This Nelson-Rigg backpack crushes into a tiny stuff sack.

Nelson-Rigg makes covers for bikes that last a long time. I thought I'd take a shot on their super-light backpack, designed to be stuck in tiny motorcycle storage compartments for all those times you realize you'd like to bring something home but can't possibly carry it on your bike.

I used to keep a bungie net with hooks under my seat. The paint on my BMW is too precious for that. I wear a backpack when I need to bring my laptop places but mostly I motorcycle with a notebook jammed into my waistband and a pen in my pocket. This frequently leaves me saying "I'd stop by the market on the way home but..."

No more. This backpack will certainly do for day trips and will come into play on trips where I'm traveling super light but may want a backpack somedays, or extra space on the way home.

Nelson-Rigg CB-PK30 Black Compact Backpack via Amazon Read the rest

If you've experienced Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, no doubt you opened its refrigerator and stepped through its "vortex" to another dimension. Now, Santa Fe artist Claire Sanders has fashioned this really cool (pun intended) Fridge Portal Backpack in its likeness. Open its door and a sparkly spiral vortex is revealed, along with handpainted "otherworldly Omega Mart foods and drinks." These bags are pricey ($150), yes, but they're also handmade and completely awesome. She even included a magnet feature inside the backpack's door so you can attach your magnets to it, just like a real fridge.

Here, take a closer look:

If you want one, don't wait. These are super-limited-edition pieces and are sure to sell out quickly.

images via Claire Sanders and Meow Wolf

(RED) Read the rest

I've spent the last 11 years with a daughter who looks just like cartoon-Dora, relegating me to the role of Boots. Read the rest

Ok, it’s not just solar powered. It’s also an anti-theft, waterproof marvel that keeps my phone’s power bar from ever getting into the red.

Sure the idea seems obvious now - tuck a gigantic solar powered battery pack into an exposed slot and turn the wearer into a walking energy harvester.  Simple maybe, but I didn't think of it.  Way to go Solgaard.

The battery brick is called the Solarbank and the backside acts as a nifty speaker that wirelessly plays tunes from my phone.

And as long as there’s direct sunlight, I can have non-stop music playback with absolutely no battery drain. I believe it'd be the perfect "trapped on a desert island device".  In fact, if Tom Hanks had one in the movie Castaway (and a brand new smartphone), he wouldn’t have needed that goofy volley ball at all.

And I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking my desert island concept is flawed because the sun would eventually set and its magical recharging rays will disappear. Well I can’t argue with you on that – but just imagine a life where you weren’t trapped on a desert island and followed my easy to execute 2 step plan.

Step 1) Create an autonomous vehicle that moves fast enough around the Earth so that you’re always under direct sunlight. Below is a handy illustration that explains how to gain maximum charging time with a LIFEPACK backpack.

As you can see, it all depends upon your starting latitude and your ability to stay within it as you travel. Read the rest