Gear Patrol

Smartphones have made typical point-and-shoots about as useful as Ryan Lochte in a public speaking class. But until our favorite thigh weights gain a thicker skin, there will always be space for tougher rigs designed to take a licking and keep on clicking. Toss one of these rugged cameras into your bag before your next big adventure, and maybe you’ll finally capture some evidence to go along with that hell of a yarn.

While other major camera manufacturers play catch up in the action cam game, GoPro is breaking new ground with the GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition ($399). It’s 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the already tiny GoPro HD Hero 2, measuring a mere 20mm thick when removed from its compatible plastic armor, which was also…

People have filmed some insane stuff since the GoPro first came out. The indestructible camera that could can be used in seemingly limitless ways, which means a seemingly limitless collection of cases and accessories. Kind of difficult to shoot that video you planned of yourself parasailing into a gorge while on a flame-engulfed surfboard with…

Editor’s Note: When we think of exploration, it’s easy to envision the archetypical rugged explorer, battle-hardened by dozens of foot journeys to the Poles or the gurus manning the offices of private space exploration. But how about our youth? Is the spirit of exploration and scientific discovery alive and well? We may not be able…

In previous viewfinders, we’ve shared footage of insane souls skydiving, cliff jumping, and even flying in wing suits. So, in the spirit of diversity, we felt compelled to hand the soapbox over to more a domestic (and accessible) method for tussling with gravity — the pogo stick. Hit play and prepare to be amazed at…

GoPro’s original line of cameras established the brand as the go-to outfitter for documenting the near-death experiences of the outdoor-inclined/insane. Their successor HD Hero 2 ($300) ups the ante by providing professional low light performance, double the image sharpness, and adding a new narrow (90 degree) and medium (127 degree) recording angle to the original’s…

Many downhill lovers have dreamt of whizzing through the ungroomed powder troves of the backcountry. Skiing off of an enormous cliff face while triggering an avalanche probably isn’t part of those dreams — well at least for you saner readers. That’s exactly what happened though to extreme french skiers Matthias Giraud and Stefan Laude in…

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…

The GoPro Digital HERO 3 Sports Camera is easy to use during any activity. This shockproof/waterproof wrist camera makes it easy to shoot digital video and photos during your favorite sporting activities. Miniature size and patented versatility combine with TV resolution video and 3 megapixel photos to form a highly-convenient and fun sports camera. You…