The warmest wools are: qiviut (musk ox down), yak wool and bison wool.

Merino and alpaca wool are also very warm fibers. See my previous article for a closer examination different types of wool.

Listed below are the warmest socks I’ve tested:

Warmest Boot Socks

• 50% Bison and 50% Merino Boot Socks by Buffalo Wool Company — a very warm sock with full terry loop knitting — $45
• Icebreaker Mountaineer Socks — 79% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon, 1% LYCRA Spandex — $21
• Smartwool Merino Wool Heavy Cushioned Socks — 70% Merino Wool, 29% Nylon, and 1% Elastane — $22
• Time May Tell Merino Hiking Sock — 80% merino wool, 14% Nylon, 5% Poly, 1% Spandex — $15
• Darn Tough Boot Socks — 64% Merino Wool, 33% Nylon, 3% Lycra Spandex — $25
• Wayfarer Sock by Khunu — 56% yak wool, 34.5% nylon, 9.5% Elastane — £22 ($28)
• 78% Alpaca Socks by Williamston Alpaca — 78% Alpaca, 20% Nylon, 2% Lycra — made in the USA — $22

Warmest Crew Hiking Socks

• Icebreaker Everday Crew Sock — 79% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon, 1% Spandex — $20
• Fox River Trailhead Heavyweight Crew Sock — 77% merino wool — $17
• 100% Cashmere Socks by Lona Scott – very soft and warm — made in Scotland – $40
• 100% Alpaca Wool Socks by Gamboa — $20

The post The Warmest Wool Socks appeared first on Reactual.

Brightest Bike Light: Niterider Pro 3600 Lumen Light

The Niterider 3600 Pro is a 3600 lumen light made in the USA. This light has two chambers, and each chamber contains three Cree XML LED bulbs.

Niterider have a great reputation, and I’ve found their lights to be very durable — they’ve survived a few falls onto pavement from my bike.

This light is very bright and projects a wide beam hundreds of feet. A unique feature of this light is the included DIY software, which allows you to customize the settings it to your needs.

Brightest Bike Light With Built In Battery

Note that the light’s beam is just too bright to use in an urban area, unless you greatly step down the intensity! If you feel you’ll be doing this, you might consider the 1800 Lumen Niterider or the 1200 lumen Niterider.

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The Brightest Keychain Flashlight: Titan Plus

I received this flashlight, and it’s very bright and solidly constructed. I personally carry this light on my keychain. But others might find it too large — if this is the case, I would recommend the compact ThruNite Ti3 (see below).

All Surefire flashlights are designed and built in the USA, although some components are still sourced outside the US. The company says:

We do import a few components – most notably, the finest light emitting diodes (LEDs) from top-notch manufacturers outside the country – to incorporate into our products. All of that said, we do rely on as many American-made parts and components as possible, and the assembly of these components is done under our watchful eye in the U.S. to ensure optimal quality.

The Titan Plus is available from Amazon for about $90.

The Brightest Compact Keychain Light: ThruNight Ti3

The brightest compact keychain flashlight, the ThruNite Ti3 shines with 120 lumens in its highest mode. This is a very small light — it’s only 2.76 inches (70mm) in length. Its body is a titanium alloy, and at 0.56 ounces (16 grams) — this makes it one of the lightest keychain lights.

The ThruNite Ti3 uses just one AAA battery and costs about $13. It’s fully IPX-8 waterproof — it can be submerged up to 2 meters.

Here is the ThruNite Ti3 in action on its highest mode:

Personally, it’s all the light I need to travel through the forest at night.

One negative for me — when the Ti3 is first turned on, it starts in “firefly” mode (.5 lumens), and it requires a couple of more twists to get it to”medium” mode (12 lumens). However, if you keep the light off between 2 to 10 seconds and then turn it on, the light will turn on in the last mode accessed, thankfully.

The ThruNite Ti3 is available at Amazon for around $14.

The post The Brightest EDC Flashlight (300 Lumens) appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

Date night for two at the movies can easily run over $60 dollars in an urban area once you factor in exorbitant ticket prices, concessions, and parking. All that and you risk sticky seats, texting teenagers, and chatty couples. Making your own home theater is becoming an increasingly affordable alternative to pricey and unreliable nights out at the movies, with quality projector prices falling and pixel counts increasing.

Once upon a time you needed a spacious, cave-like room to make owning a home projector a feasible entertainment option. But the proliferation of short-throw projectors and steadily rising lumen counts mean that projectors are no longer exclusive to suburban basements. Even apartment living rooms can benefit from the immersive experience of an HD projector. You just need to make sure to buy the right projector for you.

There are a couple factors to keep in mind when picking a projector. First, determine the brightness of your room and how large your screen will be. If you do have a windowless room without any source of natural light, you don’t need a high lumen (measure of brightness) count. Likewise, if your projector screen is less than 100 inches, there is no need to pay up for a 4k resolution projector.

Since your projector will likely stay put in your house, things like portability and built-in audio playback aren’t a concern. Instead, consider whether the projector has low lag time, if it has 3D capability, whether it supports media streaming services, what its casting distance is, and image quality.

I’ve identified a few of the best projectors for different consumers below:

The Best 3D Projector

If you are still deciding between an LCD TV and projector for your home theater, a few minutes with a high quality 3D projector will put an end to your waffling once and for all. The latest 3D projectors give a true approximation of the cinema multi-plex experience. Their grand size and gorgeous colors convey the 3D experience in a way that an LCD TV just can’t. Immerse yourself in three dimensions with crosstalk,” the blurry illusion created by two different transmission channels.  Like all 3D technology on the market, there is some loss in brightness when viewing in 3D.

A few alignment options give some flexibility in set up. Lens shifting allows for the projector to be slightly off center from the screen, though you will have to manually do any lens shifting.

The 1700 lumen lamp will last 5000 hours in eco or 2000 at the highest setting. In low and medium ambient lighting, this projector gives bright and crisp colors and HD black. The lumen count is a bit low for bright rooms, so this is best in dens and media rooms.

The HW40ES is sold as a “gaming projector,” and users have the option to use it in a gaming mode that is said to reduce lag. Reviewers have empirically proven that lag time is reduced to 24 milliseconds, which is one of the absolute best for gaming.

It does not come with 3D glasses, so you will need to invest in a pair that is compatible with Sony projectors.

The Best 4k Projector

For those that want only the best image quality, sharpest contrast, and latest tech, a 4k projector is the way to go. 4k is the new gold standard for video resolution. The new video technology refers to the 4,000 thousand pixels found alongside the horizontal line display. Right now, Sony enjoys a total monopoly of the 4k home projector market. Of the 4k projectors Sony offers, the VPLVW350ES SXRD is the best value for an unbeatable image.

This behemoth of a projector weighs close to 40 pounds and is a commanding 25.1 x 22.9 x 12.6 inches. Inside comes Sony’s SXRD 4k movie theater technology and anamophic 3D capability. This top of the line tech enables you to cast onto a larger screen than some 1080p projectors. Sony says that full brightness (1500 lumens) and resolution are achieved on a 150 inch screen.

Since 4k is relatively new, not a whole lot of media is specifically made for 4k resolution. This is definitely changing, but 1080p HD is still the standard as of now. Sony equipped with the 350ES with Super Resolution upscaling so you can enjoy your content in 4k in the meantime. It uses a ‘Mastered in 4k’ algorithm to upscale HD movies and shows into 4k content. Sometimes this results in a noticeable difference, other times its hard to make a meaningful distinction.

The VPLVW350ES SXRD comes with a 3 year warranty.

The Best Projector for Football Fans

Plan to marathon NFL games all Sunday? You will need an extra bright projector if you are going to set up your home theater in a room with any natural light sources to get the most our of your daytime viewing. The brightest home theater projector is the Epson Home Cinema 1440, which has a staggering 4400 lumens.

This model uses 3LCD projectors for Full HD 1080p images that are rated three times brighter than other projectors in its class. This means you get stunning HD imagery in well-lit rooms, even with all the blinds up.

Easy slide horizontal keystone correction and automatic vertical keystone correction make alignment relatively easy. However, a lack of lens shift means you have to mount the projector dead center from where the image will be projected. This model is also lightweight and compact for a home theater projector, weighing just 13 pounds.

The post The Best Home Theater Projectors appeared first on Reactual.

PowerEx MH-C808M “Ultimate Professional” Charger

The MH-C808M charger by Maha can charge any combination of 1 to 8 batteries. You can mix and charge AA, AAA, C and D sized cells at the same time on individual charging circuits. Each battery size also has its own fixed contact charging points (i.e. not a spring). An LCD display shows charging and conditioning status of each rechargeable battery.

Maha’s chargers can restore batteries to their optimal performance level by repeatedly charging and discharging them. It also has intelligent charging technology and overcharge protection. It comes with an international AC adapter, and short-circuit protection.

The PowerEx MH-C808M is available from Amazon for around $90.

PowerEx MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger

The PowerEx MH-C9000 charger is now our pick for an inexpensive battery charger. This charger has four independent slots for AA or AAA NiMH or NiCd batteries. It can provide charging current from 200 to 1000mA for 4 cells, or up to 1800mA for two cells. Just like the Maha Ultimate Professional charger, each battery is independently charged. It also features battery analysis and refresh functions.

Under testing, this charger has proven itself to be superior to the LaCrosse charger (our previous recommendation) — see the Amazon reviews for the MH-C9000 for more information.

The PowerEx MH-C9000 is available at Amazon for about $50

LaCrosse Technology BC-1000 Alpha Battery Charger

The LaCrosse Alpha BC-1000 Charger has sophisticated monitoring circuitry that controls the charging process, and it is also capable of “reconditioning” batteries by running a series of discharge-recharge cycles.

The charger shows battery voltage and charge status on its digital display. It has four separate charge channels so you can charge one, two three or four batteries at a time – even on individual charge programs. This allows you to test one battery while charging the others. It comes with four AA and four AAA batteries, four battery adapters (which convert AA sized battery to C and D sizes) and a carry case. Note, however, if you want to charge C or D size batteries, you’ll want to get the Ansmann chargers below.

Available from Amazon:

• LaCrosse BC-700 Charger – $36
• LaCrosse BC-1000 Alpha Charger – $60 (same as the BC-700 but includes four AA  & AAA cells, plus the four C + D-cell converters)

The post The Best Serious Battery Chargers appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

Even die-hard traditional book readers have to admit that an e-reader has advantages over analog books in certain situations. Nothing quite replicates the feel and smell of an old paper book while curled up at home on a rainy autumn day. But try reading a cumbersome door-stopper like Infinite Jest while sitting poolside without your arms withering and the pages flapping in the wind. Or if you are going on a backpacking trip for a few months you can bring thousands of books with you instead of just two or three.

The latest iteration of e-readers replicate the look of a book. Unlike backlit tablets they are easy on the eyes and perfect for reading outdoors. Online marketplaces have gotten much better over the years, giving you access to millions of choices anywhere there is wifi. They are also lightweight and comfortable to hold, easy to keep in hand on long plane rides or days at the beach.

There are a few important factors to weigh when choosing which E-Reader is right for you. Backpackers and travelers want to opt for options with the longest battery life, as they will last the longest in between charges. Beach bums want a model that is waterproof and can stand up to the brightest sun. Read below to find out the best e-readers you should go for.

Best Overall E-Reader: Kindle Voyage

The Kindle Voyage tops the list in all of the categories that make up a great E-Reader. First, there’s the lightweight design, weighing in at a breezy .4lbs. Then there is the screen, a 6″ display using E-Ink Carta to replicate the look of a printed book page in an impressive 300-ppi display. It doesn’t strain the eyes in the way an LED or LCD tablet will, which means that you can stay up late in to the night trying to power through the final chapters in your A Song Of Ice And Fire marathon.

What sets the Voyage apart from other high-end competitors is an adaptive brightness that automatically adjusts to ambient light. So whether you are reading in a dim coffee shop or out by the pool, your Kindle’s screen will adapt to make the experience as easy on the eyes as possible. This is thanks to a built-in lighting system that uses 6 bulbs as opposed to the 4 used in many other e-readers.

The design is also lightweight and thin. It features a thin bezel and sleek look, with a feature called Page Press that lets you change pages without even lifting your finger. You really can’t ask for much more than that.

Finally, the Kindle Voyage comes with 4GB memory which is perfect to store you entire digital collection of books and more. Amazon’s reading collection is the broadest and subscription services give you access to more books than anything else on the market.

Best Water Proof E-Reader: Kobo Aura H20

For a durable Reactual-approved e-reader that can survive the elements, go for the Kobo Aura H20. As the name suggests, this is a waterproof and dustproof device that can be taken with whether you are heading out on a cruise or to the desert. It even has an IP67 certified rating, meaning it is resistant to splashes and small-particle ingress.

It has a large 6.8″ screen, one of the largest of any e-reader, and it reads just like the printed page of a book, thanks to ClarityScreen+ technology. The screen is a beautiful high-definition that presents your books in wonderful quality. At 265dpi, the resolution is a bit worse than that of competitors like Nook and Kindle, but most readers would not even be able to notice the difference.

There is a great deal of customization and fun features in the interface. The ComfortLight feature redirects light away from your eyes and on to the screen, reducing glare and giving you enough light to read. Other nice features include 24 font sizes and the ability to highlight and save, as well an integrated dictionary.

The device has 4GB of storage and can offers a great deal of variety in terms of formatting. It plays files including Epub, PDF, Mobi, and CBZ, which is an advantage over Kindle and its proprietary restrictions.

One more huge advantage of the H20 is a 2 month battery life that far exceeds its competition. One great weakness is a lackluster online store with a clunky UI that causes headaches when looking for appropriate titles.

Best Value E-Reader: Kindle Paperwhite

Get an 8 hour battery life and a HD resolution screen for an affordable price with the Kindle Paperwhite.

Previous iterations of the Kindle Paperwhite were a bit lacking in resolution and crispness, but the latest one sports an impressive 300ppi, which matches the flagship model the Voyage. It also has a vibrant and pronounced differences between black and white which leads to a satisfying reading experience. The screen is bright enough to to eliminate glare in direct sunlight and there are 4 LED lights for night reading.

There are less features than on the Voyage like microSD slots, and the device is heavier than others on the market. At the lowest price point it does show you advertising, which is a major turn-off for some readers. An upgrade can take the ads off entirely, which lets you enjoy the Amazon bookstore through WiFi.

The relatively plain Kindle Paperwhite can’t compete with the more expensive Kindle Voyage’s design. At nearly half a pound, it is a little on the heavy side, and like other Kindles there’s no microSD slot. However, with 4GB of internal storage there’s enough space to store thousands of books, making this one of the best e-readers around.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

The post The Best E-Readers of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

The IOGEAR Wireless 3D Digital Kit provides you with cutting edge HDMI power, letting you do away with messy tangles of wires for your home entertainment theater or auxiliary TVs. Among its excellent qualities is its full compatibility with the latest 5.1 surround sound, 3D video, and 1080p hi-def movies. The signal that it puts out is not compressed, meaning for you that the signal can be delivered to different rooms without losing any of its original source quality. This technology enables the IOGEAR kit to support video resolutions of 480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (24, 30, or 60 FPS) without frustrating diminishment of visual quality. Most users are delighted with the quality of the video (and audio), and many say that it exceeds their expectations.

The IOGEAR HDMI kit’s ability to cast the signal to multiple rooms means that you can create a “floating HDTV” in just about any room in your home where you might want to view television, be it a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, a den, etc. The signal transmission power of the kit (see below) means that you can keep device components (such as a Blu-ray disc player) tucked away and out of sight if you want to (although the components of the kit are attractive).

Initially setting up the IOGEAR is simplicity itself. It doesn’t require you to install or download any software or drivers. For most users, setup takes only a few minutes.

The IOGEAR is said to be able to transmit a signal up to 100 feet, even through hard surfaces such as brick and metal as well as wood. However, a few users have experienced some frustration with getting the picture to show up at transmission distances of 80 feet or greater if there are any barriers in the way. At closer distances, however, there seem to be no issues at all with the signal passing through brick, concrete, metal, or multiple walls and reaching the device with no loss of original source quality.

The IOGEAR HDMI system is available on Amazon for about $190.

The post The Best Wireless HDMI of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The IP Code is an international standard that rates a product’s protection against intrusions by water and foreign particles.

The chart below gives a detailed breakdown for each individual IP Code numeric rating. The solid particle protection is always the first number and the moisture protection is always the second. To illustrate, a product rated IP57 would be dust resistant and waterproof up to 1 meter. A product rated IP68 is completely dustproof and waterproof.

IP Code Basics

Consumers on the hunt for waterproof or dust proof electronics will want to familiarize themselves with the IP Code. An IP ranking provides much-needed clarity in a market saturated with meaningless jargon and misleading advertising. While an IP ranking is not a guarantor of a product’s overall quality, it adds transparency by assessing what level of protection a product offers. A variety of consumer products, ranging from earphones to tablets, now display an IP ranking to advertise durability. Those who are familiar with the IP code have a powerful tool with which to make informed purchases of ruggedized electronics.

IP stands for International Protection Marking, or Ingress Protection. It is an international standard used to define the levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusions by substances like dirt, water and tools. In other words, it tells you what a product’s casing will keep out.

An IP classification is determined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization formed in 1906 and headquartered in Switzerland. Composed of a coalition of electrical engineers, academics and industry experts, the IEC is the world’s leading organization dedicated to “electrotechnology” standards, a broad catchall term for electronic technology. They establish world-wide quality standards for electrotechnologies. Currently, 82 countries participate in their program.

An IP code rates the degree of protection a product has against dust, accidental contact and water. The code is displayed as IP followed by two numbers, such as IP67. If either numeral is represented by an “X,” it means the product has not been tested in that category. It does not equate to a ranking of 0, but it does not guarantee any protection.

Solid Particle Protection

The first number in the IP rating signifies a product’s level of protection against access to hazardous parts and ingress (access or entrance) of solid foreign objects. Solid protection is ranked on a scale of 0 to 6. A ranking of “0” means the product has no protection against solid objects, nor way to prevent them from entering.

Rankings 1-4 represent how resistant an object is to entry by foreign tools, ranging from fingers to fine tools. This is an important safety ranking that assesses protection against accidental contact with charged electricity. An IP3X is the minimum ranking you would want if you have children or pets around, and an IP4X protects against foreign contact for grain-sized and larger objects.

A rating of a IP5X or IP6X assesses a product’s protection against hazardous dust or other fine particles like sand. These are the two most common Single Particle Protection rankings, and they tell you how well a product keeps dust out of electronic components.

IP5X means a product is protected against dust. Dust entry is not entirely prevented, but significant protection of dust assures the product can operate in sandy conditions. A ranking of 5 is sufficient for most consumer-grade uses.

A rating of IP6X means the product is completely dust tight and there is no ingress of dust. Contractors and those traveling to extremely dirty or dusty locations prefer products with an IP6X rating.

Liquid Ingress Protection

The second digit in an IP code indicates moisture protection. It can range from 0 (no protection) to 8 (completely waterproof in depths over 1m).

Many products advertised as waterproof are not intended to be submerged in water for any prolonged period of time. A ranking of 1-4 means that a product will operate if exposed to water (from splashing or dripping), but will not work under water. This is common for shower radios, outdoor speakers and kitchen appliances.

IPX7 and IPX8 indicate a product will operate while fully submersed in water for an extended period of time. These electronics are rated for depths of less than and greater than 1 meter, respectively. The manufacturer should specify exactly what distance this safety is assured to, so it is important to double check before taking your electronic underwater.

An IPX5 and IPX6 mean that the product can resist jets of pressurized water. It is important to note that a product rated to be fully submersed in water cannot necessarily survive pressurized water jet.

The post The IP Code: A Guide To Waterproof and Dustproof Ratings appeared first on Reactual.