Gadgets For Outdoors 2013

Taking a champagne gold iPhone in the water feels downright crazy, but strapping it into the Waterproof SealCase For iPhone 5/5S ($60) will have you confidently shooting pictures, video, or even texting those pics to a friend while underwater snorkeling. The case is waterproof up to 6.6 feet and comes with a neck strap, so your tech can go where you go, even if that's stand-up paddleboarding on a Winter break in Hawaii.

For snow shredders, Oakley's Airwave Goggle ($650) has built-in GPS, Bluetooth, and sensors that measure distance, height, and airtime. Trail maps of the most popular mountains are built right in, and an iPhone can be paired to show incoming calls and text messages while on the slopes.

A three-day hike is no time to start worrying about outlets. Weighing less than a pound, the Goal Zero Solar Recharging Kit ($80, originally $100) won't weigh packs down while providing much-needed support for modern necessities. The kit comes with the Noman 3.5 Solar Panel, which can get sun juice while hanging from a backpack and will give the Switch 8 recharger enough power to fully charge a smartphone after six hours of sun. If an outlet or USB port is nearby, the Switch can also get a boost there.

Oh no, while conquering the mountain, fumbling to switch songs on an iPod is just not an option. The North Face Femphonic Audio Jacket ($349) has an external touch pad on the left sleeve, so wearers can discreetly and quickly scan through songs or pump up the volume of the device integrated with the jacket itself.

Get amped for a day on the slopes and keep your noggin safe and sound with Pro-Tec Riot Snow AF ($120), which is headphones and helmet in one. The ear pads can be used with most music players.

The action camera the most fearless athletes swear by, the GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition ($400) is compact, weighing less than five ounces with its waterproof housing on. This newest version of the GoPro goes beyond average HD cameras with 1080p resolution, and offers 4K, along with built-in WiFi so you don't have to wait until back at a computer to share your latest shots.

The great outdoors can get messy, but thankfully the Monster iSport Strive Headphones ($70, originally $100) are sweatproof and washable, you can get down and dirty without worrying so much about the dirty part. Plus, they're designed to keep you safe by letting you hear what's happening in the outside world.