The Mobius sports a 1800 mAh battery — more than enough to give your iPhone a full charge — and can be recharged via USB. But its monocrystalline color cell can turn an hour of sunlight into up to 25 minutes of talk time or 20 minutes of 3G data use, according to it makers.

Interestingly, the company recommends taking the case off the phone while charging via the solar panel, which makes sense, but limits the unit’s effectiveness in protecting your phone.

The full review is available on the TUAW website; more information about the Mobius can be found on the Eton website.

The company, Twin Creeks Technologies, says the key is thinness. It says its new process produces wafers that are one-tenth the thickness of conventional wafers. The breakthrough could lead to cost reductions in the production of solar modules, sensors, LEDs and other solid-state devices, the company says.

“With thin wafers manufacturers can produce more of their products with less raw material and less capital equipment,” according to the company’s website. “That means crystalline solar panels that sell for nearly 50 percent less than conventional panels and new generations of inexpensive semiconductors.”

Watershed makes a full line of dry bags for all sorts of uses, from recreational to military, but the one that caught our attention was its Grid Tablet bag — an over-the-shoulder carrying case for your iPad. The bag uses Watershed’s “ZipDry” technology to enclose the iPad in a windowed plastic bag that uses a rugged rubberized seal similar to food storage bags to create an airtight seal that the company says is rated for submersion down to 300 feet. By squeezing out the air, the bag forms a vacuum seal around the iPod that lets it be used through a clear plastic window. A protective flap snaps shut to provide extra protection when the iPad is not in use. The $97 bag comes in a variety of colors ranging from camouflage to bright yellow — perfect for standing out in the woods, which is a big selling point for campers with less-than-perfect eyesight.

For iPhones, Dry Case offers a waterproof bag that comes with a squeeze pump to create a vacuum seal the company says is waterproof to 100 feet. The $40 clear case also allows you to use your phone and includes a waterproof headphone jack that can be paired with waterproof headphones (sold separately for $30) so you can take calls or listen to music in the water. It includes an armband and a lanyard to ensure your iPhone won’t float away on you. The company says the case is clear enough to allow you to use your iPhone as an underwater camera.

With so many useful apps for camping and hiking, it’s becoming more and more common to see iPhones and iPads in the backcountry and on the trails. As that happens, the need to keep those devices protected from things like shock and water becomes ever more important.

You can check out the Grid Tablet on the Watershed website and the Dry Case iPhone on its site.

About the size of two Nalgene bottles, one piggybacked on the other, the Biolite Camp Stove burns twigs, sticks, pinecones, pellets and other biomass and weighs in at 2lbs. 1oz and packs down to 8.25 x 5″.

The CampStove will ship “in time for the 2012 camping season,” according to the company and can be pre-ordered now for $129.

More information is available on the company’s website.

At the top of Gonzalez’ list is a four-season tent. “You will want to look for a winter tent that has wide diameter poles, multiple areas to fasten guylines, ample ventilation, and plenty of room to store your bulkier winter gear,” she writes, adding that a ground tarp and wisk broom (to brush the snow off your clothes before entering the tent) are two good accessories. (We’d consider a ground tarp a must-have in any season.)

Gonzalez also lists insulated sleeping bags and pads and a portable heater/cook oven. A winter backpack rounds out her top five.

The entire list — and her rationale behind her picks — are in the article on the Yahoo Sports website.

If you’re coming to the event, I certainly hope you’ll consider attending my session. Camping geeks are as enthusiastic about their gadgets as technology geeks, and the two fields are converging in some pretty interesting ways, mostly thanks to the portability and versatility of the iPhone and iPad. Here’s a taste of what I mean.

Let’s start with navigation. Sure, the iPhone has a built-in compass, but I’m not here to try to sell you on using it — let’s face it; it’s pretty flaky. I’ll opt for a “real” compass any day, liquid filled, mind you, and if I’m expressing a preference, I’ll take a mirror compass; they allow you to see your bearing and line up your target at the same time. The mirrored top also acts as a lid to protect your compass and it’s compact enough that there’s no real advantage to leaving it behind in favor of the app on your iPhone.

More features than a "real" GPSr at about 1/300th the price.

If we’re talking GPS receiver, though, I’ll choose the iPhone over a dedicated unit — at least for casual camping. Sure, a dedicated GPSr’s battery will probably last longer, but the some of the offerings on the app store so good I actually prefer them to a standalone device. My favorite, hands down, is MotionX GPS. It was one of the early arrivals on the app store and it’s been improving ever since. In addition to the usual features like being able to set waypoints and record tracks, it lets you choose from a variety of maps, track your altitude, add photos, share waypoints on your favorite social media network and more. And while a decent GPSr will set you back $300 or more, MotionX GPS is sale-priced at a ridiculously low $1.99 — and it’s a universal app.

No cell service? No problem. SPOT can fetch help by turning your iPhone into a satellite communicator.

The SPOT Connect device can be a life saver — literally. It allows you to use your iPhone to communicate to rescue teams or the folks back home using satellites when there’s no cell coverage. It’s pricey, but for serious outdoor adventurers who frequent remote locations, it could be the best investment they ever made.

There are dozens — maybe hundreds of apps that can be tremendously useful in the great outdoors — everything from apps that help you identify birds to apps that help you identify poisonous plants. There are even apps that will help you with first aid in case you didn’t do so well identifying the poisonous plants. And if you’re a star gazer, you already know how many more stars shine on a dark backcountry night; and you can name every one of them if you have an app for that. (I like Star Walk; $2.99 on the App Store.)

Solar panels: Because trees don't have electrical outlets.

So what’s a gadget-loving camper to do when your iPhone battery barely lasts through the day, let alone a busy weekend of star charting and bird watching? A good solar panel and an external battery can ensure your iDevice has enough juice to do it all. My favorite combination is from a company called GoalZero: their monocrystalline solar panels are much more efficient than panels of old, and their Guide10 battery pack uses rechargeable AA batteries, meaning you can bring multiple sets of batteries to power your device even if there’s not enough sun.

Finally, on the non-Apple front, here’s one of the coolest ways I’ve seen to purify water yet. Traditionally, there have been three ways to ensure water is safe to drink: boil it, treat it chemically or filter it. All have their downsides: boiling water takes a long time and leaves you with hot, often flat-tasting water; iodine pills and other chemical treatments leave a bad taste; and pumping can be slow, labor-intensive and subject to clogging.

Rumor has it that Captain Kirk used the same thing to purify his Romulan Ale.

A company called SteriPEN added a fourth method: purifying by ultraviolet light. It looks like something straight out of Star Trek: a small device about the size of a travel tube of toothpaste, with a glass rod on the end. Immerse the rod in water and it lights up. Less than a minute later, you have water that’s safe to drink, with over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa eliminated, seemingly by magic. (Depending on the condition of the water, you might want to remove sediment or other particles by filtering them through a bandana or coffee filter first.) What’s even cooler is that SteriPEN’s newest model features a USB-rechargeable battery, so you can use your solar panel to charge it too.

I’ll be talking about a lot more at my seminar, so I hope lots of TMO readers will be able to join me. It’s a session that probably wouldn’t have been possible without the new direction of Macworld | iWorld, so I’m very eager to see how it’s received.

Oh, and one more thing: IDG is letting me give TMO readers $15 off an iFan pass just by using this link.

I hope to see you there!

“The Great (Geek) Outdoors: Using your high-tech gear to get more out of your high adventure outings”
Friday, January 27th
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Consider not only the weight of the items, but when you’ll need them. Rain gear? On top or in some other easily accessible spot. Your sleeping bag? The bottom of your pack is probably fine — it’s likely to be one of the last things you need.

There’s plenty of good advice in REI’s article, as well as useful charts and links to other information. Among them, not surprisingly, an article about how to choose a backpack to buy. Mercantile skeptisism aside, it’s a good reference piece and well worth a read.

Our friends at Jansport also have a video guide to loading a pack.

• ‘How to Load a Backpack‘ at REI.com

Here’s the write-up from the conference organizers:

Can high adventure and high tech coincide? This fun and lively session will show you how to integrate technology to make camping easier, safer, more convenient and even more fun. You’ll learn about useful iOS apps that can be even better than the traditional ones they replace (or enhance); how to find and stay on the trail; how to show the outside world what a great time you’re having; how to identify all those extra stars you see in the country; impress friends with your knot-tying skills; find a Geocache; perform First Aid; call for help even when reception is poor; make sure your iPhone lasts throughout your whole adventure and more.

Who Should Attend?

Tech-loving outdoor enthusiasts who want to combine the love of their iPad, iPhones and other gadgets with their love of the Great Outdoors.

Attendees Will Learn:

• How to use iOS devices for camping-related tasks like navigation, star-gazing, knot-tying, survival, first aid ,etc.
• How to keep your iPhone or iPad powered up during long excursions.
• How to use other high-tech camping gear to enhance your trek.
• Some decidedly low-tech tricks to get extra mileage from your high-tech devices.

You can register at the Macworld | iWorld site. We hope to have some extras to offer TrailCamper readers, like conference discounts and maybe even a surprise or two, so stay tuned.

Incredibly, admission to Garden of the Gods is free, one of the conditions under which the park was donated to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909, by the children of Charles Elliott Perkins. As a consequence, don’t expect to be able to get away from it all when you visit the park — it’s one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, and tops the must-see list of just about everyone who visits the area. Another consequence of the park’s popularity is its paved roads — an attempt to prevent the erosion of the original trails. Cars are allowed throughout the park, with ample parking near the trailheads and major foundations. That may detract from the remote feel of the trails, but it makes them more accessible. Other trailheads in the upper areas of the park have no parking spaces — if you want a less public hiking experience, head for these. Some are marked with large wooden gates. Although the gates are open during operation hours, they also make the trails seem less inviting to the general public — you’ll have a better chance at having the trail to yourself in these areas.

The scenery at the Garden of the Gods is spectacular, but don't expect to enjoy it alone.

Rock climbing is also allowed in the park, but climbers must fill out a free registration form at the Visitor Center and proper climbing equipment is mandatory. “Scrambling” is much more common on many of the rock formations, and unlike many places in the Colorado Springs area, we saw no signs prohibiting it.

Garden of the Gods is not a wilderness experience, but it provides breathtaking scenery and access to some of the most incredible natural rock formations in the Southwest. Whether you have an hour to kill or an entire day to roam, the park never fails to satisfy and inspire.

More information is available on the official Garden of the Gods website.

Check out some of the photos from our visit to the Garden of the Gods on our Facebook Album.

Enjoy!