25 years of Casio G-Shock

Who would have thought one mans clumsiness could lead to the creation of such a revolutionary watch. In 1981, Kikuo Ibe accidentally dropped his watch onto his tiled office floor and he was rather annoyed to say the least. The cherished watch, a graduation present from his parents, was now smashed to pieces rendering it binworthy. Disgruntled that a watch couldn't survive such a fall, Ibe, an ideas man, decided he would make a watch so tough it would never break. The fact he worked for Casio's research and development department meant that this was no pipe dream, this was something he could make happen.

In the autumn of 1981, Kikuo Ibe recruited Yuichi Masuda and Takashi Nikaido to work on his project, calling themselves Project Team Tough, they set out to make Ibe's tough watch reality. Yuichi Masuda had become involved in the project because of his curiosity, he had noticed Ibe was spending a lot of time in the toilet, but knew Ibe didn't have a bowel or bladder problem, because everytime he ran to the toilet, he would immediately run downstairs and out of the building. Was it OCD? Was Kikuo Ibe a madman? Did he just like confusing people? Naturally curious Masuda asked Ibe what the hell he was doing. Kikuo Ibe admitted he had been testing prototypes for his tough watch but as it was not an offical Casio project he was not able to use the pressure chambers, centrifuges or any of that other hi-tech sophisticated stuff, so instead he was resorting to simpler means - namely chucking watches out of toilet windows.

Though it seems crazy, the window test was the perfect measure of the toughness of the watch, the distance from the toilet window to the ground below was 10 metres, if the watch survived that fall, Ibe would be satisifed it was tough enough. The creation of this tough watch was not a simple task though, after many trials, Kikuo Ibe kept coming back with destroyed prototype after destroyed prototype. After many funny looks everytime he entered a toilet and a good deal of time Ibe gave in and resigned himself to the fact he just couldn't make a watch that would survive a 10m fall.

One day whilst at a park, Ibe realised he wouldn't let people discussing his toilet habits get him down, he needed to start working on the project once more, he was no quitter. Watching a little girl play with a small rubber ball, Ibe noticed how the ball could be hit with such force and the rubber would just absorb the impact. Kikuo Ibe realised he needed to use this principal in the creation of his watch. After almost two years perfecting prototypes of the watch and hell of a lot of time spent in the toilet, one day a watch went out the window and came back up unscathed.

With the unbreakable material developed, Project Team Tough decided the watch needed to meet three requirements - the watch should withstand a 10-metre drop, be water resistant to a depth of at least 10 bars and have a battery life of 10 years. The triple ten requirements would not be used in initial marketing, although they had faith in their product, they did not want others holding the team or the watch to the triple ten requirements. The team decided it was better to come up with a name that implied these standards. Takashi Nikaido came up with the name G-Shock, with the G standing for Gravity.

The first watch produced was the DW-5000, eight prototypes were made with the words Project Team Tough in the lower-left-hand corner of the crystal, Kikuo Ibe still wears one of the original eight to this day.

Features have long surpassed the original Triple Ten, today they are watches available that are powered by solar power, that use atomic timekeeping, mud-resistant models, models with altitude features, models with thermometers, watches with world time functions and watches with barometer functions and thats just a few!

25 years on Casio G-shock watches have become a cult classic, instantly recognisable and a favourite amongst collectors. There have been many collaborations notably with A Bathing Ape, Stussy, LRG and Levis. The watches have appeared in numerous films including the Mission Impossible series, Bad Boys, Speed and The Cable Guy to name a few. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the watch Casio have teamed up with film director Spike Lee and graphic artist Eric Haze amongst others to produce special signature models.

For a wide selection of Casio Watches log onto www.outdoorgb.com

Chunky, orange and may just save your life

Getting out there on your own can be absolute bliss, the freedom, the fresh air, the independence and best of all the fact there is no-one to nag you!

But as much as you would like to get away from it all, there’s always the chance that as you are alone, you could get lost or stranded. I know, I know I'm throwing the worst case scenario straight out there and putting a negative spin on getting away from it all, but getting lost or stranded is never going to be an exciting prospect now is it? And it is definitely something that needs to be prepared for.

So take a phone, take some kind of mapping device, take a first aid kit and take every kind of energy food and drink you can find. But what if you find yourself in trouble? What if the phone goes out of range or worse runs out of battery? What if you exhaust all your supplies? What if the mapping device is no match for the situation you are in? Well the answer is, you are stranded and there is not much you can do about it. Bet you would kill to have your wife nag you now, wouldn't you?

So what can you do to stop yourself getting stranded I hear you say. What you can do is take a look at the SPOT. SPOT is a chunky orange GPS tracker device; it looks suspiciously like a PDA on steroids that has been slapping on fake-bake by the bucket load. But of course appearance isn't everything. Especially when it comes to survival. SPOT is here to bail you of trouble, SPOT works where no mobile phone will work; SPOT will work in the most extreme conditions - at heights of up to 21,000 feet and at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. SPOT works around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa and North-eastern Asia, and hundreds or thousands of miles off-shore of these areas. To put it simply SPOT is a lifesaver and has saved lives.

When 72 year old Mike Brady rose from the fog of unconsciousness on Jan. 4 2008, he was alone on the ground outside a sauna in one of the most remote sections of Alaska with the thermometer
hovering dangerously near 30 degrees below zero. He couldn't move and the nearest help was about 50 miles to the north in the isolated community of McCarthy, Brady was stranded having fallen down the steps near the cabin where he was staying alone.

In the first few moments on the ground near Ultima Thule lodge in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Mike Brady wondered if he would live. Having lived in Alaska for the past 50 years he was fully aware of the deadly nature of subzero cold, even as he struggled to gather his senses, he realised that if he stayed on the ground the cold would start to pull the life out of his body. In tens of minutes, he would be weakened by hypothermia, in hours; it would kill him and all because of a stupid slip.

He knew he had to move, he knew he had to get up, eventually getting up and stumbling inside, he made his way into his cabin and lit his stove. After a while he realised he needed help, he realised he needed to use that muscular tangoed device we now know as SPOT. Pointing the SPOT at the South horizon he pushed the button marked 911, Brady's position was relayed to the GEOS International Emergency Call Centre in Houston, Texas, dispatchers there notified the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage and within tens of minutes, a rescue helicopter was airborne and on its way to him. Brady was no longer stranded, no longer in danger of losing his life and had been saved by a device that had only been released 2 months previously.

SPOT is a simple device with only four buttons - Help, On/Off, OK and 911, though it is a device that saves lives. SPOT can let people know where you are, it can let them know you are ok or in the case of Mike Brady it will let the emergency services know you are in danger. Of course being in danger doesn't necessarily mean you need a full-blown helicopter rescue mission, but because it works using GPS, SPOT alerts people to your exact global position, in Mike Brady's case they knew he would perish outside and alone in the bitter Alaskan temperatures so a helicopter was the only option.

SPOT isn't just a device for those working and living in the extremities of the earth, it is also ideal for anybody regularly going anywhere alone where mobile phone coverage is poor and just remember appearances can be deceptive.

Introducing the Suunto X10

Are you a keen outdoorsman with a need for a compass, barometer, altimeter, thermometer and a GPS device but don't have enough hands to carry them all? Instead of lugging everything bar the kitchen sink around, you should cast your attention to the Suunto X10. The X10 packs all of the aforementioned devices into a neat wrist unit, plus it tells the time too, but we must stress this is not a watch, this is a wrist top computer.

We have been selling the Suunto X10 for a few months now and it has proved a hit amongst many customers. Launched at the tail end of last year, this is the perfect device to kickstart 2009's outdoor activities. Have you given up on your New Year's resolution to get fit already? Or did you vow to get out and about while breathing smog-free air more? As Suunto say the X10 makes the Earth your playground and it will make you want to get out there and get back on track with those resolutions.

Whether you run, cycle, climb, trek or are just inquisitive about the weather, the X10 has a feature for you.

Now you may have noticed the X10 is not a dainty little thing, but then its not really that big if you consider everything that is packed into the one unit. Imagine having to carry a compass, a barometer, an altimeter, a thermometer and a GPS device around, you would need a rather large backpack or an easy manupilated friend. While this thing, well it just sits on your wrist and like a normal wristwatch (again its not just a wristwatch!) you will hardly even know you are wearing it.

For those of you who know your Suunto, you probably know the X10 is the replacement for the X9i. Now the X9i was a good watch, but good can always get better, there is always room for improvement. Improved the X10 is, the GPS is a lot faster, locking to satellites in seconds and performing much better in difficult conditions such as dense woodland and stormy weather. A lot of people of people found the battery life of the X9i to be poor, with the X10 this is greatly improved, the battery is much much better with 30% more life. The X10 can also be charged up on the go with any USB travel charger, which is ideal if your stamina is greater than that of the watch (you are one trooper if you undertake that mean feat!). A good little charger to use, is the SPX900 Solar Charger. The solar charger is the ultimate companion for charging the X10 outdoors, there is no need to worry about batteries getting drained or laptops crashing or whatever else you would charge it with failing, all you need to have is light!

So what exactly does the X10 do?

GPS Function: Go beyond North and South with a GPS watch that knows where you are going and how to get you back to base. Plan your trek at home and upload the route to the X10. The X10 GPS watch is compatible with National Geographic TOPO! Maps, Google Earth, and Fugawi.

Also included with the X10 and free for download from Suunto.com is the Track Exporter PC software, which makes route planning and waypoint programming a breeze.

Going where you've never gone before? The X10 will record your tracks, which you can save or use to find your way home. Found the perfect trail? Save the coordinates on your watch.

Altimeter Function: Measure your altitude from the lowest points of Death Valley to the highest peak of Mount Everest or from the top of that hill in your local country park to the bottom of it. The altimeter measures your elevation using air-pressure. An altimeter is a useful tool for loads of outdoor activities, including running, biking, hiking, skiing, or snowboarding or even just standing on your roof and seeing how high your house is.

Barometer Function: Like some kind of premonition from the gods, the barometer will let you know when to take shelter from a storm and when to carry on. The barometer measures atmospheric pressure in order to forecast weather (sorry to ruin the magic).

Compass Function: Know your direction at all times without the need to follow stars or use any other ancient methods.
and who is it for?
Anyone who loves adventure will love the Suunto X10. Whether you are a mountain guide, an explorer, a member of the military or a law enforcement agency, the X10 will be a invaluable device that will help you make critical decisions. Avid trekkers, adventure racers, bikers, hunters, and fishermen will find a feature for them with the X10's GPS, altimeter, barometer, and compass capabilities.

Find out more about the Suunto X10 here.

Talking of job losses, Satmap has made my paper maps redundant

Those were the days, I left base, set off for a walk, explored new places, breathed fresh unpolluted air, just enjoyed the great outdoors in general. Just getting out there gave me a sense of well being, an experience of the care-free life, it was relaxing, well until I got lost.

Getting lost isn't such a big deal when you are in such beautiful surroundings. But of course I couldn't be lost forever because I didn't have a care-free life, I still had responsibilities and with only a few Kendal mint cakes for food, I don't think I could have become wilderness boy out in the Derbyshire peaks for very long.

So thank god for my bright orange OS explorer map, this was my bible, my escape rope if you like. Once I had stood and located my position, it was only a matter of time before I got back to civilisation. Holding my map out in front of me whilst walking along was easy, maybe it made me slightly look like a tourist but I didn't care I was multi-tasking and I was stopping myself having to forage around in bushes for food. This bright orange thing was my passport to a burger and chips.

Could it have been better? Well yes. It started to rain (and this was never a one-off, we are in England of course). There I am leisurely walking along, map outstretched in front of me, thinking of onion relish, when the heavens open and soak my explorer. A wet map is not much use, aside from using it as paper mache, but out on the peaks, making models is the last thing on your mind. So I would hurriedly try and fold my map back up, though it would never fold the right way first time would it? That would just be too easy, it would take at least 3 attempts and a lot of paper mache being made. Maybe you could try laminated maps? That was the advice I so often heard. So I tried them, they weren't bad but they weren't perfect. Ok so they didn't get wet, but they were bulkier and they still blew about when it was windy and worst of all, they were still just as hard to fold.

I was thinking of giving up and becoming a hermit, spending endless weekend after weekend locked away in the confines of my house, never venturing out onto a peak, moor or valley again. All because of my frustration with maps. I have no natural sense of direction, I have trouble finding my way home when its dark. I need maps, what I don't need is maps that turn into mush, maps that smack me into my face, maps that have the same challenging "qualities" of a rubiks cube. What I needed was the Satmap. My saviour, the reason I once again love the outdoors, the reason why I haven't become addicted to rubbish television, the reason why I am now constantly scouring the UK for new places to explore.

Let me explain what Satmap is, Satmap is a GPS device, with a difference. It's a handheld dream machine, well thats what I call it, others call it a handheld GPS mapping device. It's so easy to use, even an idiot like myself can use it.What I love about it though is the fact it uses OS maps, it has reignited my love for OS maps, I can now use these maps without seeing them disintergrating in front of me or constantly hitting me in the face. It will show me my location I don't have to stand around looking for where I am, it will also show a trail of where I have been, no more dropping sticks to retrace my steps. One of the best things though is how rugged it is, waterproof and shockproof, if this thing turns into paper mache I'm never going out again, ever.

Have a look for yourself here.