Aside from our trusty Swiss Army Knife we’ve always considered do-it-all tools to be the master of none. So when we picked up Outdoor Technology’s new Buckshot Pro we were expecting disappointment. Why? Because, really, who puts a Bluetooth speaker, a camp light, a strobe bike light, a flashlight, and a back-up battery for a phone into one device. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, we were wrong. Turns out this combination of electronic tools is absolutely perfect for biking around the neighborhood, traveling across town, or even taking on the road for an overnight bike camping trip.
The reason we liked the the Buckshot Pro so much is because each individual feature alone made keeping the thing around worthwhile. We used the included strap and took it out for a bike ride to test the speaker. It paired easily with our phone. And while it was pretty difficult to hear anything while traveling above 18 MPH, at cruising speeds, the speaker worked great. And, if we were out past dark, the blinky headlight was enough to light up signs a block down the street. But what we like most about the Buckshot pro is using it in our tent. By hanging it from the ceiling we got bright, yet perfectly diffused light, plus music playback that wasn’t half bad. Later, after turning the light off, we simply unscrewed the light and plugged in our phone to get it charged. We might not take a speaker on a bike trip, but when it’s also a back-up phone battery, and a light it makes sense.
The most ingenious thing about the Buckshot Pro is the way the USB port is utilized. Plug it into the wall and the Buckshot Pro charges. Plug the light in and get four different lighting options: a bright yet diffused camp light, a dimmer mood light, a straight up flashlight, and a blinky cycling light perfect for rolling the streets at night. Plug your phone into the Buckshot and your phone charges. All that and it’s IPX5 water resistant as well.
We found that the Buckshot Pro cleaned up the clutter by keeping several things use all the time together in one compact package.
The Buckshot Pro comes in six colors: black, gray, red, orange, glow, and army green and retails for $79.95. For all the details, click the link.
[Link: Outdoor Technology]
