it noteworthy?

When you open it up, you’ll see two partitions where you can grill your meats on one side and your vegetable on the other. The design of this portable grill is inspired by the usual suitcases we bring when we travel, from the foldable design to the handle and all the accessories. But instead of being storage for clothes and other stuff we need, it’s actually for the food we need when going on a picnic or camping out in the middle of nature.

What we like

  • You can cook steak and barbecue all kinds of meats as well as different types of vegetables with the Yuanye, allowing you to prepare a balanced and well-rounded meal
  • Fashionable + good-looking appliance

What we dislike

  • Looks a bit heavy to be carrying around, better suited for your backyard or close distances

The post Top 5 summer essentials you absolutely need for summer 2023 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gear bag is flexible, collapsible, and modular – perfect for outdoor adventurers

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When you do a lot of traveling outdoors with various gear or you have events where you need storage boxes for your stuff, boxes and bags are your life. By now you probably have your go-to boxes and bags and a storage system to help you carry all your materials and gear. But you probably still have a wishlist of what that bag or system can have to make your life easier. That’s where product designers sometimes get their inspiration from, wishing that existing things can become better.

Designer: Tony Richardson, Andre Charland, Jamie Bond

The result of all their brainstorming and prototyping is Rux, a gear container that is simple but sort of modular and flexible. It is also durable enough to hold all your stuff can is soft-sided so you can fold it and pack it up when you’re not using it during your trip or event. It has several components that you can easily put together and comes with additional accessories that you can add to it to organize all your gear. It can be a good companion for fishing trips, camping adventures, cross-country road trips, and various events where you need gear boxes.

Rux is a gear box with the main body made from TPU coated nylon that is weather resistant and pretty easy to clean. The material also allows you to compress it and pack flat when it’s not needed. It has a lid with easy access folds and made from compressed eva foam. It comes with removable side handle straps and nylon webbing straps if you want to carry it as a tote, shoulder bag, or backpack. There is also a clear window so you can see what you’ve put inside, in case you’ll be using multiple gear boxes.

You can also get some other accessories that you can attach to the bag/box either on the outside or inside through the utility rim and rails. There’s a pocket bag, nesting divider tote bag, and a waterproof bag in case you need to separate wet and dry items. Even though the body looks soft so it can be lighter, it also looks pretty durable and sturdy, at least from the video and photos that we see. It can hold about 50 lbs worth of stuff and has a dimension of 15.7 x 19.5 x 13.8 inches. The Rux 70L main bag is around $298 with the additional bags and other materials sold separately.

The post Gear bag is flexible, collapsible, and modular – perfect for outdoor adventurers first appeared on Yanko Design.

This air-powered outdoor survival device keeps you enroute, hydrated and safe!

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The great outdoors – a treasure we all miss right now and one we must protect when we step out into our new normal in the future. Adventures always happen outside and A1R is an outdoor gadget that was specifically designed to inspire you to enjoy nature, grow with the environment, and gain a new perspective. While it was originally created for intermediate outdoor enthusiasts, it can actually be used by beginners as well and help them fall in love with nature.

A1R Powered Outdoor Gear gives you the tools that let you enjoy your hike or camping trip peacefully because you are equipped with a problem-solving gadget. Personally, I am someone who will panic if I am in a forest and things don’t go as planned so having like this on me is very reassuring as opposed to being left to survive with a map, compass, and my phone (which is probably in single-digit battery levels). A1R is a weatherproof device fueled by renewable energy source, air/wind, that lasts for days and serves the purpose of a navigator, power bank, tracker, water/snow/saltwater purifier, and an emergency beacon. Its basically a sleek and sustainable Jarvis for any camper.

When you feel well-equipped to deal with unplanned events is when you are more willing to take risks – this is where the actual growth happens and the user’s horizons expand not just physically in the outdoors but also as a person. A1R takes into account all elements that should be in an all-rounder survival gadget – it bridges the urban-outdoor gap, is mindful of using sustainable materials, focuses on empowering the user with new experiences and self-actualization. Let’s go on a design adventure to see how this concept was developed and all the features it has to reduce panic and increase peace!

Designer: Kendall Toerner and Alexander Ordonez

A1R Powered Outdoor Tools help outdoor enthusiasts enter the stretch zone, enabling them to discover and push their boundaries. It takes care of the 5 elements that can cause panic when you are on an adventure and gives you one device that works for your physical and digital needs thereby reducing the things you have to carry or keep a track of!

A1R solves the issues one faces during camping or exploring outdoors for days – it is reliable, durable, provides battery instead of draining it, keeps you connected with your group, and most importantly, keeps you hydrated in any situation. It is versatile and flexible to your needs while reducing the number of essentials you have to carry by providing the features in one portable device.

The portable device is made to be handheld and can expand as per your needs. It is ergonomic and fits with the modern, minimal aesthetic, unlike the existing outdoor tech tools. Its capsule-like slim build saves space in your backpack for other essentials.

The 3000 PSI compressed air module powers devices through both electrical and mechanical potential, and is much more reliable and sustainable than batteries because it’s durable, unaffected by cold temperatures or weather, and made of all recyclable materials.

Being powered by air means the downside of batteries are eliminated and as technology advances, every industry should consider using renewable energy sources to create long-lasting products that are also compatible with a sustainable lifestyle.

Use the accompanying pump on long journeys to recharge the power source anywhere at any time. 60 seconds of pumping provides 5 days of water purification, 3 days of navigation, 24 hours of communication, or a full headlamp charge.

You never have to worry about losing your trail, A1R takes into account offline navigation and has a very simple UI to keep it user-friendly because the last thing you need when you are lost is trying to figure out how to use a device that can help you. The aim is to reduce panic and not increase it.

During unprecedented circumstances, we can go without food but clean water is the most crucial essential. A1R lets you purify water anywhere and store up to 12 oz in the appliance and fill up 16 oz bottle one at a time. It works on purifying snow and saltwater too which makes it a versatile gadget to take to any outdoor setting.

The filter is durable and designed to last without needing to be replaced often. It also won’t break in freezing temperatures.

In case of emergencies, A1R enables you to send out a call for help with its beacon feature. It launches a 99% biodegradable balloon with a cellular radio that will have your initial GPS coordinates so first responders can get to your accurate location for help.

Stay connected at all times and find your friends if you are lost. A1R is powered by a supercapacitor and a GPS chip that will help you navigate through an antenna and ultra-low-power transceiver. Just tap and instantly charge the supercapacitor.

This article was sent to us using the ‘Submit A Design’ feature.

We encourage designers/students/studios to send in their projects to be featured on Yanko Design!

Bear Grylls x Luminox survival series pushes you and your watch’s limits

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Bear Grylls is the human personification of Man vs Wild and Fear Factor – no, seriously he is an international public figure known for this survival skills and outdoor adventures! So when Swiss watchmaker, Luminox, wanted to create a line of all-terrain watches they reached out to Bear Grylls and we got a match (or shall I say watch?) made in heaven. Luminox has unveiled the Bear Grylls Survival series which includes the master edition, the sea edition, and the land edition all designed with one goal in mind – to help you survive.

The beauty of this partnership is also in the core values of the brand and the celebrity – Luminox’s motto of ‘Every Second Counts’ syncs up with perfectly Grylls’ ‘Never Give Up’ and comes together as one in the Survival watches. The Master series leads the pack with two chronographs in 45mm Carbonox™ and cases to match. The adventurous spirit of the watch comes from stainless steel chronograph pushers, the mini compass on the strap and a rubber crown ring for easy grip. Given that is has a special Sea edition too, the survival series is water-resistant up to 300 meters.

Scale mountains, dive deep into the sea or explore jungles – the Survival series was created to ‘survive’ extreme conditions and will self-illuminate in the dark for up to 25 years! Even the case of the watch is inscribed with SOS in Morse code for quick reference if you ever need it. “The rugged watch range has been carefully crafted featuring multi-functional design and state of the art materials – set to inspire and encourage the adventurer in everyone – men and women, boys and girls, outdoor novices and experts,” says Bear Grylls.

Designer: Luminox

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