OMG, tactical flashlight that will supposedly out live it's owners... just arrived today ~ meet the 511 Tactical Light For Life - charges in 90 seconds... uses 3 LEDs and is super bright with 3 modes (including "a 270 lumen tactical strobe used to instantly illuminate objects in a dark space, signal others or disorient a perpetrator, giving you valuable time to assess a situation")... and uses "FlashPoint that merges state of the art ultracapacitors with advanced solid state programming to efficiently load, unload, and manage energy." - in otherwords it recharges in 90 seconds in the car charger (a/c adapter coming soon) and then outputs "60 minutes in standard mode (90 lumens) and gradually reduce intensity to the 25 lumen standby mode for an additional 60 minutes." or "a full 15 minutes of the 270 lumen peak mode, followed by 60 minutes of 25 lumen standby light."

Also ~ how eco-friendly is it? Well if its the only flashlight you'll ever need (as in it will supposedly last more recharge cycles than you can pull off in a lifetime), uses LEDs, has no batteries... and just imagine hooking it up to a solar charger? Details wise, it's pretty sleek, ans super light weight, and incredibly bright! To fully appreciate it, check out the VIDEO i made to show you the modes on the next page ~ as well as lots of close up shots and unboxing!

TO PAGE 2 of "511 Tactical Light for Life Flashlight"! ----->

Tags: gear - gifts - lighting - reviews - shopping - technology

[Above is my latest new toy - a mis-colored helmeted Astro-Krieg Rhino and my random capsule machine egg/rabbit at the fireplace in Park Chow] Next time you're in the SF area, you MUST stop by T.A.D. Gear at 660 22nd Street in SF - what they don't show you in their pics of the store is the Rocket World section, which is like the holy grail of Rocket World I.W.G toys and prints, and not only do they do all online fulfillment for both brands in this space but also have their design studio upstairs! So on the next page, i have a peek at the store, the gallery space, and the design studios... if you thought Shepard Fairey's studios were cool, you'll drool at how inspiring this space is!

So before the onslaught of images to walk you through our experience at the incredible converted warehouse space, here are a few quick points to note.

1) For anyone that like the great outdoors (or is a special op, or just likes being well shielded from the extremities), but has a NOTCOT type of aesthetic (love matte black? lack of logos? incredible attention to every detail?) - you have to check out T.A.D. Gear's jackets, pants, and backpacks before you reach for the next Patagonia catalog. Dan just ran off with his to Burning Man, so i'll try to get you some detail pics later.

2) If you don't need the hardcore gear, they have an amazingly well curated selection of quality outdoor accessories that had me giddy to shop even though i didn't really need more mini flashlights, otter boxes, knives, dental floss, and more...

3) Sure stores like A16 are all rugged and designy in their own right, but T.A.D. Gear feels museum-esque as you browse through the space - which leads to

4) Rocket World I.W.G creatures have their own dedicated section, and while at first it may sound odd to have some of the coolest vinyl toys showcased and designed by the same crew that makes some of the most impressive tactical gear i've seen... if you go, it will all make sense. Especially once you find out that Patrick Ma (aka "Otter X") has a background ranging from the army to a masters in art, a love of the animal kingdom to a calling towards fashion design... is it any wonder that all of his passions have perfectly fused into an incredibly well kept secret lair of custom designed tactical gear as well as some of the cutest most detailed badass animal toys out there?

Ok, sorry i'm rambling, but as you can tell, i was totally giddy there - blown away by the products and toys initially, and from a business/inspirational perspective, hearing Patrick's background and philosophies on business and how he's managed to keep focus on doing what he loves (as many varying things as that may be) for over 10 years now, without giving in to the many temptations to sell out along the way and still be extremely successful - especially when you're pursuing new and uncharted concepts/ideas!

Go see the pics on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Inside Rocket World + T.A.D. Gear"! ----->

Tags: adventure - animals - fashion - gear - gifts - kids - nature - rocket world - shopping - toys - travel