Gear Guide 2012: Bargain Accessories

Princeton Tec Spectrum (Courtesy Photo)

gg12 innate trad flask 445×260

Keyhole Hands-Free Camera Harness (Courtesy)

[headlamp]

Princeton Tec Spectrum

Here’s your chance to play gear designer: Order online and you can choose the strap design and colors for the body, button, and bracket on the four-LED Spectrum. The 60-foot beam, three brightness settings (plus flash mode), and beam-angle adjustment make it perfect for camp chores as well as basic night hikes. The estimated 146-hour burn time (on three AAAs) proved accurate when a tester ran hers on high for a weeklong trip in the Rockies. $35; 2.75 oz.; princetontec.com

[flask]

Innate Trad Flask

This is one attention-getting flask—and not solely for what it holds. Its shapely curves and rich luster (courtesy of premium stainless steel) give this boozer top-shelf good looks that “seem worthy of the finest single malt,” declares our tester, who admits that she also filled it with lesser stuff once or twice. It holds six fluid ounces and slides comfortably into pants or backpack pockets. A wire hinge attaches the cap so you’ll never lose it. $20; 5 oz.; innate-gear.com

[camera strap]

Keyhole Hands-Free Camera Harness

Bull moose amble away while you struggled to get your DSLR out of your chest pack? Nab the next shot with this nifty system. “It’s the best for rapid-fire photography,” says our tester, who captured an Andean condor’s flyover in Chile. A plastic knob screws into the camera’s tripod mount, and a plastic plate (with a keyhole-shaped cutout) attaches to your pack straps: Sliding the knob into the chest plate stabilizes the camera when worn with a neck strap. Keep a rain cover handy (our tester used a shower cap). $30; 1.5 oz.; backcountrysolutions.com