I probably own about half a dozen Coleman lanterns – a couple of propane  and duel-fuel lights, but mostly those that run on Coleman fuel. My favorite is a lantern that my father used to have back in the 1950s. It’s in mint condition and it still works perfectly (though I had to replace the generator and O rings a couple of years ago).

When I first saw the LED Quad, my first reaction was, why isn’t it green? That can’t be a Coleman lantern! Well, it’s red, it’s a Coleman, and it’s a totally new twist on camp lights.

The deal with this is that it’s got a base that holds eight D-cell batteries.  Turn it on and it’s bright enough to light up the night – for 75 hours, according to the company. The cool thing is that the Quad has four lighting panels that can removed and used separately. Each has six 5mm white LEDS, for a total of 24 in the whole unit. A rechargeable NiMH battery runs each panel for half an hour it while it’s away from the mothership. Place it back in its docking station and it’ll recharge from the D batteries.

I’m not giving up my old Colemans, but I can see where this lantern is going to fit right into the mix.  It’s bright, it’s quiet (doesn’t hiss like the gas models), and it’s versatile. The $69.99 msrp is a bit higher than most gas lanterns, but the price doesn’t seem unreasonable.  It’s available from www.coleman.com – Jay Cassell

I recently had the chance to check out Motorola’s newest Talkabout two-way radio.  I’ve always been skeptical about the claims made by all walkie-talkie makers…”50 Miles Capability”…stuff like that. Then I take them up to my hunting camp in New York’s Catskill Mountains and they won’t reach a buddy who’s a mile away. These things work when you’re on flat ground, but in heavily forested, rolling mountains and hills? Nah.

So, when I took out the new Talkabout (Model MR355R – catchy, huh?) and tried calling my turkey hunting buddy Bill, who had walked out of the cabin five minutes earlier, I got no response. So much for this unit, I thought. But then I remembered that the new model has a Power Boost button. I pressed it, and damn! There was Bill on the other end, telling me he wasn’t hearing any turkeys. The company claims it has a 35-mile range, and while I didn’t try to contact Bill 35 miles away, I will say it is definitely more powerful than its predecessor.

Another feature I like is the 11 weather channels, including 7 from NOAA. (It said it was going to rain on the second day of my recent turkey hunt, and they sure got that right.)

The new Talkabout has an emergency alert feature, 22 channels plus 8 repeater channels; a vibrating alert; 10 call tones (now you can sound like a duck), large buttons for use with gloves, plus an LED light. The unit comes in Realtree AP HD camo – which is fine, except I dropped mine in the woods and couldn’t find it. That’s the second walkie-talkie I’ve lost in six months. The units come with a belt clip, but maybe some kind of Cordura pouch with a magnetic closure wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The suggested retail price is $89.99 for two units, charger, belt clips and ear buds; not bad at all. motorola.com – Jay Cassell

When it comes to sheer creativity there are very few groups more talented than off-roaders. There aren't any garages in the woods so if something goes wrong you have one of three options: Fix it, hoof it, or tow it.

As someone who has at one time or another done all three while pursuing fish, fur, and fowl I have a keen appreciation for little tricks that can get you out of big jams, and if it looks like it came straight from the "Beavis and Butt-Head" school of automotive repair then so much the better.

Like this, for example:

No tire-mounting machine needed, just a can of something flammable like WD-40 or starting fluid, a match or lighter and (if done incorrectly) the knowledge that you're gonna look pretty freaky until your eyebrow hair grows back.

Now this trick doesn't actually inflate a tire, it simply re-beads it on the rim, but if you encounter a tire/rim separation it could come in handy sometime. In the interests of legality neither I personally nor Field & Stream (I'm assuming) take any responsibility for any potential accidents arising from this practice. It does, after all, involve fire and pressurized flammable material.
 
Anyone have any other cool, handy or creative off-road tips or tricks they'd like to share?
 
Here's mine: If you tell yourself  "Aw hell, I don't need to put it in 4WD for THAT..." then you most assuredly do. And quickly. Before it's too late.