This isn’t the first time Gear Patrol has featured a GoPro video camera. Thomas wrote about GoPro’s wrist cam last May, which you can find here. In the interest of not repeating ourselves, I’m just going to give you the update (and a video, after the jump).

Since last year, the GoPro cameras have been upgraded to 5 megapixel resolution for much better video quality, incorporate widescreen lenses, and you can now take up to 2 GB of continuous video (about 56 minutes). All in the name of helping you make even better YouTube videos of yourself and/or your pals trying to win a Darwin Award. Not too shabby for a video camera smaller than my cell phone.

The GoPro cam I have been demoing is technically the Motor Sports Package, coming with mounts to put on your bumper or a suction cup attachment that can be put on your windshield to look at what you see coming at you. Alternatively, position it turned back on the cockpit to catch that “oh, shit” look on your face while you rally car race (if only we were all so lucky). In light of the fact that the most exciting driving I do is fighting the 6 o’clock traffic in Knoxville, I figured I’d find something a little more worthy of this intriguing camera and my sense of adventure. A big thanks goes out to Wahoo Ziplines down the road in Sevierville, TN, for providing said more worthy activity and letting me use them as a testing grounds for the GoPro. If you happen to find yourselves in East TN, you’d be hard pressed to find a better way to spend your afternoon than zipping through the trees at Whaoo. Below, you can check out a video I made with the GoPro.

I had an absolute blast testing the GoPro out and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the video it shot and at its ability to pick up audio through its water-resistant case. The controls are simple, if not rudimentary, but after a little practice you’ll be able to switch back and forth between various video and picture taking settings or stop and start video without removing your helmet. Overall, it’s an overachieving, durable, and versatile little camera that is a steal at $200. The GoPro is a must have for any adventure buff interested in sharing or reliving his exploits. I’ve already built a list of more shennanigans to document with the GoPro, so maybe you’ll get to see some of them.

Cost: $200 (Motor Sports Package)